search engines question

[Jonno]

Hello everybody

I've partially completed this site and published it: www.brushtee.biz

Now comes the "checking it out in the real world" stage. And so far ... not so good ...

Never mind searching for the key words, when I type just the actual url into Google or Yahoo, they still don't see it at all. (And this they SHOULD see immediately, right??) The number of page views thus far has been v disappointing (the site's been up about a week).

I strongly suspect there's something not right with setting up my site so that it can be seen, but have no idea how to test for this, and then how to fix it.

Please help!

And then, does it load fast enough for you? Is the presentation interesting ... or boring?? And as a complete outsider coming in as a cold viewer, are you able to quickly get a grasp of what the subject is about, and the point the site is trying to get across? This of course may be perfectly clear to ME, but MY opinion doesn't count at all - only the viewers' opinions out there count. So give it to me straight on the chin! Ouch!!!

PS As you will see, the site is intended to be highly controversial, and I need to make it as viral as possible - as quickly as possible. Any bright ideas on strategy and tactics on how best to accomplish this for THIS type of subject matter?

[webb and romic]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

Hi there
I was Looking at your site and I think that you should make some small adjustments for example centre your pages and make the width 800 as when people have to scroll sideways they normally leave.
I cannot help regarding the optimization of your site however I thought that I would say something about the width etc
good job though
James

[Jonno]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

Thanks for the advice, James. I'll do what you suggest!

[Bethers]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

your site is not at all optimized to be found by se's. From title tags to page descriptions to the text on the pages. Not optmized at all.

That said - if you want the site to be viral - you need links to your site - have you got any? Have you been doing any sort of pr or marketing? It won't just jump off the web and be found because you put it there. And even if the se's spider it - without doing anything else, you'll stay in the 1000 rank of searches for any major terms.

But, as a VH customer, you can submit a support ticket and have the site submitted to all the se's.

All that said, I'm not gonna get involved in the politics :)

Good luck.

[Jonno]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

Thanks Bethers for your expert eye.

This is such a new field for a newbie like me that almost everywhere one looks, one sees but doesn't yet fully understand the significance of what you see. Like, yes, I did download your book a couple of days ago, but no, I didn't notice there was an entire sub-forum devoted to this topic at the bottom of the page (slap forehead!).

As to your other comment about whether I'm doing pr as well. Yes, most certainly. And the purpose of this website is to be the natural anchor point for all that stuff ie the pr will always point to the website. This gives the pr a persistence that press releases cannot sustain. You are absolutely correct about links, and these will certainly be added as I find useful ones.

Although the particular problem my website addresses is an intensely personal one for me (and those like me with similar problems), the principles of VIRAL MARKETING are generic to EVERYBODY with a website. All of us want to put out a website which is in demand, wields influence, and does good. And all of this the sooner the better!

There is a really excellent website and free e-download of a book on this subject: Seth Godin's http://www.sethgodin.com/ideavirus/01-getit.html

No matter what business you run, or even no business at all, Godin's book will stimulate your thinking - AND your marketing. And he writes well too!

Once again, thanks for the help. This forum is really infused with a remarkable spirit of helpfulness!

Jonno

https://www.brushtee.biz

[Debi]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

Hey there, a couple things I noticed...on your evidence page, the copyright line is overlapping the photo, and the blue links on the links page are very difficult to read on the green background.
As to SE's. If you are going to be found by the SE's, you have to figure out who your target is, and choose key words, titles, and descriptions relating to your site that will target that market. Ask yourself, who is interested? Golfers, inventors, patent people? Who is it you are trying to reach?
Make sure your keywords, titles, and descriptions are used in, and relevant to, your site. You may have to add language to the site to support it. As it is, and as Bethers said, you have no title, (each page needs it's own title, keywords,and description), your keywords are so specific as to cause only someone familiar with, and looking for info on the Brush-tee would ever find it. Only the people pointed directly to the site will ever see it as it is. There are lots of online sites devoted to Optimizing. Google in "Search Engine Optimization" and research a bit.
Debi

[Bethers]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

You are absolutely correct about links, and these will certainly be added as I find useful ones.

I don't believe I mentioned you adding links outbound (although, of course, that's acceptable) - what I was mentioning were inbound links - which are what you need to give you the boost you need to be found in searches done on the internet. And that's why I asked what pr or marketing you had done. Who can you find to give you links to your site to get it seen and known?

[Jonno]

Re: Site not visible on search engines

Hi Debi

Thanks for your advice - much appreciated :)

I've re-titled my pages and changed the color of the links on my links page (to red), but the last two REMAIN purple. There is NOTHING I can do that seems to work in changing the color to red as the two links above it are. All 4 links are in a single text-box, and I've tried deleting and redoing the bottom two - but no joy.

I have a similar problem with the copyright notice that you noticed sprawled over the bottom picture on my evidence page. I CANNOT see this line of text in my BV page when I try to move it, yet it is obviously SOMEWHERE there because it appears whenever I preview or publish the page!

Anyone got ANY ideas on how to get round this?

Jonno
www.brushtee.biz

[motoxxx]

Re: search engines question

Debi, you have been a good student!

[Jonno]

Re: search engines question

OK, found the fix for the copyright footer that was invisible on the edit page. Just right click on the page into Page Properties, and increase the Page Height to a suitable value, and VOILA! The footer appears for editing!!

Still stumped on fixing the link colors tho'