What to look for in a search engine optimization specialist
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Search engines are the primary way most people find web sites, but web site designers forget to think of this when they create their sites. Often, site designers will make the mistake of building the web site first and then contacting a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist to make that site search-engine friendly.
What most site owners do not realize is that a search engine optimization specialist should be brought into the design process early, not after the site has been built. It is disconcerting to find out that you are a pound short and a day late.
Most so-called search engine optimization specialists are people who slap keywords and keyword phrases inside of HTML tags without considering an overall online marketing strategy. On the other hand, there are people who can write for the search engines, analyze site statistics, have a thorough knowledge of spider-friendly HTML, have considerable experience with SEO in multiple industries, and stay up-to-date on search engine happenings. These are the true search engine experts.
This article addresses five important points to consider when looking for an SEO specialist to work on your site.
Search Engine vs. Directory. A true search engine optimization specialist knows the difference between a search engine and a directory, and will keep the two types of web sites separate in their promotion strategies. The strategies for being listed well in search engines are completely different from the strategies for being listed well in directories.
Search engine optimization is designing, writing, and coding (in HTML) a web site or some of its pages so that there is a good chance that these web pages will appear at the top of search engine results for selected keywords and key phrases. Factors that affect search engine rankings include keyword concentration, keyword placement, link popularity, and so forth.
Directory enhancement is the process of selecting the most appropriate categories for a web site and writing descriptions that concisely and accurately describe the content of the site or a web page without keyword stacking. Factors that affect directory placement are selecting the right category and writing a good description.
Reconsider hiring an SEO specialist who consistently refers to directories (Yahoo!, LookSmart, Open Directory, etc.) as search engines.
Keyword Research. A majority of an SEO specialist's time should be spent on researching the keywords your target audience is most likely to type in a search query and incorporating these words and phrases into your web pages. You will undoubtedly be surprised to find what your audience is typing in.
The most important tags in an SEO specialist's arsenal are title tags and the main body text. Meta tags, alternative text, and comment tags are supplemental; having extra keywords in these tags alone will not give long-term results.
Guarantees. No one should guarantee a search engine ranking. Search engines regularly change their algorithms. What works one day might not work the next day. Search engines want to differentiate their results from one another. They want "fresh" results from their spidering efforts to appear when ready, and to flush their index of spam whenever possible. It is for these reasons that they tweak algorithms.
Software. Programmers who make software that steals other sites' content to generate gateway pages are not search engine experts. Companies whose sole business is generating gateway pages are not search engine experts. (We have yet to see gateway page get good link popularity.) You can spot these companies by learning whether they host the pages themselves and "redirect" the user to your domain.
To get the best long-term results, a web site should be constructed with quality content and a navigation scheme that search engines can spider. Software cannot generate this type of web site.
Cloaking and Gateway / Doorway Pages. Search engines have made it very clear that the web page delivered to the search engine spider and the web page delivered to the end user should be the same. If not, the search engines consider it spam and will have the site promptly removed from the search engine database.
Many search engine optimization companies use scare tactics to convince people that cloaking is necessary. They will tell you that others can figure out your online marketing strategy just by looking at your web pages. ("Stealing your meta tags" is a common scare tactic used.) This is not an accurate characterization of the situation at all. In fact, we outlined above that meta-tags alone are simply not effective.
If the content of your page is stolen, then it is copyright infringement. Cloaking can hide copyright infringement behind the stealth script. This is one of the many reasons why search engines dislike cloaking and eventually may ban its use. Other reasons might be that search engines lose control over where they direct users. If a stealth marketer swipes code for a top position of "flowers" and then redirects the searcher to a furniture outlet store, it harms both the engine and its users.
Stay safe. If the search engines ever decide to ban cloaking, stealth or IP delivery, you will be safe if you never used it.
In conclusion, to get the best long-term results in both the search engines and the directories, build a good web site. Make your pages easy to read. Give the search engines and your end users a navigation scheme that they can easily follow.
Learn to write your content using the words and phrases your target audience will type into a search query. By giving your target audience exactly what they are searching for via a search engine query, you are not only giving your target audience what they are searching for. You are also adding value to the search engines
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Web Site Promotion Scam site submission and search engine lead times
Web Site Promotion Scam site submission and search engine lead times
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Has your inbox been flooded with emails from online promotion companies shortly after you submit your web site to the search engines and Yahoo? Be very careful how you proceed, because these companies could be online scam artists. Here is why.
First, all search engine and directory submissions have lead times. What this means is that your web site or web page is submitted to the search engine, the site has been recorded by the search engine spider, but it will take some time before your web page is added to the search engine catalogue.
For a directory, your site must be reviewed first, accepted into the directory, and then added to the catalogue. The time between submission and addition to the catalogue is called the lead time. Lead times vary from a few days to a few months. In fact, most web pages are not added to a search engine catalogue for at least 2 weeks following submission, barring any technical difficulties.
Now, we've noticed that the spam mail usually comes after a Yahoo submission, but we're sure other promotion companies have found similar trends. If you have a new web site and if your site was recently submitted into the search engines and Yahoo, when you get an email stating that your site is nowhere to be found in the search engines, delete that email.
Your site has not had enough time to be added to the catalogues, and these scam artists are trying to take advantage of peoples' ignorance about lead times. If you hired a good search engine optimization specialist, your site will show up eventually, just not immediately.
Also, these scam companies assume that they can figure out your keywords and key phrases just by looking at your meta-tags on one page. Good online marketing specialists know how to strategically place keywords throughout your site, not just in the meta-tags, for optimum search engine indexing. They know how to use singulars and plurals, synonyms, and well-written headings throughout your entire site. Just because one keyword does not get you in a Top 10 position does not mean that your site cannot be found on search engines.
Only you can determine which keywords and key phrases people are using on the search engines and directories to find you (on your site reports). You might find that people are finding your site using a certain phrase or your service and a location name, such as "web site designer Illinois." Once you determine how people are finding your site, then you can adjust the HTML coding accordingly.
So please don't be in such a rush to hire these scam artists. They are relying on your ignorance of search engine and directory lead times to scam you out of your hard-earned money. They will continue to spam you even when your site is listed well in the search engines and directories.
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Has your inbox been flooded with emails from online promotion companies shortly after you submit your web site to the search engines and Yahoo? Be very careful how you proceed, because these companies could be online scam artists. Here is why.
First, all search engine and directory submissions have lead times. What this means is that your web site or web page is submitted to the search engine, the site has been recorded by the search engine spider, but it will take some time before your web page is added to the search engine catalogue.
For a directory, your site must be reviewed first, accepted into the directory, and then added to the catalogue. The time between submission and addition to the catalogue is called the lead time. Lead times vary from a few days to a few months. In fact, most web pages are not added to a search engine catalogue for at least 2 weeks following submission, barring any technical difficulties.
Now, we've noticed that the spam mail usually comes after a Yahoo submission, but we're sure other promotion companies have found similar trends. If you have a new web site and if your site was recently submitted into the search engines and Yahoo, when you get an email stating that your site is nowhere to be found in the search engines, delete that email.
Your site has not had enough time to be added to the catalogues, and these scam artists are trying to take advantage of peoples' ignorance about lead times. If you hired a good search engine optimization specialist, your site will show up eventually, just not immediately.
Also, these scam companies assume that they can figure out your keywords and key phrases just by looking at your meta-tags on one page. Good online marketing specialists know how to strategically place keywords throughout your site, not just in the meta-tags, for optimum search engine indexing. They know how to use singulars and plurals, synonyms, and well-written headings throughout your entire site. Just because one keyword does not get you in a Top 10 position does not mean that your site cannot be found on search engines.
Only you can determine which keywords and key phrases people are using on the search engines and directories to find you (on your site reports). You might find that people are finding your site using a certain phrase or your service and a location name, such as "web site designer Illinois." Once you determine how people are finding your site, then you can adjust the HTML coding accordingly.
So please don't be in such a rush to hire these scam artists. They are relying on your ignorance of search engine and directory lead times to scam you out of your hard-earned money. They will continue to spam you even when your site is listed well in the search engines and directories.
Tips for getting listed on Yahoo
Tips for getting listed on Yahoo
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Treat Yahoo as both a directory AND a search engine. Yahoo offers a number of different search results. Part of their search results come from an actual search engine, and some of their results come from human editors, called surfers.
Every Yahoo directory submission is viewed by a person. (Search engines use spiders and indexing software). Admission into the Yahoo directory is entirely at the discretion of the Yahoo surfer viewing your site. That's why the free submission lead time can often be 8-10 weeks, without using the Express Submit service.
Unlike search engine submissions that accept multiple pages from the same site, Yahoo surfers prefer to view your home page, and they will navigate your site from there.
With directories, the site owner selects the most appropriate directory categories for his/her site and writes descriptions that concisely and accurately describe the content of the site. Factors that affect directory placement are selecting the right category and writing a good description.
Always differentiate between the Yahoo search engine and the Yahoo directory whenever you speak to a search engine marketer. The strategies for getting listed in search engines are different from the strategies for getting listed in directories.
Fill out the Forms on Yahoo Exactly as Requested
We know this seems obvious, but some sites don't get listed because the submitters do not follow directions when filling out the forms. When Yahoo asks for a telephone number, give only one telephone number including the area code. When Yahoo asks for a 25-words-or-less description, don't try any fancy word stacking or keyword tricks. Stick to a concise, accurate description of your site's content. Yahoo surfers often change your site description after it's listed in their directory.
Although some fields are optional, try to fill in all of the fields in the form, especially the fields asking your company name, address, telephone and fax numbers. Yahoo wants to know that you have a legitimate business that will be around in years to come.
Select the Categories (only 3) That You Want to be listed under Very Carefully
To select your categories, type in your selected keywords in a Yahoo query, and study the results. Your site does not belong where you believe your target audience is searching. Your site's actual content should accurately reflect the category or categories you wish to be listed under.
You will probably be listed under the same categories your competitors are listed under. Study your competitors' directory listing. See what their descriptions are, and then modify your site's description to show the Yahoo surfer that you definitely belong in the categories you selected.
If you are a U.S. company, under the category Regional/United States/ in Yahoo, all 50 states are listed. You should include your site in one of the regional categories, if applicable. Don't be surprised that most of your traffic from Yahoo is local. Many customers need to hear your voice or see your face to feel secure about hiring you or your company for a project.
Category listings are also at the discretion of a Yahoo surfer. You need to spend the time selecting your categories and studying your competitors so that you do not get listed under an "undesirable" category.
Have Unique Content and Point This Information Out in Your Submission
A web site is of no value to the Yahoo directory if the site contains the exact same information as other sites in the same categories. So to add value to the Yahoo directory, and to call attention to the unique aspects of your online business, make sure you have unique content on your site.
You can point out any unique content to the Yahoo surfer via your 25-word description or the extra comments field in the submission form.
Get a Virtual Domain Name
Yahoo tends to recognize virtual domains (http://www.yourcompany.com) over others. Why is this? Yahoo wants to have legitimate organizations and companies in their directory. They do not want a small start-up company that won't be around next year, thus resulting in a dead link to a URL in the directory. A virtual domain shows that you are serious about your business.
Try to Get Listed in One of Yahoo's Regional Directories First
At the bottom of Yahoo's home page are some of Yahoo's regional directories. If you are in one of the regional areas, you can often get your web site listed much faster in the regional directory than in Yahoo's main directory.
Commercial web sites must pay an annual fee of $299 (currently) to be listed in the Yahoo directory. Sometimes, a Yahoo surfer might discover a content-rich commercial site without you ever submitting.
"Design for Speed" (Quotation from a Yahoo Surfer)
Yahoo is looking for sites that download very quickly, preferably within 30 seconds on a dial-up modem.
Of course, exceptions do apply; such as if you are an online video game company and use Shockwave on your site. Then it is understandable that your web site might take longer to download.
Lastly, the rule "Content is King" applies to getting listed in Yahoo. If Yahoo editors don't feel your site looks or sounds like a legitimate business, they don't have to list your site. So make sure your web site is easy to read, easy to navigate, easy to find (on search engines), shows consistency in design and layout, and is quick to download. Above all, have unique content to add value to the Yahoo directory.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Treat Yahoo as both a directory AND a search engine. Yahoo offers a number of different search results. Part of their search results come from an actual search engine, and some of their results come from human editors, called surfers.
Every Yahoo directory submission is viewed by a person. (Search engines use spiders and indexing software). Admission into the Yahoo directory is entirely at the discretion of the Yahoo surfer viewing your site. That's why the free submission lead time can often be 8-10 weeks, without using the Express Submit service.
Unlike search engine submissions that accept multiple pages from the same site, Yahoo surfers prefer to view your home page, and they will navigate your site from there.
With directories, the site owner selects the most appropriate directory categories for his/her site and writes descriptions that concisely and accurately describe the content of the site. Factors that affect directory placement are selecting the right category and writing a good description.
Always differentiate between the Yahoo search engine and the Yahoo directory whenever you speak to a search engine marketer. The strategies for getting listed in search engines are different from the strategies for getting listed in directories.
Fill out the Forms on Yahoo Exactly as Requested
We know this seems obvious, but some sites don't get listed because the submitters do not follow directions when filling out the forms. When Yahoo asks for a telephone number, give only one telephone number including the area code. When Yahoo asks for a 25-words-or-less description, don't try any fancy word stacking or keyword tricks. Stick to a concise, accurate description of your site's content. Yahoo surfers often change your site description after it's listed in their directory.
Although some fields are optional, try to fill in all of the fields in the form, especially the fields asking your company name, address, telephone and fax numbers. Yahoo wants to know that you have a legitimate business that will be around in years to come.
Select the Categories (only 3) That You Want to be listed under Very Carefully
To select your categories, type in your selected keywords in a Yahoo query, and study the results. Your site does not belong where you believe your target audience is searching. Your site's actual content should accurately reflect the category or categories you wish to be listed under.
You will probably be listed under the same categories your competitors are listed under. Study your competitors' directory listing. See what their descriptions are, and then modify your site's description to show the Yahoo surfer that you definitely belong in the categories you selected.
If you are a U.S. company, under the category Regional/United States/ in Yahoo, all 50 states are listed. You should include your site in one of the regional categories, if applicable. Don't be surprised that most of your traffic from Yahoo is local. Many customers need to hear your voice or see your face to feel secure about hiring you or your company for a project.
Category listings are also at the discretion of a Yahoo surfer. You need to spend the time selecting your categories and studying your competitors so that you do not get listed under an "undesirable" category.
Have Unique Content and Point This Information Out in Your Submission
A web site is of no value to the Yahoo directory if the site contains the exact same information as other sites in the same categories. So to add value to the Yahoo directory, and to call attention to the unique aspects of your online business, make sure you have unique content on your site.
You can point out any unique content to the Yahoo surfer via your 25-word description or the extra comments field in the submission form.
Get a Virtual Domain Name
Yahoo tends to recognize virtual domains (http://www.yourcompany.com) over others. Why is this? Yahoo wants to have legitimate organizations and companies in their directory. They do not want a small start-up company that won't be around next year, thus resulting in a dead link to a URL in the directory. A virtual domain shows that you are serious about your business.
Try to Get Listed in One of Yahoo's Regional Directories First
At the bottom of Yahoo's home page are some of Yahoo's regional directories. If you are in one of the regional areas, you can often get your web site listed much faster in the regional directory than in Yahoo's main directory.
Commercial web sites must pay an annual fee of $299 (currently) to be listed in the Yahoo directory. Sometimes, a Yahoo surfer might discover a content-rich commercial site without you ever submitting.
"Design for Speed" (Quotation from a Yahoo Surfer)
Yahoo is looking for sites that download very quickly, preferably within 30 seconds on a dial-up modem.
Of course, exceptions do apply; such as if you are an online video game company and use Shockwave on your site. Then it is understandable that your web site might take longer to download.
