I just don't get it. Why do some companies pay lots of money to have an expert do a job for them and then not let them do it?
Before I sign on the dotted line with any new search engine optimization client, I always make sure they understand that the visible text copy on their current Web site will *have to* change in order to achieve maximum success.
That's right, the visible text copy...the stuff that people see and read when they visit your site.
Can't You Just Change the Meta Tags?
"What?" they often ask incredulously. "Can't you just change the Meta tags?" "What if we make the new copy invisible?" "My nephew told me that there are ways to do all this in the background."
Isn't There Any Other Way?
Sure, there may be other ways, but like any successful professional, I use methods that have been proven to work for me: adding professionally written, keyword-rich marketing copy to the important pages of the site and optimizing them accordingly. This SEO method worked for me back in 1995, and it continues to work in 2002. Judging from the amount of email I receive from my long-time readers, it works for them also!
Why Do Search Engines Exist?
Think about it for a moment: search engines exist to guide people to pages that are relevant to their searches. What could be more relevant than a page that "discusses" the very keywords the person is looking for?
Once I explain it like that to potential clients, most will agree that perhaps their fancy Flash splash page should be moved off their front page. The bulk of them also agree that perhaps a rewrite of their copy with keyword phrases in mind is actually a good idea. And very often, once they see that the new keyword-rich copy not only helps them get high search engine rankings, but also enhances their visitors' experience, they are very happy campers.
There's One in Every Crowd
Unfortunately, every now and then I run across one of *those* clients. You know the type. They appear to "get it" and happily go along with all the necessary site changes. They participate in the copywriting, they make suggestions and edits and they even comment on how great their site is turning out. Everything is 100% perfect and you know that it's only a matter of time before the rankings will be pouring in.
UNTIL...
A few weeks later, a look at the client's site shows that all of the new text you worked so hard to create is gone! All that remains of your carefully crafted optimization are the Title and Meta tags. Even Alt tags were not spared the delete key!
If you think this could never happen, think again! Unfortunately, this happens to SEO consultants all the time.
Brainwashed By Meta Tag Hype
I've never quite figured out why some clients ask for help and then don't follow through with it. One theory I have is that because so much is written about Meta tags and the like, there are still a lot of people who have been brainwashed into believing that Meta tags are the be-all, end-all to high rankings.
Perhaps these clients are simply looking for some professionally created Meta tags, and just go along with text changes to get what they want. If so, the joke's on them because they'll soon find out that their Meta tags were created for their site based solely upon the keyword-rich copy. The two must go hand in hand; without the matching copy, the tags will be useless. (Which is also why stealing a high-ranking page's Meta tags will rarely do any good.)
SEOs: Spell it Out in Your Contract
You can't stop rogue clients from changing their site against your best advice. However, you can protect yourself and your company by having a smart contract at the outset.
If you're an SEO doing work for clients' sites, be sure to clearly state the changes you will be making to their site in your contract, before any work has begun. If you don't have a contract, get one now! Specifically state that the client must not change or delete the new copy and HTML coding for at least three months. If they sign up for continued monitoring services, ask to review any copy or design changes to ensure that they won't affect the search engine rankings. If you really want to cover yourself, specifically state that you take no responsibility for the rankings if they change the pages without your knowledge and approval.
Clients: Trust Your SEO!
If you're going to hire an expert to do something for you, whether it be search engine optimization or building a house, you've got to trust them to do their job correctly. Professionals do not make specific recommendations just for the heck of it. They have tried-and-true methods that they know will work. If you hire someone who has a good reputation and track record, then put your faith in him or her. If you have any inkling that your SEO is not trustworthy, look for a new SEO. Best results are always obtained when there is good communication between all parties. Once you've found an expert you can trust and are satisfied that their methods are in the best interest of your site, then whatever you do, don't sabotage their best efforts! Your SEO wants High Rankings® for your site as much as you do. Give them enough latitude to obtain them for you!
http://www.highrankings.com/dontgetit.htm
Monday, August 27, 2007
How to Submit Your Site to Directories such as Yahoo!, DMOZ and Zeal
This article describes the basics of submitting to the human-edited Internet directories such as Yahoo!, dmoz.org, (the Open Directory Project) and Zeal. (For more information on submitting specifically to Zeal, please read: Submitting to LookSmart for Free Through Zeal.)
To get listed on a directory, you submit your front page URL using the directory's submission (add URL) form. Your submission is then reviewed by an editor and ranked according to the description provided on the form. Reviewers check every submission to decide if it belongs in the directory, and if it was submitted to the most appropriate category.
Only Human
When submitting to any directory, be sure to keep your reviewer in mind and treat your submission with kid gloves. Always read the submission guidelines before submitting, and follow them closely. As with everything in life, being polite and following the rules will get you far. Being rude and arrogant will most likely result in unfavorable alteration of your description -- or a completely ignored submission. Reviewers can change the content of submissions at will, so think about your Web site as objectively as possible and prepare accordingly.
Choosing the best category must be done judiciously. One good method involves doing a search using the most relevant keyword phrases for your site, and noting which categories pop up. Look for the most appropriate category, analyzing your site as an outside observer would. Choose the category your site truly belongs in, not the one where you'd prefer to see it.
