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High Rankings Advisor: SEO for Graphical Pages - Issue No. 136April 6, 2005 *Introductory Comments:
----> Last of the FAQ *Search Engine Marketing FAQ: ----> SEO for Graphical Pages ----> Switching Server Hosts ----> Site Redesign and File Name Changes *This Week's Sponsors: ----> Revival Soy Bar ----> High Rankings Seminar CD - Half Price ----> SEO Copywriting Combo *Guest Article: ----> Creating a Search Engine Copywriting Plan *Stuff You Might Like: ----> Dan Thies' SEM Kit - Now Available! *High Rankings Forum Thread of the Week: ----> RSS / XML - Need Help *Advisor Wrap-up: ----> Successful Seminar in Seattle ________________________________________________________ ~~~Introductory Comments~~~ Hey all! I do believe we've come to the end of the SEM FAQ today, so I'll have to find something else for you in the upcoming weeks. Eventually, I'll put these FAQ all together somewhere for easy reference. (Hopefully that "eventually" will be sooner rather than later, but I'm not making any promises!) So let's get straight to the good stuff! - Jill ~~~Search Engine Marketing FAQ~~~ ++SEO for Graphical Pages++ Q. My boss has a gigantic head and has spent $50,000 for an all-graphical home page. Will it help if we place keyword phrases in [alt tags] [comments tags] [a hidden layer] [text the same color as the background at the bottom of the page]? Jill: I'm afraid that using keyword phrases in any of those places won't help get your home page found in the search engines. Alt attributes (alt tags) are ignored on images that are not clickable, so those won't help. Comment tags have nothing to do with search engine optimization, and are not indexed by the spiders, so don't bother with those either. Hidden layers may actually help, but would most likely be considered spam by the search engines unless the content in them is exactly the same as on the graphical images on the site. If you simply hide keyword phrases in a hidden layer, be sure to look over your shoulder constantly, because your paranoia about one day getting penalized isn't all that paranoid; it could very well happen! If you like to sleep at night, this may not be the best route for you to take. Your alternatives are to simply use the power of your Title tag and the power of the links pointing to your home page. You could also concentrate more on the inner pages (assuming they are not all graphical) and optimize them for the keyword phrases that are important to you. Don't forget that you can always just use PPC ads and not worry about the organic/natural results. That is a very real option these days, and for those not willing to compromise a wee bit to gain natural rankings, it's probably the best one. ________________Revival Soy Bar______________________adv. More Energy = Better Productivity: Revival Soy can boost energy. __________________________________________________ How many times have you needed a mid-afternoon or late-night snack? Revival Soy bars, shakes, and soy chips are a delicious and healthy way to lose weight, increase energy, and improve workouts. Over 1 million orders shipped! Cholesterol-lowering Revival Soy is a great addition to any diet. FREE VARIETY PACK offer with your first order: <http://www.revivalsoy.com/?pid=highrankings1>. ___________________________________________________ ++Switching Server Hosts++ Q. I get no respect from my current Web host so I'm switching providers. Will this affect my search engine rankings? Jill: No, it won't affect your rankings, but it wouldn't hurt to leave your site up on the old host for about a month to ensure that the DNS propagates across the Web and that the search spiders are indexing the pages at the new host. Once you see the spiders in your log files at the new host, it should be safe to take down the site at the old server. ++Site Redesign and File Name Changes++ Q. I've finally redesigned my circa-1997 Web site, and all the file names have changed. What should I do to ensure that the search engines index my new pages? Jill: There are technical things you can do at the server level to redirect all the old file names to the new ones, but quite frankly, I would simply wait it out and allow nature to take its course in due time. Unfortunately, there may be a period of a few months where your old pages are still indexed, and your new ones aren't, but things will work themselves out over time. Do make sure that you have a custom 404-error page in place that will display when people click to one of your old pages from the engines. Also be sure to have some sort of search box and or sitemap on your 404-error page so that the visitor can actively and easily seek out what they came to find. Plus, don't forget to check that the old URLs serve up an actual 404 HTTP header code so that the engines know to purge them from their databases eventually. You can check this using any HTTP header viewer tool, such as the one here: <http://www.delorie.com/web/headers.html>. Jill (P.S. If anyone would like to republish the above Q&A article, please email me your request and where it will reside, and I'll send you a short bio you can use with it for your site.) ______________Missed the SEO Seminar?_______________ Buy Now! High Rankings Seminar CD - Half Price While Supplies Last! __________________________________________________ Listen to the MP3 audio files of our Tampa full-day search engine marketing seminar from November '03 -- was $279, now $139.50! (Yes, it's old, but no, it's not out of date!) SEO Basics, PPC, Copywriting, Measuring Traffic, and Conversions. Also includes complete PDF presentations from the speakers. </cdhra136> __________________________________________________ ~~~Guest Article~~~ ++Creating a Search Engine Copywriting Plan++ We've got another great article from SEO copywriter and Seattle drinking buddy (Coke for her ;-) Karon Thackston. Enjoy! - Jill Creating a Search Engine Copywriting Plan By Karon Thackston Search engine copywriting has become an extremely important part of the overall search engine optimization process. However, search engine copywriting has also developed into a misunderstood craft. Shoving keywords in anywhere they can possibly go is not search engine copywriting. The process is more defined than that. Successful SEO copywriting takes planning. Any half-hearted efforts at writing copy geared strictly toward the engines will usually result in a decline in your customer's experience at your site. This is not a good thing. What's the best way to write SEO copy? Starting with a plan is always a good idea. Keep in mind, these are guidelines that can be used *IF* they make sense for your site visitors. I never recommend writing solely for the search engines. In the case of search engine copywriting, the customer is truly #1. 