Lastly, the rule "Content is King" applies to getting listed in Yahoo. If Yahoo editors don't feel your site looks or sounds like a legitimate business, they don't have to list your site. So make sure your web site is easy to read, easy to navigate, easy to find (on search engines), shows consistency in design and layout, and is quick to download. Above all, have unique content to add value to the Yahoo directory.
Some Ways To Improve Your King Content
Some Ways To Improve Your King Content
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There are thousands of articles, books and forum posts which showed that content are king in search engine optimization (SEO). In this article, you can find some ways that can help you improve this king content for your web site.
* Content for people first, not for search engines - Some webmasters make a common mistake that they optimize everything for search engines but forget about web visitors. The goal of our website is not only to get high search rankings, but also to sell our service. So you should give your web visitors what they are really looking for. Make sure your content flows naturally and you're not just trying to stuff more keywords in the interest of search engines. If users don't find your content convincing they won't buy from you.
* Studying popular search terms - High search engine ranking is meaningless if your website only ranks high on terms nobody searches for. You need to ask your colleagues, vendors, competitors, clients, ... or use online tools (e.g.: wordtracker.com) to identify what keywords which potential customers would use to search your web site, then try to use them often, in titles, and throughout the body.
* Building article directory - How can you optimize the content if your web site only offers a simple service? It means there are just several pages in your whole website. So, to increase the content in quality you should write some articles, reviews which are related to your service. A site with more web pages means there are more chances of different terms that will become findable in search engines. You may consider adding free articles to your article directory. On the Internet today, one can find a lot of websites which provide articles free for republishing. Of course you must accept the policy of these web sites and authors before using these articles.
* Making a clear website organization - Build a site which is simple to navigate with a well linking structure. Every page should be accessible from at least one text link. It's better to be sparing with image links, Flash, JavaScript drop-down menus, or other codes that are not HTML based... because the search engine crawlers cannot recognize text contained in these kinds of display. In case using them is required, then make sure a text based menu or a sitemap is also included in the Web site. Last but not least, you should use meaningful words in your URLs, use as simple a web page layout and design as possible.
In conclusion, it is undeniable that content is king in the kingdom of search engines. The quality of your content is the main factor which decides the success in Internet marketing. So improving your content is very necessary.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
There are thousands of articles, books and forum posts which showed that content are king in search engine optimization (SEO). In this article, you can find some ways that can help you improve this king content for your web site.
* Content for people first, not for search engines - Some webmasters make a common mistake that they optimize everything for search engines but forget about web visitors. The goal of our website is not only to get high search rankings, but also to sell our service. So you should give your web visitors what they are really looking for. Make sure your content flows naturally and you're not just trying to stuff more keywords in the interest of search engines. If users don't find your content convincing they won't buy from you.
* Studying popular search terms - High search engine ranking is meaningless if your website only ranks high on terms nobody searches for. You need to ask your colleagues, vendors, competitors, clients, ... or use online tools (e.g.: wordtracker.com) to identify what keywords which potential customers would use to search your web site, then try to use them often, in titles, and throughout the body.
* Building article directory - How can you optimize the content if your web site only offers a simple service? It means there are just several pages in your whole website. So, to increase the content in quality you should write some articles, reviews which are related to your service. A site with more web pages means there are more chances of different terms that will become findable in search engines. You may consider adding free articles to your article directory. On the Internet today, one can find a lot of websites which provide articles free for republishing. Of course you must accept the policy of these web sites and authors before using these articles.
* Making a clear website organization - Build a site which is simple to navigate with a well linking structure. Every page should be accessible from at least one text link. It's better to be sparing with image links, Flash, JavaScript drop-down menus, or other codes that are not HTML based... because the search engine crawlers cannot recognize text contained in these kinds of display. In case using them is required, then make sure a text based menu or a sitemap is also included in the Web site. Last but not least, you should use meaningful words in your URLs, use as simple a web page layout and design as possible.
In conclusion, it is undeniable that content is king in the kingdom of search engines. The quality of your content is the main factor which decides the success in Internet marketing. So improving your content is very necessary.
SEO In A Box
SEO In A Box
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Are profitable, top search ranks possible without the help of an experienced search engine optimization company?
Can a software package or online miracle site touting testimonials and grandeur guarantees of success elevate your online presence enough to really increase sales?
Unfortunately, unless the software or miracle website were able to research your market, find hidden niches within it, author intriguing, creative, relevant and keyword laden content, house it in a framework that meshes precisely with that content, dissect and analyze your ranking competition and apply that statistical data within the afore mentioned tasks, you'll be using that money back guarantee.
The same goes of number one rank promises for a keyword for $49. Now I'm not suggesting a claim like that is bogus or false advertising. But, ask if that keyword or phrase has actually had more than one search somewhere in the world in the past month. Or to shake them, insist your keyword phrase they must bring to the number one spot is "online casino.
IS THERE INEXPENSIVE HELP THAT WORKS?
Is there a working alternative for smaller businesses and sites that can't budget pro SEO right now? There are techniques that would give your site a chance of rising higher in the ranks. You'll find countless articles and instructions online and in bookstores about general things you can do to your site to improve its online presence.
While helpful and usually accurate, blindly applying techniques to your site without some further knowledge of your own site, your competition, and your online market will hinder your efforts.
With some real world, current analysis of YOUR individual situation at your disposal, you can greatly improve your efforts with even the smallest copy, title or content adjustment. It is going to require some work on your part, no matter what do-it-yourself tactics you employ.
HOWEVER, there are tools and analysis reports available to you that can give you a towering leap for the do-it-yourselfer. Some plain English comparisons of your page vs. the top 10 ranking pages in a particular engine for a particular keyword phrase will define dozens of parameters to begin your do – it –yourself optimization.
How many links do you need, are there better keywords you should choose, and then what do you do with all this information once you have it? Comparisons and analysis of your site and your competitors are usually presented in an easy to understand format and reveal patterns and collected intelligence that can help you re-write and revise your content and page layout and begin your SEO efforts a lap ahead of everyone else.
SET REALISTIC GOALS
You must remember, legitimate, professional search engine optimizers are immersed in their field and are educated with experience. The time, knowledge, talent and effort that you get with a pro is worth every penny.
A professional SEO's approach involves research of your market, competition and many times a significant renovation of your existing site from code to content. The in-depth detail and deep analysis, content development, link and page structure requires a significant amount of time, experience, and a lot of hand work.
In other words, if you want to feel better and improve your self image, you don't have to pay a doctor to tell you that eating healthy, taking a vitamin and regular exercise will make a marked improvement in your well being.
If you want the large scale, lasting and radical change a facelift can give you, you must pay a plastic surgeon for his education, experience and talent.
Don't forget to use some common sense when looking at your market. If you think you're going to rank for a highly competitive keyword that has several well known companies at the top without the aid of a professional, you'll probably end up disheartened.
Achieving first page ranks for competitive keywords in a saturated market is a mammoth task, and at the very least would require a full time effort by an experienced firm with resources to take on such a challenge. Don't be discouraged; with some brainstorming you can think of some related, less competitive keywords and niche markets to target.
HOW A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN GO A LONG WAY
Some very simple copy adjustments in the right place can go a long way on less competitive sites. Let's look at a few easy changes anyone can make.
Page Titles
The page title, the words that display in the top of your web window, is one of the most crucial elements on the page as far as the search engines go. When you do a search for something what do you type in the search field? Unless it's a company's specific name, you type in a keyword or key phrase like "men’s cross training air sneakers".
A very common mistake is to put your company name in the page title. Sometimes it's appropriate, but for ranking purposes, use a concise description of your page with a prime keyword from that page.
Bonus Hint - Start your first sentence with that same keyword!
Content Quality
You'll surely find as many opinions about content as there are about politics. Take away the extremes and you'll find the meat is the same. To increase your rank, you have to have searchable content, and it must be quality. What is quality? More importantly, what do the search engines think is quality?
The answers depend on your site and position on the internet. However, all quality content shares some characteristics.
It's useful information about your products or service. Don't throw random free, generic, carbon copied stuff from the web onto your site. Use some thought and creativity. Build copy around different aspects of your target.
LOOK FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE
If you have a site about restoring classic cars, make a page about the evolution of headlights over the decades. Add another page about how and where to find hard to find classic parts.
Content should be:
Easy to follow- and well written for a human reader, not a search engine.
Unique- write it yourself or hire a writer.
Varied- Don't fill your page with the same keyword repeatedly or you risk being considered spam. Examine the keyword densities of your keyword in the top 10 listings it returns in a particular engine. Stay within that number.
Take a few more evenings or weekends and improve your ranks by doing some research and digging, and applying that invaluable knowledge strategically to your web site.
KINDS OF SEO RESEARCH YOU CAN DO TO WIN
There are SEO companies online who offer various reports that can save you a lot of the legwork. Even the simplest of tasks can be too time consuming when you need to focus on editing your pages. For example, finding your current rank, if any, in all of the major engines for all of the keywords you want to rank could take a day on your own. Some other types of reports available are:
Keyword Research
A list of keywords you or I might make sitting down with a pencil and paper is a good start. The important word here is "start". That list is dozens of revisions away from completion. It will expand and contract many times as further information is gathered.
Are your words focused and targeted enough so you'll attract qualified leads? Are there related words and phrases that you haven't thought of? What words does your competition have throughout their pages? And most importantly, are the words you've chosen actually being typed into search engines?
You can find many different levels of keyword services from simple analysis of your existing pages to research and development of an entire list ready for use in your pages, Adwords or PPC campaigns.
Competition Research
Who is ranking now? Who is in the positions where you want to be? Examine your competition's pages with a microscope. An Understanding of those you want to outrank gives you a working outline to revise your own. (Do NOT copy their content.) Focus on trends, keywords, densities, titles, page elements… their pages, structures and their links.
On Page Optimization
A report like this analyzes the words in the elements on your page like titles and boldface or headings as well as your body copy, and link text. It also tells you information about keyword density. Earlier I mentioned that using a keyword too many times on a page could be considered spam. An analysis like this will show how many times each word, word pairs and groups of words were used on a page and what percentage of all the words they are.
A report on a high ranking competitor's site will give you some insight into a page that is successfully ranking for keywords you want.
Off Page or Link Reports
As soon as you start learning about search engine optimization, you'll understand what a key role good quality links play in determining rank. These types of analysis will show who is linking to you, or even better, who is linking to a ranking competitor. You can get some ideas of sites to list with and an approximate number of links of a particular quality that you'll need to rank.
TAKE SOME ACTION - a few well researched changes can give you a boost
If ranking and online presence are crucial, then find a respected, recommended and experienced search engine optimization professional. The same logic that tells you to go to the doctor when aspirin doesn't do the applies to this situation.
If budget is constricting, your keywords have little competition, or you'd like to improve your presence to the best it can be without employing a professional then you'd be surprised what a little knowledge and time can do for your ranking. Applying the same techniques every few weeks and keeping your site fresh will put you a level even higher above the rest.
Remember, many variables and factors are considered and given varying weights by different engines to determine where you rank. A brand new site, no matter how optimized it is usually doesn't show any rank in Google until it miraculously appears about a year later. Older sites of more than a few years often take the top ranks for competitive words.
Don't be discouraged. The simple SEO methods you read about online or in publications can give your site a stronger presence, but will achieve far better results for you if you employ some smaller, budget based intelligence and research.
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Are profitable, top search ranks possible without the help of an experienced search engine optimization company?
Can a software package or online miracle site touting testimonials and grandeur guarantees of success elevate your online presence enough to really increase sales?
Unfortunately, unless the software or miracle website were able to research your market, find hidden niches within it, author intriguing, creative, relevant and keyword laden content, house it in a framework that meshes precisely with that content, dissect and analyze your ranking competition and apply that statistical data within the afore mentioned tasks, you'll be using that money back guarantee.
The same goes of number one rank promises for a keyword for $49. Now I'm not suggesting a claim like that is bogus or false advertising. But, ask if that keyword or phrase has actually had more than one search somewhere in the world in the past month. Or to shake them, insist your keyword phrase they must bring to the number one spot is "online casino.
IS THERE INEXPENSIVE HELP THAT WORKS?
Is there a working alternative for smaller businesses and sites that can't budget pro SEO right now? There are techniques that would give your site a chance of rising higher in the ranks. You'll find countless articles and instructions online and in bookstores about general things you can do to your site to improve its online presence.
While helpful and usually accurate, blindly applying techniques to your site without some further knowledge of your own site, your competition, and your online market will hinder your efforts.
With some real world, current analysis of YOUR individual situation at your disposal, you can greatly improve your efforts with even the smallest copy, title or content adjustment. It is going to require some work on your part, no matter what do-it-yourself tactics you employ.
HOWEVER, there are tools and analysis reports available to you that can give you a towering leap for the do-it-yourselfer. Some plain English comparisons of your page vs. the top 10 ranking pages in a particular engine for a particular keyword phrase will define dozens of parameters to begin your do – it –yourself optimization.
How many links do you need, are there better keywords you should choose, and then what do you do with all this information once you have it? Comparisons and analysis of your site and your competitors are usually presented in an easy to understand format and reveal patterns and collected intelligence that can help you re-write and revise your content and page layout and begin your SEO efforts a lap ahead of everyone else.
SET REALISTIC GOALS
You must remember, legitimate, professional search engine optimizers are immersed in their field and are educated with experience. The time, knowledge, talent and effort that you get with a pro is worth every penny.
A professional SEO's approach involves research of your market, competition and many times a significant renovation of your existing site from code to content. The in-depth detail and deep analysis, content development, link and page structure requires a significant amount of time, experience, and a lot of hand work.
In other words, if you want to feel better and improve your self image, you don't have to pay a doctor to tell you that eating healthy, taking a vitamin and regular exercise will make a marked improvement in your well being.
If you want the large scale, lasting and radical change a facelift can give you, you must pay a plastic surgeon for his education, experience and talent.
Don't forget to use some common sense when looking at your market. If you think you're going to rank for a highly competitive keyword that has several well known companies at the top without the aid of a professional, you'll probably end up disheartened.
Achieving first page ranks for competitive keywords in a saturated market is a mammoth task, and at the very least would require a full time effort by an experienced firm with resources to take on such a challenge. Don't be discouraged; with some brainstorming you can think of some related, less competitive keywords and niche markets to target.
HOW A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE CAN GO A LONG WAY
Some very simple copy adjustments in the right place can go a long way on less competitive sites. Let's look at a few easy changes anyone can make.
Page Titles
The page title, the words that display in the top of your web window, is one of the most crucial elements on the page as far as the search engines go. When you do a search for something what do you type in the search field? Unless it's a company's specific name, you type in a keyword or key phrase like "men’s cross training air sneakers".
A very common mistake is to put your company name in the page title. Sometimes it's appropriate, but for ranking purposes, use a concise description of your page with a prime keyword from that page.
Bonus Hint - Start your first sentence with that same keyword!
Content Quality
You'll surely find as many opinions about content as there are about politics. Take away the extremes and you'll find the meat is the same. To increase your rank, you have to have searchable content, and it must be quality. What is quality? More importantly, what do the search engines think is quality?
The answers depend on your site and position on the internet. However, all quality content shares some characteristics.
It's useful information about your products or service. Don't throw random free, generic, carbon copied stuff from the web onto your site. Use some thought and creativity. Build copy around different aspects of your target.
LOOK FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE
If you have a site about restoring classic cars, make a page about the evolution of headlights over the decades. Add another page about how and where to find hard to find classic parts.
Content should be:
Easy to follow- and well written for a human reader, not a search engine.
Unique- write it yourself or hire a writer.
Varied- Don't fill your page with the same keyword repeatedly or you risk being considered spam. Examine the keyword densities of your keyword in the top 10 listings it returns in a particular engine. Stay within that number.
Take a few more evenings or weekends and improve your ranks by doing some research and digging, and applying that invaluable knowledge strategically to your web site.
