| Everyone in the online world knows extremely well | | | | that appears in a page title. A lot of people who |
| that the most sought after traffic to one's site | | | | integrate a Google bar into their websites allow users |
| comes from a Google search. Folks, 80% of | | | | to get results only by title. There are over 29 million |
| searches on the internet are done in Google.In | | | | results returned for Untitled Document.Most of us - |
| theory, it is simple - if you have something interesting | | | | myself included - copy and paste template pages, |
| to someone else, if you build a website with the | | | | out of the convenience of not having to recreate all |
| honest to goodness goal to provide something useful | | | | design elements from scratch. If you do so, do not |
| for someone else, that someone else will find you. | | | | forget to change the title.Make sure your title is not |
| That is also how the creators of Google describe | | | | just a list of keywords and that it is related to the |
| their main goal, to more or less have a great | | | | actual content of the page. Google can and will check |
| repository of information, and help people of our | | | | that, before deciding on your page's 'relevance'.6. Do |
| planet find useful stuff.In practice, it is not that | | | | not place important text inside images.Google says: |
| simple. It is not that simple because there are | | | | "Try to use text instead of images to display |
| thousands, possibly even millions of sites like yours, | | | | important names, content, or links. The Google |
| because you might be running a very honest online | | | | crawler doesn't recognize text contained in images."It |
| business, selling some very useful product, but do not | | | | is very tempting to create images with text inside |
| have unheard of, exceptionally grand 'content'. If your | | | | them, for the very simple reason that as designers, |
| site is listed on page 265 of a search results set, be | | | | we are not limited to the very few font (type) |
| sure you will never get any visitors that way.Unlike | | | | options that basic HTML allows. Also, different |
| Yahoo and others, who rely on human involvement, | | | | browsers tend to display things differently nowadays, |
| Google does everything through automation. | | | | so it is much easier to create a text image, which will |
| Websites are indexed (or crawled, or spidered - all | | | | be shown consistently and not worry about styles, |
| terms refer to the same process) by their indexing | | | | operating systems, etc.7. Use descriptive "ALT" |
| software called Googlebot. Googlebot looks at | | | | tags.The "ALT" tag is used as a text alternative |
| websites daily, and rules programmed into the | | | | (hence the name) for images and image links and |
| software decide which of your pages make it into | | | | was designed so that text browsers (such as Lynx) |
| the main Google index and which don't. After your | | | | do not just display a generic 'Image' for every picture |
| site was indexed, whether it was submitted for | | | | link you might have. If all your links say 'Image', how |
| indexing by a human or the robot just stumbled upon | | | | would a potential visitor know what they are?Make |
| it, your pages are ranked, so Google knows on which | | | | sure that the text description is meaningful and |
| page of a search to put your site on, and on what | | | | accurate. Take our promotional items company as an |
| search phrases should your site even be part of the | | | | example. Let's say they have a picture of a |
| result search.The Googlebot is very smart and works | | | | tradeshow display, as an example of a service they |
| really well. Keep in mind however, that is just a piece | | | | provide outside the ordinary imprinted mint boxes, |
| of software, a very sophisticated one, but it's just a | | | | calculators and keychains. If the "ALT" tag only says |
| computer program. Consequently, it has a set of | | | | "display", that is what Googlebot will see and index. If |
| algorithms (rules) it uses to index web site content | | | | the tag says something like "example of a tradeshow |
| (information), a set of capabilities (as I said before, | | | | display design", that is certainly more useful and more |
| Googlebot is really intelligent) and a set of limitations. | | | | Googlebot friendly.Please note that although the |
| As such, there is an impressive number of ways in | | | | "ALT" tag does count and Google seems to put a |
| which one can trip up the Googlebot and make it | | | | high price on this tag, it ranks lower than plain text.8. |
| impossible for it to index your content. Alternately, | | | | Use meaningful descriptions for linksWith the risk of |
| the Googlebot can index your site well, and then | | | | sounding like a scratched CD, I'll have to say this |
| people will find it when searching for words it | | | | again: Whether you use picture links or text links, |
| contains.This article will try to teach you all the basics | | | | please use meaningful text inside your tags so that |
| necessary to achieve consistency and persistency in | | | | Googlebot can associate that text with that href |
| Google, starting with the very basic step: getting | | | | link.In other words, let's pretend again that we are |
| indexed by Googlebot, Google's indexing robot.1. Read | | | | designing that website for that imaginary promotional |