Choose subcategories over top-level categories. If you submit to a top-level category even though appropriate subcategories are available, there's a good chance your submission will be denied. Similarly, if your site is local in nature, be sure to submit it to the appropriate geographic region.
Once you've decided upon the most appropriate category, find and click the "add a site" (or submit URL) link. Now you're ready to begin the submission process.
Steps to Success
In choosing a title, most directories do not allow you much leeway. To be safe, a good rule of thumb is to use your company name or the official name of your Web site. Adherence to this rule varies by directory, however. Yahoo! is very strict and allows company or Web site names only. Zeal and dmoz are more lenient, but they are beginning to crack down.
Occasionally, these directories will allow you to slip some keywords into the title, but do so at your own risk. This practice could raise a red flag for your submission and subject it to additional scrutiny.
The Web site description posted with your URL is a big factor in how your site will rank once it's listed in the directory. It is very important to do this right the first time. If you put too much promotional jargon in your description or make it too long, for example, the editors are sure to change it. When they do, you can bet your keywords won't appear in the final listing. Be concise, be sensible, and, most of all, include your most important keywords whenever possible.
If you've created a good meta description tag for your site, start with that. Copy and paste it into the submission form, then start deleting extraneous words. Move words around until you have the shortest yet most descriptive sentence possible. If you do this correctly, chances are the editors won't change it. They'll appreciate the fact that you saved them editing time.
Be sure the words you're using in your description appear on the pages of your Web site. If they don't, and the site appears to be about subjects other than what you described in your form, your description might be edited. If you don't have a good grasp on how to do this, you might want to have a professional do it for you. I say this only because it's very difficult to change a site description once it's listed in most Internet directories.
Once you've taken the steps I've described, your submission should be successful. Each directory has its unique procedure, but the basics of choosing the most appropriate category and creating the best description apply across the board.
http://www.highrankings.com/directorysubmit.htm
To get listed on a directory, you submit your front page URL using the directory's submission (add URL) form. Your submission is then reviewed by an editor and ranked according to the description provided on the form. Reviewers check every submission to decide if it belongs in the directory, and if it was submitted to the most appropriate category.
Only Human
When submitting to any directory, be sure to keep your reviewer in mind and treat your submission with kid gloves. Always read the submission guidelines before submitting, and follow them closely. As with everything in life, being polite and following the rules will get you far. Being rude and arrogant will most likely result in unfavorable alteration of your description -- or a completely ignored submission. Reviewers can change the content of submissions at will, so think about your Web site as objectively as possible and prepare accordingly.
Choosing the best category must be done judiciously. One good method involves doing a search using the most relevant keyword phrases for your site, and noting which categories pop up. Look for the most appropriate category, analyzing your site as an outside observer would. Choose the category your site truly belongs in, not the one where you'd prefer to see it.
Choose subcategories over top-level categories. If you submit to a top-level category even though appropriate subcategories are available, there's a good chance your submission will be denied. Similarly, if your site is local in nature, be sure to submit it to the appropriate geographic region.
Once you've decided upon the most appropriate category, find and click the "add a site" (or submit URL) link. Now you're ready to begin the submission process.
Steps to Success
In choosing a title, most directories do not allow you much leeway. To be safe, a good rule of thumb is to use your company name or the official name of your Web site. Adherence to this rule varies by directory, however. Yahoo! is very strict and allows company or Web site names only. Zeal and dmoz are more lenient, but they are beginning to crack down.
Occasionally, these directories will allow you to slip some keywords into the title, but do so at your own risk. This practice could raise a red flag for your submission and subject it to additional scrutiny.
The Web site description posted with your URL is a big factor in how your site will rank once it's listed in the directory. It is very important to do this right the first time. If you put too much promotional jargon in your description or make it too long, for example, the editors are sure to change it. When they do, you can bet your keywords won't appear in the final listing. Be concise, be sensible, and, most of all, include your most important keywords whenever possible.
If you've created a good meta description tag for your site, start with that. Copy and paste it into the submission form, then start deleting extraneous words. Move words around until you have the shortest yet most descriptive sentence possible. If you do this correctly, chances are the editors won't change it. They'll appreciate the fact that you saved them editing time.
Be sure the words you're using in your description appear on the pages of your Web site. If they don't, and the site appears to be about subjects other than what you described in your form, your description might be edited. If you don't have a good grasp on how to do this, you might want to have a professional do it for you. I say this only because it's very difficult to change a site description once it's listed in most Internet directories.
Once you've taken the steps I've described, your submission should be successful. Each directory has its unique procedure, but the basics of choosing the most appropriate category and creating the best description apply across the board.
http://www.highrankings.com/directorysubmit.htm
Thinking of Creating Gateway or Doorway Pages?
How many of you think the best and/or only way to get top placements on the search engines is to create gateway pages (aka doorway pages or bridge pages)? If you raised your hand, you are certainly not alone, but you are also mistaken!
If you check out most search engine positioning companies' Web sites, you will find that most of them promise to get you High Rankings® by creating gateway pages for your site. These are pages that the positioning companies create independently of your current pages, which they load with keyword phrases then submit to the search engines.
Many of these companies use automated programs such as WebPosition Gold (WPG), which features a template that the company fills in with the "proper" amount of keywords and other text. The program's Page Generator function then generates a page that supposedly will rank high for a particular engine.