KINDS OF SEO RESEARCH YOU CAN DO TO WIN
There are SEO companies online who offer various reports that can save you a lot of the legwork. Even the simplest of tasks can be too time consuming when you need to focus on editing your pages. For example, finding your current rank, if any, in all of the major engines for all of the keywords you want to rank could take a day on your own. Some other types of reports available are:
Keyword Research
A list of keywords you or I might make sitting down with a pencil and paper is a good start. The important word here is "start". That list is dozens of revisions away from completion. It will expand and contract many times as further information is gathered.
Are your words focused and targeted enough so you'll attract qualified leads? Are there related words and phrases that you haven't thought of? What words does your competition have throughout their pages? And most importantly, are the words you've chosen actually being typed into search engines?
You can find many different levels of keyword services from simple analysis of your existing pages to research and development of an entire list ready for use in your pages, Adwords or PPC campaigns.
Competition Research
Who is ranking now? Who is in the positions where you want to be? Examine your competition's pages with a microscope. An Understanding of those you want to outrank gives you a working outline to revise your own. (Do NOT copy their content.) Focus on trends, keywords, densities, titles, page elements… their pages, structures and their links.
On Page Optimization
A report like this analyzes the words in the elements on your page like titles and boldface or headings as well as your body copy, and link text. It also tells you information about keyword density. Earlier I mentioned that using a keyword too many times on a page could be considered spam. An analysis like this will show how many times each word, word pairs and groups of words were used on a page and what percentage of all the words they are.
A report on a high ranking competitor's site will give you some insight into a page that is successfully ranking for keywords you want.
Off Page or Link Reports
As soon as you start learning about search engine optimization, you'll understand what a key role good quality links play in determining rank. These types of analysis will show who is linking to you, or even better, who is linking to a ranking competitor. You can get some ideas of sites to list with and an approximate number of links of a particular quality that you'll need to rank.
TAKE SOME ACTION - a few well researched changes can give you a boost
If ranking and online presence are crucial, then find a respected, recommended and experienced search engine optimization professional. The same logic that tells you to go to the doctor when aspirin doesn't do the applies to this situation.
If budget is constricting, your keywords have little competition, or you'd like to improve your presence to the best it can be without employing a professional then you'd be surprised what a little knowledge and time can do for your ranking. Applying the same techniques every few weeks and keeping your site fresh will put you a level even higher above the rest.
Remember, many variables and factors are considered and given varying weights by different engines to determine where you rank. A brand new site, no matter how optimized it is usually doesn't show any rank in Google until it miraculously appears about a year later. Older sites of more than a few years often take the top ranks for competitive words.
Don't be discouraged. The simple SEO methods you read about online or in publications can give your site a stronger presence, but will achieve far better results for you if you employ some smaller, budget based intelligence and research.
Search Engine & Directory Submission Tips
Search Engine & Directory Submission Tips
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Site submission to search engines and directories is often done incorrectly. In order to get the best results from search engine and directory submissions, Swift Media UK offers the following web site submission tips:
Treat search engine submission and directory submissions separately
Most people incorrectly believe that search engines and directories are the same. A search engine uses a program that searches documents (i.e. web pages, which are mostly HTML documents) for specified keywords and returns the list of documents. A search engine has two parts, a spider and an indexer. The spider is the program that fetches the documents, and the indexer reads the documents and creates an index or database based on the words or ideas contained in each document.
A directory (such as Yahoo, commonly mistaken for a search engine) depends on people for listings. The main difference between a search engine and a directory is that a directory does not make use of a spider or robot. In other words, a directory will not list your web page if you do not register it with them. Directories are usually divided into categories and you must submit your URL under the most appropriate categories.
Search engines vary which HTML tags to emphasize: titles, meta-tags, alternative text, body text, headings, etc. Directories primarily emphasize titles, the description you submit to them and the category or categories you select in the directories.
Because search engines and directories are so different, it is best to develop your submission strategies separately.
Search engine submission strategies
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summarize, you need these words and phrases in: Titles, Meta Tags, Alt-attribute, headings, main body text.
Other factors that affect search engine rankings are HTML layout, keyword density, keyword prominence, and keyword placement. These topics are covered in detail at Copywriting for web sites, Search Engines, Directories and Web Design, Search Engine, and Marketing Considerations.
Submit individual web pages to search engines. Submit your home page to the major directories
In general, we like to submit 5-7 web pages at a time to the major search engines to avoid a spam penalty. Additionally, we do not recommend that you submit the same web pages to the search engines within a short time period (even if you made changes on them).
We recommend that you first get your main URL (yourcompanyname.com) accepted into a directory before you try to get more targeted pages listed. You will stand a better chance of getting multiple pages listed in a directory if your overall site has been accepted first.
The time between site submission and addition to the search engine or directory database is called the lead time. You will not see results in your traffic logs until the lead time has passed.
Monitor results on site reporting software
We are firm believers in using quality site statistics software. In fact, we do not believe that anyone can have a successful online business without it. Our two favourites are WebTrends and Webalizer.
You will be able to see the results of your search engine optimization and link development strategies in your site statistics. You can measure the keywords used, the URL's giving you the most referrals, the type of browsers used to view your site, the time of day your site is accessed, and so forth. All of this data will give you a clearer profile of your site's visitors.
Then, based on this data, you can tweak the HTML, graphics, and content to best suit your customers.
Submit and resubmit web pages as necessary
An online business that uses search engine optimization as a marketing strategy will use this submission, monitoring, and tweaking practice. Site submission is a never ending, ongoing process because search engines constantly change their relevancy algorithms.
We recommend that you resubmit a web page to a search engine only when there is a significant change to web page or if a page has dropped from the index. (Changing a meta-tag description does not constitute a significant change.)
To see if your web pages have been added or deleted from a search engine, go to each of the search engines listed below and type in the string listed below the search engine name. Replace "companyname.com" with your URL (web site address)...
AltaVista
url:companyname.com
Google
site:companyname.com companyname.com
HotBot (which uses Inktomi)
domain:companyname.com
Fast Search
url.all:www.companyname.com
If your web site has been accepted into a directory, you can then submit specialized pages within your web site to other directory categories. Once your site has been added to a directory, you should not have to resubmit it unless your business has significantly changed and you belong in a different category.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Site submission to search engines and directories is often done incorrectly. In order to get the best results from search engine and directory submissions, Swift Media UK offers the following web site submission tips:
Treat search engine submission and directory submissions separately
Most people incorrectly believe that search engines and directories are the same. A search engine uses a program that searches documents (i.e. web pages, which are mostly HTML documents) for specified keywords and returns the list of documents. A search engine has two parts, a spider and an indexer. The spider is the program that fetches the documents, and the indexer reads the documents and creates an index or database based on the words or ideas contained in each document.
A directory (such as Yahoo, commonly mistaken for a search engine) depends on people for listings. The main difference between a search engine and a directory is that a directory does not make use of a spider or robot. In other words, a directory will not list your web page if you do not register it with them. Directories are usually divided into categories and you must submit your URL under the most appropriate categories.
Search engines vary which HTML tags to emphasize: titles, meta-tags, alternative text, body text, headings, etc. Directories primarily emphasize titles, the description you submit to them and the category or categories you select in the directories.
Because search engines and directories are so different, it is best to develop your submission strategies separately.
Search engine submission strategies
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summarize, you need these words and phrases in: Titles, Meta Tags, Alt-attribute, headings, main body text.
Other factors that affect search engine rankings are HTML layout, keyword density, keyword prominence, and keyword placement. These topics are covered in detail at Copywriting for web sites, Search Engines, Directories and Web Design, Search Engine, and Marketing Considerations.
Submit individual web pages to search engines. Submit your home page to the major directories
In general, we like to submit 5-7 web pages at a time to the major search engines to avoid a spam penalty. Additionally, we do not recommend that you submit the same web pages to the search engines within a short time period (even if you made changes on them).
We recommend that you first get your main URL (yourcompanyname.com) accepted into a directory before you try to get more targeted pages listed. You will stand a better chance of getting multiple pages listed in a directory if your overall site has been accepted first.
The time between site submission and addition to the search engine or directory database is called the lead time. You will not see results in your traffic logs until the lead time has passed.
Monitor results on site reporting software
We are firm believers in using quality site statistics software. In fact, we do not believe that anyone can have a successful online business without it. Our two favourites are WebTrends and Webalizer.
You will be able to see the results of your search engine optimization and link development strategies in your site statistics. You can measure the keywords used, the URL's giving you the most referrals, the type of browsers used to view your site, the time of day your site is accessed, and so forth. All of this data will give you a clearer profile of your site's visitors.
Then, based on this data, you can tweak the HTML, graphics, and content to best suit your customers.
Submit and resubmit web pages as necessary
An online business that uses search engine optimization as a marketing strategy will use this submission, monitoring, and tweaking practice. Site submission is a never ending, ongoing process because search engines constantly change their relevancy algorithms.
We recommend that you resubmit a web page to a search engine only when there is a significant change to web page or if a page has dropped from the index. (Changing a meta-tag description does not constitute a significant change.)
To see if your web pages have been added or deleted from a search engine, go to each of the search engines listed below and type in the string listed below the search engine name. Replace "companyname.com" with your URL (web site address)...
AltaVista
url:companyname.com
site:companyname.com companyname.com
HotBot (which uses Inktomi)
domain:companyname.com
Fast Search
url.all:www.companyname.com
If your web site has been accepted into a directory, you can then submit specialized pages within your web site to other directory categories. Once your site has been added to a directory, you should not have to resubmit it unless your business has significantly changed and you belong in a different category.
Link Popularity and Search Engines
Link Popularity and Search Engines
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Link popularity has become increasingly important among the search engines. Because link popularity goes hand in hand with search engine optimization, it is important for any company with a web presence to build a link development strategy.
Many online marketing specialists believe that link popularity is simply obtaining as many links as possible. However, the quality of the link holds more "weight" than the quantity of links. You will get better results in the search engines if you have link popularity from sites that have considerable traffic.
To develop popularity for your web site, you should submit your site to the most visited directories. Yahoo (of course), LookSmart, About.com, and Open Directory are examples of major directories. Also, to further develop link popularity, you should consider sites/directories that are very industry specific, such as healthatoz.com for a health-related site.
Even more important, it can help your search engine ranking if your site is reviewed by a directory that is associated with a search engine. To be accepted into a major directory, we recommend that your site have content that can show credibility in your field. A tips page, links page, or a "how-to" page can showcase your credibility on your product or service.
For example, we can almost always tell when a new client site is added to Yahoo by looking at an Google ranking. Oftentimes, we will obtain a top 30 ranking for a client, then suddenly the site will move to a #1 position. Sure enough, when we go into Yahoo, we will see that the client site has been added. That's one of the reasons that we think a listing in Yahoo is essential.
Obtaining links from other web sites is not enough to obtain long-term results on both the search engines and directories. People have to actually click on those links to your web site and browse your web site. AND they need to return to your web site when they see the quality content, products, and/or services that you offer, i.e. the usability of your web site. That is the definition of "popularity" according to the major search engines and directories. Other terms for it are "click" popularity or "click-through" popularity.
Therefore, both link popularity and click-through popularity are essential for obtaining optimal search engine placement.
Remember, a search engine position is not permanent since the search engine companies change their algorithms all of the time. Being listed in directories and other sites can significantly drive traffic and sales, particularly if your site is listed in specialized directories (health, financial, and travel, for example).
To check your link popularity in some search engines:
For AltaVista, in the search query field, type in:
link:domainname.com
For Inktomi's services, in the search query field, type in:
linkdomain:domainname.com
For FAST Search, in the search query field, type in your domain name:
link.all:www.domainname.com
For Google, in the search query field, type in your domain name:
link:www.domainname.com
Link development serves multiple purposes. It can drive traffic and sales to your web site and it can also help your search engine rankings.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Link popularity has become increasingly important among the search engines. Because link popularity goes hand in hand with search engine optimization, it is important for any company with a web presence to build a link development strategy.
Many online marketing specialists believe that link popularity is simply obtaining as many links as possible. However, the quality of the link holds more "weight" than the quantity of links. You will get better results in the search engines if you have link popularity from sites that have considerable traffic.
To develop popularity for your web site, you should submit your site to the most visited directories. Yahoo (of course), LookSmart, About.com, and Open Directory are examples of major directories. Also, to further develop link popularity, you should consider sites/directories that are very industry specific, such as healthatoz.com for a health-related site.
Even more important, it can help your search engine ranking if your site is reviewed by a directory that is associated with a search engine. To be accepted into a major directory, we recommend that your site have content that can show credibility in your field. A tips page, links page, or a "how-to" page can showcase your credibility on your product or service.
For example, we can almost always tell when a new client site is added to Yahoo by looking at an Google ranking. Oftentimes, we will obtain a top 30 ranking for a client, then suddenly the site will move to a #1 position. Sure enough, when we go into Yahoo, we will see that the client site has been added. That's one of the reasons that we think a listing in Yahoo is essential.
Obtaining links from other web sites is not enough to obtain long-term results on both the search engines and directories. People have to actually click on those links to your web site and browse your web site. AND they need to return to your web site when they see the quality content, products, and/or services that you offer, i.e. the usability of your web site. That is the definition of "popularity" according to the major search engines and directories. Other terms for it are "click" popularity or "click-through" popularity.
Therefore, both link popularity and click-through popularity are essential for obtaining optimal search engine placement.
Remember, a search engine position is not permanent since the search engine companies change their algorithms all of the time. Being listed in directories and other sites can significantly drive traffic and sales, particularly if your site is listed in specialized directories (health, financial, and travel, for example).
To check your link popularity in some search engines:
For AltaVista, in the search query field, type in:
link:domainname.com
For Inktomi's services, in the search query field, type in:
linkdomain:domainname.com
For FAST Search, in the search query field, type in your domain name:
link.all:www.domainname.com
For Google, in the search query field, type in your domain name:
link:www.domainname.com
Link development serves multiple purposes. It can drive traffic and sales to your web site and it can also help your search engine rankings.
Getting Listed In Search Engines
Getting Listed In Search Engines
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
What exactly is search engine optimization? Search engine optimization is designing, writing, and coding (in HTML) your entire web site so that there is a good chance that your web pages will appear at the top of search engine queries for your selected keywords and key phrases. The majority of the search engine optimization specialist's time should be spent targeting the search engines that will give you the most traffic. The following search engines and directories are:
AltaVista
Business.com
Google
AOL Search
FAST Search
HotBot
LookSmart
Lycos
MSN Search
Netscape Search
Open Directory
Overture
Yahoo
The best time to request search engine optimization is before you design your web site. As your web site designer creates page templates for you to approve, you can have a search engine optimization specialist take a look at them and tell you which layout is best for optimum indexing. Once you have selected the best layout for your web site, then the search engine optimization specialist can tell your designer when and where to place your keywords and key phrases within your HTML tags.
How can you tell a quality search engine optimization specialist from a scam artist? A search engine optimization specialist should be able to get your site indexed well for Google, Inktomi, and Yahoo. The 2 search engines and 1 directory differ in the way they index sites. Google does not use meta-tag content for relevancy. Inktomi currently uses meta-tags. And Yahoo is a directory. Ask how your site will be designed and tagged for each of these. If you don't get 3 different answers, then you should move on to a more experienced search engine optimization professional.
If your web site has already been designed, a professional search engine optimization specialist will often recommend layout and design changes. He/She is not telling you that you have a bad-looking web site. He/She is telling you that the site's layout will not get indexed well for your targeted keywords and key phrases. For example, a site that has a triple frameset (on the top and on the side) is extremely difficult to get indexed well on search engines, even with a gateway page. However, a simple frameset can get indexed well in search engines, with or without a gateway page. A search engine optimization specialist can design or tell your web site designer how to lay out a simple frameset to get the best results.
