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How Do Web Pages Really Work?
This article discusses... The quest for rankings in the search engines has created a niche industry - search engine optimization. Companies, in their effort to get their page listed first 30 spots, have taken the time to learn more than just HTML, they have hired "optimizers," they have acquired specialized software to monitor web rankings and used even more software to cloak source code, write meta tags and submit to the search engines automatically. Here are a few tricks, that may have worked at one time, but - depending on the engine, don't know. Fact Sex sells Myth Using a "sex-related" word in your keywords will be good for your site, because you will get more visitors. Fact 12 of the top 20 keywords searched deal with "sex." I have many newer reports available (the date has changed, but the list is the same), but I like the following from a May 1996 article from Wired Magazine , which listed the top ten requested search terms: Well, number 6 - software, seems Internet related at least... on the most current list of top searched words that I have, did you know one of the most searched words is actually a typo and ranks 18th!!??!! Yep, a typo! Some people advocate using these "sex-words" in your site will improve your ranking. Internet users will be "fooled" into visiting your site, and you may get extra "sales" from this heavy traffic. Here are a couple of problems with Pamela Lee Anderson, and related words, and this belief: 1. Some search engines determine that you are "spamming" when the meta tags don't match with the words contained in the body of your text. Furthermore, spamming a search engine can get you removed from all listings. 2. Also, if you have these words at your site, and the best customer in the world for your product is searching from their home, and have a safe surfing program installed because of kids, that best customer in the world may not be able to get to a site with the above words. Net effect, they don't visit you. 3. Another problem is that your idea to get extra traffic could result in extra fees. Some ISP’s charge by the amount of traffic that visits your site. Do you really want to pay for 1,000 MB worth of visits when you are limited to 100 MB by your provider? Myth Creating an optimized "gateway or doorway" page, then redirecting it to a main page will work. Fact Meta re-directs: A meta redirect is the optimization of a web site, which is then submitted, and contains a "re-direct" feature which will automatically move your visitor from the submitted site to the page you want them to visit. This formerly worked great (and still does on a few engines), but some engines now penalize for this technique. Myth If one keyword is good, then many keywords are great... Fact Keyword Loading / Word Stuffing: used to work, doesn't now. Many people think if they have a web design site, and to put the term "web design" into the site once is great, then loading "web design" 30 times is even better, including all its permutations such as "WEB DESIGN." It is sorta' like eating chocolate, a candy bar or two tastes good and is OK, (I like Cadbury's myself) but try eating 25 candy bars. Well, it is the same thing when a search engine comes to spider your site. A few key words are great, a whole lot of keywords will cause it to vomit on your site and have you removed. An example might be, If you do it and are caught, on some engines, you will be removed. MythWell, I can get a few more words on my page by hiding text and get a better ranking. Fact Hidden text: White text on white background to provide higher saturated content, without being visible to the human viewer. I know, I know, you are saying, "He doesn't know what he is talking about. I have black text on black background and I have a great rating." Well, a couple of things, if I come across a competitor, who is listed higher than my site, using this or another "spamming" technique, I can sometimes have that page removed in less than an hour. Also, when the search engine comes to visit your site and finds the "illegal" technique, they MAY de-list you anyway. MythYou can fool the search engines by submitting multiple pages of the same page content, and if you get a top ranking, you will have the top 20 rankings with your pages www.mydomain.index1.htm, www.mydomain.index2.htm etc Fact It is called spamdexing. and that used to be true. Many of the search engines now have implemented penalties, i. e., BANNED from their engine, for "spamming" them with identical pages. MythHmm, I will just write an optimized page, let the engine spider my site, then switch it to something prettier... for human consumption. Fact Bait and Switch: Some people create a highly keyword loaded site, submit it, and then after the site is spidered put up an entirely different web page. It can work for a while, until you are re-indexed or someone turns you in... MythHey, she has a top ranked page, maybe I will just copy it... Fact Meta jacking: This used to frequently work, but it works less and less now. Someone would search for the keyword they need, find the top ranked page, copy the source code and then paste it into their page, and, lo' and behold, they had a top ranking as well. Well, there are some pretty bright people on the net, and some of these have figured out how to "cloak" the source code with Java Script (solution: disable this feature) and others have programs which actually show a different source code than what was submitted to the search engine spider - very slick, but if you get caught... Additionally, note the date of the file. If it July 9, 1997, note that the search engine algorithm that was in place in last year, (even last month) is not the same formula used today. What worked then, doesn't work now. When all else fails, what do you do? It is the content of your web page that the engine ranks the highest -- that contributes the most to your "relevancy ranking." So, what to do? Write good content... use your keywords in a logical manner throughout your visible text. Use the words enough to entice the search engines to give you a high relevancy rating, but not too much to get you banned (a little salt is good in sup, but a cup full of salt...). The best advice is (unless you know the search engine algorithm), if you are going to "tweak" your site, do it "organically" without the additives that can get you in trouble. HowToInternet.com offers comprehensive structural and visual Internet presence development; specialized software, manuals and reports to help your web business grow; web page optimization; web page resuscitation (Help, I've fallen and I can't get up); Internet consulting; domain name registration; search engine submission; content sculpting and weaving; imagery creation; general guidance (including either a nudge or kick in the rear, when necessary); and "Wu-Wu" as necessary to create a successful business web site. Copyright 1998 HowToInternet.com At your service, Rod Aries ROD ARIES
Competent Internet Presence Consulting. Is your internet site optimized for search engine indexing? Are you receiving enough visits from your target audience? Are you ranked high enough in the search engines? Optimized web page creation and design.
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