Search Engine Marketing - PPC Management Services

Facts You Should Know About Web Site Design and Search Engine Optimization

1. Web site File Structure / File Naming

• Most search engines do not recognize beyond two directory levels.

• Make sure to name your files and directories with keywords.

• Don't separate keywords using the underscore instead use hyphens.

• File names should be not too long.

2. Load Time

• If a page doesn't load in 8 seconds, Web site will lose 1/3 of the visitors.

• Images and Graphics -Image optimization will help to improve the load time. Images can be optimized using the "GIFBOT" image optimization tool (http://www.netmechanic.com/accelerate.htm)

3. Browser Compatibility / Screen Resolutions

• Make sure the all the web pages are compatible with the latest versions of Internet explore and Netscape. (Eg: IE 4.0 and above, Netscape 4.7 and above)

• Screen resolution is very important. Compatibility in 800 and 1024 resolution is a must.

4. Site Map

• A very important page on a web site.

• Search Engine spider's prefers Site maps.

• Name the Site Map page-using hyphen (site-map.html).

• Make sure the site map has links to every page of the web site.

• Use key words on the anchor.

• Try to describe the links with two or three lines.

• Give a link o the site map from all the pages of the site.

• Keep the site map simple with no or few images.

5. HTML Validation

• Make sure the coding is done according to the W3C standards. (http://validator.w3.org)

• Search engines are constantly rewarding web sites that utilize clean and validated HTML.

• Validate the HTML coding using the "CSE HTML Validator" before the site goes live. (http://www.htmlvalidator.com/)

6. Custom 404 Error Page

• Through the custom 404 error page, make it easy for the users to find where they want to go.

• Use HTML links and include a search box.

• For information on how to create custom 404 pages for every type of server, visit the 404 Research Lab (http://www.plinko.net/404/). The site also features many examples of custom 404 pages.

7. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

• Cascading Style allows Webmasters to control Web page design parameters, such as margins, font/typeface appearance, link appearance, colors, and placement.

• CSS decreases download time. Style sheets alone don't matter to the search engines.

8. Using JavaScript / Frames / Flash

• JavaScript - JavaScript is not search engine friendly and not important to the engines, so move it to a separate .js file.

• Frames – Try to avoid using frames. In a situation of using frame make sure to use the Tag. Frames must be navigational within the frames. Include an option to use the site with or without frames. And, use JavaScript to keep frames intact.

• Flash – Search Engine spiders cant read the flash (Except Fast.com). Anyway Flash can be used for demos and presentations.

• Layers – It is recommended not use layers.

9. Font Styles and Colors

• Font Styles – It is important to use the font styles compatible with the browsers.

• Colors – Web Safe Colors A few years ago, when most computers supported only 256 different colors, a list of 216 Web Safe Colors was suggested as a Web standard. The reason for this was that Microsoft and Mac operating system used 40 different "reserved" fixed system colors (about 20 each).

  For more information Please visit

  http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp

  http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/articles/websafe1/websafe_colors.html

10.Title / Meta Key Words / ALT tags

• Title / Meta Key Words – Title and Meta key words play an important role search engine optimization.

• ALT Tags – It is important to have an Alt tag to each and every image.

About The Author

Rajitha Dahanayake is the Senior eMarketing Analyst of Reservations Gateway Inc. He has over 3 years experience in search engine optimization and Web Marketing.

rajitha@rezgateway.com

MORE ARTICLES:

Engine77 -- Search Engine Internet Optimization Firm Unveils New SEO Technology and Service
Infinidigm, Inc., a search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and software development firm, announces its cornerstone search engine marketing and search engine optimization technology-based service called Engine77. Engine77 is a robust software platform and service used to optimize web sites, perform market research, and develop sites based upon the analysis.

Search Engine Marketing Agency Launch Mobile Search Marketing Service
With close to 3 billion mobile device users worldwide, Search Engine Marketing Agency Neutralize has responded to client demand with the launch of Mobilize.