Search engine optimization and other marketing strategies (banner advertising, web copywriting, being listed in Yahoo, posting to discussion groups, etc.) are not substitutes for a web site with solid content and great layout. Search engine optimization is not a substitute for customer service, a good sales pitch, or a great product/service. It is not a substitute for a well-planned online and offline marketing plan. Search engine optimization is a means of helping your potential customers find your web site. It is a highly specialized marketing tool.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
What exactly is search engine optimization? Search engine optimization is designing, writing, and coding (in HTML) your entire web site so that there is a good chance that your web pages will appear at the top of search engine queries for your selected keywords and key phrases. The majority of the search engine optimization specialist's time should be spent targeting the search engines that will give you the most traffic. The following search engines and directories are:
AltaVista
Business.com
AOL Search
FAST Search
HotBot
LookSmart
Lycos
MSN Search
Netscape Search
Open Directory
Overture
Yahoo
The best time to request search engine optimization is before you design your web site. As your web site designer creates page templates for you to approve, you can have a search engine optimization specialist take a look at them and tell you which layout is best for optimum indexing. Once you have selected the best layout for your web site, then the search engine optimization specialist can tell your designer when and where to place your keywords and key phrases within your HTML tags.
How can you tell a quality search engine optimization specialist from a scam artist? A search engine optimization specialist should be able to get your site indexed well for Google, Inktomi, and Yahoo. The 2 search engines and 1 directory differ in the way they index sites. Google does not use meta-tag content for relevancy. Inktomi currently uses meta-tags. And Yahoo is a directory. Ask how your site will be designed and tagged for each of these. If you don't get 3 different answers, then you should move on to a more experienced search engine optimization professional.
If your web site has already been designed, a professional search engine optimization specialist will often recommend layout and design changes. He/She is not telling you that you have a bad-looking web site. He/She is telling you that the site's layout will not get indexed well for your targeted keywords and key phrases. For example, a site that has a triple frameset (on the top and on the side) is extremely difficult to get indexed well on search engines, even with a gateway page. However, a simple frameset can get indexed well in search engines, with or without a gateway page. A search engine optimization specialist can design or tell your web site designer how to lay out a simple frameset to get the best results.
Search engine optimization and other marketing strategies (banner advertising, web copywriting, being listed in Yahoo, posting to discussion groups, etc.) are not substitutes for a web site with solid content and great layout. Search engine optimization is not a substitute for customer service, a good sales pitch, or a great product/service. It is not a substitute for a well-planned online and offline marketing plan. Search engine optimization is a means of helping your potential customers find your web site. It is a highly specialized marketing tool.
Getting Listed In Directories
Getting Listed In Directories
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The rules for being listed well in directories are completely different from the rules about getting listed in the search engines. Your web site needs to be in the most appropriate category, and directories do NOT have the same categories. Plus, some directories allow a 15-word description. Some allow 30 words. Some allow 200 words. Directory submission is very time consuming because you need to have a strategy for different directories. Link popularity goes hand in hand with search engine optimization. Link popularity affects rankings in many major search engines such as FAST Search, Google, and Inktomi.
Research each directory and the directory categories individually
One of the biggest mistakes people make during directory submission is not doing the necessary research. In order to be listed in a directory (which will be approved by another human being), you must prove that you belong in that directory in the category that you have selected.
The best way to do this is to select the most appropriate category and to write a concise, accurate description that already resembles descriptions in the targeted directory. Reason? Make it easy for the directory editor to approve your submission. If you are able to imitate the editor's style when describing your web site, you can increase the chance that your site will be accepted and your site description will be unaltered
Determine the best description for your web site for each directory
Go to a directory and type in your most important keywords in the search box. Study the different categories and descriptions. Base your site-description style on web sites that were already accepted in that directory.
If a directory does not have a category for your type of business, suggest a category that is similar to categories already in the directory
Make sure your unique selling proposition (USP) is also in your directory description
Even though your description should resemble the description style of other sites listed in your targeted category, your description should be unique. So if your company specializes in 3 types of services, mention those 3 types of services in your description. If your company targets a particular audience, mention that in your description as well. Just be sure that your description is not identical to other descriptions in your category.
Write descriptions of varying lengths and keep in a text file to cut-and-paste in the submission form
Directories vary in the number of words they will accept in a description. Thus, when you write your descriptions, write 7-, 10-, 15-, 20, 25-, 30- and 50-word descriptions.
Make sure you’re most important keywords are in every description, but do not try and stuff too many keywords into the description. Directory editors do not want to read a list of keywords.
Whenever possible, use the paid/expedited submission programs
Since most of the major search services measure link popularity, the faster your site can be listed in the directories, the faster your site can receive referrals from the major search services.
We rarely use site submission software for directory submission. Submission software rarely accounts for the variables in the different directories.
Check your site statistics software regularly to see when you have been added to a directory
If your site has not been added to a directory within the lead time, then resubmit to the directory after 4 weeks. Keep track of your dates of submission, categories, descriptions, and titles.
In the event that your site is not accepted into a directory after 3 submissions, then it is safe to contact a directory representative directly.
Add your home page to the directory first, and then submit specialized topics within your web site
If your web site has been approved for admission into a directory, then your specialized topic web page stands a better chance of being selected for a different category
How directories rank sites
If your title, description, and category contain keywords, then your site might appear toward the top of directory queries. However, if your company name does NOT have keywords in them, do not add those keywords in the submission. Directory editors will remove them anyway, and you do not want them to suspect you for spamming.
Always choose directory listings carefully, both the general directories and the industry-specific ones. Make sure your content is good enough to clearly belong in the categories you have selected, which means that your web site must contain unique information. The keywords should always be in the right frequency and the right places for the search engines, but good content should always be on your site for the best directory placement.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The rules for being listed well in directories are completely different from the rules about getting listed in the search engines. Your web site needs to be in the most appropriate category, and directories do NOT have the same categories. Plus, some directories allow a 15-word description. Some allow 30 words. Some allow 200 words. Directory submission is very time consuming because you need to have a strategy for different directories. Link popularity goes hand in hand with search engine optimization. Link popularity affects rankings in many major search engines such as FAST Search, Google, and Inktomi.
Research each directory and the directory categories individually
One of the biggest mistakes people make during directory submission is not doing the necessary research. In order to be listed in a directory (which will be approved by another human being), you must prove that you belong in that directory in the category that you have selected.
The best way to do this is to select the most appropriate category and to write a concise, accurate description that already resembles descriptions in the targeted directory. Reason? Make it easy for the directory editor to approve your submission. If you are able to imitate the editor's style when describing your web site, you can increase the chance that your site will be accepted and your site description will be unaltered
Determine the best description for your web site for each directory
Go to a directory and type in your most important keywords in the search box. Study the different categories and descriptions. Base your site-description style on web sites that were already accepted in that directory.
If a directory does not have a category for your type of business, suggest a category that is similar to categories already in the directory
Make sure your unique selling proposition (USP) is also in your directory description
Even though your description should resemble the description style of other sites listed in your targeted category, your description should be unique. So if your company specializes in 3 types of services, mention those 3 types of services in your description. If your company targets a particular audience, mention that in your description as well. Just be sure that your description is not identical to other descriptions in your category.
Write descriptions of varying lengths and keep in a text file to cut-and-paste in the submission form
Directories vary in the number of words they will accept in a description. Thus, when you write your descriptions, write 7-, 10-, 15-, 20, 25-, 30- and 50-word descriptions.
Make sure you’re most important keywords are in every description, but do not try and stuff too many keywords into the description. Directory editors do not want to read a list of keywords.
Whenever possible, use the paid/expedited submission programs
Since most of the major search services measure link popularity, the faster your site can be listed in the directories, the faster your site can receive referrals from the major search services.
We rarely use site submission software for directory submission. Submission software rarely accounts for the variables in the different directories.
Check your site statistics software regularly to see when you have been added to a directory
If your site has not been added to a directory within the lead time, then resubmit to the directory after 4 weeks. Keep track of your dates of submission, categories, descriptions, and titles.
In the event that your site is not accepted into a directory after 3 submissions, then it is safe to contact a directory representative directly.
Add your home page to the directory first, and then submit specialized topics within your web site
If your web site has been approved for admission into a directory, then your specialized topic web page stands a better chance of being selected for a different category
How directories rank sites
If your title, description, and category contain keywords, then your site might appear toward the top of directory queries. However, if your company name does NOT have keywords in them, do not add those keywords in the submission. Directory editors will remove them anyway, and you do not want them to suspect you for spamming.
Always choose directory listings carefully, both the general directories and the industry-specific ones. Make sure your content is good enough to clearly belong in the categories you have selected, which means that your web site must contain unique information. The keywords should always be in the right frequency and the right places for the search engines, but good content should always be on your site for the best directory placement.
Essentials of Search Engine Optimisation Campaign
Essentials of Search Engine Optimisation Campaign
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The search engine optimisation (SEO) process consists of designing, writing, and coding web pages to increase the likelihood that they will appear at the top of search engine results for targeted keyword phrases. Many so-called SEO experts claim to have reversed engineered search engine algorithms and use strategically created "doorway pages" and cloaking technology to maintain long-term search positions. Despite all of these claims, the basics of a successful search engine campaign have not changed in all the years we have provided these services.
To get the best overall, long-term search engine positions, three components must be present on a web page:
Text component
Link component
Popularity component
All of the major search engines (AltaVista, FAST Search, Google, Lycos, MSN Search and other Inktomi-based engines) use these components as a part of their search engine algorithms. Sites that have (a) all of the components on their web pages, and (b) have optimal levels of all the components perform well in the search engines overall.
Text component
Since the search engines build lists of words and phrases on URL's, then it naturally follows that in order to do well on the search engines, you must place these words on your web pages in the strategic HTML tags.
The most important part of the text component of a search engine algorithm is keyword selection. In order for your target audience to find your site on the search engines, your pages must contain keyword phrases that match the phrases your target audience is typing into search queries.
Once you have determined the best keyword phrases to use on your web pages, you will need to place them within your HTML tags. Search engines do not place emphasis on the same HTML tags. For example, Inktomi reads Meta tags; Google ignores Meta tags. Thus, in order to do well on the entire search engines, it is best to place keywords in all of the HTML tags possible, without keyword stuffing. So no matter what the search engine algorithm is, you know that your keywords are contained in your documents
Link component
The strategy of placing keyword-rich text in your web pages is useless if the search engine spiders have no way of finding that text. The way your pages are linked to each other, and the way your web site is linked to other web sites, does impact your search engine positions.
Even though search engine spiders are powerful data-gathering programs, HTML coding or scripting can prevent a spider from effectively crawling your pages. Examples of site navigation schemes that can be problematic are:
1. Poor HTML coding on all navigation schemes: Browsers (Netscape and Explorer) can display web pages with sloppy HTML coding; search engine spiders are not as forgiving as browsers are.
2. JavaScript: All of the major search engines cannot follow links embedded inside of JavaScript, including but not limited to mouseovers, arrays, and drop-down menus. Note: Even though reputable designer resources claim search-engine friendly scripts exist, many of them are untested and unproven.
3. Dynamic or database-driven web pages: Pages that are generated via scripts, databases, and/or have a?, &, $, =, +, or % in the URL can present spider "traps."
4. Flash: Currently, none of the search engines can follow the links embedded in Flash documents.
Therefore, to ensure that the spiders have the means to record the data on your web pages, we recommend having two forms of navigation on a web page: one that pleases your end users, and one that the search engine spiders can follow.
Popularity component
The popularity component of a search engine algorithm consists of multiple sub-components:
Link popularity
Click-through popularity
Web page popularity
Attaining an optimal popularity component is not simply obtaining as many links as possible to a web site. The quality of the sites linking to your site holds more "weight" than the quantity of sites linking to your site. Since Yahoo is the most frequently visited site on the web, a link from Yahoo to your web site carries far more "weight" than a link from a smaller, less visited site. Other outstanding sites that can help generate excellent popularity are LookSmart, the Open Directory, and About.com. Non-competitive, industry-specific sites (such as javascript.com) are also excellent link development resources.
Obtaining links from other sites is not enough to maintain optimal popularity. The major search engines and directories are measuring how often end users are clicking on the links to your site and how long they are staying on your site (i.e., reading your web pages). They are also measuring how often end users return to your site. All of these measurements constitute a site's click-through popularity.
The search engines and directories measure both link popularity (quality and quantity of links) and click-through popularity to determine the overall popularity component of a web site.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The search engine optimisation (SEO) process consists of designing, writing, and coding web pages to increase the likelihood that they will appear at the top of search engine results for targeted keyword phrases. Many so-called SEO experts claim to have reversed engineered search engine algorithms and use strategically created "doorway pages" and cloaking technology to maintain long-term search positions. Despite all of these claims, the basics of a successful search engine campaign have not changed in all the years we have provided these services.
To get the best overall, long-term search engine positions, three components must be present on a web page:
Text component
Link component
Popularity component
All of the major search engines (AltaVista, FAST Search, Google, Lycos, MSN Search and other Inktomi-based engines) use these components as a part of their search engine algorithms. Sites that have (a) all of the components on their web pages, and (b) have optimal levels of all the components perform well in the search engines overall.
Text component
Since the search engines build lists of words and phrases on URL's, then it naturally follows that in order to do well on the search engines, you must place these words on your web pages in the strategic HTML tags.
The most important part of the text component of a search engine algorithm is keyword selection. In order for your target audience to find your site on the search engines, your pages must contain keyword phrases that match the phrases your target audience is typing into search queries.
Once you have determined the best keyword phrases to use on your web pages, you will need to place them within your HTML tags. Search engines do not place emphasis on the same HTML tags. For example, Inktomi reads Meta tags; Google ignores Meta tags. Thus, in order to do well on the entire search engines, it is best to place keywords in all of the HTML tags possible, without keyword stuffing. So no matter what the search engine algorithm is, you know that your keywords are contained in your documents
Link component
The strategy of placing keyword-rich text in your web pages is useless if the search engine spiders have no way of finding that text. The way your pages are linked to each other, and the way your web site is linked to other web sites, does impact your search engine positions.
Even though search engine spiders are powerful data-gathering programs, HTML coding or scripting can prevent a spider from effectively crawling your pages. Examples of site navigation schemes that can be problematic are:
1. Poor HTML coding on all navigation schemes: Browsers (Netscape and Explorer) can display web pages with sloppy HTML coding; search engine spiders are not as forgiving as browsers are.
2. JavaScript: All of the major search engines cannot follow links embedded inside of JavaScript, including but not limited to mouseovers, arrays, and drop-down menus. Note: Even though reputable designer resources claim search-engine friendly scripts exist, many of them are untested and unproven.
3. Dynamic or database-driven web pages: Pages that are generated via scripts, databases, and/or have a?, &, $, =, +, or % in the URL can present spider "traps."
4. Flash: Currently, none of the search engines can follow the links embedded in Flash documents.
Therefore, to ensure that the spiders have the means to record the data on your web pages, we recommend having two forms of navigation on a web page: one that pleases your end users, and one that the search engine spiders can follow.
Popularity component
The popularity component of a search engine algorithm consists of multiple sub-components:
Link popularity
Click-through popularity
Web page popularity
Attaining an optimal popularity component is not simply obtaining as many links as possible to a web site. The quality of the sites linking to your site holds more "weight" than the quantity of sites linking to your site. Since Yahoo is the most frequently visited site on the web, a link from Yahoo to your web site carries far more "weight" than a link from a smaller, less visited site. Other outstanding sites that can help generate excellent popularity are LookSmart, the Open Directory, and About.com. Non-competitive, industry-specific sites (such as javascript.com) are also excellent link development resources.
Obtaining links from other sites is not enough to maintain optimal popularity. The major search engines and directories are measuring how often end users are clicking on the links to your site and how long they are staying on your site (i.e., reading your web pages). They are also measuring how often end users return to your site. All of these measurements constitute a site's click-through popularity.
The search engines and directories measure both link popularity (quality and quantity of links) and click-through popularity to determine the overall popularity component of a web site.
