Re: Keywords or key phrases?

From: Michael Martinez <Michael_at_xenite.org>
Date: Thu 14 Dec 2000 11:06:12 -0500

ANNE KECKLER <raymondkeckler_at_yahoo.com> WROTE:
> I agree with everything Michael has to say here
> *except* the part about the "masthead" not being a
> graphic. Would there be a problem with a graphic if
> you use an ALT tag?

Well, this being an online ads list, I guess this is as
good a place as any to expound upon the Michael
Martinez Theory of Web Page Promotional Design.

As far as the search engines are concerned, a graphical
page is the kiss of death. Yes, many of them will
index the alt= tag, but the benefit you get from using
the header (<h1>,<h2>) tags and large font sizes is
that many of the search engines will use those tags as
cues to determine which words and phrases are most
important. An alt= tag is not going to provide the same
weight as a header tag. At the very least, putting a
line of text ABOVE the graphics will help you get
placed for your most important keywords.

That said, I think what the surfer sees when they find
your site is extremely important, and I believe a lot
of marketing science or just plain gut-savvy goes into
designing the best pages. Graphics can and do play a
part in good page design from that point of view.

You want your page to do several things:

1) Rank well in the search engines and directories
2) Explain clearly and concisely to a new visitor what
   it's about
3) Convince the visitor it's got what they want
4) Persuade the visitor to hang around long enough to do
   whatever you want them to do

What's most important? That depends. A company with
stationary, an advertising budget, literature that
goes out the door, etc. had better be promoting its
Web site on every thing that goes to a media supplier
(printer, television/radio commercial productions,
etc.). With that kind of promotional power you don't
have to rely upon the search engines to drive traffic
to your site. So you can emphasize other aspects of
the page design.

Item 4 is the area where I feel most Web designers let
themselves (and their clients) down. We have to
convince people to poke around our Web sites. This
can be accomplished through navigational tools, but
also through small ads (filler content, little
self-promotional zingers like newspapers and magazines
use) and embedded links in the text.

A lot of people will put only paid ads on their front
pages, or affiliate code, if they put anything at all
(and many people still try to keep the front page
advertising to a minimum). But I'm STILL experiencing
very good results with my internal banner button
network. People click on those graphics and visit
other parts of my domain.

I've seen interesting Web sites use scrolling
Javascript boxes, banner buttons, fixed graphics, and
just plain old text link ads to get people to visit
other parts of their sites. I think if you're going to
put a graphic on your front page, at the very least it
should link to something. Make it earn its place on
your most important real estate. Use it to promote the
rest of the site. Ads aren't just what you put on
someone else's site. They are what you use to
convince people to do something. A simple "Click here
for more info" is more effective than a
"We're number 1!"

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Received on Thu Dec 14 2000 - 10:06:12 CST