I received a call the other day from a graphics designer. She wanted to know, in a nut shell, how come my websites come up higher on search engine results than hers. I said, “well that’s complicated.”

In a nut shell?
There is no way I could explain how to optimize a website in a few minutes. The fact is, I learned through trial and error over the past 13 years. Basically however, it comes down to hard work, attention to detail and integrity.

People have tried many different ways to “trick” the search engines into ranking their sites higher. People have used everything from hidden text to repeated words in the source. The search engines all work a little differently and they are vastly different than in 1995 when I started, but they also work in many of the same old ways.

I have found that if I create my client sites to effectively communicate the message they are trying to convey, that my sites do better on search engines. Basic rules apply such as appropriate page titles, headers and text, as well as the name of the folders and pages themselves.

If you look at the source code of my client websites, you’ll see many “meta tags.” These are used to help other computers digest the web pages and the entire site. I also use special ones for my own site maintenance and internal features. Everything from page level descriptions to GPS coordinates can be found in my meta tags. Does it help? Probably not so much, but it doesn’t hurt either.

The secret?
Create websites to comply with section 508 of US Code (www.section508.gov). I was “forced” to learn how to develop websites for people with disabilities when I was creating and managing military websites in the 90’s. Basically, I create web pages to be read by screen reading software for people who cannot see well. I have found that if screen readers can read the pages, so can the search engines.

There are many more tips and tricks I use, but they all are applicable to fast loading pages, content that is in context, and with an eye toward valid HTML and 508 compliance.

And now you know how this old dog reaches a little higher on the search engines than most.

Posted on my business blog at www.SOKY.biz

SokyHappenings.com was re-launched this month on the CoreSite Classic scripting foundation. This is a very personal project for SOKY.NET because SOKY Happenings is a subsidiary of SOKY.NET. I would like to share all of the new features of the website but will have to refrain for now.

We decided to design the site with a 1000 px width based on a trend we observe on other high volume websites. Restricting the width also helps with the layout of the archives and sponsor pages.

The site uses ASP classic and SQL to manage the configuration and variables. There are many stored values in the application variable to speed page loads and assist in performance. As we add more features, this optimization of the data requests will be more and more important.

Currently, we are finishing up on the advertiser pages and the database used to store and manage the advertiser and advertisement information. This is taking a little longer than anticipated due to the number of variables and anticipated features later in development.

We may start another page here on SOKY.NET to digest some of the features and considerations in the future. For now, just keep an eye on www.SOKYHappenings.com for regular enhancements. 

 

It's been a while since we announced a new website here at SOKY.NET but that doesn't mean we've been sitting on our hands. We have been coding, consulting and building in other areas of our business, namely the print publishing aspect.

Ronnie Salvador asked us to create a useful website for his business and we could not refuse. (Have you tried the Upside-down Shrimp?) He has been patient and his patience has paid off! We are happy to introduce the first version of his website.

New Site: www.ShogunBG.com

 

This is how the site looks today and it comes from a careful study of their company image and desired impression online. As is typical with websites by SOKY.NET, it is a very clean and simply layout devoid of intricate bells and whistles. Some might say "boring" but we would say effective. All elements are built to load quickly, comply with web standards and be accessible to those with disabilities.

It is built on the SOKY CoreSite Classic engine which allows us to use global elements and build the site dynamically. The result is a website that is easy to manage, easy to update and easy to expand upon.

Speaking of expansion!
Version 1 is the simple back end coding and layout of the website. Version 2 however is a little more exciting. We are finishing up on the programming of the SOKY inTouch system that will allow Ronnie to manage his own e-mail newsletter and offer coupons to members of the site. Ronnie hopes to use the system to build his business through repeated contact with his customers and offer loyalty rewards through member only discounts, weekly specials and printable coupons. Version 2 is expected to be implemented sometime in February.

Alliance Corporation website goes live!
Wednesday 22 Aug, 2007
Posted by David Francis