Designing sites for search engines and directories
Designing sites for search engines and directories
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
In terms of layout, many web sites are not designed for optimum search engine and directory visibility. People or companies seem so centred on their corporate or personal images, products, and services that they neglect to design their web sites with search engines and directories in mind. Search engines and directories vary in the way they rank your web site in a search query. Some search engines place primary emphasis on the text within your title tags. Some search engines place emphasis on the main ideas presented in all of your text on a single web page. Some directories emphasize the text you submitted in their "Description" field. How and where you place your text, both in the copy your visitors see and within the HTML tags your visitors do not see, will affect your ranking
Keyword selection
Keyword placement
Keyword frequency
Links & architecture
Site statistics
Keyword Selection
Of primary importance is selecting the best keywords for your industry and the keywords you believe your potential customers will use to find you. Selecting the right keywords requires research.
Look at your company's printed materials. What words do you use over and over? When you speak to new and current customers on the phone, what questions do they frequently ask and what words do they use? Ask your current customers how they would find you on the Internet. Then go to the major search engines and directories. Type in the keywords you want to use. Study the source code of the web sites that appeared in the top 20. Look at how your competitors ranked in a search query. Adjust your keyword selection accordingly.
Keyword placement
Of equal importance is keyword placement on individual pages. The text in your title tag is one the most important elements for ranking well in search engines. The text in your titles should be descriptive, using the words and lingo in your industry, and should accurately reflect the contents of each web page.
For optimum search engine positions, your keywords need to appear at the top of your web pages. Thus, before you design your web page, ask yourself if you (or your web designer) have strategically placed your keywords within your title tags, meta-tags, headings, graphic images, and the first paragraph within your body tag. If not, you might need to rethink your site design.
Keyword Frequency
What is important to both the search engines and your target audience is keyword frequency and keyword prominence. Designing and coding your site with keywords in the right locations and the right frequency is an art form. Keywords need to appear frequently on your web pages, but if they appear too frequently, your site will be penalized for word stacking (also known as "spamming the index") or could be removed permanently from the index.
Also, some search engines ignore meta-tags. Thus, if you have included your keywords in your meta-tags but have not placed them elsewhere, you have missed a huge target audience, namely AOL users. Sites with frames have problems being indexed well because there is little opportunity otherwise to include additional text with keywords.
Very, very few web sites can get in the Top 10 of all the major search engines (AltaVista, FAST Search, HotBot, Google, Lycos, Teoma) without spamming. We cannot emphasize this enough: if you hire anyone (a submission service, an individual, an online promotion service, etc.) to do the services we just described, they need to have HTML and design experience, online marketing, and excellent copy writing skills. You do not want your web site to be permanently banned from a search engine or directory due to ignorance or lack of experience. Furthermore, submission services usually do just that: submit. Many do not perform keyword research, the HTML coding, and copy writing necessary to get a site optimally placed within the search engines. Ask a lot of questions before handing over any money.
Links & site architecture
Placing keywords throughout your web pages is useless as a search engine marketing strategy if the search engine spiders are unable to record the text on your web pages. Therefore, always have a link architecture (also known as a site map) on your site that the search engine spiders can follow. Oftentimes, this means having two forms of navigation on your site: one that your target audience prefers, and one for the search engines.
Site Statistics
For the first few months after you have your web site submitted to the major search engines and directories, you should see a jump in traffic. If you look at your site reports with your visitor statistics, which should do frequently, you will see when the search engines spider and index your site.
Hopefully, because you have been thoughtful enough to give potential customers a reason to return to your site again and again, people will bookmark your site, and your web statistics will show an increase in a "No Referrer" category under referral URL's. Your site reports should show you where your potential customers are coming from (i.e. which search engine or directory they used to find you) and which keywords they used to find you.
After your site has listed in the search engines and directories for a few months, review your site statistics and determine where the majority of your traffic comes from. Then focus your advertising efforts on those directories and search engines. You get better sales from targeted marketing than from spreading your net too wide.
One client did exactly what we recommended, from keyword selection to monitoring site statistics. They found most of their sites referral traffic came from Yahoo queries. They bought banner space from Yahoo for two months. Whenever two of their keywords were typed in a search query, their banner would appear. Their traffic increased over 500%, and their sales reached five figures per month.
Lastly, the saying "Content is King" still rings true. You can increase traffic to your web site, but if (1) people do not like what they see, (2) you do not offer potential customers what they want to buy, or (3) you do not give customers incentive to stay and/or bookmark your site, they will click off of your web site as quickly as they clicked on to it.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
In terms of layout, many web sites are not designed for optimum search engine and directory visibility. People or companies seem so centred on their corporate or personal images, products, and services that they neglect to design their web sites with search engines and directories in mind. Search engines and directories vary in the way they rank your web site in a search query. Some search engines place primary emphasis on the text within your title tags. Some search engines place emphasis on the main ideas presented in all of your text on a single web page. Some directories emphasize the text you submitted in their "Description" field. How and where you place your text, both in the copy your visitors see and within the HTML tags your visitors do not see, will affect your ranking
Keyword selection
Keyword placement
Keyword frequency
Links & architecture
Site statistics
Keyword Selection
Of primary importance is selecting the best keywords for your industry and the keywords you believe your potential customers will use to find you. Selecting the right keywords requires research.
Look at your company's printed materials. What words do you use over and over? When you speak to new and current customers on the phone, what questions do they frequently ask and what words do they use? Ask your current customers how they would find you on the Internet. Then go to the major search engines and directories. Type in the keywords you want to use. Study the source code of the web sites that appeared in the top 20. Look at how your competitors ranked in a search query. Adjust your keyword selection accordingly.
Keyword placement
Of equal importance is keyword placement on individual pages. The text in your title tag is one the most important elements for ranking well in search engines. The text in your titles should be descriptive, using the words and lingo in your industry, and should accurately reflect the contents of each web page.
For optimum search engine positions, your keywords need to appear at the top of your web pages. Thus, before you design your web page, ask yourself if you (or your web designer) have strategically placed your keywords within your title tags, meta-tags, headings, graphic images, and the first paragraph within your body tag. If not, you might need to rethink your site design.
Keyword Frequency
What is important to both the search engines and your target audience is keyword frequency and keyword prominence. Designing and coding your site with keywords in the right locations and the right frequency is an art form. Keywords need to appear frequently on your web pages, but if they appear too frequently, your site will be penalized for word stacking (also known as "spamming the index") or could be removed permanently from the index.
Also, some search engines ignore meta-tags. Thus, if you have included your keywords in your meta-tags but have not placed them elsewhere, you have missed a huge target audience, namely AOL users. Sites with frames have problems being indexed well because there is little opportunity otherwise to include additional text with keywords.
Very, very few web sites can get in the Top 10 of all the major search engines (AltaVista, FAST Search, HotBot, Google, Lycos, Teoma) without spamming. We cannot emphasize this enough: if you hire anyone (a submission service, an individual, an online promotion service, etc.) to do the services we just described, they need to have HTML and design experience, online marketing, and excellent copy writing skills. You do not want your web site to be permanently banned from a search engine or directory due to ignorance or lack of experience. Furthermore, submission services usually do just that: submit. Many do not perform keyword research, the HTML coding, and copy writing necessary to get a site optimally placed within the search engines. Ask a lot of questions before handing over any money.
Links & site architecture
Placing keywords throughout your web pages is useless as a search engine marketing strategy if the search engine spiders are unable to record the text on your web pages. Therefore, always have a link architecture (also known as a site map) on your site that the search engine spiders can follow. Oftentimes, this means having two forms of navigation on your site: one that your target audience prefers, and one for the search engines.
Site Statistics
For the first few months after you have your web site submitted to the major search engines and directories, you should see a jump in traffic. If you look at your site reports with your visitor statistics, which should do frequently, you will see when the search engines spider and index your site.
Hopefully, because you have been thoughtful enough to give potential customers a reason to return to your site again and again, people will bookmark your site, and your web statistics will show an increase in a "No Referrer" category under referral URL's. Your site reports should show you where your potential customers are coming from (i.e. which search engine or directory they used to find you) and which keywords they used to find you.
After your site has listed in the search engines and directories for a few months, review your site statistics and determine where the majority of your traffic comes from. Then focus your advertising efforts on those directories and search engines. You get better sales from targeted marketing than from spreading your net too wide.
One client did exactly what we recommended, from keyword selection to monitoring site statistics. They found most of their sites referral traffic came from Yahoo queries. They bought banner space from Yahoo for two months. Whenever two of their keywords were typed in a search query, their banner would appear. Their traffic increased over 500%, and their sales reached five figures per month.
Lastly, the saying "Content is King" still rings true. You can increase traffic to your web site, but if (1) people do not like what they see, (2) you do not offer potential customers what they want to buy, or (3) you do not give customers incentive to stay and/or bookmark your site, they will click off of your web site as quickly as they clicked on to it.
Copywriting For Search Engines & Directories
Copywriting For Search Engines & Directories
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summaries, you need these words and phrases in:
1. Title tags
2. Meta-tags (keywords and descriptions)
3. Headings (if used)
4. Body text, and
Alt-attribute in the image source tags
When online marketing professionals optimize a web site for search engine and directory queries, they should not spend most of their time redesigning the layout (in HTML) or submitting the site to the search engines. Most of their time should be spent on researching, writing good copy that will index well in search engines, and writing thorough, accurate descriptions for directory submissions. Good web copy must contain well-researched and varied keywords and key concepts based on a web page's topic; accurately reflect the web pages' content; and be strategically placed throughout a web page as mentioned above.
Most sales and advertising "fluff" should be eliminated.
Here's an example (and one of our pet peeves). How many of you have seen this scam, "Put your printed brochure on the web!" Print advertising copy contains a lot of "fluff" phrases such as "service that is second to none." Search engine analysis? "Service" is a stop word in some search engines and will be ignored in a search query. "Second to none?" How many people do you know really search using that phrase? When we are looking for something on the web, we are going to type in exactly the type of product or service we are looking for, not sales and advertising "fluff."
Web copywriting should contain keywords and key concepts without all the "fluff." Web copy has to flow and be strategically placed to get your web pages ranked well in search engine and directory queries. Your potential customers will also appreciate being able to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. That's just good customer service.
The one time that web copywriting is extremely important is your site submission to Yahoo. Although Yahoo reserves the right to change or modify the site description you send them, if you can submit a well-written description containing your most important keywords and key concepts without word stacking, Yahoo will likely keep most of your description intact.
Good copywriting is a necessary element of both online and offline marketing. If you do not have experience in writing good copy for the web, we recommend that you hire an online marketing consultant to initially write the copy for you. Then you can learn from the copy you paid for. The more practice you get at web copywriting, the better you will get at it.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summaries, you need these words and phrases in:
1. Title tags
2. Meta-tags (keywords and descriptions)
3. Headings (if used)
4. Body text, and
Alt-attribute in the image source tags
When online marketing professionals optimize a web site for search engine and directory queries, they should not spend most of their time redesigning the layout (in HTML) or submitting the site to the search engines. Most of their time should be spent on researching, writing good copy that will index well in search engines, and writing thorough, accurate descriptions for directory submissions. Good web copy must contain well-researched and varied keywords and key concepts based on a web page's topic; accurately reflect the web pages' content; and be strategically placed throughout a web page as mentioned above.
Most sales and advertising "fluff" should be eliminated.
Here's an example (and one of our pet peeves). How many of you have seen this scam, "Put your printed brochure on the web!" Print advertising copy contains a lot of "fluff" phrases such as "service that is second to none." Search engine analysis? "Service" is a stop word in some search engines and will be ignored in a search query. "Second to none?" How many people do you know really search using that phrase? When we are looking for something on the web, we are going to type in exactly the type of product or service we are looking for, not sales and advertising "fluff."
Web copywriting should contain keywords and key concepts without all the "fluff." Web copy has to flow and be strategically placed to get your web pages ranked well in search engine and directory queries. Your potential customers will also appreciate being able to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. That's just good customer service.
The one time that web copywriting is extremely important is your site submission to Yahoo. Although Yahoo reserves the right to change or modify the site description you send them, if you can submit a well-written description containing your most important keywords and key concepts without word stacking, Yahoo will likely keep most of your description intact.
Good copywriting is a necessary element of both online and offline marketing. If you do not have experience in writing good copy for the web, we recommend that you hire an online marketing consultant to initially write the copy for you. Then you can learn from the copy you paid for. The more practice you get at web copywriting, the better you will get at it.
Copywriting For Search Engines & Directories
Copywriting For Search Engines & Directories
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summaries, you need these words and phrases in:
1. Title tags
2. Meta-tags (keywords and descriptions)
3. Headings (if used)
4. Body text, and
Alt-attribute in the image source tags
When online marketing professionals optimize a web site for search engine and directory queries, they should not spend most of their time redesigning the layout (in HTML) or submitting the site to the search engines. Most of their time should be spent on researching, writing good copy that will index well in search engines, and writing thorough, accurate descriptions for directory submissions. Good web copy must contain well-researched and varied keywords and key concepts based on a web page's topic; accurately reflect the web pages' content; and be strategically placed throughout a web page as mentioned above.
Most sales and advertising "fluff" should be eliminated.
Here's an example (and one of our pet peeves). How many of you have seen this scam, "Put your printed brochure on the web!" Print advertising copy contains a lot of "fluff" phrases such as "service that is second to none." Search engine analysis? "Service" is a stop word in some search engines and will be ignored in a search query. "Second to none?" How many people do you know really search using that phrase? When we are looking for something on the web, we are going to type in exactly the type of product or service we are looking for, not sales and advertising "fluff."
Web copywriting should contain keywords and key concepts without all the "fluff." Web copy has to flow and be strategically placed to get your web pages ranked well in search engine and directory queries. Your potential customers will also appreciate being able to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. That's just good customer service.
The one time that web copywriting is extremely important is your site submission to Yahoo. Although Yahoo reserves the right to change or modify the site description you send them, if you can submit a well-written description containing your most important keywords and key concepts without word stacking, Yahoo will likely keep most of your description intact.
Good copywriting is a necessary element of both online and offline marketing. If you do not have experience in writing good copy for the web, we recommend that you hire an online marketing consultant to initially write the copy for you. Then you can learn from the copy you paid for. The more practice you get at web copywriting, the better you will get at it.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
To get optimal listings in search engine and directory queries, keywords and key concepts must be placed strategically throughout your web pages. To summaries, you need these words and phrases in:
1. Title tags
2. Meta-tags (keywords and descriptions)
3. Headings (if used)
4. Body text, and
Alt-attribute in the image source tags
When online marketing professionals optimize a web site for search engine and directory queries, they should not spend most of their time redesigning the layout (in HTML) or submitting the site to the search engines. Most of their time should be spent on researching, writing good copy that will index well in search engines, and writing thorough, accurate descriptions for directory submissions. Good web copy must contain well-researched and varied keywords and key concepts based on a web page's topic; accurately reflect the web pages' content; and be strategically placed throughout a web page as mentioned above.
Most sales and advertising "fluff" should be eliminated.
Here's an example (and one of our pet peeves). How many of you have seen this scam, "Put your printed brochure on the web!" Print advertising copy contains a lot of "fluff" phrases such as "service that is second to none." Search engine analysis? "Service" is a stop word in some search engines and will be ignored in a search query. "Second to none?" How many people do you know really search using that phrase? When we are looking for something on the web, we are going to type in exactly the type of product or service we are looking for, not sales and advertising "fluff."
Web copywriting should contain keywords and key concepts without all the "fluff." Web copy has to flow and be strategically placed to get your web pages ranked well in search engine and directory queries. Your potential customers will also appreciate being able to find what they are looking for as quickly and easily as possible. That's just good customer service.
The one time that web copywriting is extremely important is your site submission to Yahoo. Although Yahoo reserves the right to change or modify the site description you send them, if you can submit a well-written description containing your most important keywords and key concepts without word stacking, Yahoo will likely keep most of your description intact.
Good copywriting is a necessary element of both online and offline marketing. If you do not have experience in writing good copy for the web, we recommend that you hire an online marketing consultant to initially write the copy for you. Then you can learn from the copy you paid for. The more practice you get at web copywriting, the better you will get at it.
