Create More Doors to Your Website

If you Google "indoor plant care," somewhere on that first search engine result page (SERP) will be a link to a book listed on Amazon. If I click on that link, I'm taken directly to the Amazon page that describes that book. I didn't come through the front door, via the Amazon homepage. The Google link took me to an interior page through another access point for the Amazon site.

You see it all the time. Not all of your site visitors enter your site by way of the home page. Why? Because search engine algorithms are intended to produce the most relevant search results, and that's a book on indoor plant care on Amazon.

Go right ahead and take some time to brainstorm different ideas that you have and let them sit for a couple of days. Then come back and see if you like these ideas later on and if you want to discuss them with other people so that you have an idea of whether or not your ideas are in the right direction or not.

Using simple HTML code, it's possible to create dozens, even hundreds of visitor access points. The key is to use HTML.

Update Meta Data

Meta data appears above the HTML code that actually forms the structure of a web site. It's meant to be seen only by spiders and it provides information spiders need to technically assess and index a web page.

Most site designers (even the high-priced professionals) don't change the meta data on each page since most of the information remains the same. So, to save time in development, coders produce meta data at the outset and use the same information throughout each page of the site.

When designing a website, you should remember that people always read content left to right. This is the same for all web sites so make sure that you put the most important information you want the visitors to see up high and to the left side of each page.

Though they don't carry the weight they once did, meta data includes your site page's. That means you have the opportunity to distinguish each page with keywords and phrases specific to the page's content. Once again, this turns every page of your site into a visitor access point.
It provides increased specificity within search engine taxonomy (you'll be in the right category, even if it's a niche category).

One tip that every web designer should understand when building a blog is to understand the content of the website. For example, if you are building a blog about automotive care, you should understand the different aspects of the field so that you can build the most effective website.
It increases the likelihood of seeing some organic search results when your site page appears on page one or two of the SERPs.

Separate your topics. If you have several topics of discussion on your site, put them on different pages. This helps alleviate any confusion that your customers may experience, as well as giving search engines a broader and more clear view of your site, potentially bumping you up higher in their rankings.

It makes it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for without having to click through drill down screens to find the exact product shown in your site's SERP link.

White space is an important part of web design, so don't be afraid to use it. Cluttering up your web pages with too many images or too much text, or using a distracting background, will only irritate your visitors. White space can make the important elements of your page more visible.

It places your site before potential buyers who wish to purchase a specific product and know make and model of the item. Make and model are the keywords the search engine buyer will use. If your pages are all distinctive, when a search engine user enters "Scabbard 480 miter saw w/change out templates," you're page 84 will show up on page one of the SERPs as long as the page has been properly and completely indexed.

Proofread all of the content on your site so that you don't look like you rushed through it. You want people to breeze through it. When you have errors on your site it really looks unprofessional and people won't take you or your site seriously which can hurt it's reputation.

Add title tags and keyword tags to each page to create as many access points for visitors as possible. They're more likely to find you and more likely to stick around long enough to see what other items or services of interest you sell.

Increase On-Site Connectivity
More doors. Only these aren't doors to the outside web. These are interior doors that lead visitors to specific information and encourage further exploration of the site.

Embed text links, especially when they employ a keyword. Embedded links, in the ubiquitous blue font color, provide doorways for easier access to specific information, they pull the visitor deeper into the site and they assist visitors in their search for information.

Consider embedded text links as sign posts directing visitors to related information. However, don't overdo the use of embedded links. You'll have visitors bouncing around like ping pong balls and they'll eventually move on to another site after one too many pings or pongs.

Best practices in web design are constantly evolving. What was standard a year ago could be deprecated today, or even be completely unusable. This is why it is so important to stay up to date, and also crucial that you verify everything you learn. Make certain that the information you acquire is current and not outdated.

As you're deciding where to place embedded links remember this: search engine spiders follow links. They don't move about randomly. They follow whatever path or paths are present. That's good. That means when your site is crawled, the spiders will follow the embedded text links. This accomplishes a couple of important things.

First, it assures that the different pages and zones of your site are properly indexed. If there's any confusion on the spider-side (bots are brainless) your site may be indexed improperly within the search engine taxonomy or system of classification. That means you'll see more unqualified traffic if you see any at all.

Second, it ensures your site is completely indexed. Again, spiders follow links including links that take them off your site to another, related site. Interconnectivity between mutually relevant sites is a good thing. Search engines like interconnectivity because it makes it easier for search engine users to continue their search.

Web designers would be wise to seek out potential target audience members and get their input on the site you are building. This is a great way to improve upon your site, as their views and ideas might be shared by many who will end up visiting the site.

However, this also means that a site - especially one with few embedded links - may not be completely indexed the first time it's spidered. Entire sections may be missed. Entire sites may be missed. Web lore has it that some sites never get indexed for unknown (and therefore scary) reasons.

Help the spiders. Help your visitors. Help yourself. Provide more doors to the store by adding title tags to each site page and changing meta data on appropriate pages. Add embedded links to direct both visitors and spiders to useful information about your products or services, order pages, contact information and other key data. These internal links increase the intra-connectivity of individual site pages.

It takes time, especially when your site is made up of hundreds of pages. Just think of each of those pages as a doorway to your site.

To help make your website more attractive, incorporate some pictures that you took. Having pictures on your website gives off a more user-friendly approach to your site. When people see pictures they tend to spend more time looking at your site and cannot wait to click on the next picture.

Instant expansion of your site's web presence. Free.