Search engine optimization is not just about keywords and web content. Although these elements are extremely important for SEO, there are other elements that are also being assessed by search engines. One of these factors is web design. A properly designed and structured site is important for achieving the best possible search engine ranking for your website. A site needs to be created with SEO in mind in order to maximize its placement in search engines result pages. Here are some common SEO web design mistakes that you should be aware of.
1. Search engine crawlers can identify text but not graphics. Crawlers see graphics as code or unreadable text. So it is essential not to build a website that contains too many graphics. Graphics may improve the appearance of your website but it will rank low in search engine results, as search engine crawlers will not be able to index it correctly. Adding alt text to your images does help, but it cannot take the place of good old-fashioned text content on your site. Content is king!
2. Ensure that your website does not have any broken links. Test the status of all your site links to ensure they are functioning. A website with badly maintained links will not be ranked highly by search engines. If you use Wordpress, there is a great plugin to check for and help you correct broken links.
3. Do not create a flash website. Search engine crawlers do not recognize flash graphics and consequently the website will not be ranked on search engine listings. Having the coolest looking site is not always in your best interest.
But let’s not end this on a negative vibe. What about three top SEO tips?
1. Title Tag, Meta Description, and Meta Keyword - Use accurate and carefully worded keywords and phrases. This is no place to put your company name, unless it IS packed with your keywords. The Title tag is prime real estate. Use it wisely. Also, keep it down to about 70 characters (if you can)…always a struggle for me. Use the most important keywords first. Oh, and don’t forget to make the page Title unique for each page and based on the content of each page. The Meta Description can be very similar to what you’ve put in your Title tag, but expanded on a bit. Use the same concepts. Make the information relevant to the content on the page.
2. Page Content - While it might be difficult for you to come up with content about you, your company, your industry, and your services, and while it may be easier to load up your pages with images - please spend the time on this, spend lots of time. You can tweak it as time goes on, but don’t skimp on this. It’s one of the most important things you can do to help yourself be found and to impress the people that find you. When it comes to the “text .vs image" battle, TEXT wins every time. It goes without saying that you need to come up with great keywords to use. I use Market Samurai, but there are plenty of keyword research tools available.
3. Build Quality Incoming Links - use Search Engine Directories, Article Submission sites, Social Networking sites, Press Releases. Also, if you’re willing to provide valuable information and not use spammy techniques you should find the time to contribute to forums, blog comments, review sites, and Q&A sites (such as Yahoo Answers)
Remember, if you have a Wordpress blog or your whole site is built on the Wordpress platform all SEO tips, strategies, and techniques still apply. Spend the time to get the most out of your site, or hire someone to do it for you.
There, I’ve listed the 3 top things not to do, and the 3 top things you should be doing to get great SEO results for your website. This is just a short list. There are plenty more where those came from.
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