SEO Free E-Book

[Dori]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Beth,
Thanks for the ebook! I have a question. You say in your ebook that template based websites are not the best for SEO. What are you considering 'template based' websites?
Thanks!

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Dori - some template driven sites are fine. But what I was talking about - many hosting companies offer templates, like Soho has templates - with all the navigation in them. Too often, they add things like the navigation using javascript which se's can't read - and hurting people in their SEO.

So, templates have to be looked at carefully if you buy or use them, to make sure that they are SEO friendly- or work around the parts of them that are not.

Me, with all the manners to make things SEO friendly - think people should stay away from templates that they have to work around parts of - if at all possible.

And you're welcome - I need to go in there and do more pages - explaining some of the stuff.

[Dori]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Thanks for the explanation Bethers... I can much more easily avoid javascript than a hot cuppa java! LOL

[cheryl20]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Thanks for this ebook Bethers. You really know your SEO stuff. I have a question for you. ON a shopping mall type site where there really isn't content, how do you SEO something like that?

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

You best have content, no matter what the site. Mine are stores - and there's plenty of opportunity for content in product descriptions and names - good page titles and headlines, etc. And having links to your site with good anchor text.

Why, because of being a shopping site, wouldn't you have content?

[Dori]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Hi Cheryl,
Bethers is so right! Your products should all have descriptions of what they are, this is your content and this is what you want in your page titles, descriptions and headlines. If you do not optimize for your products, how will people find you to buy them?
On your home page you have a lot of 'key words' that you could use and you are not. As Bethers will tell you, don't go overboard using the same keywords. The SEs will consider it spamming and it will hurt you in the long run.

[Zigs]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Hi Beth
Dori has been extremely helpful in evaluating my first web site, and has made a few design and keyword suggestions which I've implemented. She also suggested I download your SEO ebook which I have read and found it very helpful.
Would you mind also having a look at my site for me:
www.proshowreel.com.au

Not quite finished yet, but I want to ensure that I have all bases covered before I continue. Google doesn't find me yet, any sugggestions would be most appreciated!
Thanks so much
Zigs

www.proshowreel.com.au

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

First, you need to make sure that each of your page titles and descriptions is unique to that page. Right now, just glancing - your home and showreels page have the same title. These titles are vital and need to start with the best keywords to describe THAT PARTICULAR PAGE -- that ARE being used to SEARCH for what you offer.

Unfortunately, there are very, very few people searching for showreels. The only good part of that is that you should easily be able to get to the top for the phrase. But, my question to you is - if they aren't searching using that term - what term will they use to search? That you need to do some work to find out. Because I'm sure there must be some other terms we can optimize you for - so do some thinking and get back to me on that.

[Zigs]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Hi Beth
Would you mind having a look at my site again? I've made some more changes, and I think it might be now ready to submit to search engines. I read in this forum, that if I submit a support ticked vodahost will do that for me. I've already followed the instructions for google.
Thanks again
Zigs
www.proshowreel.com.au

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Zigs,
You'll be happy to know that you already have been found by Google:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=DELA,DELA:2006-02,DELA:en&q=site%3ahttp%3a%2f%2fwww%2eproshowreel%2ecom%2eau%2f

Only the home page so far, but they'll index more every time they visit.

It's probably not necessary to submit for the others - but to get it in some of the minor se's it might help - so go ahead and put in your support ticket. (And just by having it in your signature like you do here - it will get added to the index of all the se's).

[Zigs]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

I'm more than happy, that's great news!

When I google 'pro showreel' I'm number 1! Although I haven't marketed my site yet, no one is going to search for that phrase, but I'm still excited! My goal is to be number 1 when 'showreel' is seached in google for Australia/New Zealand.

Because my site has the .com.au extension, does this mean I will automatically be listed for the Aust/NZ region in google?

Also, would it be fair to say that there's no more steps I need to follow to optimise my web site?

If so, my next step is to have some relevent high traffic web sites to link to me.

Thanks again
Zigs

www.proshowreel.com.au

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

There are always more steps to follow to optimize your site!

But, you should be added to the Aust/NZ index automatically when spidered with your .au extension.

You need to get links TO your site - using your top keywords. Optimizing is not just what's on your pages, but what comes back to your pages. Are there any organizations you can join who would put a link to your pages? Other professional organizations? Are there websites out there in complimentary fields who might want to tell their viewers about you?

Can you write any good articles about your business and get them submitted to online (or offline) services? Or can you write a good article and have it published by another relevant website with a link back to you?

And always keep an eye on what people are searching for - you might have to tweak the pages.

Very good that pro showreel has you number 1. Yes, that's the beginning - and yes, no one is probably searching for it - but you'll slowly move up in the more widely used terms if you have them optimized properly.

[william777]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

Hi Beth, looks like I am one whole year late in this thread!

I had read with great interest all that was discussed here. My question is regarding full flash websites. How does one apply meta tags?

[Bethers]

Re: SEO Free E-Book

A full flash website will not at this time be able to have anything for se's to index. It requires text. You would enter meta tags the same way - but if it's full flash, there wouldn't be keywords - just the title and description. But the only way to get ranking in se's for full flash would be to have LOTS of inbound links.

You aren't a year late!

[william777]

Thanks for your quick answer.