Big Brother has a name: Yahoo is Spying on you
Big Brother has a name: Yahoo is Spying on you
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Yahoo is spying on you. Opt Out of Yahoo Snooping. This is information for all Yahoo Groups users. When you value your privacy, please read this message and take the recommended action.
Notice that they did not publicly alert you to this snooping, but they hoped you wouldn't find out about it. Yahoo is now watching your every click, and keeping track of them. To opt out of Yahoo snooping, go to http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacyAbout half-way down the page, in the section on cookies, click on "web beacons."
In a paragraph entitled "Outside the Yahoo Network" you'll see a little "click here to opt out" link that will let you "opt-out" of their new method of snooping (and don't click the button on the results page).
Once you have clicked that link, you are exempted. WARNING: Notice the "Success" message on the top of the next page. Be Careful, because on that page there is a "Cancel Opt-out" button that, when clicked, will undo the opt-out.
Don't be fooled by it. These guys are trying very hard to gain information with or without your cooperation.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Yahoo is spying on you. Opt Out of Yahoo Snooping. This is information for all Yahoo Groups users. When you value your privacy, please read this message and take the recommended action.
Notice that they did not publicly alert you to this snooping, but they hoped you wouldn't find out about it. Yahoo is now watching your every click, and keeping track of them. To opt out of Yahoo snooping, go to http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacyAbout half-way down the page, in the section on cookies, click on "web beacons."
In a paragraph entitled "Outside the Yahoo Network" you'll see a little "click here to opt out" link that will let you "opt-out" of their new method of snooping (and don't click the button on the results page).
Once you have clicked that link, you are exempted. WARNING: Notice the "Success" message on the top of the next page. Be Careful, because on that page there is a "Cancel Opt-out" button that, when clicked, will undo the opt-out.
Don't be fooled by it. These guys are trying very hard to gain information with or without your cooperation.
Top 10 SEO Myths
Top 10 SEO Myths
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Ever wonder what the biggest SEO myths are? I have taken the most prevalent myths that seem to be constantly resurfacing and examined them for you. This is a must read for anyone looking to hire an SEO firm or someone looking to do SEO for themselves.
Myth # 1: All Meta Tags Are Of Equal Importance
Some Meta tags are useful while others are not. I have stated this many times. Search engines are relying more and more about what is on the website than what the tags are telling them. The description tag is used by some (but not all) search engines. The same goes for the keyword tag. Keyword tags are used more by spammers and people using software to find you as a link partner than the search engines. In my opinion, the only tags you should concentrate your efforts on are the robot tag and the description tags.
Myth # 2: You Should Submit Your Site to Search Engines Weekly or Monthly
Honestly, I nevër submit any site more than 1 time and sometimes I don't even do that. If you submit your site once, you're good. The engines will come back on their own. You can sometimes speed up the process of getting your site indexed by linking it to a high traffïc or high PR site. The search engines will find the URL to your site and index it automatically.
Myth # 3: SEO is Too Expensive
Actually, SEO is probably the most cost effective förm of online marketing. Organic SEO is cheaper to set up and maintain than a PPC campaign or banner advertising. With PPC and banner advertising, you pay for clicks or impressions. With SEO, all clicks are Frëe. You simply pay for the set up and monitoring of your site's pages.
Myth # 4: PPC Is More Effective Than Natural SEO
In the short term...true. In the long term...false. Why, you ask? Organic SEO is preferred by searchers over 5 to 1 to PPC. People trust organic searches to return relevant results. People also know that the ads to the right of the page are sponsored ads. They have long ago figured out that anyone can bid on any term they want, as many often do, without even a hint of relevance. So, long term SEO structuring can indeed be more effective than PPC, especially when considering the preferences of search traffïc. A top 5 ranking may take some time to get, but once you are there (and provided you can maintain it), you will get better results than from a PPC ad.
Myth # 5: Hiring an SEO Specialist "In House" is Cheaper
The problem with hiring someone in house is that they are paid hourly or by salary. Most SEO firms charge per item or project. It doesn't matter how long it takes us, you pay a one tíme charge. When you hire a firm, it's like having a team of SEO experts on your payroll. Paying a flat rate saves you monëy and speeds up the time it takes to complete a job. Additionally, most SEO firms have specialists who write, submit, redesign sites, post pages, etc... Hiring one person who can do all these things competently is highly unlikely.
Myth # 6: I Can Only Optimize My Homepage for Key Terms
You can and should optimize every page on your site. Each page should have its own key terms, with no more than three phrases per page (preferably one).
Myth # 7: All I Need to do is Write Content with the correct Keyword Density and My Site Will Rank Well
Wrong...especially if you want to rank on Google. You will need off-site SEO as well as on-site SEO. Keyword density may work on MSN (for now), but it will take more than that to rank well for all search engines.
Myth # 8: I Shouldn't Aim for the Most Competitive Keywords and Phrases
If the keywords you are competing for are very competitive, should you optimize your site for them? Of Course! I would optimize for some high, medium and low competitive key terms. Cover all your bases. The worst case is that you won't rank well for the high competitive key terms and that's ok. You can always work to improve them. Don't shy away from top key terms just because they are competitive. You may nevër know how close you could rank for them unless you try.
Myth # 9: Only Work With Companies That Give You A Guarantee
Guarantees would be nice if they were worth the paper they are printed on. In fact, most guarantees from SEO firms have the same stipulation in them. This stipulation usually states that as long as they get one of your key phrases to the top of any major search engines, they have fulfilled their end of the agreement. This is irrelevant to the competition of the term. In other words...it's easy to be number one for terms no one is competing for. Don't be deceived by high rankings listed on SEO sites as they can be misleading.
Myth # 10: SEO Requires a 1 Year Commitment on My Part
It certainly shouldn't. Don't lock yourself into a year contract with any company unless you already have an established, favourable business relationship. SEO, in most cases, should be performed on a month to month basis with a mutual understanding of the objectives and relative timetable. Often, both the long and short term maintenance contracts that many firms insist on including with each job are unnecessary. As an example...If you have a new site optimized, especially right after an update, you may not see results for three months. Why pay for maintenance in the interim time?
Additionally, you may not be happy with the results of an SEO firm or even the level of service. A long term contract may only ensure that you receive a full year of bad service. So, don't lock yourself in with a year contract, at least until you are comfortable with whom you are dealing with.
Hopefully, I put a few common SEO myths to rest. Feel frëe to contact me with questíons you may have regarding these or other SEO myths you want more information on.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Ever wonder what the biggest SEO myths are? I have taken the most prevalent myths that seem to be constantly resurfacing and examined them for you. This is a must read for anyone looking to hire an SEO firm or someone looking to do SEO for themselves.
Myth # 1: All Meta Tags Are Of Equal Importance
Some Meta tags are useful while others are not. I have stated this many times. Search engines are relying more and more about what is on the website than what the tags are telling them. The description tag is used by some (but not all) search engines. The same goes for the keyword tag. Keyword tags are used more by spammers and people using software to find you as a link partner than the search engines. In my opinion, the only tags you should concentrate your efforts on are the robot tag and the description tags.
Myth # 2: You Should Submit Your Site to Search Engines Weekly or Monthly
Honestly, I nevër submit any site more than 1 time and sometimes I don't even do that. If you submit your site once, you're good. The engines will come back on their own. You can sometimes speed up the process of getting your site indexed by linking it to a high traffïc or high PR site. The search engines will find the URL to your site and index it automatically.
Myth # 3: SEO is Too Expensive
Actually, SEO is probably the most cost effective förm of online marketing. Organic SEO is cheaper to set up and maintain than a PPC campaign or banner advertising. With PPC and banner advertising, you pay for clicks or impressions. With SEO, all clicks are Frëe. You simply pay for the set up and monitoring of your site's pages.
Myth # 4: PPC Is More Effective Than Natural SEO
In the short term...true. In the long term...false. Why, you ask? Organic SEO is preferred by searchers over 5 to 1 to PPC. People trust organic searches to return relevant results. People also know that the ads to the right of the page are sponsored ads. They have long ago figured out that anyone can bid on any term they want, as many often do, without even a hint of relevance. So, long term SEO structuring can indeed be more effective than PPC, especially when considering the preferences of search traffïc. A top 5 ranking may take some time to get, but once you are there (and provided you can maintain it), you will get better results than from a PPC ad.
Myth # 5: Hiring an SEO Specialist "In House" is Cheaper
The problem with hiring someone in house is that they are paid hourly or by salary. Most SEO firms charge per item or project. It doesn't matter how long it takes us, you pay a one tíme charge. When you hire a firm, it's like having a team of SEO experts on your payroll. Paying a flat rate saves you monëy and speeds up the time it takes to complete a job. Additionally, most SEO firms have specialists who write, submit, redesign sites, post pages, etc... Hiring one person who can do all these things competently is highly unlikely.
Myth # 6: I Can Only Optimize My Homepage for Key Terms
You can and should optimize every page on your site. Each page should have its own key terms, with no more than three phrases per page (preferably one).
Myth # 7: All I Need to do is Write Content with the correct Keyword Density and My Site Will Rank Well
Wrong...especially if you want to rank on Google. You will need off-site SEO as well as on-site SEO. Keyword density may work on MSN (for now), but it will take more than that to rank well for all search engines.
Myth # 8: I Shouldn't Aim for the Most Competitive Keywords and Phrases
If the keywords you are competing for are very competitive, should you optimize your site for them? Of Course! I would optimize for some high, medium and low competitive key terms. Cover all your bases. The worst case is that you won't rank well for the high competitive key terms and that's ok. You can always work to improve them. Don't shy away from top key terms just because they are competitive. You may nevër know how close you could rank for them unless you try.
Myth # 9: Only Work With Companies That Give You A Guarantee
Guarantees would be nice if they were worth the paper they are printed on. In fact, most guarantees from SEO firms have the same stipulation in them. This stipulation usually states that as long as they get one of your key phrases to the top of any major search engines, they have fulfilled their end of the agreement. This is irrelevant to the competition of the term. In other words...it's easy to be number one for terms no one is competing for. Don't be deceived by high rankings listed on SEO sites as they can be misleading.
Myth # 10: SEO Requires a 1 Year Commitment on My Part
It certainly shouldn't. Don't lock yourself into a year contract with any company unless you already have an established, favourable business relationship. SEO, in most cases, should be performed on a month to month basis with a mutual understanding of the objectives and relative timetable. Often, both the long and short term maintenance contracts that many firms insist on including with each job are unnecessary. As an example...If you have a new site optimized, especially right after an update, you may not see results for three months. Why pay for maintenance in the interim time?
Additionally, you may not be happy with the results of an SEO firm or even the level of service. A long term contract may only ensure that you receive a full year of bad service. So, don't lock yourself in with a year contract, at least until you are comfortable with whom you are dealing with.
Hopefully, I put a few common SEO myths to rest. Feel frëe to contact me with questíons you may have regarding these or other SEO myths you want more information on.
7 Donts of Search Engine Optimisation
7 Donts of Search Engine Optimisation
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Search engine optimisation is a massive area for Internet marketing, usually if your website can not be found on the search engines your website is likely to receive little or no visitors at all. Search engine optimisation is an extremely competitive market, where nearly any webmaster will do anything to try and get that top ranking. This article discusses the big don'ts of search engine optimisation practices:
1. Don't submit to Free for All (FFA) websites
2. Keep the keyword density low
3. Don't optimise pages for a wide number of keywords
4. Duplicate website content
5. Hidden text
6. Infamous "click here" links
7. Automated link exchange networks
Don't submit to Free for All (FFA) websites
Don't submit your website to free for all networks and pages (FFA). Many websites promise to provide a top 10 ranking for your website, in which this will actually have a negative effective to your position on the search engine ranking pages (SERPs) on the big three - Google, Yahoo and MSN. These are websites which promise you thousands of links to your website, and may get you to install some code on your website to display links. This method of search engine Optimisation is inadvisable and is strongly suggested that you stay away from these websites, it may also ban your website from the search engines if you signup.
Keep the keyword density low
Most webmasters are aware that keyword density plays a big part in search engine optimisation and usually over optimise their website. Search engines like websites which contain natural flowing text and the correct keyword density, rather than indexing a webpage that consists of keywords concatenated together with commas. Google prefers a lower keyword density than it's competitors, usually between 3% and 5%, where as Yahoo prefers approximately a 7% keyword density on a webpage. Use the tools at Ranks.nl to help calculate the density of keywords on your website.
Don't optimise pages for a wide number of keywords
Don't optimise pages on your website with a wide number of keywords which are not related. Keep the pages on your website concise with a particular keyword or keyphrase. If your website is concise with a particular keyword then this will help increase your search engine ranking position within the big three. This should also be the same for outgoing links on your website, try and categories links on your website into specific categories. If your website contains varied keywords throughout, then the search engines will be confused on what to optimise your website for.
Duplicate website content
This is a big no no! You should not use duplicate content on your website, these pages will most likely not get indexed, or they will have no value within the search engines. Your website may also be flagged up as SPAM, and in some extremely cases could even be banned from the big three. A website which is banned from the search engines is worth nothing.
Hidden text
This will most certainly get your website banned from the search engines. Hidden text is an unethical method of search engine optimisation and is strongly frowned-upon by the big three. Just take your time and write good quality text for your website - you will be rewarded in the long run!
Infamous "click here" links
The internal linking structure of a website plays a big part in search engine optimisation. Keywords which are used within internal links also increase your position within the search engine ranking pages. Many webmasters use the infamous "click here" links when usually referring to something within their text, this is a poor way of optimising a website for the search engines. Instead, you should rephrase your sentence to include a link which contains keywords related to the webpage you are linking to; this is an easy and effective way for increasing search engine ranking positions.
Automated link exchange networks
Many automated link exchange networks exist on the Internet today. Many of these websites promise that they will provide thousands on incoming reciprocal links to your website through simply signing up to their service. This method of search engine optimisation is usually frowned-upon, as the links you will be receiving may have no quality value and will usually flag up your website within the search engines. I have seen many websites which signup and have got their website banned. Link exchange networks which provide natural link exchange methods, such as Swift Media UK, are an advantage to your website, as you will receive one way text links to your website over a period of time through no effort at all.
As you can see it is very easy to use inappropriate practices in search engine optimisation, it is highly recommended you follow this article when optimising your website. Good luck with optimising your website for the search engines, especially the big three - Google, Yahoo and MSN. Hopefully, I have shown a few common SEO don’ts, Feel free to contact me with questions you may have regarding these or other SEO tactics you want more information on.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Search engine optimisation is a massive area for Internet marketing, usually if your website can not be found on the search engines your website is likely to receive little or no visitors at all. Search engine optimisation is an extremely competitive market, where nearly any webmaster will do anything to try and get that top ranking. This article discusses the big don'ts of search engine optimisation practices:
1. Don't submit to Free for All (FFA) websites
2. Keep the keyword density low
3. Don't optimise pages for a wide number of keywords
4. Duplicate website content
5. Hidden text
6. Infamous "click here" links
7. Automated link exchange networks
Don't submit to Free for All (FFA) websites
Don't submit your website to free for all networks and pages (FFA). Many websites promise to provide a top 10 ranking for your website, in which this will actually have a negative effective to your position on the search engine ranking pages (SERPs) on the big three - Google, Yahoo and MSN. These are websites which promise you thousands of links to your website, and may get you to install some code on your website to display links. This method of search engine Optimisation is inadvisable and is strongly suggested that you stay away from these websites, it may also ban your website from the search engines if you signup.
Keep the keyword density low
Most webmasters are aware that keyword density plays a big part in search engine optimisation and usually over optimise their website. Search engines like websites which contain natural flowing text and the correct keyword density, rather than indexing a webpage that consists of keywords concatenated together with commas. Google prefers a lower keyword density than it's competitors, usually between 3% and 5%, where as Yahoo prefers approximately a 7% keyword density on a webpage. Use the tools at Ranks.nl to help calculate the density of keywords on your website.