1) Use Three Keyphrases Per Page - Not a carved-in-stone rule, the guideline of three keyphrases per page gives good variety and helps keep the copy from sounding too repetitive. I always choose keyphrases first -- before I write -- because they can have a direct impact on the focus of the page. 2) Have 250 or More Words of Copy - The length of your copy depends on several things: your target customer's preferred communication style, whether the product is new to the marketplace, whether a detailed explanation needs to be given, site design and many other factors. However, the 250-word minimum gives enough room to get your message across effectively and offer an effective level of keyword support. Remember though, it's all about the customer. If your target customers prefer longer copy, write longer copy. If they like shorter copy, write shorter copy. 3) Write In Natural Language - "Natural language" is a term popular in SEO copywriting. It means that the reader should not be able to (or should barely be able to) detect what keyphrases the page is being optimized for. The copy should flow as if it were not written with the search engines in mind. You don't want the copy to sound like you forced keywords in there. When you generate ideas for the page copy, keep your keywords in mind. Ask yourself whether you can use them in the copy in such a way that they won't be obtrusive. 4) Use Keyword Phrases in Headlines and Sub-headlines IF It Makes Sense - You will not blow your rankings if you have no keyword-filled <H1> or other <H> tags. If your headline sounds stupid with keywords in it, don't use them. There are countless sites online that rank highly which have no keywords in the headline. 5) Use Keyword Phrases Once or Twice Per Paragraph - Again, only if it makes sense. Remember what I keep repeating? None of these guidelines are carved in stone. Read your copy out loud and if it sounds stupid or forced, take out some keywords or find ways to rework them so they flow more naturally. 6) Use Keyword Phrases in Bold, Italic or Bulleted Lists - IF it makes sense to do so. Don't automatically bold or italicize every instance of your keywords. It will make your page look stupid and your visitors will wonder what kind of drugs you've been doing! 7) Do NOT Use Keyword Phrases as Substitutes for Every Generic Term - For example, do not replace every instance of the generic word "cruise" with the keyphrase "Mexico cruise vacation." Your copy will sound ridiculous: "We offer Mexico cruise vacation packages on the most popular Mexico cruise vacation ships to the most breathtaking Mexico cruise vacation destinations." Oh please!! 8) Use Keyword Phrases as Anchor Text in Links - This is certainly not always possible. If your primary keyphrase is "Mexico Cruise Vacation" you absolutely should not write every link to include that phrase. However, if you can include keywords in anchor text within body copy or in text navigation links, you might score a little extra credit. 9) Test and Track - Lastly, and above all, please remember it may take some tweaking to get your page to convert the way you want it to. All customers are not the same and all sites are not the same. All keyphrases are not the same either. There is no magic bullet. You'll have to test and track and see what works best for you. Karon Thackston How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy) http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword _________Powerful SEO Copywriting Combo______________ Your site's only as good as its writing. You need the "write" skills. __________________________________________________ If your site is poorly written, your sales will be slow. You *must* speak to your target audience with each and every word you write. At the same time, keeping your keywords featured prominently is a bit of a juggling act. Save $10 on the most powerful copywriting combo available today! Karon Thackston's Step-By-Step Copywriting Course & Jill Whalen's Nitty-gritty of Writing for the Search Engines. </combo136> __________________________________________________ ~~~Stuff You Might Like~~~ ++Dan Thies' SEM Kit++ It's here, it's here! Just what you've been waiting for, the new Dan Thies Search Engine Marketing Kit from SitePoint! If you are a freelance Web developer and/or work for a development firm, or if you're simply a Web site owner or Webmaster, Dan's kit is exactly what you're looking for. I daresay that it would also be great for anyone on the verge of opening up a new search marketing business. (And I should know because I was an editor on the book!) Just like Dan's personal coaching that I raved about a month or two ago, this SEM kit will teach you everything you want to know about: * Understanding Search Engines * Search Engine Optimization * Advanced SEO & Search Engine Friendly Design * Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC) * Running a Search Engine Marketing Business. The best news is that the kit won't set you back all that much as compared to Dan's personal coaching, however. (The coaching is $1,700 and the kit is only $197.) So if you really wanted to sign up for the personal training, but couldn't quite afford it, here's your chance to still learn from one of the best. You can learn more about this Search Engine Marketing Kit or purchase it through my affiliate link here: </semkit>. (More info on Dan's coaching/consulting can be found here: <http://www.seoresearchlabs.com/hr/seo-course.php>.) ~~~High Rankings Forum Thread of the Week~~~ ++RSS / XML - Need Help++ Forum member "Whitney" asks for some help with RSS and XML feeds, and as usual our HRF members don't let her down. Read more and post your comments here: </forum/index.php?showtopic=13463>. ~~~Advisor Wrap-up~~~ That's it for today! I came back from Seattle to learn that I had lucked out and missed a ton of rain while away. Who would have guessed that there'd be *less* rain in Seattle. The weather was actually pretty good to us while we were there. We did have to walk to our seminar dinner in the rain on Thursday, but the hotel was good enough to lend us some umbrellas so it wasn't that bad. Speaking of the hotel, we were all very impressed with the Watertown <http://www.watertownseattle.com/> and I'd highly recommend it to anyone visiting Seattle, whether for business or pleasure. They took great care of us! Let me also publicly thank my seminar planning partner, Lee Laughlin from Fearless Events <http://www.fearlessevents.com/>, for all her hard work before, during, and after the event. There would not be any High Rankings seminars if it weren't for Lee, so thanks, friend! And of course a big thank-you to all my speaker friends who imparted as much wisdom as they could to our attendees. Thanks again, Karon, Scottie, Debra, Dan, Matt, and Chris! Catch you next time. - Jill    |
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