Do Not Drop Your Web Site Off the Search Engine Cliff
If you've been feeling like Tom Cruise climbing up the side of
some remote jagged mountain in the blazing hot sun and concerned
you're facing "mission impossible", chances are you own a web
site.
Adding to the intense thrill of web site ownership are keyword
comparisons and bidding for good keyword positions in search
engines. You might hire a search engine optimization specialist
who can track elusive algorithm clues and is unfazed by page
rank drama. Your programmers and designers insist they get
along. The marketing department actually believes deadlines are
met. The new bank account is waiting for fresh revenue. And oh
yes, it's assumed someone will come looking for your web site
and wants to use it.
You did build it for them, right?
For every search result, there is the possibility that:
a. The engine will display a description that makes sense. Or
not.
b. The page the search engine refers to does what the
description said it would do and is about what the search engine
said it would cover. Or not.
Your SEO/SEM, if you hired a good one, helped you write your
title tag statement and Meta page description and structured it
so it makes sense in SERPs (search engine results pages).
Your Usability professional, if you hired one, evaluated the
page to make sure it would meet customer expectations and
convince visitors there are other hot pages inside the web site
to look at too. Without call to action prompts, well displayed,
logically labeled navigation links and credible content, the
chance of someone remaining on that page is pretty slim.
Says Gordon Hotchkiss, President and CEO of Enquiro Search
Solutions, Inc., in a recent Search Day article written by Shari
Thurow, called Creating Compelling Search Engine Ads and Landing
Pages, "Once searchers arrive on your landing pages, you have
13.2 seconds to convince visitors that they are on the right
site." Impossible Mission?
Had enough of web page abandonment? Are those cost per click
fees putting you further in credit card debt and not producing
any bang for your buck? Which part of "understand your web site
visitor" didn't make it to the drawing board?
I know this is hard. You're not a mind reader. Unless you have
access to costly studies and data about who to build your web
site for and their computer usage habits, chances are you simply
wanted a web site and hoped people would find it and use it. By
incorporating the skills and expertise of an SEO/SEM along with
a user centered design specialist, you will not be wastefully
tossing your web site off the search engine cliff. Rather, your
adoring fans will clamor up the cliff to get to it.
Sometimes a web designer is also trained in these fields or is
partnered with people who are. This is something to consider
when shopping around for web site assistance.
Here are some things to keep in mind when studying your web
site. You can also ask your team to consider these points.
1. What happens after your site reaches top rank? It's lonely up
there, if nobody notices your page or understands the page
description. How effective is high rank? Do people really click
on "sponsored" pages vs. natural results?
2. Pay attention to inside "landing" pages. Optimize them for
easy indexing and point visitors to your homepage, sale products
or free stuff.
3. Be wise about what you invest. Every cost per click must be
productive. If not, a usability web site review can locate
roadblocks.
4. It's about the user experience. Really. It's a common habit
for web site owners to create the site for themselves based on
what they like and want. When you receive a complaint, consider
it a favor. Yes, some people are mean and critical. But,
enhancements are improvements that sometimes benefit a lot of
people, and you too, in the long run.
5. Don't settle for minimum effort. One of your goals is to
reach potential customers and readers. Your optimized pages
reach people looking for them. Your user centered pages reach
people wanting to use them and will refer them to friends.
6. Your competition does it better. Not by packing hidden
keywords and buying links, but by carefully targeting keywords,
providing cleverly written content and delivering user centered
design.
7. Think sustainability. If you plan on your web site being
around for a while, make this a checkpoint for every future
decision related to your site. If someone has an idea that won't
impact the long-term sustainability of the site, the site may
disappear out of sheer user boredom. And search do engines
notice.
8. Understanding your visitors and customers allows for more
creative keyword combinations. Put a feedback form on your web
site. Ask them how they found your web site. Ask them what
keywords they used. Ask them why they came or what they wanted
to find. Ask them if they found what they were looking for and
if not, provide room for comments so they can explain what
happened. This information is a gold mine for you.
9. Never mislead your visitors. Be accurate with what you say a
site or page is about. Search results relevancy establishes
trust from the start.
10. The elegance of action. The act of landing on a relevant,
accurate, persuasive, interesting page leads to the fluid,
unencumbered desire to know more and click deeper. Aim for this.
Do not drop your web site over the search engine cliff without
considering the usability effect. Design it to be productive and
user centered. This will pay off in many ways. Remember your
original requirements and goals and trace back every dollar you
spend to meeting them. Marketing efforts are strengthened when
you make your visitors feel welcome, informed and productive
once they arrive at your web site.