These positioning companies will even go to the trouble to create different gateway pages for each search engine, using the WPG Page Critic function. This tool tells Webmasters what keyword density each engine supposedly wants to see (based on past results), and how many times you should put particular keyword phrases into the text and meta tags of the gateway pages.
Are Doorway Pages and Gateways Pages Worth the Effort?
Sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble, if you ask me. Consider this: Each and every search engine wants to see the same thing -- Web sites that are filled with good, useful content. All engines base their ranking algorithms on this.
For certain, there are slight variations in the number of times a keyword should appear and/or how many words should be on a page, as WPG's Page Critic tells us. But generally speaking, these numbers are not going to make or break your ranking.
If I paid attention to these automated programs, I'm sure I'd find out that most of my clients' sites have an "incorrect" keyword density for specific engines. The program would tell me that certain pages have too many keywords, and that others don't have enough. My answer to that is: hogwash!
In reality, these pages rank high for numerous keyword phrases regardless of the "proper" keyword density, because they are filled with great content.
If you already have a Web site, and it's more than one page, then you have your own built-in, natural gateway pages. Each and every page of your current site is a doorway to the rest of your site.
To be sure, there are sometimes technical reasons why each page of a site cannot be a gateway. However, there's no excuse for having your main page be so technically challenged that the search engines can't find it and read it.
With your main page as your jumping-off place, you simply create other informative (static HTML) pages that link from the main page to the rest of the site. These are not gateway pages in the original sense of the word, because you're linking to them from your main page, and you actually want people to visit them. These pages should give useful information about your site, your business, and the people who run it; and of course, these pages should be easy to navigate.
Gateways and Doorways can be a Costly Lesson
Creating gateway pages that are not linked to the rest of your site and don't provide important information about your site are not necessary, and may even harm your site's rankings.
The main thing typical gateway pages do is create clutter in the engines. What? A search engine optimization specialist who is worried about cluttering the engines? You bet!
I have to use the engines as much as the next person, and I'm as frustrated by the lack of good content and hard-to-find Web sites as everyone else is. There's no way that I want to contribute to that, and for this reason, I have always advocated against using gateway pages.
I'm probably one of the few search engine placement experts who is extremely happy that many search engines such as AltaVista are starting to take a stand against gateway pages by not allowing them and by deleting them from their databases. Believe it or not, this development has put a number of search engine placement companies suddenly out of business. However, if they were doing it "the right way" to begin with or were willing to learn the right way, they'd still have a lucrative business.
Repeating My Mantra ... Again!
Those who know me and my other articles on this subject know my mantra, which always bears repeating:
If your site has content that naturally uses your relevant keyword phrases, and you follow simple guidelines on how to create your titles and meta tags, your Web site will rank high.
No gateway pages necessary. No separate pages for separate engines. No keyword density percentage numbers to give you a headache. (They always give me one!) In the simplest terms possible: You do not need to reinvent the wheel! Use your current site's pages to the greatest advantage, and High Rankings® will come to you on a silver platter!
I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads and asking, "What if my site doesn't have much useful content or doesn't use my keyword phrases effectively? Shouldn't I create gateway pages that do this?"
The answer to this is quite simple. Fix your site! If your site doesn't have useful content that naturally utilizes the keyword phrases for which you should be ranking high, then it's missing the essential elements of a good Web site and needs to be altered accordingly. Not only is this a solid search engine strategy, but it's also important for getting people to click further into your site and ideally, for making some sales.
When it comes to providing good content for high rankings, you should focus mostly on your main page. However, all major inside pages should also be edited as necessary to ensure that each key area of your business is well represented in the search engines. If you design your Web pages with these things in mind, High Rankings® will be sure to follow.
http://www.highrankings.com/gatewaymyth.htm
If you check out most search engine positioning companies' Web sites, you will find that most of them promise to get you High Rankings® by creating gateway pages for your site. These are pages that the positioning companies create independently of your current pages, which they load with keyword phrases then submit to the search engines.
Many of these companies use automated programs such as WebPosition Gold (WPG), which features a template that the company fills in with the "proper" amount of keywords and other text. The program's Page Generator function then generates a page that supposedly will rank high for a particular engine.
These positioning companies will even go to the trouble to create different gateway pages for each search engine, using the WPG Page Critic function. This tool tells Webmasters what keyword density each engine supposedly wants to see (based on past results), and how many times you should put particular keyword phrases into the text and meta tags of the gateway pages.
Are Doorway Pages and Gateways Pages Worth the Effort?
Sounds like a lot of unnecessary trouble, if you ask me. Consider this: Each and every search engine wants to see the same thing -- Web sites that are filled with good, useful content. All engines base their ranking algorithms on this.
For certain, there are slight variations in the number of times a keyword should appear and/or how many words should be on a page, as WPG's Page Critic tells us. But generally speaking, these numbers are not going to make or break your ranking.
If I paid attention to these automated programs, I'm sure I'd find out that most of my clients' sites have an "incorrect" keyword density for specific engines. The program would tell me that certain pages have too many keywords, and that others don't have enough. My answer to that is: hogwash!
In reality, these pages rank high for numerous keyword phrases regardless of the "proper" keyword density, because they are filled with great content.
