Today I was asked to look at a site and explain why it’s not ranking. The answer… the site was whispering.
If you don’t have content, Google won’t know what your site is about. But I don’t mean any old content. I mean HTML text.
Oh… you say you have HTML content? Let’s see if Google can hear it.
1. Perform a search in Google to get your page to show up.
2. Click the ‘cached’ link.
3. Click the ‘text-only version’ link.
4. Find a sixth grader and ask them to explain what this page is about.
I once heard that Google has a reading comprehension of a sixth grader. If that’s true, then you need to speak to Google like a sixth grader. Give simple context, but be specific. Speak up! Promote your message, hammer it home. Don’t mumble (and spam your pages with junk content).
Granted there are a several ways you can add contextual relevance to a site, it doesn’t need to just be in the body. Tags and links still play a big part, sure. But why be shy in the body of your website? Is it that “text is ugly?” Is it that “people don’t read online?” All untrue. You read this post, and frankly, I think it looks rather beautiful.
Form vs. function, my friends. Form vs. function.
Bill Sebald - Ex-big agency guy, now focused on helping small and medium sized business. I've been practicing SEO since 1998. I started the SEO practice at a major digital agency owned by eBay and helped develop SEO products for one of the largest ecommerce platforms. I'm a proud member of the Philadelphia SEO scene. I'm passionate about search, writing, UX, CRO, and psychology in marketing.
Lawrence
I’m planning a layout for a website that needs to be easy to navigate by ‘touch’ (think iPad).
Rather than use text for link to the main sections and pages I am thinking of using buttons (graphics, including ALT tags).
Do you think this will have a major impact on SEO?
Lawrence
I’m planning a layout for a website that needs to be easy to navigate by ‘touch’ (think iPad).
Rather than use text for link to the main sections and pages I am thinking of using buttons (graphics, including ALT tags).
Do you think this will have a major impact on SEO?
Steve
hi Bill,
).
OMG!
I wasn’t sure if you were making this site up, so I searched for “sofas unlimited” and then checked the cache. Yes, the site example is for real, and not only do they not have the word “sofas” on their home page, they don’t have the word “unlimited” either…
Well, at least the two words are in their title (fortunately, web designers haven’t figured out how to turn a title into an image yet
I would say this website isn’t even whispering to google… it’s talking in sign language, and google doesn’t know sign language.
Good post backed up by a no-way-that-can-be-real OMG-it-really-is-real example!
Steve
Steve
hi Bill,
).
OMG!
I wasn’t sure if you were making this site up, so I searched for “sofas unlimited” and then checked the cache. Yes, the site example is for real, and not only do they not have the word “sofas” on their home page, they don’t have the word “unlimited” either…
Well, at least the two words are in their title (fortunately, web designers haven’t figured out how to turn a title into an image yet
I would say this website isn’t even whispering to google… it’s talking in sign language, and google doesn’t know sign language.
Good post backed up by a no-way-that-can-be-real OMG-it-really-is-real example!
Steve
Bill Sebald
@lawrence – I totally get the usability of the graphics (and so does Google). I recommend you err on the side of caution and keep your graphics, but employ image replacement.
http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/05/05/image_replac/
Bill Sebald
@lawrence – I totally get the usability of the graphics (and so does Google). I recommend you err on the side of caution and keep your graphics, but employ image replacement.
http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/05/05/image_replac/
Charles
Nice post and nice thought. My suggestion here will be bring some noise(traffic) to website through Social Media.
Charles
Nice post and nice thought. My suggestion here will be bring some noise(traffic) to website through Social Media.
Skype
I think there was a feature in google webmaste tools that shows the way google bot sees the page. It can be used instead of cache
.-= Skype´s last blog ..Patriot Inferno SSD ?????????? =-.
Skype
I think there was a feature in google webmaste tools that shows the way google bot sees the page. It can be used instead of cache
.-= Skype´s last blog ..Patriot Inferno SSD ?????????? =-.
Foley
you say you have HTML content? Let’s see if Google can hear it.
Foley
you say you have HTML content? Let’s see if Google can hear it.