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 Semantic Web ready for mainstream use
The Semantic Web, where machines are able to read the contents of documents as readily as people can, now has all the standards and technologies it needs to succeed, according to
W3C director Tim Berners-Lee.. Keep
reading to find out more >>
Google official: PageRank is not a big deal - www.free-seo-news.com
May 23, 2006
Matt Cutts made a clear statement about PageRank in the interview: "There are over 100 factors in ranking. And PageRank is just one of them. It's an important factor, but it's by no means the be-all and end-all."
Yahoo: Our ads are better - www.cnet.com
May 17, 2006
Yahoo's new ad system is designed to let marketers target prospective consumers not only by the search terms the people use, but also by their demographics, location and what they do on other areas of the Yahoo
network, executives said.
Mapping a path for the 3D Web - www.cnet.com
May 8, 2006
With the spread of online games, virtual worlds and services like Google Earth and MySpace.com, people may soon be spending more time, communicating more and shopping more in complex 3D Web environments.
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What are the pitfalls of dynamic websites?
Most of the time, websites are created by web designers slaving away at a program like Macromedia Dreamweaver, laboriously creating page by page the content of a website. If their
job is done right, this leads to rankings, which leads to traffic to that website.
However, there is another way to design, one that most e-commerce systems is based on. It's called a dynamic website, which is defined as a website that has no actual 'pages', but
database information that is 'poured into' a template, then the 'page' is served to the browser.
...because they allow you to make global changes from a programming perspective. You change ONE template, you change ALL pages that use that template. That
means that e-commerce systems that use dynamic databases to drive pages usually have only about 4 templates for the ENTIRE SITE. That's it. One for products, one for categories, one for shopping
cart, one for the index (splash) page.
...because often programmers are not promoters, and don't program into that dynamic website the ability to promote it. In addition, there are ways to cheat with dynamic websites
that make Google and other search engines wary of promoting them. The information below is on how to bypass the problems.
- URLs on dynamic websites are non-descriptive and prone to being banned because of the potential for cheating
- Metatag Title and Metatag Description information does not change from page to page
- Dynamic websites change URLs and don't have any redirect to 'live' pages
- Dynamic websites often have tons of lame code
These are discussed in turn below.
Take a look at the URLS below:
- http://www.mysite.com/products/category.asp?cid=7
- http://www.mysite.com/products/category.asp?cid=4
- http://www.mysite.com/products/category.asp?cid=6
What is the difference? There might be a plethora of differences, but you can't tell from the URL itself. Although technically all three URLs are different, and Google and other search
engines can read them, this can backfire, especially when you can find the SAME page with a DIFFERENT URL. In dynamic sites, that can happen. Now, isn't this better?
- http://www.mysite.com/products/computers.html
- http://www.mysite.com/products/speakers.html
- http://www.mysite.com/products/cameras.html
Far more descriptive, too. THE SOLUTION: use software to modify the URL. Now we get technical; give this information to your programmer:
Some dynamic websites do not include the ability to enter in a Meta Title or Meta Description for the dynamic web pages. Avoid these at all costs. The entire principles of SEO are
based upon your ability to change the Meta Title. THE SOLUTION: make sure that your dynamic website has the ability to include Meta data. If it's a custom solution from a programming
company, you might have to actually beg them for the feature, something that they are not likely to do. They might have a 'module' that you can plug into the dynamic system you already have (for
an additional cost) that solves the problem. Good luck.
When using dynamic websites, some of the pages will be included in search engine directories. The most often happens on product pages (for e-commerce systems). When the product is
deleted or 'suspended' from viewing, that reference on the search engine is no longer valid. And it's almost impossible to get that page removed from the search engine, or at the very least it will
take a long time. THE SOLUTION: Custom 404 page. A 404 page is a 'page not found' page - I am sure that you have seen a few in your time. The custom 404 page will either automatically
redirect the browser to the correct page, or give the browser some page options. This tactic is best used when you can do the mod_rewrite as described above. For instance...
- http://www.mysite.com/products/cameras.html - picks up on the keyword 'cameras' and does a search for it, locates the correct page or pages, then takes you there or allows
you to choose the page you want.
Another solution is to create a 301 redirect, but that takes time on your part and not the best solution.
Dynamic websites have a great deal of flex when being programmed. There is more than one way to skin a cat. Some have tons of strange code that means nothing to search engines, but
everything to programmers. The only way you'll know for sure that the strange coding is not getting in the way is great rankings. SOLUTION: Contact us to take a look at the code.
There is a hybrid method of solving the problem. Most of the time, dynamic websites suffer by not being spidered by search engines - that's their weakest link. To combat this, just
create some static pages! This accomplishes two very important things.
- If the dynamic pages are not being spidered due to navigation, then create a static site map that links to all the pages
- Create optimized content on multiple static pages for keywords that gives that content to the search engines. Then use that page as a 'jump off point' for other related content that's on the
dynamic pages
All in all, dynamic websites are great tools, especially if you have hundreds of pages of content. Just make sure that the dynamic website is up to the task of being promoted, as
well!
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Gregory's
Note: Well, it's the book I read, so I'll review it. For me, it wasn't the most helpful book or the best one I have ever seen, but it does create a very direct attack to what is
most important in a website. For that reason alone I recommend it. If you're a business person who doesn't know the first thing about layout and design, this is a great place to start.
Renee E. Kennedy and Kent Terry book ONLINE >
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Gregory's
Note: If you're into business innovation like I am, this is a great site for you. Jammed into that website is thousands of pages primarily revolving around technology. It's a pretty
great resource, all in all. Categories broken down: security, outsourcing, internet, software, hardware, management, research & tools, industries, and careers. Particularly interesting to me
is the research section, where I find I drift to more and more.
Also, if you want to get a free paper subscription, go here.
Check out www.informationweek.com now! >
If you have suggestions as to content, layout, or relevance of material above, don't hesitate to email Gregory at gregory@leyline.net.
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