If you already have a Web site, and it's more than one page, then you have your own built-in, natural gateway pages. Each and every page of your current site is a doorway to the rest of your site.
To be sure, there are sometimes technical reasons why each page of a site cannot be a gateway. However, there's no excuse for having your main page be so technically challenged that the search engines can't find it and read it.
With your main page as your jumping-off place, you simply create other informative (static HTML) pages that link from the main page to the rest of the site. These are not gateway pages in the original sense of the word, because you're linking to them from your main page, and you actually want people to visit them. These pages should give useful information about your site, your business, and the people who run it; and of course, these pages should be easy to navigate.
Gateways and Doorways can be a Costly Lesson
Creating gateway pages that are not linked to the rest of your site and don't provide important information about your site are not necessary, and may even harm your site's rankings.
The main thing typical gateway pages do is create clutter in the engines. What? A search engine optimization specialist who is worried about cluttering the engines? You bet!
I have to use the engines as much as the next person, and I'm as frustrated by the lack of good content and hard-to-find Web sites as everyone else is. There's no way that I want to contribute to that, and for this reason, I have always advocated against using gateway pages.
I'm probably one of the few search engine placement experts who is extremely happy that many search engines such as AltaVista are starting to take a stand against gateway pages by not allowing them and by deleting them from their databases. Believe it or not, this development has put a number of search engine placement companies suddenly out of business. However, if they were doing it "the right way" to begin with or were willing to learn the right way, they'd still have a lucrative business.
Repeating My Mantra ... Again!
Those who know me and my other articles on this subject know my mantra, which always bears repeating:
If your site has content that naturally uses your relevant keyword phrases, and you follow simple guidelines on how to create your titles and meta tags, your Web site will rank high.
No gateway pages necessary. No separate pages for separate engines. No keyword density percentage numbers to give you a headache. (They always give me one!) In the simplest terms possible: You do not need to reinvent the wheel! Use your current site's pages to the greatest advantage, and High Rankings® will come to you on a silver platter!
I'm sure some of you are shaking your heads and asking, "What if my site doesn't have much useful content or doesn't use my keyword phrases effectively? Shouldn't I create gateway pages that do this?"
The answer to this is quite simple. Fix your site! If your site doesn't have useful content that naturally utilizes the keyword phrases for which you should be ranking high, then it's missing the essential elements of a good Web site and needs to be altered accordingly. Not only is this a solid search engine strategy, but it's also important for getting people to click further into your site and ideally, for making some sales.
When it comes to providing good content for high rankings, you should focus mostly on your main page. However, all major inside pages should also be edited as necessary to ensure that each key area of your business is well represented in the search engines. If you design your Web pages with these things in mind, High Rankings® will be sure to follow.
http://www.highrankings.com/gatewaymyth.htm
Making Keyphrases Work for Your Site and the Search Engines
Does your site rank highly for keyphrases that no one searches on? If no one is searching on your keyphrases, it won't matter how highly your site is ranked on the search engines. Here's a technique for securing just the right keywords.
When a Web site needs to be optimized for high rankings, usually the first step is to find the keyphrases most relevant to the site. But what happens when the keyphrases that are most relevant are not the ones that people are actually searching out? Sure, you can probably get a high ranking for "Boston business directories," but if no one is looking for that type of site, your High Rankings® will not bring your site any traffic.
We recently optimized a portal site for local businesses that had this very problem. Here's how we overcame our keyphrase dilemma.
The site was a portal for regional businesses. For the purposes of this article, let's say it was based in the Boston area. The site had been optimized to rank highly for phrases such as "Boston business directory." However, a quick Word Tracker report revealed that people weren't using that phrase when searching the engines.
The report showed that the most searched-on phrases relating to Boston included "Massachusetts Lottery" and "Boston weather." It also showed that people were searching for "Boston zoo," "Boston airport," "Boston classifieds" and "Boston restaurants." At first, it seemed that it would be a daunting, if not impossible, task to optimize for keyphrases that would bring targeted traffic to this site. However, the site owner was prepared to alter the focus of his site in any way he could to get more traffic. Together, we brainstormed an optimization plan. We thought long and hard about how we could integrate some of the keyphrases mentioned above into this business portal without tricking the engines and the visitors. Finally, a plan began to gel.
The Transformation
First, the client found a script that showed the up-to-date local weather report and added that to the main page of the site. He also hired a programmer to create a script that would integrate state lottery results into his main page. He already had a listing of local restaurants, as well as a section for free local classifieds. All that was left to do was create a page of links to the most sought-after local sites, such as the zoo and the airport.
The next step was to rewrite the main page, focusing on the fact that this site now offered information on the Massachusetts lottery, Boston weather, and Boston classifieds. We also heavily emphasized the most important keyphrases on the links page. The business directory itself was still prominently featured, however, it didn't get the same focus on the page as it previously had.
Once everything was in place, we optimized the tags and other HTML code accordingly, and began the submission process. Luckily this site had not yet been submitted to the major directories such as Yahoo! and Looksmart. Using those directories' business express services, we were able to get the keyphrases "lottery," "weather forecasts," "restaurants" and "classifieds" into the descriptions, since these were now a major focus of the main page of the site.
Yahoo! did give us a bit of a problem at first by severely editing the description, however, a simple e-mail appeal worked wonders. Yahoo! added our important keyphrases back in.
