Be Friendly to Search Engines

The object of search engines is to give their visitors a list of web pages relevant to the search words, in the order of relevance to the search words. So what do they want from websites?

Relevance to a search:

• The frequency of the search word on a web page is an indicator of its relevance. If a web page contains the word ten times on the page, it is ten times more relevant than a page which contains the word only once.

• The position of the search word:
  • In the title tag.
    This appears in your browser at the very top of the screen, above File, Edit, View...

    This tag is important to search engines as it is visible to the visitor, and ostensibly sums up the purpose for the page. Other meta tags are largely ignored by search engines.

  • In a heading.
    This tag is very important to search engines as it is visible to the visitor, and ostensibly sums up the purpose for the page. The size of the heading does not matter. Take care not to have more that one such heading on the home page. (Don't confuse the search engine).

  • In a link to another page.
    In the HTML coding, such a link could be Whodickies. If "Whodickies" are important enough to have a link to them, they are very relevant to a visitor's search for whodickies.

  • In the body text.
    Key words near the top and the bottom of the text are important. Certainly many search results show the beginning and end of pages.

• Proportion of the search words on the page.
  The intensity of key words in relation to the total words in a page tells a search engine if there is spamming. Experience has shown that if the key words in a search make up more than 10% of the total web page the page is marked down. Some experts say 5%.

• Number of inside pages linking back to that web page.
  The more inside pages linking back to the home page the more relevant the home page appears to the search engine. A website with 30 pages must seem to have more information than one with 3 pages.

• Number of other websites linking to that web page.
  A website with links from 20 other websites seems more popular than one with links from only 2 other websites. The quality of such links has a bearing. e.g. Links from other websites which display your key words are better that links from websites without those words.

• Number of articles published linking to that web page.
  Many websites publish articles on many subjects. Check the formats acceptable. Compose your article, then submit it.

Why do different search engines give different rankings to the same website? Each search engine may give a different weight to each of the factors above.

Why would a website lose or gain ranking position, without any change? Search engines change their secret algorithms (formula of factor weighting) from time to time. Other websites may enter the lists, change, or leave the lists.

Remember that the main reason for putting up a website it to be found by search engines, so do all you can to be friendly to them.

More information on search engine optimization of websites can be found at platypus websites - www.platywebs.com.au

Ken McKay has been designing commercial websites since 1999.

---

Web Design Advice And Information

Most of us at times need advice on different aspects... Read More

Build Web Pages from the Top Left Corner Down

There are two important reasons to build your website from... Read More

How To Set Up A Professional Website On Your Own Using Web Templates

To create professional websites is not an easy task by... Read More

Web Design - 7 Key Things to Avoid

A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More

Is Your Site Too Slow? Why Image Optimization Is Critical

Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More

A Crash Course on Graphic Philosophy 101

Novice and professional graphic designers, we are aware that you... Read More

Hexadecimal Color Notation on the Web

When designing elements for your webpage, you will often be... Read More

Choosing A Web Designer : A Plan to Guide You Through The Minefield

Choosing a web designer can seem like a daunting task.... Read More

What Content to Publish on Your Website

Many businesses want a simple website where they tell people... Read More

Are You A Bill Clinton Webmaster?

One of the most frequent questions I get asked about... Read More

TEN Answers That Turn Your Visitors Into Your Customers

You know... Before purchasing your product a person comes to... Read More

Web Design for Dictators

No question about it, web design is an art. Finding... Read More

Sales Versus Customer Oriented Websites

Should Generating Revenue From A Website Be The Prime Motivator?... Read More

Free Website Templates - Top 10 Things You Need to Know

When building your website you might not have a large... Read More

Is Your Website?s Copy Up to the Mark?

The Internet is a relatively new medium. What works for... Read More

The Best Simple Software For The Busy Webmaster

Here are a few programs I can't do without. They're... Read More

When Good Computers Go Bad

Remember the day that you got your new computer (or... Read More

Double Ad-Trackers Its Not as Crazy as It Sounds Here Are 7 Reasons Why?

A Double Ad Tracker is an Ad-Tracker that points to... Read More

Handwriting Font Tips - The Personal Touch That Makes a Difference

Most websites use similar fonts and as a result have... Read More

.htaccess to Mask Errors on Your Website

The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More

Keyword Density

We can't emphasize enough the importance of including keyword-rich content... Read More

The Technology May Change, But Human Nature Remains The Same

Let me repeat that.."The technology may change, but human nature... Read More

Cheap Web Design

If you think it's simply a case of who will... Read More

Your Graphics- Are They Really Working For You?

(Making Your Graphics Work For You)It's no secret that a... Read More

How to Chose Stock Photography for your Web Site

So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that... Read More

Winning Websites

Customers will form an opinion of your business as soon... Read More

Dont Lose The Sale In The Internets Last Three Feet

In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More

Converting Print Advertising For Use On The Web - A How-To

Contrary to the beliefs of some, advertising for web and... Read More

5 Ways To Improve Your Website Immediately

If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More

Why Do Images Disappear from a Webpage?

In learning webpage design, I encountered many problems that took... Read More

Web Site Turn Ons

When you develop a sales brochure, you have a mental... Read More

Website Design: 10 Smart Tips To Improve Your Ad Copy

Your website design may be affecting your sales in ways... Read More

Usability Lessons from the Hospital

Usability isn't only for Web design. It's also applicable in... Read More