Top 7 Search Engine Optimization Mistakes and Solutions

To many websites, webmasters discover that major sources of website traffic come from search engines. Therefore, they are

all keen on gaining top search engine placements through search engine optimization.

Based on our several years of SEO experience, we point out some common mistakes and shed some lights to correct it.

1. Cannot Get Indexed by Search Engines, Really?
   
   A garment ERP software solution provider came to me and asked a question: "I have established a new website for 1 year, and found a SEO company to submit my website. However, my website can be found in
   
   search engines only when I type my domain name http://www.indigo8-solutions.com in search query box. The SEO company told me my domain got banned. What can I do?"
   
   Ah, I told them they have been fooled by that SEO company. If you type your domain name in search box and your website can be found, which means your website has not been banned. Interestingly, your SEO company's domain name is no longer found in
   
   Google. Their domain got banned only.
   
   To help them find out their real problems, I found the following in search engines:
   
   a. When typing their domain name in search query box, their site will be displayed in search result. Instead of displaying
   
   Title Tag in the search result, search engine displays their domain name only.
   
   
   b. Only 1 page is being indexed.
   
   What's the problem then?
   
   With a closer look to their coding, I found that at the top of their webpage, they heavily use Javascript to present their heading, company name, visible content, and website menu. Actually, many search engines have difficulties in reading
   
   Javascript codes.
   
   Solution?
   
   Put those Javascript in external js files and leave the webpages with plain HTML codes. Search engines usually have problems in crawling Javascript. Since their whole site navigation menu is written in Javascript, they should build a sitemap using plain HTML so that search engines can read all of their pages.
   
   One more tips: When you cannot get indexed by search engines, do not blindly believe someone saying that your website get banned. You should firstly look at your website structure and see if your coding are clumsy and make search engines hard to "read" your website.
   
   The problem created by Javascript is not uncommon nowadays. Even a very big Asia Market Research Firm [http://www.marketshare.com.hk] also commits this error. They are now starting to rectify it.

   
   
   

2. Link Building
   
   In many forums, some people are strongly opposed to link exchange and claim that it is a devil and it hurts your search engine ranking and even get you banned.
   
   I personally do not agree. Evidence shows that many top sites are doing link exchange and getting top rankings across all major search engines. In addition, link exchange has been a long used way for traffic building by smaller websites. I do not see why search engines will block people to promote websites using this simple and long used method.
   
   Indeed, link exchange becomes a problem only when you manipulate link text with a pure purpose of tricking search engines, exchange links with link farms, or buy hundreds of domain names and cross-link with your site.
   
   A solution to avoid link exchange hurting you includes:
   
   - Use a wide variety of link text
   
   - Seek link exchange with sites of similar theme
   
   - Emphasize on how many traffic you can get from your link partners instead of search engine ranking
   
   Some webmasters know the importance of link exchange. However, they think that it consumes most of their time and finally give up doing it. A solution is that you can consider using Link Software such as LinkAutomate [http://www.linkautomate.com] to manage your links. This kind of software saves you time in link checking and link page update.

   
   
   

3. Use of Flash Intro
   
   Web design companies try hard to persuade you to use a Flash introduction as your homepage. You think that "Wow! The flash animation is very appealing and it makes your site looks more attractive". However, do you know that it can hurt your website in search engine ranking?
   
   Let me explain..
   
   Search engines analyze website based on text. Flash, unluckily, is not text. According to How to Design Website Guideline [http://www.about-webdesing.com] of Siuchu Suga, search engines are not able to read content presented by Flash. They just treat Flash as an embedded object or graphics only. If you use a Flash Intro as your homepage, you will never get good rankings.
   
   In addition, many Flash intro do not offer additional and meaningful content to visitors. Ask your visitors, how many of them are really interested in reading your Flash Intro before going straight to your website content?
   
   A solution to use Flash or not, please ask yourself whether the Flash intro is really useful and can offer additional information to your visitors? Secondly, instead of a Flash homepage, you may consider making a Flash header together with content at your homepage.

   
   
   
4. Hidden Text and Meta Tags
   
   Webmasters understand that keyword density is a way to improve search engine ranking, and some webmasters use a technique called "keyword stuffing". They will stuff keywords into their webpages repeatedly, e.g. "keyword 1, keyword 2, .... keyword 1, keyword 2...." Well, everyone knows it does not make sense to visitors. Therefore, those "clever" webmasters will make those text invisible. For example, make the text color identical to background color.
   
   Unluckily, this trick no longer works. Search engines are able to detect it, and penalize websites using this nonsense technique. If you do not want your site being penalized, remove those text immediately in case you have adopted this method.
   
   Okay, some webmasters only stuff keywords in Meta Keyword Tags, an area for putting keywords. I am sorry to say that stuffing keywords in Meta keyword tags is also no good. You can only repeat a keyword for 3 times at most. Nowadays, search engines place less emphasis or even no emphasis on Meta keyword tags. So, what is the point of risking yourself by stuffing keywords there?
   
   
5. Use of Dynamic Pages
   
   Many websites use content managment system (CMS) to generate their webpages. As generation of dynamic pages are easier for website development, CMS generally use dynamic pages. However, search engines have difficulties to spider and understand them.
   
   To solve the problem, you can consider using Mod Rewrite in case you use Apache server or finding a CMS that can generate static HTML pages.
   
   
6. Be a Pagerank Monster
   
   Many search engine marketers are too focused on their website's pagerank. Everyday, they are talking and checking pagerank.
   
   They perform link building based on pagerank only. In fact, pagerank is only one factor for Google to determine search engine ranking. It also cannot affect your rankings in other search engines like Yahoo and MSN. If you are too concerned about pagerank, you finally will ignore other important optimization criteria.
   
   Therefore, you should repeatedly remind yourself that pagerank is only one of the many factors and you cannot only work on it.
   
   
7. Too Believe in Sandbox
   
   Some webmasters propose that a new website will be put into sandbox by Google so that you cannot get any high rankings for highly competitive keywords. Even though their website cannot get any rankings after 1 year, they still believe that it is sandbox effect. Some even says Yahoo has Sandbox, MSN has Sandbox, etc...
   
   From Google's patent information, there is no clue that such sandbox occurs. From my experience, if your site is new and cannot rank high in highly competitive keywords, it is solely because other websites are more established in search engine world. For example, they have more inbound links, more content, etc. Therefore, webmasters should not focus on finding how to get out from sandbox. Instead, you should put more effort in link building and content optimization. Eventually, you will see your website's rankings rise.

By Jimsun Lui, who is working in Search Engine Positioning division of Agog Digital Marketing Strategy Limited. The company assists clients in both Chinese and English search engine optimization and also offers Ecommerce Website Design Service.