Lessons Learned
It's been three to four months since submission, and the site is doing terrifically in the rankings. The key to success with this site was the site owner's willingness to be flexible. While not every site will be able to alter so much of its content in accordance with popular search phrases, it's often possible to make a few additions that don't conflict too much with the focus of the site.
The site owner was also willing to take some risks. He was not making much, if any, money on his site, but he was willing to spend some money up front. He invested in our optimization services and in a programmer for the scripts he needed. It's still too early in the game to know for sure how profitable this client will be, but something tells me he will eventually realize a tidy profit.
There are several lessons in this case study for anyone in business on the Web:
* If your most relevant keyphrases aren't going to bring you traffic, find ones that will, and alter the focus of the site if you can.
* If you're serious about your business, you'll often have to spend money to make money.
Now it's your job to figure out how can you put some of this information to use for the benefit of your own site!
http://www.highrankings.com/makingkeyphraseswork.htm
When a Web site needs to be optimized for high rankings, usually the first step is to find the keyphrases most relevant to the site. But what happens when the keyphrases that are most relevant are not the ones that people are actually searching out? Sure, you can probably get a high ranking for "Boston business directories," but if no one is looking for that type of site, your High Rankings® will not bring your site any traffic.
We recently optimized a portal site for local businesses that had this very problem. Here's how we overcame our keyphrase dilemma.
The site was a portal for regional businesses. For the purposes of this article, let's say it was based in the Boston area. The site had been optimized to rank highly for phrases such as "Boston business directory." However, a quick Word Tracker report revealed that people weren't using that phrase when searching the engines.
The report showed that the most searched-on phrases relating to Boston included "Massachusetts Lottery" and "Boston weather." It also showed that people were searching for "Boston zoo," "Boston airport," "Boston classifieds" and "Boston restaurants." At first, it seemed that it would be a daunting, if not impossible, task to optimize for keyphrases that would bring targeted traffic to this site. However, the site owner was prepared to alter the focus of his site in any way he could to get more traffic. Together, we brainstormed an optimization plan. We thought long and hard about how we could integrate some of the keyphrases mentioned above into this business portal without tricking the engines and the visitors. Finally, a plan began to gel.
The Transformation
First, the client found a script that showed the up-to-date local weather report and added that to the main page of the site. He also hired a programmer to create a script that would integrate state lottery results into his main page. He already had a listing of local restaurants, as well as a section for free local classifieds. All that was left to do was create a page of links to the most sought-after local sites, such as the zoo and the airport.
The next step was to rewrite the main page, focusing on the fact that this site now offered information on the Massachusetts lottery, Boston weather, and Boston classifieds. We also heavily emphasized the most important keyphrases on the links page. The business directory itself was still prominently featured, however, it didn't get the same focus on the page as it previously had.
Once everything was in place, we optimized the tags and other HTML code accordingly, and began the submission process. Luckily this site had not yet been submitted to the major directories such as Yahoo! and Looksmart. Using those directories' business express services, we were able to get the keyphrases "lottery," "weather forecasts," "restaurants" and "classifieds" into the descriptions, since these were now a major focus of the main page of the site.
Yahoo! did give us a bit of a problem at first by severely editing the description, however, a simple e-mail appeal worked wonders. Yahoo! added our important keyphrases back in.
Lessons Learned
It's been three to four months since submission, and the site is doing terrifically in the rankings. The key to success with this site was the site owner's willingness to be flexible. While not every site will be able to alter so much of its content in accordance with popular search phrases, it's often possible to make a few additions that don't conflict too much with the focus of the site.
The site owner was also willing to take some risks. He was not making much, if any, money on his site, but he was willing to spend some money up front. He invested in our optimization services and in a programmer for the scripts he needed. It's still too early in the game to know for sure how profitable this client will be, but something tells me he will eventually realize a tidy profit.
There are several lessons in this case study for anyone in business on the Web:
* If your most relevant keyphrases aren't going to bring you traffic, find ones that will, and alter the focus of the site if you can.
* If you're serious about your business, you'll often have to spend money to make money.
Now it's your job to figure out how can you put some of this information to use for the benefit of your own site!
http://www.highrankings.com/makingkeyphraseswork.htm
Using Zeal to Get into LookSmart and the MSN Directory for Free
With LookSmart and Yahoo! now charging $299 (U.S.) apiece to review your Web site for inclusion in their respective directories, it's getting fairly expensive for the little guy to get listed.
However, if you're a noncommercial site, there is some good news. LookSmart recently purchased the Zeal directory and has merged its noncommercial listings seamlessly with LookSmart's own listings. Previously, anyone wishing to be listed in LookSmart and its partner sites -- MSN is the most recognized partner -- had to pay the fee unless the Web site was a certified nonprofit organization. This left thousands of hobbyist Web sites, fan sites, educational sites and other noncommercial entities out in the cold. It also made the LookSmart directory not as comprehensive as it could have been.