Don't optimise pages for a wide number of keywords
Don't optimise pages on your website with a wide number of keywords which are not related. Keep the pages on your website concise with a particular keyword or keyphrase. If your website is concise with a particular keyword then this will help increase your search engine ranking position within the big three. This should also be the same for outgoing links on your website, try and categories links on your website into specific categories. If your website contains varied keywords throughout, then the search engines will be confused on what to optimise your website for.
Duplicate website content
This is a big no no! You should not use duplicate content on your website, these pages will most likely not get indexed, or they will have no value within the search engines. Your website may also be flagged up as SPAM, and in some extremely cases could even be banned from the big three. A website which is banned from the search engines is worth nothing.
Hidden text
This will most certainly get your website banned from the search engines. Hidden text is an unethical method of search engine optimisation and is strongly frowned-upon by the big three. Just take your time and write good quality text for your website - you will be rewarded in the long run!
Infamous "click here" links
The internal linking structure of a website plays a big part in search engine optimisation. Keywords which are used within internal links also increase your position within the search engine ranking pages. Many webmasters use the infamous "click here" links when usually referring to something within their text, this is a poor way of optimising a website for the search engines. Instead, you should rephrase your sentence to include a link which contains keywords related to the webpage you are linking to; this is an easy and effective way for increasing search engine ranking positions.
Automated link exchange networks
Many automated link exchange networks exist on the Internet today. Many of these websites promise that they will provide thousands on incoming reciprocal links to your website through simply signing up to their service. This method of search engine optimisation is usually frowned-upon, as the links you will be receiving may have no quality value and will usually flag up your website within the search engines. I have seen many websites which signup and have got their website banned. Link exchange networks which provide natural link exchange methods, such as Swift Media UK, are an advantage to your website, as you will receive one way text links to your website over a period of time through no effort at all.
As you can see it is very easy to use inappropriate practices in search engine optimisation, it is highly recommended you follow this article when optimising your website. Good luck with optimising your website for the search engines, especially the big three - Google, Yahoo and MSN. Hopefully, I have shown a few common SEO don’ts, Feel free to contact me with questions you may have regarding these or other SEO tactics you want more information on.
The Google Sandbox
The Google Sandbox
What Is The Google Sandbox
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The Google Sandbox is an algorithmic filter designed by Google and implemented around March 2004 with the purpose of weeding out spam sites by placing all new websites under quarantine for a period of assessment.
How Does The Google Sandbox Affect Your New Site?
Although the Google sandbox was designed with the primary aim of targeting spam sites, in reality it affects all new websites. The general consensus in seo (search engine optimization) circles is that the Google sandbox algorithm functions to prevent new sites from blasting their way to the top of Google (using whatever means possible) and in effect overtaking quality websites that have been around for years.
Who Goes Into The Sandbox?
Google is a non-discriminatory organization--well anyway at least as far as the Google sandbox is concerned--so all and sundry are equally invited to the sandbox party.
How Long Will Your Website Remain In The Google Sandbox?
As far as Google is concerned not all sandbox invites are equal. Certain factors will determine the length of your stay in the Google sandbox. If the keywords your website is targeting are highly competitive then your website will be quarantined for longer. If you think about it, this approach makes sense. Most spam sites have one goal...to make as much money as quickly as possible. So accordingly the average spam site will target big profit keywords which naturally tend to be more competitive.
Following this thinking, if your website focuses on keywords and markets that are not very competitive, your stay in the Google sandbox will be considerably shorter.
It appears though that, irrespective of factors such as good on-page optimization, incoming backlinks and original content, the average duration in the Google sandbox is 6 months.
How D'You Know You're A Bona Fide Guest To The Google Sandbox Party?
They are a finicky lot those Google folk. They don't want just anyone at their Get-Togethers! So they employ a posse of mean looking bouncers to ensure you're not some pesky gate crasher! These bouncers check thoroughly to make sure you have the proper credentials required to be at the Google Sandbox bash. These credentials include:
New Website
Having good Google page rank (PR) but ranking poorly for primary keywords
Having Google page rank without being in Google's index
Having good number of inbound links yet ranking poorly for primary targeted keywords
Having good homepage page rank but zero PR for your inner pages
Things To Do While Frolicking In The Google Sandbox
Like most other situations in life, here you have a number of choices.
You can sulk, fret, stamp your feet and moan and groan that the Google sandbox party sucks
...or you can get into the swing of things and utilize your time effectively:
Go ahead and add quality content to your fledgling site.
Work on increasing the number of inbound links (quality links not just any ole link)
Tweak and improve the search engine optimization quality of your site
Write articles
The list of things to do while sweating and grinding at the Google sandbox getdown is limitless.
The purpose of doing these things is that by the time you're released from the Google sandbox, your website will rank much better for those competitive keywords you're targeting and will have better SERP (search engine rank pages) listings than your competitor's site with similar characteristics...
...because instead of doing what you did, the owner spent the time bemoaning and lamenting the fact that their site had been hijacked by those tricky Google folk.
Shorten Your Stay In The Google Sandbox
Okay no one can deny it...those Google guys sure can throw one heck of a party! And so they should! If you've got that kinda cash and can't throw a decent bash...well you get the picture.
But let's be honest...who in their right mind wants to stay in the Google sandbox forever?
Question is... is it possible to cut short the time spent frolicking in the golden crystal of Googleland's sandbox?
One cannot say with absolute certainty (after all, a lot of seo speculation is just that...informed speculation) because, in the same way that Coke doesn't go out of its way to divulge the secret ingredients of its formula, neither does Google fully spill the beans on its algorithm.
However doing the following has been observed to shorten a site's duration in the Google sandbox:
Register your domain name for more than one year (spam sites are rarely registered for longer than a year)
Upload your site for live viewing as soon as possible even if it isn't ready for prime time (content-wise). Tweak the content later on or on-the-fly. The logic here is that the spiders will crawl your site sooner. An added bonus is that as your perfect and change your content it will register positively to the search engines as constantly changing content (think blog).
Maintain good-practice seo-linking campaigns. By doing this you will be killing two birds with the same stone. You see seo community speculation has it that Google has another filter in place to dampen the effect of newly acquired links. The thinking here is that the new inbound links are not allotted full value immediately, in an effort to counter the habit of buying links and other link purchasing schemes. So if you started your acquisition of quality links while your site was still in the Google sandbox, by the time its paroled, you'd have drastically reduced the so-called new-links dampening factor.
What Is The Google Sandbox
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
The Google Sandbox is an algorithmic filter designed by Google and implemented around March 2004 with the purpose of weeding out spam sites by placing all new websites under quarantine for a period of assessment.
How Does The Google Sandbox Affect Your New Site?
Although the Google sandbox was designed with the primary aim of targeting spam sites, in reality it affects all new websites. The general consensus in seo (search engine optimization) circles is that the Google sandbox algorithm functions to prevent new sites from blasting their way to the top of Google (using whatever means possible) and in effect overtaking quality websites that have been around for years.
Who Goes Into The Sandbox?
Google is a non-discriminatory organization--well anyway at least as far as the Google sandbox is concerned--so all and sundry are equally invited to the sandbox party.
How Long Will Your Website Remain In The Google Sandbox?
As far as Google is concerned not all sandbox invites are equal. Certain factors will determine the length of your stay in the Google sandbox. If the keywords your website is targeting are highly competitive then your website will be quarantined for longer. If you think about it, this approach makes sense. Most spam sites have one goal...to make as much money as quickly as possible. So accordingly the average spam site will target big profit keywords which naturally tend to be more competitive.
Following this thinking, if your website focuses on keywords and markets that are not very competitive, your stay in the Google sandbox will be considerably shorter.
It appears though that, irrespective of factors such as good on-page optimization, incoming backlinks and original content, the average duration in the Google sandbox is 6 months.
How D'You Know You're A Bona Fide Guest To The Google Sandbox Party?
They are a finicky lot those Google folk. They don't want just anyone at their Get-Togethers! So they employ a posse of mean looking bouncers to ensure you're not some pesky gate crasher! These bouncers check thoroughly to make sure you have the proper credentials required to be at the Google Sandbox bash. These credentials include:
New Website
Having good Google page rank (PR) but ranking poorly for primary keywords
Having Google page rank without being in Google's index
Having good number of inbound links yet ranking poorly for primary targeted keywords
Having good homepage page rank but zero PR for your inner pages
Things To Do While Frolicking In The Google Sandbox
Like most other situations in life, here you have a number of choices.
You can sulk, fret, stamp your feet and moan and groan that the Google sandbox party sucks
...or you can get into the swing of things and utilize your time effectively:
Go ahead and add quality content to your fledgling site.
Work on increasing the number of inbound links (quality links not just any ole link)
Tweak and improve the search engine optimization quality of your site
Write articles
The list of things to do while sweating and grinding at the Google sandbox getdown is limitless.
The purpose of doing these things is that by the time you're released from the Google sandbox, your website will rank much better for those competitive keywords you're targeting and will have better SERP (search engine rank pages) listings than your competitor's site with similar characteristics...
...because instead of doing what you did, the owner spent the time bemoaning and lamenting the fact that their site had been hijacked by those tricky Google folk.
Shorten Your Stay In The Google Sandbox
Okay no one can deny it...those Google guys sure can throw one heck of a party! And so they should! If you've got that kinda cash and can't throw a decent bash...well you get the picture.
But let's be honest...who in their right mind wants to stay in the Google sandbox forever?
Question is... is it possible to cut short the time spent frolicking in the golden crystal of Googleland's sandbox?
One cannot say with absolute certainty (after all, a lot of seo speculation is just that...informed speculation) because, in the same way that Coke doesn't go out of its way to divulge the secret ingredients of its formula, neither does Google fully spill the beans on its algorithm.
However doing the following has been observed to shorten a site's duration in the Google sandbox:
Register your domain name for more than one year (spam sites are rarely registered for longer than a year)
Upload your site for live viewing as soon as possible even if it isn't ready for prime time (content-wise). Tweak the content later on or on-the-fly. The logic here is that the spiders will crawl your site sooner. An added bonus is that as your perfect and change your content it will register positively to the search engines as constantly changing content (think blog).
Maintain good-practice seo-linking campaigns. By doing this you will be killing two birds with the same stone. You see seo community speculation has it that Google has another filter in place to dampen the effect of newly acquired links. The thinking here is that the new inbound links are not allotted full value immediately, in an effort to counter the habit of buying links and other link purchasing schemes. So if you started your acquisition of quality links while your site was still in the Google sandbox, by the time its paroled, you'd have drastically reduced the so-called new-links dampening factor.
Finding The Best Host For Your Company’s Needs
Finding The Best Host For Your Company’s Needs
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
So your business has decided that it is time to make its presence felt on the internet. You have your all your information ready, and you may even have created your website which it is ready to go live on the internet.
The next step is to find a web hosting provider, but how do you evaluate web hosting, and then make a choice on which provider to pay your hard earned money too?
Choosing the correct host for your company’s needs is a very important step, if not the most important step when taking your business online. The host you choose is responsible for placing your website online, and keeping it there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is nothing worse for a business to have a website that is not accessible by your customers, if your site is not online it has the potential to cost you a sale, and also sales in the future, if a prospective customer attempts to go to your website only to find it offline, the chances of that customer ever returning again are very slim.
Ok, so what should I look for in a web host?
There are several factors that you will need to evaluate before making your short list of hosting providers, below I will outline the most important aspects that you will need to cover.
1. Firstly you will need to evaluate the requirements of your website. Will you need shopping cart facilities, what type of content will your website be providing, what methods of payment will you offer, you will also need to think in to the future as well, will you need the ability to expand the site, taking a business online is a very big step and should be a long term step as well so you will need to think long term with your planning. Write a short list of what your website will require to properly function.
Details you will need to account for.
Disk space and bandwidth. Disk space refers to the amount of storage your web host will provide you to store your website. You will need to account for the current size of your website now, and also allow for what disk space you will require in the future as your website grows.
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data (pages, files) served from your website to your customers, if your website will be subject to high traffic, you will need to take the amount of bandwidth the host provides.
Also you will need to check what programming languages your website will require, languages such as PHP, Perl/CGI, JSP, Cold Fusion and ASP may be used on your website to perform certain functions, and your chosen web host will need to support the programming languages that your site requires.
Now that you have a list of your requirements, it is time to narrow down your list of providers that support all the features required.
2. Contact each of the hosts you have on your list, confirming what they offer and if it meets your requirements, also ask for a list of references you can contact, some of the best information about a web host can be gleaned from its customers, the question you should ask an existing customer is; “how reliable is the host?”. This question is the most important; it refers to two things, reliability of their hosting when it comes to serving of your website, and also refers to reliability of their mail system. Reliability of their mail system is just as important as serving of your website.
3. Technical support, test it out, call the web hosts technical support line at various times of the day and check how long it takes to get through to support staff, also send technical support an email to test how long it takes to receive a response. If you are on hold for 30 minutes waiting to talk to support about a problem with your website, that is 30 minutes that your site is offline, and also 30 minutes of your own time wasted with which you could be performing more productive jobs.
Finally you should choose a host that meets your expectations and with whom you feel comfortable with, approach choosing a web host the same way you would any other major business decision, because after all it is your money paying for the service.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
So your business has decided that it is time to make its presence felt on the internet. You have your all your information ready, and you may even have created your website which it is ready to go live on the internet.
The next step is to find a web hosting provider, but how do you evaluate web hosting, and then make a choice on which provider to pay your hard earned money too?
Choosing the correct host for your company’s needs is a very important step, if not the most important step when taking your business online. The host you choose is responsible for placing your website online, and keeping it there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is nothing worse for a business to have a website that is not accessible by your customers, if your site is not online it has the potential to cost you a sale, and also sales in the future, if a prospective customer attempts to go to your website only to find it offline, the chances of that customer ever returning again are very slim.
Ok, so what should I look for in a web host?
There are several factors that you will need to evaluate before making your short list of hosting providers, below I will outline the most important aspects that you will need to cover.
1. Firstly you will need to evaluate the requirements of your website. Will you need shopping cart facilities, what type of content will your website be providing, what methods of payment will you offer, you will also need to think in to the future as well, will you need the ability to expand the site, taking a business online is a very big step and should be a long term step as well so you will need to think long term with your planning. Write a short list of what your website will require to properly function.
Details you will need to account for.
Disk space and bandwidth. Disk space refers to the amount of storage your web host will provide you to store your website. You will need to account for the current size of your website now, and also allow for what disk space you will require in the future as your website grows.
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data (pages, files) served from your website to your customers, if your website will be subject to high traffic, you will need to take the amount of bandwidth the host provides.
Also you will need to check what programming languages your website will require, languages such as PHP, Perl/CGI, JSP, Cold Fusion and ASP may be used on your website to perform certain functions, and your chosen web host will need to support the programming languages that your site requires.
Now that you have a list of your requirements, it is time to narrow down your list of providers that support all the features required.
2. Contact each of the hosts you have on your list, confirming what they offer and if it meets your requirements, also ask for a list of references you can contact, some of the best information about a web host can be gleaned from its customers, the question you should ask an existing customer is; “how reliable is the host?”. This question is the most important; it refers to two things, reliability of their hosting when it comes to serving of your website, and also refers to reliability of their mail system. Reliability of their mail system is just as important as serving of your website.
3. Technical support, test it out, call the web hosts technical support line at various times of the day and check how long it takes to get through to support staff, also send technical support an email to test how long it takes to receive a response. If you are on hold for 30 minutes waiting to talk to support about a problem with your website, that is 30 minutes that your site is offline, and also 30 minutes of your own time wasted with which you could be performing more productive jobs.
Finally you should choose a host that meets your expectations and with whom you feel comfortable with, approach choosing a web host the same way you would any other major business decision, because after all it is your money paying for the service.
Changing Web Hosts Made Easy
Changing Web Hosts Made Easy
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
It is recommended you start the process at least a few days before the time runs out on the account with your present host. This will keep your website from experiencing any downtime between the moves.
