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"Redesigning: How Often Is Too Often?" from 
You've all seen it on some websites. They completely overhaul the look of the website every other month. Or at least it seems that way.
Then there's the other extreme, where websites haven't been redesigned since 1996. So how often is too often?
Change for the sake of change is pointless. Do not feel compelled to redesign your site if you are satisfied with its look. Instead, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I like the look of my site?
- Does the design appeal to my target demographic?
- Is the design appropriate for the site's content and subject matter?
- Does the current design make it difficult in any way to navigate the site?
- Do a lot of impartial people say that the site looks dated?
- Are there any fundamental design flaws, like inconsistency across multiple pages, that are integrated into the design?
There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages to redesigning your site. Depending on how it was set up originally, converting a lot of pages to a new design may take weeks, and that's after the new design is done and approved. People who come back to your site that haven't visited it in awhile will be greeted by a look that is unfamiliar to them. Unless you are prominently using the same logo, they may initially be unsure if they have come to the right site.
However, a fresh new look can often help you retain website visitors. Individuals who might have just given your site a cursory look before may be more apt to stick around and look in more detail. And the longer they look around on your site, the more likely they are to buy, to come to your physical store, to submit articles, etc. If your site design is more in alignment with the purpose of the site, people will be more likely to engage in that purpose, regardless of whether it is shopping online, playing online games, or just reading more about your business.
So do not redesign just because it's been a few years. Evaluate the current look.
Perhaps you can send a poll to your top 50 clients and ask them questions about your website. See what they think of it. And then, if they feel a redesign is needed and you agree with their reasoning, go ahead and redesign!
"SEO: Four Vital Steps for Optimizing Your Website" from 
There is a bit of confusion about search engine optimization. Some people think that SEO (the abbreviated form) is nothing more than tricking search engines into giving a high ranking for a particular site. Others think that search engine optimization is so complex that they could not possibly understand it. Neither of these views are correct. Search engine optimization is best defined as the art and science of building web pages that are both search engine friendly and user friendly. Below are four basic steps that you should take when optimizing your web pages.
1. Your Web Design Should Emphasize Text and Not Graphics - "Search engine friendly" means that search engines should be able to find data on your site that they can put in their data bases. While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a search engine is trying to classify pages by text and not by images. If you have an opening page with a beautiful picture of the sea and only two words of text saying "enter here" then this page will not rank high in searches for Florida Vacations. Similarly, if you have a headline with important text containing your site's keywords, it should not be displayed as a gif or jpeg image. Pages that are all flash or all images are not search engine friendly, and often are not user friendly as well.
2. Links to Your Interior Pages Should Be Easily Found by Search Engines - An important thing to remember is that you want not only your main page, but all of your interior pages to be included in the search engine index. While most people will probably enter your site through the main page, many will enter after doing searches which lead them to your inner pages. The best way to make sure that search engines will find and index your inner pages is to include text links to these pages. If you have a navigation system which uses Java-script or images, then it is best to add an additional text link navigation bar at the bottom of the site to ensure that the robot follows the links to your inner pages.
3. Your Pages Should Be Built Around Specific Keywords or Keyword Phrases - Robotic search engines and human users have one thing in common: they are trying to figure out what your site or your particular web page is all about. It is not possible to get high rankings for thirty different search terms with only one web page. However, it is possible to build separate web pages which explain and give importance to various aspects of your organization's activity. These sub pages can be optimized so that they perform well in searches for your various keywords.