In fact, many sites previously listed in LookSmart were dropped once the company instituted the pay-for-review program a couple of years ago. I know this because my longtime LookSmart-listed parenting site, the Parentsroom, disappeared around that time. Once it was dropped, I began receiving e-mails from LookSmart every few weeks, telling me I could submit the site through the paid program. This was disconcerting to say the least, as I had worked on this Web site as a hobby for many years for the good of all parents, and I did not make any money on it. In fact, I lost money due to the time and server space it took. Needless to say, it didn't seem fair that I should have to pay to have it added back into the LookSmart directory. So, when I found out about LookSmart's merger with Zeal, I set out to restore the Parentsroom site to its rightful place in LookSmart -- for free!
A Little Zealousness Goes a Long Way
As it turns out, not just anyone can add or submit sites to Zeal/LookSmart. You must first register then pass a member quiz. This is not some sort of no-brainer deal whereby company officials are really just collecting your personal information. The quiz is 20 tricky questions regarding the proper formatting of submitted titles and descriptions, site selection, and category management. Zeal provides you a cheat sheet, available in the form of the company's User Guidelines, and you really do need to read carefully through these in order to answer most of the questions.
The test takes a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, more if you don't have a firm grasp of directory submission procedures. However, if, like me, you've submitted many sites to LookSmart and already have a feel for how the company formulates its descriptions, you should easily pass the test. I'm proud to say I got 19 of the 20 questions correct.
With the quiz passed, I was now allowed to submit sites. I found the most appropriate category for my Parentsroom site and followed the relatively simple submission procedure, being careful to use the site's name as the title and to write the description so it perfectly followed the editorial criteria. Within a few hours, I was notified by e-mail that my site had been accepted. It showed up immediately at Zeal and showed up a few days later in the LookSmart directory. Once in LookSmart, it took about five to seven days for the site to show up at MSN.
Hurray for LookSmart!
What I like about this whole having-to-pass-a-quiz thing is that LookSmart doesn't let just anyone submit sites to the directory. The company also makes it easier on its senior editors because most submissions should be formatted correctly from the start. Yes, it's a pain in the neck to be approved; however, because of this, LookSmart can be fairly certain the high standards of its commercial listings will continue to be met by noncommercial listings.
Zeal offers another, even trickier quiz, which you need to take in order to become a full-fledged "zealot." Zeal calls zealots those who pass the member quiz, earn 75 member points, maintain a quality quotient of 6.0 or higher, and pass the zealot quiz. Just for fun, I decided to take it after getting such high marks on the first one. I didn't have much time, nor did I feel like doing any more in-depth research through the guidelines, so I decided I would just take my best shot and guess as necessary. Unfortunately, I got only nine of the 20 questions correct through that method.
The zealot quiz was extremely difficult in that it delved deeper into how to properly categorize sites within the directory. Because that's not something I normally do in a submission to LookSmart, I didn't have much knowledge about it. It was pretty complicated stuff! But again, this is a good thing. This shows that in order to become a full-fledged zealot, you have to really study the guidelines and the directory itself, and truly have a strong handle on how they do things.
There's a lot more to learn about Zeal and its relationship with LookSmart; I've only touched the surface. It looks like an interesting place to hang out, and I do plan on spending more time there when I get a chance. If nothing else, I need to exact my revenge on that zealot quiz!
http://www.highrankings.com/zeal.htm
However, if you're a noncommercial site, there is some good news. LookSmart recently purchased the Zeal directory and has merged its noncommercial listings seamlessly with LookSmart's own listings. Previously, anyone wishing to be listed in LookSmart and its partner sites -- MSN is the most recognized partner -- had to pay the fee unless the Web site was a certified nonprofit organization. This left thousands of hobbyist Web sites, fan sites, educational sites and other noncommercial entities out in the cold. It also made the LookSmart directory not as comprehensive as it could have been.
In fact, many sites previously listed in LookSmart were dropped once the company instituted the pay-for-review program a couple of years ago. I know this because my longtime LookSmart-listed parenting site, the Parentsroom, disappeared around that time. Once it was dropped, I began receiving e-mails from LookSmart every few weeks, telling me I could submit the site through the paid program. This was disconcerting to say the least, as I had worked on this Web site as a hobby for many years for the good of all parents, and I did not make any money on it. In fact, I lost money due to the time and server space it took. Needless to say, it didn't seem fair that I should have to pay to have it added back into the LookSmart directory. So, when I found out about LookSmart's merger with Zeal, I set out to restore the Parentsroom site to its rightful place in LookSmart -- for free!
A Little Zealousness Goes a Long Way
As it turns out, not just anyone can add or submit sites to Zeal/LookSmart. You must first register then pass a member quiz. This is not some sort of no-brainer deal whereby company officials are really just collecting your personal information. The quiz is 20 tricky questions regarding the proper formatting of submitted titles and descriptions, site selection, and category management. Zeal provides you a cheat sheet, available in the form of the company's User Guidelines, and you really do need to read carefully through these in order to answer most of the questions.
The test takes a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, more if you don't have a firm grasp of directory submission procedures. However, if, like me, you've submitted many sites to LookSmart and already have a feel for how the company formulates its descriptions, you should easily pass the test. I'm proud to say I got 19 of the 20 questions correct.
With the quiz passed, I was now allowed to submit sites. I found the most appropriate category for my Parentsroom site and followed the relatively simple submission procedure, being careful to use the site's name as the title and to write the description so it perfectly followed the editorial criteria. Within a few hours, I was notified by e-mail that my site had been accepted. It showed up immediately at Zeal and showed up a few days later in the LookSmart directory. Once in LookSmart, it took about five to seven days for the site to show up at MSN.
