- 1. "Do search engines read
images?" If not, what can I do to fix this?
- Answer: Search engines cannot read or
index image files. You must use the Alt (alternative text) tag in your
HTML code.
-
- 2. List the three most important
things I can do to "improve my web site positioning" on
search engines.
- Answer: There really is no short answer
- but if you were to limit yourself to three options, the most
important ones would be:
- Keyword popularity
- Good content
- Link popularity - the more web pages
linking to your site, the easier it is for search engines to find
and index your web pages and the better for your rank position.
- 3. "Why are the title tags
important?"
- Answer: The <title> tag within
your HTML code is a considerable factor that search engines use to
determine a page's contextual relevance. It also appears as the title
for your site on many search engines. Use it wisely to attract
attention to your search engine listing.
-
- 4. "I've submitted my site to
the search engines 2 weeks ago but I still do not see a
listing?"
- Why
is this? Also, how long should I wait until I resubmit?
- Answer: You must be patient. Remember
search engines and directories obtain thousands of submissions a day.
The waiting period after submission is normally 6 - 8 weeks. Do not
submit numerous times during this 6-8 week period as you will be
"Spamming" the search engines and could be penalized. If you
have already waited 6-8 weeks, resubmitted and still see no
improvement or results, consider the options in answer 7.
- 5. "Do search engines read
frames? If not, what can I do to fix this?"
- Answer: Many search engines are not
frame compliant and may not be able to navigate and index your site
past the first page if your site does not have a non-frames option.
The way to do this is to use a <noframes> tag within your HTML
code.
-
- 6. "I've submitted my site to
the search engines numerous times with no results. What do you
suggest?"
- Answer:
- Improve your site's content
offering.
- Consider paid submission such as
bidding for keywords.
- Implement grassroots approaches to
driving traffic to your web site.
- Start establishing link popularity
through reciprocal linkages.
- Advertise or purchase keywords on
search engines if your marketing budget allows.
- Take a look at the source code of
sites that rank highly against your relevant keywords and find out
what they are doing right!
- 7. "Do
site developers have more control with optimization techniques on
search engines or directories?"
- Answer: Search engines allow for a bit
more control as they are automated and through the use of optimization
techniques, site designers have some influence over rank positioning
against relevant keyword and site descriptions. On the other hand,
with directories, their "surf teams" may edit your Meta info
and categorize you as they feel most appropriate.
-
- 8. "My web pages are
dynamic" (CGI scripts, ASP, PHP and database results).
Can this affect my site's positioning on search
engines?
- Answer: The best page is a straight HTML
page. However, if the dynamic code is created correctly and used to
write up good HTML code, these pages should be able to be indexed by
MOST search engines.
-
- 9. My web site is in beta-testing
phase. "I do not want a spider to find or index my site
yet". What are my options?
- Answer: The chances of a spider finding
your web site without submission are slim, but it is known to happen.
There are two options that prevent a spider from indexing your site:
- Use the HTML tag: meta name="robots"
content="noindex"
- Speak to your host company about
creating a robot.txt page otherwise known as Robots Exclusion
Protocol.
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