"Site Landing + Splash Pages" - How to SEO Optimize Them? Will I Loose Ranking?

[suzzie1234]

I have a site I created in Xara 7.

I have a landing page (or a simple splash page) that says "enter" and that brings you to the main site.

Question:

My landing page is called index.html because it is the first page of the site...and I have it referring to index2.html which is the big and informative home for the web site.

What should I do optimize this for Search Engine Optimization? Im thinking I may loose site ranking because my small, classy splash page does not have a as much text and information as my main page does.

I want my users to see my splash page when they generically type in my URL...but the main message of my site is on the next page that gets referred to.

Thanks

Suzzie

[Soquili]

Suzzie what is the purpose of your splash/landing page?

[suzzie1234]

I want to create an "Entry Page" I want it to be short, sweet, and classy. "Just click the enter button here" to come in.

It gives you a different kind of look... highlighting several photographs...instead of... getting hit with the main site all at once.

I have this feeling that it is a great idea for some people...but im thinking that it will diminish my site ranking because all my keywords, descriptive text, and a larger amount of searchable information is on this index 2 main page.

[Soquili]

Would it not be best to add more content to the Index page and lose the Enter button for a working navigation menu?

[suzzie1234]

Hi Soquili,

I hear you...Im trying to be artistic...im using a "Landing Page Convention" that is used by many photographer sites. Many seem to have this classy, showcase opening page...with some breath-taking images to make a big huge impression...(some animate them)...and then an Enter button to the main content page.

Its a statement... its an artistic kind of thing... making a big visual impression... its not a logical thing. These guys are artists...not engineers like us.

In one way...this classy opening page seems nice...but as far as search engine optimization is concerned...im thinking that the search engine robots that digest relevant content wont find much meat on this first opening index.html page.

Most of the wordy, content laden, buzzword based, meaningful text is on the next page called index2.html.

I im concerned i will be penalized in search engine page ranking because there is very little banter or buzzword content on the enter page. Many are doing it in this field.

Are there any SEO gurus who know some background on this?

Thanks

[mikehihn]

Suzzie, Google doesn't even care about your home page.

Again, Google does not care about your home page. :-)

Many websites don't even optimize their home page for search. Think instead of "landing" pages, most sites have at least three landing pages, one for each major keyword, details follow. I say that because (a) you may not know about landing pages and (b) even many costly SEOs talk about "optimizing" an existing site -- but the site should be optimized before you add the first word or graphic.

If you care about search then your entire site should be structured around your very best keywords -- which means you need your best keywords first, before you begin, right? And the home page is often the LEAST important!

If that's confusing, I'll walk you through my own site, web design and hosting, so you'll be familiar withj my market. I'll mae this the first draft for my blog, which helps both of us! Let's work backwards from our goals.

Search is VERY narrow and targeted, which is what gets you into multiple landing pages. What are all the primary INDIVIDUAL things someone might be looking for on your site? EACH of those needs its own landing page, and its own set of keywords. You get as little as 1 second to grab a searcher, but a first glance of a few seconds is more realistic. Doesn't it make sense that EVERYTHING they first see on the landing page should be about what they're looking for? And ONLY that?

If you're selling catcher's miits, tell them about your world famous layaway plan later. Convey in an instant that YOU are worthy of their consideration for a catcher's mitt.

Now the example and I'll use for my own new site. My web design biz focusses on Internet beginners, and there are three ways to get a web site. I have a pitch for all three -- (1) build it yourself, (2) I'll create a "managed site" (which means I also maintain it), or (3) I can create it with you, while training you to maintain your own site, search and promotion.

Each of those three has its own landing page and its own keywords. Think of it as three chapters in a book. I've done my keyword analysis FIRST, and THEN decided to divide the book into three chapters. Most searchers seem to know which of the three solutions they want, so each one is pulled to a page that "glorifies" their chosen approach to a webs site. If you're searching for "website builders" you won't see a peep about anything other than website builders (I define Xara as one) or building it yourself (same thing, different search term).

My home page will have the fewest searches, but some folks are searching for a more generic phrase like "small-business websites" - so my pitch is that I can help you with all three ways AND help you compare the costs and benefits of all three ways.

Sorry for the length, but can you see the logic in my structure? You're looking either for a small-business website or a specific way of getting one, so I focus on each of those. I use totally different keywords for each one, so that each will be a strong competitor for those search words.

NEVER, EVER use the same keywords for two different pages - unless you are intentionally testing which page is more effective, and then use other words for the next page.

I sure hope you can translate that into your own site! Your home page may have no search value at all, and that's okay. But you can also tell the search engines to ignore that page. Or, I LIKE all graphics on that home page, BUT can you select pctures that share a common theme? The sites you are emulating are like a ski lodge that opens with a dozen shots of skiing and gorgeous ski slopes, and sipping brandy in apres ski. The pictures satisfy the search for ski lodges.

Can you use a single theme like that? Because if you can't, then I shall gently suggest that nobody will ever see that gorgeous homepage of yours! They sure won't find it in search, which you already know. Just off the top of my head, a theme (like the ski resort) may be the only way to match graphics with search words. So you may have a good search landing page there, just not your best one, like I do.

Long story, short finish. If you want that as your home page, try to find a theme that can be expressed in searchable words. Or tell Google to skip it -- <META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW"> --- in your "head" tag.

One more shot on all photos, and it's my gripe with what I call the Search Mongers. They're so hung up on words but feelings can also grab us. Imagine you're selling a very domestic type of cookbook. Your home page has nothing but photos -- the dinner table on Thanksgiving -- a child's birthday party (with the cake prominent) -- a romantic candle-light dinner at home, etc. Do those pictures satisfy what the person wants, by searching for that type of cookbook? Does this help you envision a theme for your own home page? If not, then nothing at all wrong with telling Google to skip it. You'll still get people who follow a link to your home page, instead of using search, which means Google doesn't care about THOSE people. But you can (and should) still pursue them -- but you MUST have strong landing pages elsewhere on your site.

I can see how you think! You'd do something like my three landing pages. The entire page has nothing except the photo of a person, describing that chapter to the visitor in a few short paragraphs of "chatty" (readable) text-- very few words total, rich in keywords, thus high keyword density that does not smother them in words that look like such a chore to read.

Sorry again for so lengthy.

Here's Google's free tool for testing and suggesting keywords: http://tinyurl.com/2fu9n5o

As you look at words sn terms, focus on the "competition" column. You don't want the terms with the most searches, because the big guys spend a fortune on them. Look for a good term with even low to moderate searches, where the competition is minimal. That's where the little guys can win, where there's "only" 10,000 searches per month.