| Google's own Webmaster GuidelinesThe people | | | | items company we called JDPromos. If you intend to |
| behind Google seem to have two main things down | | | | put a link to a set of sample coffee mugs promos, |
| to a science: One, most of their algorithms (rules) are | | | | say something like "link to JDPromos samples of |
| so secret, that all us non-Google employees do is | | | | branded coffee mugs", not just "coffee mugs", or |
| speculate. Two, their guidelines are very simple, direct | | | | even worse, "click here for pictures". Never use link |
| and precise. Following their guidelines will never hurt | | | | text like "read more" or "go here" or "download it", |
| your site's ranking. Disregarding their guidelines can | | | | "click here", "don't click here", you get the picture - I |
| and probably will hurt you in the long run. So go to | | | | hope.Don't try to fool the Googlebot with hidden links |
| and read what Google has to say about itself.2. Have | | | | or duplicate content or irrelevant pages of words like |
| text links.Make every single page on your site | | | | "sex" and "hot girls." The Googlebot doesn't like being |
| accessible via a text-based link, as opposed to | | | | played and you will be penalized, one way or another, |
| Javascript, Flash, DHTML (Dynamic HTML), etc. | | | | in the long run.9. Use a "description" tag for every |
| Googlebot's native language is text. | | | | pageInclude a tag in your page header to summarize |
| Google says: "Make a site with a clear hierarchy and | | | | your site. Use a meaningful one or two sentence |
| text links. Every page should be reachable from at | | | | description, do not keyword spam.Even better, |
| least one static text link."This is probably the number | | | | include descriptive text on the site's front page |
| one key to your site's existence in Google. Googlebot | | | | where users can actually read it. This text will appear |
| is actually a robotic, browser-like software, based on | | | | as the description for your site in Google results.Place |
| the venerable Lynx browser. The reasoning behind | | | | more important content higher in the page than less |
| this approach is that the creators are trying to get | | | | important content in a page, Google does categorize |
| as close as possible to emulating human browsing, | | | | text on a page based on it's position, text at the |
| making sure your website is actually human friendly. | | | | bottom of a page is considered less important, or |
| Consequently, by downloading Lynx on your | | | | 'relevant', to use one of Google's own terms.10. Use |
| computer and looking at your site through Lynx ( | | | | short query stringsUse URLs with query strings |
| you will see more or less exactly the information | | | | sparingly, if at all possible. Query strings are also called |
| Googlebot can read and index and the links | | | | dynamic pages. You can usually recognize dynamic |
| Googlebot can follow. You will also see HTML errors | | | | pages by the presence of the "?" character. Keep in |
| on your pages and places where a robot would be | | | | mind that the shorter the list of query string |
| stuck and could not reach the rest of your site.I | | | | parameters, the better. Be aware that not every |
| know it is very unfair to those of us who understand | | | | search engine robot can crawl dynamic pages as well |
| and love the potential of websites built completely in | | | | as static pages. It helps to keep the parameters |
| Flash, or other engines. However, until the nice folks | | | | short and the number of them few.11. Never use the |
| who run Google figure out a good way to crawl | | | | "&id=" parameterIf you must use query strings, or |
| inside a Flash file and extract the appropriate | | | | dynamic pages, never use the "&id=" parameter as |
| information, we are stuck with standard HTML.This is | | | | part of the string.I know this might sound ridiculous, |
| not to say that you cannot make your site really | | | | as it might be hard or impossible for you not to use |
| pretty and fill it with Java Script and Flash eye candy. | | | | the "&id=" parameter, but if you are a programmer |
| But you must have regular text and standard text | | | | and you can change the variable's name, replace "id" |
| links. Usually you can achieve the desired effect by | | | | with something else. Otherwise, Googlebot will just |
| having extra navigation menus based on standard | | | | skip that page.Google says: "Don't use "&id=" as a |
| text links.3. Avoid frames.Avoid frames at all cost. If | | | | parameter in your URLs, as we don't include these |
| you must use them (for example to make someone | | | | pages in our index."12. Use robots.txtUse robots.txt |
| else's page look like it's part of your site), do not use | | | | to show the Googlebot around your site. This ancient |
| them on your front page.Frames are like the plague, | | | | and very standard mechanism for directing |
| they sneak up on you. It is incredibly easy to lose | | | | well-behaved robots like the Googlebot will allow you |
| Googlebot's tracks inside a badly formatted frameset. | | | | to specify places where the robot is not welcome, |
| You might hear that some of the robots, including | | | | whether for privacy reasons, or for reasons of |