The first thing to do, after you have searched and found a new web hosts, is create a backup of your website. Make a new folder somewhere on your computer. Using your favourite FTP program, such as WS_FTP or Cute FTP (these and other FTP programs can be obtained at download.com), download all the files and folders on your website to the new folder you just made on your computer while maintaining the same folder and file structure (this will be important when uploading your files and folders onto your new host's server later). Make a note of any special CHMOD permissions you have set on any file or folder (look in your FTP program's help documents for information on checking a folder or file's CHMOD permissions). You will need to reset the permissions after you upload your files and folders to your new web host's server.
If you have any scripts or programs that you made a database for, make a backup of each database. If you have a database other than MySQL, check with your present web host for instructions on backing up your database. If you don't have any databases. If your web host offers phpMyAdmin, log in to your control panel and go to the database section. Look for a link to phpMyAdmin and click on it. If required, log in using the username and password you gave for your database. If you assigned a different username and password for each database, you will have to repeat this process for each database. After you log in, click on "databases" and then click on the database you want to backup/export. Click "Export" on the top menu.
If you are using phpMyAdmin 2.4.0, highlight all the tables under "View dump (schema) of database." Make sure the "Structure and data" radio button is selected. Check "Save as file" and select either "zipped" or "gzipped." Click "Go" and save the file (it would be a good idea to create a new folder in which to save all your databases).
If you are using phpMyAdmin 2.6.0-pl1, highlight all the tables under "Export." Check the "Structure" and "Data" boxes and select "SQL" under the tables you highlighted. Check "Save as file" and under "Compression" select either "zipped" or "gzipped." Click "Go" and save the file. (It would be a good idea to create a new folder in which to save all your databases).
If you don't have phpMyAdmin, you can backup your database using mysqldump.
Next, setup your databases.
If you have MySQL databases, log in to your control panel. Go to the database section and create databases. Also, assign usernames and passwords for the databases (if you have a database other than MySQL, check with your new web host for instructions on creating and importing databases). Now, find the link to phpMyAdmin. If required, log in using the usernames and passwords you just created. If you assigned a different username and password for each database, you will have to repeat this process for each database. After logging in, click on "databases" and select a database by clicking on it. From the top menu, click "SQL."
Go to the folder you saved your databases in and select the database that corresponds to the one you have open in phpMyAdmin. Open the file and copy and paste the database in the large text area in phpMyAdmin. Click "Go" under the text area field. You can also use the browse button to find the file on your computer and click "Go" below the browse field. If you don't see any errors, with whichever method you chose, you have just successfully imported the database. If you have more than one database, go back and repeat this process for each one, starting with logging in with your database username and password. If you don't have phpMyAdmin, you can use this method to create your databases.
You may need to edit some files before uploading them in the next step, by changing MySQL database name, username and password settings within the files, if any information has changed. If you don't remember which files contain MySQL settings, check the installation instructions for each script/program.
Next, upload the files from the folder in which you saved your website content onto the new web host's server, maintaining the same folder and file structure, using your FTP program. The only difference in structure may be the location of the cgi-bin. Some web hosts have your cgi-bin inside the www or public_html directory and some have it placed outside. If you had any programs or scripts on your website, you may need to edit some files by changing paths within them. If you don't remember which files contain paths that may need to be changed, check the installation instructions for each script/program. Also, change any file or folder permissions as needed (look in your FTP program's help documents for information on changing a folder or file's CHMOD permissions).
The final step is to point your domain name to your new web host's name servers. This information probably came in an email from your new web host soon after you registered with them. If not, send them an email asking them what the name servers are for your domain. Once you have this information, go to the website where you have your domain name registered. Log in to your account and set the name servers for your domain. Please note that changes to name servers may take as much as a couple of days to take effect. If you still have a few days left on your old account, your website shouldn't experience any downtime. Once the name server’s change has taken effect, cancel the account with your old host (this is so you don't get charged for another term). That's it. You have successfully switched web hosts.
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
It is recommended you start the process at least a few days before the time runs out on the account with your present host. This will keep your website from experiencing any downtime between the moves.
The first thing to do, after you have searched and found a new web hosts, is create a backup of your website. Make a new folder somewhere on your computer. Using your favourite FTP program, such as WS_FTP or Cute FTP (these and other FTP programs can be obtained at download.com), download all the files and folders on your website to the new folder you just made on your computer while maintaining the same folder and file structure (this will be important when uploading your files and folders onto your new host's server later). Make a note of any special CHMOD permissions you have set on any file or folder (look in your FTP program's help documents for information on checking a folder or file's CHMOD permissions). You will need to reset the permissions after you upload your files and folders to your new web host's server.
If you have any scripts or programs that you made a database for, make a backup of each database. If you have a database other than MySQL, check with your present web host for instructions on backing up your database. If you don't have any databases. If your web host offers phpMyAdmin, log in to your control panel and go to the database section. Look for a link to phpMyAdmin and click on it. If required, log in using the username and password you gave for your database. If you assigned a different username and password for each database, you will have to repeat this process for each database. After you log in, click on "databases" and then click on the database you want to backup/export. Click "Export" on the top menu.
If you are using phpMyAdmin 2.4.0, highlight all the tables under "View dump (schema) of database." Make sure the "Structure and data" radio button is selected. Check "Save as file" and select either "zipped" or "gzipped." Click "Go" and save the file (it would be a good idea to create a new folder in which to save all your databases).
If you are using phpMyAdmin 2.6.0-pl1, highlight all the tables under "Export." Check the "Structure" and "Data" boxes and select "SQL" under the tables you highlighted. Check "Save as file" and under "Compression" select either "zipped" or "gzipped." Click "Go" and save the file. (It would be a good idea to create a new folder in which to save all your databases).
If you don't have phpMyAdmin, you can backup your database using mysqldump.
Next, setup your databases.
If you have MySQL databases, log in to your control panel. Go to the database section and create databases. Also, assign usernames and passwords for the databases (if you have a database other than MySQL, check with your new web host for instructions on creating and importing databases). Now, find the link to phpMyAdmin. If required, log in using the usernames and passwords you just created. If you assigned a different username and password for each database, you will have to repeat this process for each database. After logging in, click on "databases" and select a database by clicking on it. From the top menu, click "SQL."
Go to the folder you saved your databases in and select the database that corresponds to the one you have open in phpMyAdmin. Open the file and copy and paste the database in the large text area in phpMyAdmin. Click "Go" under the text area field. You can also use the browse button to find the file on your computer and click "Go" below the browse field. If you don't see any errors, with whichever method you chose, you have just successfully imported the database. If you have more than one database, go back and repeat this process for each one, starting with logging in with your database username and password. If you don't have phpMyAdmin, you can use this method to create your databases.
You may need to edit some files before uploading them in the next step, by changing MySQL database name, username and password settings within the files, if any information has changed. If you don't remember which files contain MySQL settings, check the installation instructions for each script/program.
Next, upload the files from the folder in which you saved your website content onto the new web host's server, maintaining the same folder and file structure, using your FTP program. The only difference in structure may be the location of the cgi-bin. Some web hosts have your cgi-bin inside the www or public_html directory and some have it placed outside. If you had any programs or scripts on your website, you may need to edit some files by changing paths within them. If you don't remember which files contain paths that may need to be changed, check the installation instructions for each script/program. Also, change any file or folder permissions as needed (look in your FTP program's help documents for information on changing a folder or file's CHMOD permissions).
The final step is to point your domain name to your new web host's name servers. This information probably came in an email from your new web host soon after you registered with them. If not, send them an email asking them what the name servers are for your domain. Once you have this information, go to the website where you have your domain name registered. Log in to your account and set the name servers for your domain. Please note that changes to name servers may take as much as a couple of days to take effect. If you still have a few days left on your old account, your website shouldn't experience any downtime. Once the name server’s change has taken effect, cancel the account with your old host (this is so you don't get charged for another term). That's it. You have successfully switched web hosts.
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
Scanning Graphic Images For The Web
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Scanning for the web is a specialty medium. Scanning requires advanced skills and training to make your original photo or graphic image recognizable on a wide range of viewing environments on the web, with the added challenge of shrinking your photo or graphic image to the smallest file size possible for quick downloading and viewing.
For a commerce site, scans are a crucial part of the selling process. A well-scanned picture allows for your audience to perceive an added value in your product or service. A poorly scanned picture will hurt your sales and reputation.
Professional designers will first scan a photo or graphic image at a much higher resolution before shrinking it down for the web. This is done to preserve the image quality while making any necessary graphic adjustments. It may include cropping the image to get rid of unwanted areas, rotating the image to keep it straight, retouching the image (often with the aid of image-editing hardware or software), compressing the image, and saving the image to an appropriate file format - all of these things are essential for the your scanned image to show up clearly on the web.
Professional designers often must scan and correct pictures that are either under-exposed or over-exposed, have glares of light or shadows that hide parts of the image, are blurry or dull, or have speckles and creases in the photo.
A designer may not even receive the original images to work with; they might be given a cut-out from a magazine or newsprint, which will create an unattractive dot (moiré) pattern from scanning, and requires serious graphic adjustments.
When scanning graphic images, you almost never use the scanner just as it was when purchased from the store. Left to only its default settings, a scanner will have difficulty picking up detail in the darkest and lightest areas of many pictures, produce colours that don't match, or leave the image looking flat and blurry. That makes it the designer's job to make the necessary corrections without harming the other parts of the photo, so it will all look sharp and crisp.
Go to an electronics store and look at all of the TV screens. Notice how the picture quality varies between the models? That's what you need to consider when scanning for the web, because what you may see scanned on your own computer will not be what will be shown on other people's computers.
There are many variables that determine how your scanned image will look: computer monitors, Windows or Mac computer systems, web browsers (Netscape, Explorer, etc.). A professional designer will test your photo or graphic image to make sure that it will show up properly under all of these circumstances...
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
Free Articles bY: www.swiftmediauk.co.uk
Scanning for the web is a specialty medium. Scanning requires advanced skills and training to make your original photo or graphic image recognizable on a wide range of viewing environments on the web, with the added challenge of shrinking your photo or graphic image to the smallest file size possible for quick downloading and viewing.
For a commerce site, scans are a crucial part of the selling process. A well-scanned picture allows for your audience to perceive an added value in your product or service. A poorly scanned picture will hurt your sales and reputation.
Professional designers will first scan a photo or graphic image at a much higher resolution before shrinking it down for the web. This is done to preserve the image quality while making any necessary graphic adjustments. It may include cropping the image to get rid of unwanted areas, rotating the image to keep it straight, retouching the image (often with the aid of image-editing hardware or software), compressing the image, and saving the image to an appropriate file format - all of these things are essential for the your scanned image to show up clearly on the web.
Professional designers often must scan and correct pictures that are either under-exposed or over-exposed, have glares of light or shadows that hide parts of the image, are blurry or dull, or have speckles and creases in the photo.
A designer may not even receive the original images to work with; they might be given a cut-out from a magazine or newsprint, which will create an unattractive dot (moiré) pattern from scanning, and requires serious graphic adjustments.
When scanning graphic images, you almost never use the scanner just as it was when purchased from the store. Left to only its default settings, a scanner will have difficulty picking up detail in the darkest and lightest areas of many pictures, produce colours that don't match, or leave the image looking flat and blurry. That makes it the designer's job to make the necessary corrections without harming the other parts of the photo, so it will all look sharp and crisp.
Go to an electronics store and look at all of the TV screens. Notice how the picture quality varies between the models? That's what you need to consider when scanning for the web, because what you may see scanned on your own computer will not be what will be shown on other people's computers.
There are many variables that determine how your scanned image will look: computer monitors, Windows or Mac computer systems, web browsers (Netscape, Explorer, etc.). A professional designer will test your photo or graphic image to make sure that it will show up properly under all of these circumstances...
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
Reclaim Your PC from the Internet Spies
Reclaim Your PC from the Internet Spies
Most Internet users recognize the need of protecting their computers against viruses, as the vast majority of us sooner or later become painfully aware of these nasty little programs when they shut down our PC, spam our mailbox or delete our files.
Viruses are, however, not the only malicious software programs out there. The newest addition to the evil software family is the so called Spyware’s and a good anti-virus program or firewall is not enough to safeguard against these clever programs.
Spyware’s are known by many names such as Adware, Trojans, Malware, browser hijackers etc. The thing they all have in common is that they will transmit your personal information to companies and individuals who have an interest in knowing about your surfing habits, online purchases, credit worthiness, interests, web search’s, chats, birth date and even your credit card number. The list goes on and on, since Spyware’s are constructed by promotional companies who need to know as much as possible about the online consumers to target them effectively. By ewes dropping on you online, these companies hope to be more successful when sending out promotional materials.
Spyware usually enter your PC by piggybacking on other software downloads. Every time you use downloaded or otherwise shared files, including Freeware, Shareware or p2p sharing programs, you stand the risk of unknowingly infecting your computer with Spyware. Even confirmed virus free music files, films and computer programs can have Spyware stowaways. Once inside your computer, they will hide, monitor all your actions and promptly start telling your secrets to anyone willing to listen.
Contrary to most viruses the Spyware’s actually make an effort not to be observed. Since they won’t cause obvious harm such as deleting important files or shutting down your computer, they can thrive in your PC for years without you noticing, sending out massive amounts of information about all your online habits.
At a first glance, you might find this annoying but essentially harmless. Why not let the companies send me promotional material about things I am actually interested in? Spyware is however far from harmless, since the infiltration by Spyware not only let the companies know about your latest online search, but also much more private matters such as credit card details, online purchases of medicine and your private e-mail correspondence with family, friends and business partners. There are even examples of how this massive gathering of personal information has led to an overall loss of privacy and stolen identities. In the computerized world of today it is not hard to imagine the amount of damage and personal suffering the fraudulent use of a person’s identity can cause.
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
Most Internet users recognize the need of protecting their computers against viruses, as the vast majority of us sooner or later become painfully aware of these nasty little programs when they shut down our PC, spam our mailbox or delete our files.
Viruses are, however, not the only malicious software programs out there. The newest addition to the evil software family is the so called Spyware’s and a good anti-virus program or firewall is not enough to safeguard against these clever programs.
Spyware’s are known by many names such as Adware, Trojans, Malware, browser hijackers etc. The thing they all have in common is that they will transmit your personal information to companies and individuals who have an interest in knowing about your surfing habits, online purchases, credit worthiness, interests, web search’s, chats, birth date and even your credit card number. The list goes on and on, since Spyware’s are constructed by promotional companies who need to know as much as possible about the online consumers to target them effectively. By ewes dropping on you online, these companies hope to be more successful when sending out promotional materials.
Spyware usually enter your PC by piggybacking on other software downloads. Every time you use downloaded or otherwise shared files, including Freeware, Shareware or p2p sharing programs, you stand the risk of unknowingly infecting your computer with Spyware. Even confirmed virus free music files, films and computer programs can have Spyware stowaways. Once inside your computer, they will hide, monitor all your actions and promptly start telling your secrets to anyone willing to listen.
Contrary to most viruses the Spyware’s actually make an effort not to be observed. Since they won’t cause obvious harm such as deleting important files or shutting down your computer, they can thrive in your PC for years without you noticing, sending out massive amounts of information about all your online habits.
At a first glance, you might find this annoying but essentially harmless. Why not let the companies send me promotional material about things I am actually interested in? Spyware is however far from harmless, since the infiltration by Spyware not only let the companies know about your latest online search, but also much more private matters such as credit card details, online purchases of medicine and your private e-mail correspondence with family, friends and business partners. There are even examples of how this massive gathering of personal information has led to an overall loss of privacy and stolen identities. In the computerized world of today it is not hard to imagine the amount of damage and personal suffering the fraudulent use of a person’s identity can cause.
About The Author:
Andy MacDonald owns and runs his own custom website design company called Swift Media UK which also incorporates ecommerce development, affordable web hosting, and logo design.
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