(SEO) Google Optimization Practices

[Larwee]

I just finished reading an article by a search engine optimization "expert" and I felt some 5 Star members and visitors might find it interesting or possibly useful.

As you know, not all SEO "experts" agree on everything. But here are the highlights of this particular article.

Most people agree that it can be very helpful to have a good position in Google and that some people try some sneaky tricks to try help themselves.

According to this search engine optimization consultant:

Your site should have clear hierarchy and text links. Every page should be reachable from at least one static text link.

You should have a site map.

Your site should be useful and loaded with information.

You should use text instead of images to display content, important names, or links.

Your pages should be for users and not search engines. Avoid unacceptable SEO practices or tricks.

Don't display different content to search engines than you display to users.

Avoid hiding text or links.

Avoid "keyword stuffing."

Those are some of the highlights of this article. Here is a link to the complete article so you can read all of the details Promotion World : SEO: Google Optimization Practices

 

[rifinder]

Hi Lawree,

I agree with the 'experts' advise, especially 'You should use text instead of images to display content, important names, or links'. I have seen a great many websites that are fully Flash and therefore fully an image without any text backup. Without text there is nothing for the search engines to read and therefore your site will not come up for any of your keywords.

 

[Teli]

I have seen a great many websites that are fully Flash and therefore fully an image without any text backup.

While I'm not a proponant of Flash for the sake of using Flash, most people don't realize Flash can be optimized for the web and if done properly, googlebot can indeed crawl a Flash site and can rank it, too. (It extracts the text from the Flash file.)

In fact, one of my Flash video tutorials was outranking the main page it was linked from. It got to the point where I had to disallow indexing of my Flash files to right the balance.

Most Flash applications/sites are a combination of text, images, and other goodies that make it function. If the sites you reference are indeed using only images in their Flash application and there's no text to extract, it's like shooting themselves in the other foot because it felt good the first time.

I certainly don't recommend anyone run out and redesign their website using Flash. But, if you are going to use Flash on your website -- sparingly, I hope -- it's important that you make it accessible. (Better yet, have an alternate HTML version.)

All that said, Flash certainly won't win you any SEO awards.

~ Teli

 

[Oregon Coast Guy]

I agree 1000% with everything that he had to say. Forget trying to tweak your pages to the enth degree. Do nothing remotely resembling Black Hat tricks. Most of these so-called experts are doing nothing more than trying to simulate reality. The search engines are getting smarter and smarter all the time and they want good, solid content that is giving the searcher what they are looking for.

Follow what this smart guy said, provide lots of original content for your readers and then move along to your next page.

Very good advice.

 

[karnetics]

Hi Lawree,

I agree with the 'experts' advise, especially 'You should use text instead of images to display content, important names, or links'. I have seen a great many websites that are fully Flash and therefore fully an image without any text backup. Without text there is nothing for the search engines to read and therefore your site will not come up for any of your keywords.

I agree, with the experts with it comes to using text over images... I have a really unique site where it uses images to attract a visitors attention but also uses text that is se friendly.