4. Once Your Material is Organized, Then Your Keywords Should Appear in Strategic Portions of Your Web Pages - If your site is about Florida Vacations, then these words should appear in the following places of your html pages:
a. In the File Name or the URL - If your site is called www.floridavacations.com then this will give you a head start in any searches for this term. Similarly, if your company is called XYZ Travels, you may have a web page with this url: www.xyztravels.com/floridavacations.html
The URL or file name is an important indicator to a search engine, so don't miss the opportunity to put your important term either in your main domain name or in your file names.
b. In the Title Tag - The text that is displayed in the blue line at the top of your browser is your title tag. The title tag is located in the <head> section of the document. If your main phrase is "Florida Vacations" then the title tag in your html document should look something like this: <title>Florida Vacations: Florida Vacation Information by XYZ travel</title>
c. In the Description Tag - The description tag is not seen on the web page but search engines often display it as the text which gives the searcher an idea of what your page is about. The description tag should be compelling, and make someone want to click and see your page, while also containing the keywords that are in your url and your title tag. A description tag for this site might look as follows: <meta name="description" content="Florida Vacations: Plan your Florida vacation with the help of XYZ travels. You will find up-to-date information and the best rates on accommodations, entertainment, and transportation in Florida on our website.">
d. In the Headlines - Just as someone reading a newspaper looks at headlines to find out what is important, a search engine robot looks at the headlines of a web page in order to pick up the essential feature of that page. Put your main phrase in a headline and place it near the top of the page. Your headline text should be enclosed with special header tags such as <h1>, <h2>, <h3>. A headline tag for our hypothetical page could be written as follows: <h1>Florida Vacations: Plan Your Vacation Now And Save Money on Accommodations, Entertainment and Transport in Florida</h1>
f. In Anchor Text on Your Page - Anchor text is the clickable portion of links on your web page. Suppose you are describing your Florida Vacations and you want to direct your web visitors to an inside page with more information about this subject. Instead of making a link that says "click here," it would be better to have a link that says "Click here for more information about Florida Vacations" or even better, the link text will only be "Florida Vacations" and the "click here" will be rendered as normal text.
If you follow these search-engine-optimization steps when building your website you will end up with web pages that are easily understood by your visitors, and easily classified and indexed by search engines.
"Predicting Search Engine Algorithm Changes" from
With moderate search engine optimization knowledge, some common sense, and a resourceful and imaginative mind, one can keep his or her web site in good standing with search engines even through the most significant algorithm changes. The recent Google update of October/November 2005, dubbed "Jagger", is what inspired me to write this, as I saw some web sites that previously ranked in the top 20 results for extremely competitive keywords suddenly drop down to the 70th page. Yes, the ebb and flow of search engine rankings is nothing to write home about, but when a web site doesn't regain many ranking spots after such a drop it can tell us that the SEO done on the site may have had some long-term flaws. In this case, the SEO team had not done a good job predicting the direction a search engine would take with its algorithm.
Impossible to predict, you say? Not quite. The ideas behind Google's algorithm come from the minds of fellow humans, not supercomputers. I'm not suggesting that it's easy to "crack the code" so to speak because the actual math behind it is extremely complicated. However, it is possible to understand the general direction that a search engine algorithm will take by keeping in mind that any component of SEO which is possible to manipulate to an abnormal extent will eventually be weighted less and finally rendered obsolete.
One of the first such areas of a web site that started to get abused by webmasters trying to raise their rankings was the keywords meta tag. The tag allows a webmaster to list the web site's most important keywords so the search engine knows when to display that site as a result for a matching search. It was only a matter of time until people started stuffing the tag with irrelevant words that were searched for more frequently than relevant words in an attempt to fool the algorithm. And they did fool it, but not for long. The keywords meta tag was identified as an area that was too susceptible to misuse and was subsequently de-valued to the point where the Google algorithm today doesn't even recognize it when scanning a web page.
Another early tactic which is all but obsolete is repeating keywords at the bottom of a web page and hiding them by changing the color of the text to match the background color. Search engines noticed that this text was not relevant to the visitor and red-flagged sites that employed this method of SEO.
This information is quite basic, but the idea behind the aforementioned algorithm shifts several years ago is still relevant today. With the Jagger update in full swing, people in the SEO world are taking notice that reciprocal links may very well be going the way of the keywords meta tag. (i.e. extinct) Webmasters across the world have long been obsessed with link exchanges and many profitable web sites exist offering services that help webmasters swap links with ease. But with a little foresight, one can see that link trading has its days numbered, as web sites have obtained thousands of incoming links from webmasters who may have never even viewed the web site they are trading with. In other words, web site popularity is being manipulated by excessively and unnaturally using an SEO method.