| Google's Googlebot and Yahoo's Slurp are quickly | | | | avoiding Google penalties. You might want to keep |
| gaining capabilities to go inside frames properly. My | | | | the robot away from your cgi-bin directory and other |
| philosophy is, until a feature becomes ubiquitous, if | | | | places you maybe don't want available to the entire |
| you're uncertain, leave it in the closet.4. Keep the | | | | searching population of the globe. Remember this is a |
| number of links on a given page less than 100.This | | | | guideline, not a barrier, robots that are not |
| comes straight from Google's Webmaster Guidelines: | | | | programmed to comply, will disregard. Bottom line, |
| "Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable | | | | use the robots.txt to guide Googlebot, but not to |
| number (fewer than 100)."This looks more like a | | | | enforce strict security.Google says: "Make use of the |
| suggestion and I am not 100% sure if you get | | | | robots.txt file on your web server. This file tells |
| penalized in any way or if Googlebot just stops | | | | crawlers which directories can or cannot be |
| reading your links after 100. I can however tell you | | | | crawled."13. Make a sitemapA site map is just a page |
| from personal experience that I tried a page with | | | | on your website where you guide your users through |
| 700 links and it seemed fine. Then one day I tried to | | | | the structure of your site. The most basic form of |
| view the page from my Blackberry PDA and I got | | | | sitemap is a page that lists all of your pages, with a |
| this strange error message saying my page is illegally | | | | brief description and a link - all text, of course. When |
| formatted. After I split the page into several ones | | | | you make the sitemap, follow all the rules above and |
| with 80 links each, the pages worked on the PDA | | | | don't forget that the purpose of the sitemap is to |
| also.Who cares about the Blackberry? Well, if you're | | | | guide your human visitor.Google says: "Offer a site |
| reading this and your goal is to get visitors, then your | | | | map to your users with links that point to the |
| main concern should be not to alienate anyone. | | | | important parts of your site. If the site map is larger |
| Remember, today more than ever, people use | | | | than 100 or so links, you may want to break the site |
| different devices and different software to access | | | | map into separate pages."14. Use the Google |
| the web. Every visitor is a potential customer. Every | | | | Sitemaps projectAt the time of this writing, the |
| employee at a major US lawfirm and many other | | | | fastest, best and most accurate way to make sure |
| corporate people use a Blackberry.Lastly, why would | | | | your site is properly crawled and indexed by |
| you need that many links on one page anyway? Let's | | | | Googlebot is to participate in the Google Sitemaps |
| say, for example, that you specialize in promotional | | | | project.In a nutshell, you make a sitemap as an XML |
| products - corporate branded gifts, such as pens, | | | | page and submit it directly to Google. Google then |
| caps, mints and other products (called sometimes | | | | sends Googlebot to index your site. Besides the |
| 'premiums') imprinted with one's logo. Your name is | | | | speedy free submission, you also get a good amount |
| John Doe, and you decided to name your company | | | | of statistics and the opportunity to fix potential |
| JDPromos (not very imaginative, but will do for our | | | | errors in your site.Please note that the XML sitemap |
| examples). You would want to have every item in | | | | needed for the Google Sitemap project is intended |
| your catalog as a text link, so every item gets | | | | specifically for Googlebot, and is different from the |
| indexed as a link and as a keyword. Also, those who | | | | sitemap described in the previous Rule, which is |
| run forums, ezines, blogs, might want to have | | | | intended solely for human users.Also, do not be afraid |
| standard links to their articles, as the software they | | | | of XML, Google's sitemap is a very simple text file |
| use might create dynamic links, invisible to certain | | | | and they give you all the necessary information and |
| robots.5. Give every page a meaningful title.Give | | | | directions at: luck!--- |
| every single page on the site a complete and | | | | Andrei co-owns Bsleek - a company that specializes |
| meaningful title. This is also directly from Google's | | | | in web design, hosting, promotional items, printing, |
| Webmaster Guidelines. See Rule #1.Incidentally, for | | | | tradeshow displays, logos, CD presentations, SEO and |
| those who are fascinated by the debates on the | | | | more. Andrei has amassed an extensive technical |
| death of the Meta Tags, the tag is not a Meta Tag, | | | | knowledge and experience through his career as the |
| but a required element for every page.The "title" tag | | | | CIO for a major travel management company and |
| is supported by every web creation tool out there, | | | | through his past careers in military research, data |
| and goes in the header of a web page (between the | | | | acquisition and airspace engineering. He also consults |
| "head" and the "/head" tags).Google offers the | | | | for Trinity Investigations, a New York based PI firm. |
| 'allintitle' syntax, which lets users search only text | | | | |