Search Marketing Blog
5 Things To Avoid When Developing A Site
First off, let me say that having a background in Web site design and development, I understand the unique and often complex issues that both designers and developers face when approaching a new site project. Secondly, I’m still amazed at the number of poorly designed sites I see every day.
Designing sites is no longer just about aesthetics. Today’s sites need to be built from “code-to-content†to be search engine friendly, accessible by both algorithms and humans, and usable by all site visitors. Therefore, here is a list of the top six mistakes to avoid when designing and developing a new site, so that you don’t stop search engine spiders in their tracks.
1. Don’t EVER Use A Splash Page
A splash page is a main entrance page that generally consists of a branded graphic or Flash animation. The problem with using a splash page is that they do not contain keyword-rich text, and they generally don’t link to deeper content.
The index page of a site should provide relevant content and direct access to additional content, not provide a giant advertisement.
2. Don’t Use JavaScript Heavy Navigation
Search engines cannot read JavaScript. This means any content you put into JavaScript, including text and links, is simply not accessible to search engine spiders.
If you must use JavaScript-based navigation, try to keep your script as minimal as possible. Also, move as much of the JavaScript to an external file as possible.
3. Don’t Use The Same Title Tag On Every Page
Title tags are one of the most important on-page optimization techniques. Each title tag should accurately represent the content of the page. Search engines spider and index individual pages of your site. So make sure you help them understand the content of your pages.
4. Don’t Use Images For Content Headers
This is a very common mistake. Unfortunately, the search engines cannot index text in an image. While I realize that there are very limited typographic options for a Web designer, delivering visits is often more important than aesthetics. So, use proper markup including h1 tags.
If you are absolutely adamant about using a special font on the header of each page, I recommend looking into sIFR (Scalable Inman Flash Replacement). This technique uses a combination of Flash, JavaScript and HTML to provide rich typography that is accessible by the search engines.
5. Don’t Build Your Entire Site In Flash
Search engines can access very little, if any, content within a Flash movie. Therefore, use Flash sparingly. Build the majority of your site using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and HTML. Use Flash in place of more traditional images.
Avoiding these five common design and development mistakes will enable your Web site to achieve prominently positioned Natural search engine listings, while at the same time keeping your branding and presentation in tact.