So with keyword meta tags, keyword stuffing within content, and now link exchanges simply a part of SEO history, what will be targeted in the future? Well, let's start with what search engines currently look at when ranking a web site and go from there:
On-page Textual Content - In the future, look for search engines to utilize ontological analysis of text. In other words, not only your main keywords will play a factor in your rankings, but also words that relate to them. For example, someone trying to sell NFL jerseys online would naturally mention the names of teams and star players. In the past, algorithms might have skipped over those names, deemed them irrelevant to a search for "NFL jerseys." But in the future, search engines will reward those web sites with a higher ranking than those that excessively repeat just "NFL jerseys." With ontological analysis, web sites that speak of not only the main keywords but other relevant words can expect higher rankings.
The Conclusion: Write your web site content for your visitors, not search engines. The more naturally written sites can expect to see better results in the future.
Offering Large Amounts of Content - This can frequently take the form of dynamic pages. Even now, search engines can have a difficult time with dynamic content on web sites. These pages usually have lengthy URLs consisting of numbers and characters such as &, =, and ? The common problem is that the content changes so frequently on these dynamic pages that the page becomes "old" in the search engine's database, thus leaving searchers seeing results that contain old information. Since many dynamic pages are created by web sites displaying hundreds or thousands of products they sell, and the number of people selling items on the Internet will obviously increase in the coming years, you can expect that search engines will improve their technology and do a better job indexing dynamic content in the future.
The Conclusion: Put yourself ahead of the game if you are selling products online and invest in database and shopping cart software that is SEO-friendly.
Incoming Links - Once thought to be a very difficult thing to manipulate, incoming links to one's web site have been abused by crafty SEOs and webmasters the world over. It is finally at a point where Google is doing a revamp of what constitutes a "vote from [one site to another]" as they explain it in their webmaster resources section. Link exchanges are worth significantly less now than ever to the point where the only real value in obtaining them is to make sure a new web site gets crawled by search engine spiders.
Over the years, many web sites reached top spot for competitive keywords by flexing their financial muscle and buying thousands of text links pointing to their site with keywords in the anchor text. Usually these links would appear like advertisements along sidebars or navigation areas of web sites. Essentially this was an indirect way of paying for high Google rankings, something which Google is no doubt trying to combat with each passing algorithm update. One idea of thought is that different areas of a web page from a visual point of view will be weighted differently. For example, if a web site adds a link to your site within the middle of their page text, that link should count for more than one at the bottom of the site near the copyright information.
This brings up the value of content distribution. By writing articles, giving away free resources, or offering something else of value to people, you can create a significant amount of content on other web sites that will include a link back to your own.
The Conclusion: It all starts with useful content. If you are providing your web site visitors with useful information, chances are many other sites will want to do the same. SEO doesn't start with trying to cheat the algorithm; it starts with an understanding of what search engines look for in a quality web site.
"SEO for Traffic with Content vs. Ranking with Links" from
How do you grow your search engine traffic without adding a single new link or making any changes to your existing webpages? ...
It's simple. Just add content.
Simply having keyword-optimized pages of content on your site won't rank you high for competitive search engine keywords – that's a fact of life. But keyword-optimized content can really bring in the traffic for low-competition and unique keywords. The low-competition and unique keywords are typically longer multi-word variants of the keyword. For instance, instead of "search engine ranking," "ranking for search engine traffic niche keywords."
If you have lots of pages of optimized content–and you optimize well – all the search engine traffic from these low-competition keywords will really add up. Plus, you'll usually get more repeat visitors and type-in traffic, too.
