Search engine optimization seems to always be done from a backwards-looking perspective. A client comes to an SEM firm and says “what can we do NOW to improve our search rankings?” The problem would be a lot easier to fix if the site had been built with SEO in mind. Yes, SEO starts with design; and if you’re lacking in smart design then you’re coming into the SEO process with at least one strike against you (probably more). The good news for those that start with smart design is that you’re already a few steps ahead. When you get to the heart of it, there are only so many things one can do to separate one site from another in terms of SEO. Search-minded design is a thing that so few sites have, that it really makes a difference after the keyword stuffing and link baiting is finished.
If it’s important why don’t more websites do this?
The problem in my opinion, is that design, development, and services (things like SEO) are usually very separate. In fact, I can only recall ever seeing one or two search marketing firms that also offer design services. Design on the web is different than design in print or anywhere else - design on the web has to be smarter. You start with a logical layout, without tables, user Header tags intelligently, include alt tags, and ensure that your site looks good naked. Naked websites? That’s right, you need to make sure your site makes sense when you look at it without any design elements. For this I like to use the web developer toolbar in firefox. Use the toolbar to disable css and images and you’ll get a much better picture of how Google, Yahoo, and other search engines will see your site. If it makes sense naked, then you’re on your way to better optimization.
That’s easy right? So, why isn’t it done? Because, for the most part, this is not taught to web designers. Web designers are designers, not search optimizers - so they think in terms of design not SEO. They need to become both. From header tags, to microformats, this stuff has to be done at the design level. If you’re designers aren’t doing this, they are hurting your site in the long run.
SEO is easy, if you start with it in mind. It’s not a matter of difficulty it’s a matter of consistency and of site-wide or company-wide efforts.
More on SEO:
JD Amer’s SEO bookmarks on del.icio.us
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January 30, 2008 at 8:26 am
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February 1, 2008 at 9:43 am
Brad C
Yes, thanks you! I get contacted from time to time about doing SEO work. Unfortunately,I only know half of the equation, the design side. A well built site using a good title tags, h tags and paragraph tags, etc is going to help the way your site performs. But that is the last thing anyone wants to hear, SEO is usually seen as a quick fix.
I went looking for a good SEO person a few months back here in Cleveland and I really got the impression that they were all snake oil salesmen. They were in the business of building links to sites, which is good and works but is only a temporary solution. Look what happened to a lot of sites when Google cracked down on duplicated content last year, a lot of those sites from SEO companies started dropping. Since the SEO business is built on the idea that your staying one step ahead of the search engines as soon as you stop spending money on a monthly basis your rankings will drop.