Can Someone Explain Website Optimization?
Posted by Thomas | Posted in questions | Posted on 01-10-2009
Tags: Explain, Optimization, Someone, Website
6
I paid a company to do optimization for my online store and it was meant to be in the first top 10 listings for many page titles on different search engines within 10 days.Over a month later and many emails to them i’ve finally been told that the technician has changed the codes to make my site start getting better rankings.Can anyone please tell me what this means by codes and is there a way to check the ranking my site is at?
I looked on google and my website has got next to none backlinks-only 1 i think-so how would this company that i paid be making my site go to the top?
I’m not a computer expert and all this optimization stuff is giving me a headache.Changing a code sounds like somethign that would take up to half hour to do-not over a month.
Do you think i’m being ripped off by this company?
Have they even done anything or are they just telling me that please?
Here’s my website if it helpshttp://www.oneofthekindjewelry.com/
After a cursory review of your opening webpage, there appears to be some missing major metatags, i.e., and which are crucial for proper indexing of your website on major search engines/directories. Nevertheless, here’s a definitive tutorial explaining the placement and design of SEO metatags:
Placement of Metatags:
A ranking or search order does take place with Google
and Yahoo and it begins with the “Title” metag which
should consist of no more than 65 characters separated
by commas. The “Title” should describe in generic
terms, the goods and services, followed by a location
from which the resource is located, i.e., city, state.
The placement of a domain name which is not generic
within the “Title” is not appropriate, unless your
domain name is a major recognizable brand name.
The second metatag is the “Description” which is
usually 25-30 words to form a complete sentence which
best describes one’s goods and services.
And the very last category – “Keywords” are also
somewhat limited to 15-16 words which can be plural
and compound in nature. Again, avoid multiple entries
which could be mistaken as “spamdexed entries” which
is defined as the loading, and submission of
repetitive words into a particular metatag category.
“Spamdexing” when discovered on a webpage and reported
to Google’s spamreport.com can result in the
elimination of your website from their search
directory.
Good luck!
All you did was pay someone for something that you could have done. Its called (SEO) Search engine optimization, Its the process of improving the volume of traffic to a web site from search engines via organic search results. Try by exchanging links with other websites this way you create a higher pagerank. Also join message boards where you can comment on your site and provide usefull content.
Hey Mary K, sorry to hear about your experience with that company. Since you have your site set up, it’s fairly easy to optimize your website. Building backlinks is just nuts and bolts, easy, but boring.
Unfortunately, most companies like the one you’ve mentioned are a scam. Without purchasing search engine marketing ads (like Google ads), it is not possible for this company to guarantee your website placement on the first page of a search. They’re probably giving you the runaround talking about “codes.”
One way to check your ranking is by using http://www.alexa.com, but ranking won’t necessarily get you what you’re after (which is clicks, and then sales).
Here is what you need to do to start from scratch: figure out what terms your customers are searching for. If you specialize in fine jewelry and that is what your customers are searching for, then optimize on the term “fine jewelry.” Customers might find your site in particular by searching with the term “affordable silver jewelry.”
Use the term that most people search for in as many places as possible in the text areas of your website. Then, change your content at least once per day. Search engines like website content that changes often, especially daily. Try to get links from other websites to go back to yours (a great way to do this is to submit free press releases.
There are other things you can do by hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist or by utilizing social media to drive your website’s sales, but these directions are a good start.
There are very few SEO companies that actually deliver results worth the expense, especially with a new site (which isn’t to say there are none, but you get what you pay for). My suggestion to you and anyone else asking this question is to learn the basics of SEO first and apply them to your site yourself.
SEO is complicated, not hard. It requires planning and research before ever building the site. You have to know the competition, what their keyword strategy is, and find a way to work outside that boundry. Trying to compete with Nike for the keyword term “shoes” would be impossible on a budget, but other keywords that are related might not have so much competition, like “shoe care products”.
Each page should be optimized around a keyword or keyphrase. That word or phrase is what people will be searching for. If your site is an authority on that word or phrase, you’ll end up on top of the listings.
SEO companies often claim “top 10 rankings in x days”. Though it is possible to accomplish that for almost any word or phrase, how long it will stay there is another story (and not guaranteed).
Changing “code” in the page is probably referring to keyword placement, density, title structure, content, and more. It is a trial and error method, and can take months. You should never NEVER expect an easy or fast solution to good rankings. It takes time and commitment.
I can tell some problems you have from a quick look at your site :
There is nothing in the keyword or description meta tags – this is very bad.
The title tag is sloppily written and borders on keyword stuffing.
The title and alt tags for your menu selection buttons are too plain. They should contain target keywords, or at least some better description of the button, not just the name of the button.
Your home page has no substantial content – at the very least there should be some type of “Welcome to our site, here you will find…..” message. Search Engines use the content to rank the importance of keywords, and rank your page accordingly.
The domain name is over a year old, which is good, but has only 2 incoming links from all the internet. You need to start doing some article writing and submission, and your SEO company should be doing manual submission to directories and search engines.
Your “Reviews” page is blank – you should solicitate some reviews from customers – an email with a simple “please review your transaction with us on your blog of myspace or whatever and we’ll give you a 10% off coupon”. This will generate word of mouth AND one-way backlinks, which are both important.
Anyways, that’s just from my first impression. Most if not all of these things could be done by anyone with some elementary HTML knowledge in a few days.
Hope that helps,
Jasonhttp://www.SiteSeoHelp.com
If you want to optimize your website then you must first acquaint yourself with various issues related to search engine optimization and how it works.
You can read this starter guide : http://www.seohawk.com/blog/google-top-10-search-engine-rankings-seo-factors/
It will teach you various techniques which are prevalent in SEO industry.
In case you need some information then you can mail me anytime by posting your comment on the blog given above.
We will reply and let you know what is the best course of action for your website.