Just picture this realistic example of traffic-building with content vs. ranking-building with links. Company A invests $5,000 for link-building in order to rank for a competitive keyword. Company B invests the same amount, only in content. Company A and Company B: each start out on equal SEO footing: equally old websites with the same amount and quality of content, same content management systems, the same PageRank and quantity, quality, and relevance of inbound links.
Company A's research reveals that $5000 is just the amount needed to get on the first page of Google for a target keyword that should deliver 100 unique visitors per day if the site ends up in the first position. They dutifully get inbound links optimized for that keyword, following all SEO best practices. Three months and $5,000 later, the site is stuck somewhere toward the bottom of the second page of Google search results for the target keyword. Six months later, they've actually sunk a bit lower in the SERPs. The good news is that the site is getting some traffic from the links built and from the lowly search engine position, but nowhere near the 100 visitors/day they were hoping for from search results.
Company B, meanwhile, had content written around a long list of keywords with little or no competition in the search engines, using up-to-date search engine copywriting techniques. They've been enjoying a growing stream of visitors to their site almost since the first page of content was added. Three months later, the site's search engine traffic has grown by a hundred unique visitors per day, or 3,000 per month. Moreover, Company B's repeat visitor traffic has also jumped. Type-in traffic has increased, presumably as visitors forward the URLs of useful pages to their friends. Page views are up, too, not only from more repeat visitors and type-in visitors, but also from first-time search visitors staying longer and browsing more pages. Six months later, the website's content has built a loyal following on the net, generating even more repeat visitors. The search engine traffic is as good as it ever was.
Advantages of Web Content SEO
Greater certainty. Not only is a page of content extremely likely to bring in search engine traffic — unlike the similar investment in links — it won't suddenly disappear. The sites linking to you might stop anytime, or do something to stop links' passing search engine value (such as adding the "nofollow" tag or switching to a search-engine-unfriendly content management system).
Cost. Traditionally, copywriting has been more expensive than link-building. But that's changed. As "nofollow" link-Scrooge-ry becomes more and more common, and as paid and reciprocal links get downgraded, the real cost of obtaining quality links increases. Meanwhile, the copywriting market has increasingly adapted to the needs of search engine marketing. To get a search engine visitor, you don't need a Pulitzer-prize winning essay or a killer sales letter. You simply need highly focused, readable, keyword-optimized, information-packed pages of around 250 words each — and more and more copywriting and SEO firms are delivering this service cost-effectively. Blogs, meanwhile, let you and your employees add content easily. Bulletin boards (modified to be search-engine-friendly) let site visitors add content, too. In fact, "natural content" from blogs and bulletin boards is now much more viable than natural link building.
In conclusion, when you look at SEO, don't forget that your number-one goal is not to rank high for a certain keyword, but to get more search engine traffic. In some less competitive sectors, high rankings may still be a realistic and effective proposition. But increasingly, ranking high for competitive keywords is no longer the best way to get traffic.
"The 7 Essential Title Tag Strategies of High Ranking WebPages in 2006" From
www.searchengine-news.com
Perhaps you remember the days when cutting-edge webpage design boasted animated gifs and focused on keyword density for top search engine rankings. These days, however, standard fare often combines flash animation with a heavy incoming link campaign. But through all the changes, one element remains constant—the importance of the HTML <title> tag. This little tag was, and still is, the single most important onpage element of high ranking webpages.
Today the <title> tag remains a critical component of top scoring webpages. While it's true that inbound links can cause a webpage to rank very well even if the keyword is missing from the body of the page, you'll seldom find a page without the keyword in the <title> tag that ranks highly for a competitive search.
These days, there persists both myths and confusion about the role the title tag actually plays within the ranking formulas. So, for that reason, let's take a fresh look at what actually is helping pages score well in the year 2006.
The 7 Essential Title Tag Strategies of Today's High Ranking WebPages - Now that you know how important the <title> tag really is, you'll want to incorporate these top seven strategies to allow your titles to work at maximum power, search-engine-wise...
1. Length of Your Title: When creating titles for your webpages, remember that anything more than 63 characters is mostly superfluous.
