[dcd]

Hi.

I am currently designing my personal portfolio site and am wanting to optimise it for search engines as much as possible.

Have you any helpful suggestions for me?

Thanks

[smallbeer]

Well meta tag keywords certainly aren't as useful they used to be. I don't use them anymore but if you're going to, I think it's best to use key phrases ie 'web design forum' rather than words 'web, design, forum'.

Try and put relevant keywords into your title tag though. Bots will look at the title, headers (h1,h2 etc) and the text for keywords so try and use them. The higher up the page these are the better,

They'll also look at link text too so try to use something descriptive rather than just 'click here'.

Getting into DMOZ helps alot too. http://www.dmoz.org

Jamie

[vickygale]

Trying to get on DMOZ is obviously a good idea, as lots of search engines get data from there. However, lots of times that I've tried to get there recently, it either doesn't appear, or too overloaded to search for anything. I'm still waiting to get on there, but nothing yet

[s4a]

If you can get your site listed/linked-to from other websites, that's a big big factor in increasing your ranking (certainly seems to be for Google). And like smallbeer said, use relevant text containing the kinds of words and phrases you'd want people to search you by. If you can possibly bring yourself to do it, consider including text links rather than (or in addition to) graphical buttons.

[consul]

Yes, having listed in other related websites is a plus.

The most important thing is using your words in the title also in your contents (body of the paragraph).

Write your content normally keeping in mind those important keywords. Write for the target audience not for the search engine.

[Omnetix]

I've had good results with pay-per-click Google. I also use ah-ha and others. Getting link popularity is the trick tho. Get other sites to point to yours and you automatically get higher popularity.

It's all about time and pressure -Shawshank Redemption
Good luck.

Simon

[Mr Fred]

If you can possibly bring yourself to do it, consider including text links rather than (or in addition to) graphical buttons.

you should be doing that anyway - really

[roto]

I'd also recommend downloading and installing the google toolbar. This toolbar is useful NOT JUST to search Google, but to understand your seach engine position(s) on Google. Besides instant access to google from your browser, anytime, the nice features related to search engine optimization are:

"Page Rank" Google's ranking of the current page displayed in your browser -- for every site you visit (including your own. A major determining factor of "page rank" is sites linking to you/any site. Google points to an example stating, "Knowing a site's page rank can indicate if it's what it appears to be. For example, if an online news site has a high Page Rank, you'll know that others on the web consider it a credible source worth linking to."

"Page Info" which gives you access to more information about a page including similar pages, pages that link back to that page, as well as a cached snapshot.

Google is (one of) the most popular search engine on the web. Start with a good ranking there, and it's almost certain you will have success on other Search Engines as well. (whoa, I sound like a commercial)

For more info:

http://toolbar.google.com/

[smallbeer]

With the advanced features enabled, Google's free toolbar for Explorer phones home with every page you surf. Yes, it reads your cookie too, and sends along the last search terms you used in the toolbar. Their privacy policy confesses this, but that's only because Alexa lost a class-action lawsuit when their toolbar did the same thing, and their privacy policy failed to explain this. Worse yet, Google's toolbar updates to new versions quietly, and without asking. This means that if you have the toolbar installed, Google essentially has complete access to your hard disk every time you phone home. Most software vendors, and even Microsoft, ask if you'd like an updated version. But not Google.

I wouldn't have it on my machine.

[oli]

I have it, just dont enable the advanced features.

[dan]

tis evil

[Anna]

Originally posted by smallbeer

Try and put relevant keywords into your title tag though. Bots will look at the title, headers (h1,h2 etc) and the text for keywords so try and use them. The higher up the page these are the better,

Question: what does 'higher up the page' mean? Is it right after the <body> or from the top of the page including <head> and all the meta tags?

Sorry if it's a bit of a silly question... but if you don't ask you don't learn, right?

TIA!

[oli]

After the body tag. Near the top of the content on the page.

[Anna]

Ok, cheers!

[roto]

Originally posted by smallbeer
...yada yada yada about cookies and stuff...
I wouldn't have it on my machine.

And if you turn it off m8?

[smallbeer]

Originally posted by ®oto
And if you turn it off m8?

What, the advanced features?

The only reason I'd use the Google Toolbar is to view website's PageRank. You can't without the advanced features enabled so I live without it.

If you'd read the privacy policy you'd have noticed that it's also very ambiguous as to whether you have to have the advanced features turned on or not for Google to contact their servers from your machine to see if you are running the most current version and download the latest if neccessary. Again I can live without that.

[g-a-t-e]

Read.. http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/

[Zbiderman]

SEO - Please help - I feel like banging my head

[sleepingfish]

good link

[Stickman]

Thanks.