Reg Charie
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I've been doing sites for over 10 years and IMO
these are the rules to follow:
KISS - Keep it simple superman.
Content is king.
Here is what I do when starting a site from scratch.
I find out my client's keywords and do some research on
www.nichebot.com to find out how
many times in the last 12 months the term has been searced for. I also
investigate alternative terms to see if they would be searched for more often.
Once the keyword phrases have been decided the focus of the content is apparent.
I then work with the client to get the copy to present the keyword phrases to
best effect.
In this process we also investigate the domain names available.
If at all possible it is best from a SEO perspective to incorporate the primary
keyword phrase in the domain name.
We try to keep the domain name to two words and use a hyphen to separate them as
the search engines read hyphens as spaces and it defines each word.
Then we setup the hosting.
I host using my own professionally maintained co-located server in a $100
million server facility connected to a major internet backbone. Basic accounts
start at $5.95 and incorporate everything a successful site needs to host and
monitor visitor use. (metrics) My hosting supplies 5 different metrics programs.
Each account gets way more space and bandwidth than they will ever use unless
they get a "Super Hit" site. (In this case it is easy to upgrade.)
All user management is done in cPanel which gives access to all settings, stats,
and webmail.
Since the majority of my current work is done in the open source (free) content
system CRELoaded, I urge my client to strongly consider this platform.
Once installed and setup, and with a bit of training the client can add to or
modify their own site all without the need for a webmaster. (Sounds like I just
talked myself out of a job eh?) I have a work at home grandmother with
very limited computer experience running her own online store in it, so it is a
good choice.
Besides offering the client easy website modifications, CRE has many features as
it is built to manage customers, stores, articles, affiliate programs,
advertising, and more.
Once the platform is determined, (html or CRE in PHP/MySQL), a basic site is
setup, layout determined, (I favor full screen fluid displays), and colors
selected.
KISS> A small logo is preferred to maximize content display. about 100 pixels
high max.
Primary navigation along the top, secondary navigation to the top left under the
header.
The primary keywords are used in a heading tag in the header beside the logo.
This can be in the form of a slogan. This position is chosen as it is the first
thing the search engines read.
The client has, by this time, done the copy for the mainpage, which should be
written around the keyword phrases and structured to present the benefits first.
(To satisfy the "what's in this page for me" that visitors are looking for.)
If the page was selling "widgets" the first line would read something like:
"Searching for top quality cheap widgets?"
Then it would say something similar to:
We have every widget you can use at a price that cannot be beat.
The page would then list a sampling of widgets preferably in a bulleted list. If
not in a list, then as a description.
More descriptive text is used to bring the page to about 200 - 300 words. The
page is finished off with a call to action or links to purchase the
products/services.
Links on the site should be done in text. Graphic buttons are not good for the
search engines without a lot of extra work.
A professional site should have the main page, an about us page, (this page
discusses the owner, not the business), a contact page using a form and not with
the email address to click on), a privacy policy, terms of use, (if necessary),
shipping policy, and of course product pages. Each page has their own keyword,
description, and title tags incorporating the appropriate keywords.
If there are a number of products/services a general product description page is
warranted to make it easy for the visitor to choose.
Each of these pages has the appropriate tags also.
Once the site is done it is linked from a site with good PR, (Page Rank), so
that the search spiders find it.
In general, I frown on flash, will not use flashing, scrolling, blinking,
anything.
Animated flash just detracts the user from the content. If you are not going to
make it animated, then a graphic should be used.
(To Jan who said: "We have a client who's selling her first children's book. We
had to use Flash elements, because the target market is kids. They love
movement.")
While this is true, and pages should be done for the kids, it is the parents who
buy.
If a site is done completely in flash, then it will not get ranked in the search
engines as, for their spiders, it has 0 content. The same holds for pages done
in frames.
If you write for people and satisfy their reasons
to go to your site, the SEO falls into place with little effort and good search
rankings will follow.
Having a site that makes buying easy is most important.
Reg
First page SEO
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