Hurray for LookSmart!
What I like about this whole having-to-pass-a-quiz thing is that LookSmart doesn't let just anyone submit sites to the directory. The company also makes it easier on its senior editors because most submissions should be formatted correctly from the start. Yes, it's a pain in the neck to be approved; however, because of this, LookSmart can be fairly certain the high standards of its commercial listings will continue to be met by noncommercial listings.
Zeal offers another, even trickier quiz, which you need to take in order to become a full-fledged "zealot." Zeal calls zealots those who pass the member quiz, earn 75 member points, maintain a quality quotient of 6.0 or higher, and pass the zealot quiz. Just for fun, I decided to take it after getting such high marks on the first one. I didn't have much time, nor did I feel like doing any more in-depth research through the guidelines, so I decided I would just take my best shot and guess as necessary. Unfortunately, I got only nine of the 20 questions correct through that method.
The zealot quiz was extremely difficult in that it delved deeper into how to properly categorize sites within the directory. Because that's not something I normally do in a submission to LookSmart, I didn't have much knowledge about it. It was pretty complicated stuff! But again, this is a good thing. This shows that in order to become a full-fledged zealot, you have to really study the guidelines and the directory itself, and truly have a strong handle on how they do things.
There's a lot more to learn about Zeal and its relationship with LookSmart; I've only touched the surface. It looks like an interesting place to hang out, and I do plan on spending more time there when I get a chance. If nothing else, I need to exact my revenge on that zealot quiz!
http://www.highrankings.com/zeal.htm
Plant Your Site at the Top of Mt. Search Engine
You can get the page one search engine results you want if you follow a few basic fundamental search engine optimization rules.
My name is Jill Whalen (aka "The Web Whiz"). I've been in Web development and search engine optimization for seven years and am looking forward to sharing some great insights with you on how to obtain and retain high visibility for your sites on the leading search engines and directories.
Top level listings are absolutely critical for the success of your Web business. Why? According to most studies, the average user never goes past the third page of the search results. But there is some good news -- you can get the results you need if you follow a few basic fundamentals.
Understand the Basic Terminology
There are two basic types of search sites: pure search engines and directories. Pure search engines add Web site pages to their databases automatically based on user submissions. However, these search engines also periodically send their automatic robots or "spiders" out to "crawl" for new and updated Web sites. Individual search engines use complex algorithms based on a site's information and html code to rank sites. Google is an example of a pure search engine.
Directories are the second type of search site. To get listed on a directory, you must actually submit your front page URL on the directory's submission form. Unlike pure search engines, directories don't automatically add sites. Human reviewers check every submission to decide if it's appropriate for the directory. Web sites submitted to directories are usually ranked according to the information provided on the submission form, as opposed to actual information on the Web site, so what goes on the form is critically important. The Open Directory, Yahoo and LookSmart are the main Internet directories in use today.
Most of the major search sites on the Internet today combine search engine and directory functionality. Major search engines like Google, MSN, AltaVista, Excite, Lycos and HotBot all have some form of directory associated with them. The opposite is true of major directories such as Yahoo! and LookSmart. If no results from their human-edited directories match your search query, their search engines then search through a database of spidered sites to give you results. For example, at Yahoo!, Yahoo! Websites provides directory results, and Yahoo! Web Pages provides spidered results from Google. Many site owners have mistakenly believed their sites were added to Yahoo!'s human-edited directory after seeing their sites appear in the Yahoo! Web Pages results. However, in reality, they're not in Yahoo!'s directory at all, but in Google's database. (You'll always receive e-mail notification when and if your site gets added to Yahoo!'s actual directory.)
Be Realistic About your Keyword Choices
First, be realistic about your keyword choices. Never expect a high ranking for one-word keywords -- there are simply too many sites on the Internet for a one-word search to be effective. In addition, it's practically impossible to create a one-word search that is targeted to your specific Web site.
For example, suppose you sell real estate in Florida. You might assume that using the word "home" as your keyword would produce a lot of targeted traffic. Wrong. Obviously, just because people search for the word "home" doesn't mean they're looking to buy or sell a home in Florida. However, if you choose "moving to Florida" as your keywords, most of your site visitors will be people actually interested in moving to Florida, and therefore probably needing real estate. This is the beauty of choosing the proper keyword phrases: you get an extremely targeted audience!
Once you do have reasonable and relevant keyphrases chosen for your site, you absolutely MUST write good, professional, keyword-rich marketing copy (or hire someone to do so) on every page of your Web site. You almost don't have to do anything else and you will rank high.
Meta Tags Aren't a Panacea
Second, don't put all your eggs in the meta tags basket. Most clients that come to me are under the false impression that they simply need to put some keywords into their meta tags (a hidden bit of code that is read by search engines to help properly index Web sites), and High Rankings® will be the natural result. The meta keyword tag is helpful, but also highly overrated. In almost every case the reason a Web site is not highly ranked is simply a lack of good, professional marketing copy. Period. (See Heather Lloyd-Martin's article entitled, "How to Write a Keyword Rich Homepage" for more information.
