Hello again,

Continuing in our Keys to Success series, we will now delve into the almighty search engines.

In order for your blog or site to come up in search engine results, the search engine must know it exists. Getting discovered, and indexed, by search engines is a critical first step to securing search engine traffic.

Contrary to the beliefs held by some, a search engine cannot simply “find” your blog or web site on its own. It must be led to the blog in some fashion. There are two general ways by which this can happen. You can either tell the search engine about your blog, or you can devise a means by which it will find you.

At first glance, it seems like just telling the search engine would be the optimal solution. At one time, this strategy was the easiest way of getting indexed. However, it is no longer the best way to go about things.

You can directly submit your site to Google, for instance. However, it may take the search engine months to get around to your request. At some point, in frustration, you might be led to submit the information again. There are fairly credible reports that frequent submission of a blog or web site directly to the search engine may actually lead to a penalty. They would prefer to find you all by themselves.

I have personally not noticed any problems with direct submission to MSN’s search engine. However, considering the variety of ways by which one can be found without utilizing direct submission, it does not seem necessary to tip off MSN in that manner.

This is a bit of an overview.  In the next few days we’ll get more into the meat of SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Have a great day!

pj

Tags: design, designer, webmaster, web development, creation, website

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Content Usability

Our next sub-topic on the “Keys to Traffic” (and a successful web site or blog) is Content Usability.  Usability, as it relates to online endeavors, can involve everything from site structure to color choices. With respect to written content, we will primarily be concerned with constructing posts that comport with readers’ preferences and expectations for written materials.

Internet readers tend be “scanners.” They generally scan a page or post and then make a determination as to whether or not to invest more time and effort in reading the material carefully. If their scan does not provide them with something to grab their attention and interest, they are more likely to click away than they are to continue reading.

Thus, content should be offered in a way that is easy for users to scan. It should also be provided in a way that encourages online reading. What does this mean in terms of practical considerations?

One should offer text in a size that is easily read. They should also offer content in the form of shorter paragraphs and make use of “white space” to make scanning easier. Long paragraphs are not as well-received as shorter ones.

The choice of a font should be based on readability rather than on whether or not one feels it possesses some greater aesthetic value.

Content usability is important and any blogger truly interested in maximizing the comfort and value of the user’s experience. That attention to detail can increase repeat visitation and total page views.

More on the “Keys to Traffic” tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

Pj

Tags: creation, designer, website, design, webmaster, web development

aesthetic value, Blogging, content usability, Design Tips, Essentials, link popularity, page views, readability, written content

Keys to Traffic

What produces traffic? What is it about some websites that makes them popular destinations for a huge number of visitors? Why are some blogs and web sites checked out by tens of thousands of people every day while others struggle to find a single visitor? The issue of traffic can be complicated. There are a variety of factors at play, and every strategy can be dissected and the details debated ad infinitum.

However, there are two keys to traffic upon which everyone can agree: Content and Links

Before briefly looking at each of these, we should establish some context for our evaluation. Traffic can come from a few different places. Direct links to your site may produce a stream of visitors if those links are in the right places. Search engines, however, offer the real key to high volume traffic numbers. Surfers rely on Google, Yahoo and MSN to help them find the sites that will provide them with the kind of information they are seeking. If your blog comes up early in those search engine results, you can expect a significant stream of traffic.

Content is essential to traffic flow.

You have to offer something that makes your site worth visiting. Content creates repeat visitors, increases their stay, encourages word-of-mouth type promotion and assists in improving a blog’s standing with the search engines.
Every link can conceivably serve a traffic producer. If someone finds a link to your blog on another site, they are only one mouse-click away from being part of your traffic. Search engines also assess the number and quality of links to your blog. They regard sites that are linked to frequently as authoritative and reward them with higher placement in search engine results.

So, if you want traffic to your blog or website, you need to do two things: Provide content and acquire links. The upcoming series is designed to show you some great ways of doing both. Stay tuned, the end result is guaranteed to be higher traffic numbers for your blog or web site.

Tags: webmaster, designer, web development, creation, design, website

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