Optimization

[77crew]

Hello All, I have been looking around for some threads on optimizing xwd sites and cannot seem to find anything.

Could someone point me in the right direction?

Regards

77

[ChrisBro]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the old seo debate this should be interesting

What is it you need? Are you looking for a step by step this is what to do? TBH I dont think there is such a thread here I just did a quick forum search for SEO and a few came up but not with anykind of step by step instruction.

What is you level of knowledge with SEO? It is a dark art in itself lol and although the interweb is full of article and such from lots and lots of different people claiming they know best of course the only people that truly know are the SE's themselves............

The Basics in Xara would be to utilise the web properties section, make sure your pages are named and have relevant titles relating to the content on the page, make sure your page description is related to content and keywords, make sure your kewords are relevant to the content on the page that is probably one of the most important ones, whatever you use for your keywords you need to make sure you have those words present a reasonable amount of time in the actual page content dont go too over the top though.

You can name your images with alt tags although to be honest I never bother with this, there are a lot of people that "assume" this makes a difference to se results but I find only in image results which I never chase anyhow.

You can of course add other tweaks via html head placeholders but TBH Xtreme's built in seo bits n bobs from the web properties section seems to suffice, all of my client websites have great search engine rankings with no hocus pocus just these basics.

There we go I have started it lets see what others suggest as well...........

Hope that helps

Chris

EDIT

Should have also mentioned up to date sitemap and do use Google Webmaster Tools makes a HUGE difference and also tells you if Google have any crawl errors.

[Drwyd]

Yo Chris

Just did a Google image search for "Harold log burner stove" and my site is position 1,2 and 12. Unfortunately all 3 images are wrong (and will be until spidered again) due to the way XX5 changes the filenames Alt attributes are important - especially with XX5 - and I get a reasonable amount of traffic from image searches.

Drwyd

[ChrisBro]

Hi Drwyd

Good job have never bothered with image index chasing, I do realise a lot of people do its just something I have never put too much importance on for me anyhow, I suppose it depends on what your site is doing ie selling physical thngs or not........

For instance my lovely (cough cough) florist client that I have discussed here a few time there hundreds of images on her site none of them alt tags didnt see the point with her site in particular organic traffic would come from keywords who would search the particular flower arrangement by name? Do people actually use image search to find websites or images? I think maybe the lkatter and if that is the case for what purpose? ie nicking them!!! LOL

Nice to hear its working for you though but then again its a specific product........

Off to search for it now

Chris



EDIT

He he he Sussex boy eh lol Nice site

EDIT EDIT

Just thought I would add my florist client dominates Google for local searches I keep telling her how good I am she never listens

[steve.ledger]

Do people actually use image search to find images?

Absolutely!

I use Image Search almost daily for one reason or another.

[ChrisBro]

Yeah for one thing or another

But do you ever use it to find a particular website to buy something??

Chris

[steve.ledger]

Of course not, but this isn't the purpose of an Image Search engine is it?

If I need an image of a THERMALTAKE V3 BLACK CASE for a PC quote, it's much faster for me to use the Image Search than to go to the Thermaltake website and search for the V3 case.

It's very important to label images via the ALT text attribute.

[ChrisBro]

Of course not, but this isn't the purpose of an Image Search engine is it?

If I need an image of a THERMALTAKE V3 BLACK CASE for a PC quote, it's much faster for me to use the Image Search than to go to the Thermaltake website and search for the V3 case.

It's very important to label images via the ALT text attribute.

It is good practice, and most of the online SEO articles and tutorials attribute a great deal of importance to doing it Im just pointing out my ow experiences thats all. My florist for example would not gain anything by me adding alt tags to the many many images on her site, who would search google images for a flower arrangement named say tulip delight.

I did however add alt tags to her seperate Valentines and Mothers day sections, they are indexed but looking at stats they have not cause any significant if any at all traffic TBH. 90% of her traffic comes from Google relating to keyowrds and page indexing even in the Valentines and Mothers Day sections where images were alt tagged.

Its not just something I have plucked out of thin air, I have performed many experiments over the years with alt tags and never seen an increase in traffic anywhere, but then most of my sites aren't selling unique products as such, if I was selling thermaltake cases then I could see the point in using them hence why I said I think it depends on the kind of site you are running.

Your example Sledger kind of sums up the point I am trying to get across, you look for an image of a PC case to borrow for your quote, in this instance the effort the webmaster has gone to, to get the image indexed has had no benefit to him at all.

I would never al tag any of my custom graphics that to me would be madness, if they are meaningful alt tag wise and appealing they will be all over the net before you know it

Either way as said its good practice and industry standard if you like to use them I just dont put as much importance on them as others do thats all

Chris

EDIT

After asking Google lol it seem they put as much importance on image filenames as well as alt tags (hint hint )

http://www.google.com/support/webmas...?answer=114016

[steve.ledger]

My florist for example would not gain anything by me adding alt tags to the many many images on her site, who would search google images for a flower arrangement named say tulip delight.

I'd wager very many would - it's a common arrangement which florists world wide may want to compare.
You cannot second guess people Chris.

► http://tinyurl.com/yetmbrj
about 216,000 for tulip delight

Your example Sledger kind of sums up the point I am trying to get across, you look for an image of a PC case to borrow for your quote, in this instance the effort the webmaster has gone to, to get the image indexed has had no benefit to him at all.

Really? Why so..
Supposing I sell a ton of V3 cases as a result of my quote? Surely the knock on effect is that Thermaltake sell more products.
Look outside the square I say

After asking Google lol it seem they put as much importance on image filenames as well as alt tags (hint hint )

Indeed they do.
I'm sure Xara don't miss much at TG either.