Design Your Site with Search Engines in Mind
And third, watch out for site designs that aren't search engine-friendly. I often encounter poor Web design -- incorrect usage of frames, java-enabled mouse over buttons (as opposed to javascript or simple .gifs), or dynamically generated pages that cannot be indexed by many engines. It's no fun telling these site owners they'll never see high search engine rankings unless they go back to square one with their site designs. Many of these people just spent a ton of money on some fancy design and are less than thrilled to hear what I tell them. The smart ones listen and do what it takes; I'm not sure what happens to the other ones. (See Shirley Kaiser's article, "Designing for Search Engines and Stars" for more information on how to design a search engine-friendly site.)
Stay Tuned...
We've just touched the tip of the iceberg in this first column. In other articles we'll drill into the specific things that you can do to boost your rankings such as title tags, meta descriptions, image alt tags, headers, and submission and reporting tools. We'll also explore more general issues such as determining the best keywords for your site and understanding doorway pages.
http://www.highrankings.com/mtsearch.htm
My name is Jill Whalen (aka "The Web Whiz"). I've been in Web development and search engine optimization for seven years and am looking forward to sharing some great insights with you on how to obtain and retain high visibility for your sites on the leading search engines and directories.
Top level listings are absolutely critical for the success of your Web business. Why? According to most studies, the average user never goes past the third page of the search results. But there is some good news -- you can get the results you need if you follow a few basic fundamentals.
Understand the Basic Terminology
There are two basic types of search sites: pure search engines and directories. Pure search engines add Web site pages to their databases automatically based on user submissions. However, these search engines also periodically send their automatic robots or "spiders" out to "crawl" for new and updated Web sites. Individual search engines use complex algorithms based on a site's information and html code to rank sites. Google is an example of a pure search engine.
Directories are the second type of search site. To get listed on a directory, you must actually submit your front page URL on the directory's submission form. Unlike pure search engines, directories don't automatically add sites. Human reviewers check every submission to decide if it's appropriate for the directory. Web sites submitted to directories are usually ranked according to the information provided on the submission form, as opposed to actual information on the Web site, so what goes on the form is critically important. The Open Directory, Yahoo and LookSmart are the main Internet directories in use today.
Most of the major search sites on the Internet today combine search engine and directory functionality. Major search engines like Google, MSN, AltaVista, Excite, Lycos and HotBot all have some form of directory associated with them. The opposite is true of major directories such as Yahoo! and LookSmart. If no results from their human-edited directories match your search query, their search engines then search through a database of spidered sites to give you results. For example, at Yahoo!, Yahoo! Websites provides directory results, and Yahoo! Web Pages provides spidered results from Google. Many site owners have mistakenly believed their sites were added to Yahoo!'s human-edited directory after seeing their sites appear in the Yahoo! Web Pages results. However, in reality, they're not in Yahoo!'s directory at all, but in Google's database. (You'll always receive e-mail notification when and if your site gets added to Yahoo!'s actual directory.)
Be Realistic About your Keyword Choices
First, be realistic about your keyword choices. Never expect a high ranking for one-word keywords -- there are simply too many sites on the Internet for a one-word search to be effective. In addition, it's practically impossible to create a one-word search that is targeted to your specific Web site.
For example, suppose you sell real estate in Florida. You might assume that using the word "home" as your keyword would produce a lot of targeted traffic. Wrong. Obviously, just because people search for the word "home" doesn't mean they're looking to buy or sell a home in Florida. However, if you choose "moving to Florida" as your keywords, most of your site visitors will be people actually interested in moving to Florida, and therefore probably needing real estate. This is the beauty of choosing the proper keyword phrases: you get an extremely targeted audience!
Once you do have reasonable and relevant keyphrases chosen for your site, you absolutely MUST write good, professional, keyword-rich marketing copy (or hire someone to do so) on every page of your Web site. You almost don't have to do anything else and you will rank high.
Meta Tags Aren't a Panacea
Second, don't put all your eggs in the meta tags basket. Most clients that come to me are under the false impression that they simply need to put some keywords into their meta tags (a hidden bit of code that is read by search engines to help properly index Web sites), and High Rankings® will be the natural result. The meta keyword tag is helpful, but also highly overrated. In almost every case the reason a Web site is not highly ranked is simply a lack of good, professional marketing copy. Period. (See Heather Lloyd-Martin's article entitled, "How to Write a Keyword Rich Homepage" for more information.
Design Your Site with Search Engines in Mind
And third, watch out for site designs that aren't search engine-friendly. I often encounter poor Web design -- incorrect usage of frames, java-enabled mouse over buttons (as opposed to javascript or simple .gifs), or dynamically generated pages that cannot be indexed by many engines. It's no fun telling these site owners they'll never see high search engine rankings unless they go back to square one with their site designs. Many of these people just spent a ton of money on some fancy design and are less than thrilled to hear what I tell them. The smart ones listen and do what it takes; I'm not sure what happens to the other ones. (See Shirley Kaiser's article, "Designing for Search Engines and Stars" for more information on how to design a search engine-friendly site.)
Stay Tuned...
We've just touched the tip of the iceberg in this first column. In other articles we'll drill into the specific things that you can do to boost your rankings such as title tags, meta descriptions, image alt tags, headers, and submission and reporting tools. We'll also explore more general issues such as determining the best keywords for your site and understanding doorway pages.
http://www.highrankings.com/mtsearch.htm
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