Building a Search Engine Friendly Website
How to prepare your website, at the beginning, for SEO

Search Engines are often unpredictable, and sometimes it takes months and much effort to improve performance of your site’s listing. Everyone will tell you about the link building and site’s popularity. But first of all, before doing any SEO effort, your site should be Search Engine-ready. Whether you are just staring out the development of the website, either in-house or with the development firm, or updating your existing site, below points you should definitely follow (use it as a checklist) – all pertaining to Web site development assuming you have developed the list of top 1-2 keywords. If you choose one, it’ll be easier to maintain your site and get better results.

Create proper URL “filing” system

 

When creating locations for your pages, use short but keyword-descriptive structure. For example, with keyword “web design”, put top product pages in to /web-design/ folder, name your files web-design-package1.htm, so that the link will look like this:
            www.mysite.com/web-design/web-design-package1.htm.
Keep similar structure for all your pages.
 

Provide quality content, especially on the home page

 

It is very important to provide high-quality content for your product. Include keywords in the copy and integrate hot-links (see below) to the internal pages. Keep good ration between keyword and surrounding text.
 

Hot-link from your pages, don’t use images

 

Use keyword-oriented text, implant hot-links (direct text link) to the navigation to internal pages. Basically, when you want to provide a link to the next page, try not to use images (see point below), and use keyword in the link: Instead of “View our products” link, use “View our web design products” (assuming your main keyword is “web design”). On any link (text or image) add a title tag using your keywords (<a href=”sample url” title=”web design services pricing”>View Web design prices</a>)
 

Limit number of links on the page

 

The more links you have, the less value each of the following those links pages have. Use only those that are important to you and ALWAYS try to put the keyword.
 

Limit flash images and re-design gif/jpg images

 

Search Engines can not recognize flash images, and can not read (at least for now) the text inside the image. Whenever you can, avoid creating images for the text-driven messages. For example, if you want to create a pretty header for each of your products, consider creating a little icon to go in front of your header written in text. Using Buttons? Cut out top, sides and bottoms of the button shape and create an inside section where you can simply write the name of the button in html.
 

Create separate meta tags for each page

 

Avoid duplication of your title/description tags – Search Engines may assume it’s the same page, especially if you also reuse the same body content on multiple pages. Create independent tags using keywords in the title and description. Remember, that this is the information that is visible on the browser, so “sell” your product to get an in-bound link.
 

Use Header tags on each page

 

For content headers on each page, use <H1> and <H2> tags, instead of <font> tags, and use keywords in each. Search engines will put priority on these tags.
 

Provide text shortcut links from your home page

 

Add text hot-links from your home page to your main product pages utilizing keywords. Example, on the very top of your content, add a line of links: “web design overview | web design product1 | web design product2”
 

Keep your code clean - Use little script on the page, or hide it

 

If you are using script (java script for example) on your home page, it will take valuable space in the page code and “dilute” your valuable content in search engines’ eyes. If you must use any type of script, you or your programmer should find a way to hide it… search the web for tools on how to do it.
 

Helpful tip (extracted from my valuable experience :-)
Use high-quality words around your keywords, such as “buy”, “pricing”, “features”, “reviews” in the title/description tags, as well as around your links – SE’s and visitors will pay more attention.
        Example for Title:
        Web Design Services - Features and Pricing Overview


 

 

Designed by Inna Gordin  |  GordinInna@yahoo.com |  7Butterflies.com  |   2006