Search Engine Marketing Agency, Target Marketing Solutions, Announces Four New SEM/SEO/PPC Clients
More and more companies are utilizing search engine marketing as a key advertising strategy for reaching potential customers. Through the use of website analytics, search engine marketing provides trackable and actionable data to maximize advertising effectiveness.

SEO Link Building and Copywriting Service Relaunched by Search Engine Optimization Firm Brick Marketing
Brick Marketing has realized the importance of incorporating and combining link building into all aspects of online marketing for each of their clients. They have since re-launched their link building service for those interested in introducing online marketing in their business model.

Icelandic Internet Marketing Firm Invited to Speak at London's Search Engine Strategies Conference
Nordic eMarketing's Director of Internet Marketing, Kristjan Mar Hauksson, has been invited to present at the Search Engine Strategies Conference and Expo 2007 in London, England.

BrainPulse Technologies: Launches Advanced Internet Marketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services
BrainPulse has stepped forward to revolutionize Internet marketing and SEO Services to help global businesses achieve their internet marketing goals effectively and in a planned strategical manner to enhance the marketing campaing effectiveness and maximize the return on investments.

Search Engine Marketing Firm iProspect Wins at Search Engine Strategies Awards
iProspect Client Microsoft Small Business Center Wins Award for Best Business to Business Search Engine Marketing Campaign

Internet Marketing Agency Reveals Search Engine Optimization Secrets
If your web site doesn't have a Top 10 search engine ranking, you're missing out on approximately 85% of the Internet users who are looking for the exact products or services you offer.

Bill Casey Opens Full-Service Web Site Design, Development and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Firm
New Atlanta web site design and SEO firm gives small and medium sized businesses a simple and effective path to creative, profitable web sites. Bill Casey Consulting provides all the web services a business needs, gauges its success on the profitability of its clients' sites, and streamlines the development process to lessen client burdens.

PPC Summit Workshops: Learn Search Engine Marketing in Two-Day Seminars from Search Industry Experts
PPC Summit unites some of the foremost minds in the pay per click advertising world to change the way the subject is taught. Targeted at a range of skill levels and suitable for a wide variety of professionals, participants acquire new skills and leave with a solid understanding of search engine marketing. The team is bringing their seminars to cities all over North America, as well as London in the UK, in 2007.

Search Engine Optimization Company Announces Expansion in Business and New Marketing Strategy
Within the past two years Keyword Performance LLC, a creative search engine marketing firm, has tripled in size, offering new services and gaining large company recognition.

Internet Marketing Expert Shows How Search Engine Optimization and RSS Can Boost Public Relations Visibility
TopRank CEO Lee Odden to Speak at Bulldog Reporter's Advanced Public Relations Technology in Practice Event

SpiderSplat.com Expands Search Engine Marketing to Include Social Media Optimization Services (SMO Consultant)
SpiderSplat, a leading provider of Search Engine Marketing, Pay-per-Click marketing and Keyword syndicated press releases, has expanded its offering to now include Social Media Optimization services. This new service called the SMO Consultant, offers clients the ability to have the opportunity to dramatically increase traffic and turn visitors into paying customers when used with SpiderSplat's SEM services.

Twelve Horses Expands Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing Services
Through hiring SEO expert Eric Morgan Twelve Horses has expanded its service offering to include SEO. Twelve Horses is a Reno based company that currently provides web design, web development, and email marketing services to clients on a national basis.

Search Engine Optimization Firm, Brick Marketing Revises Search Engine Optimization Service
Brick Marketing, an internet marketing company, has recently revised and re-launched their search engine optimization services to adjust with growing trends. Brick Marketing has acknowledged that a revision of this product and the way it was offered to our clients had to be revised in order to stay competitive with other agencies. Potential customers can now be accustomed to similar pricing strategies has other players in the industry. The online marketing industry is a very fast moving industry with changes occurring sometimes over night. In order for firms and consultants to stay in a competitive range a watchful eye must be kept on all offerings in order to be able to provide only the best solution for clients.