Although Yahoo will display up to 112 characters and MSN up to 70, by limiting your <title> tags to Google's limit of 63 or less, you're increasing your chances you'll get your entire <title> tag displayed on all three major engines.
2. Word Proximity: Search engines actually do pay attention to the distance between words for multiple keyword searches. For example, in a search for Chevrolet Corvette, a webpage <title> tag that contains these two words grouped together will typically hold a ranking advantage over another webpage with a <title>tag such as Corvette, a legend by Chevrolet.
3. Keyword Location: As a general rule, the closer you place your keyword to the beginning of the <title> tag, the better the ranking advantage. However, bear in mind that we've seen fluctuations on this element from engine to engine and even from month to month. Regardless, on the whole, you can expect better results by placing your keywords first in your <title> tag.
4. Word Order: Consider the search dell computers. This will generate far different results than a search for computers dell. The search engines do pay attention to the linear order of your keywords, so be sure to position them in the most likely order that real people typically use when expressing them in everyday language.
5. Repetitions: Should you use the keyword more than once in the title? The answer is... it depends. First, let's talk about what not to do. Do not repeat keywords one after the other as in keyword, keyword, keyword–however, there is no denying that a few pages that score well in specific keyphrase searches do, in fact, repeat keywords. An appropriate use of repetition might look something like: ... Las Vegas - Sites and Attractions in the city of Las Vegas
6. Titles for Human Consumption: There is one enduring constant of <title> tag content creation that must remain a top priority–how well the text appeals to a human. Because the <title> tag is displayed as the headline for your page in the search results, its role is to motivate people to click your link. Therefore, the <title> tag becomes the headline for your page.
7. What Words to Use: By now it should be obvious that you should carefully select your best targeted keywords as your <title> tag (duh!). However, it's surprising to see how many sites are apparently unaware of this very basic and simple fact of search engine marketing and optimization. We are still seeing many, many web sites that use the same <title> tag on every single page of their site—usually the company name or domain name. And, that's a huge mistake.
Less is more... Even though most search engines will index far more of the <title> tag than what they display in the search results, we recommend that you apply this knowledge with common sense and restraint. We see no evidence that long titles are key to high rankings. On the contrary, long <title> tags actually dilute keyword density within a <title> tag. By adding additional text you reduce the influence that each keyword has in relation to the overall interpretation of what the title is actually about.
Simply put, shorter titles (i.e. less than 70 characters) are what we have found lead to the best results, ranking-wise.
Clearly, the <title> tag is an extremely important part of your SEO toolkit. It influences both your rank and your traffic. But don't try to fit everything including the kitchen sink between those two little <title></title> tags! Simply follow our guidelines and your titles will be well-poised to play their role as one of the critically important elements that cause webpages to get ranked toward the top of the search results.
March Search Engine News From
www.searchengine-news.com
Google - Google is rolling out significant changes to the way they process, store, and rank web pages. As part of this change there's an index update underway as we speak. The search results for many keywords are currently changing on an almost daily basis, so it's still a bit early to know how things are going to end up in the final analysis.
MSN - MSN adCenter Rolls Out Some New Features - click-throughs are not very good so far, but this may be because the ads are rarely actually appearing on MSN Search.
AOL - Bit of a slow month at AOL. Nothing to see here.
Yahoo! - Yahoo Gives Banned Sites a Second-Chance Review Form. If you've ever had a site banned or penalized in Yahoo, you know what an exasperating experience it can sometimes be to get that penalty lifted. You might think that going though Yahoo's paid inclusion program would help. Sure, it's expensive, but at least you get a dedicated rep from Yahoo to work with you on your site, right? Wrong. You can apply, but if your site has a penalty placed on it, it will be immediately rejected. And again, they won't tell you what the problem is, so you still have to guess how to "fix" it. You can find it at: http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/ysearch/cgi_rereview
336-408-9075
Rich@RichsWebDesign.com
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