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The
3-Page Search Engine Optimisation
Technique
By Ammon
Johns
...
Performing basic optimisation
to improve the rankings of
a page in search results is
not truly that difficult. Generic
search engine friendly optimisation
techniques work well in most
engines. When competition is
fiercer, and many of your competitors
have some level of search engine
optimisation too, things become
harder.
At this point, the content needs to be better optimised for the particular
algorithm than the competitors' content is - and this means choosing which
algorithm (and search engine) you will attempt to match. One page cannot
closely match different algorithms, and each of the major search engines
has its own algorithm.
Can a single optimised page match (at more than a generic level) with both
the Google algorithms (providing the search results at Google, Yahoo and
AOL) and with the algorithms of Inktomi (providing the bulk of search results
at MSN)? The answer is 'No'.
To rank well in different search engines for the same competitive search terms
it becomes necessary to have multiple pages optimised for each term, each
page optimised for a different algorithm. This creates new problems, namely
in how to repeat the targeting of phrases, without creating confusing repetitions
within the content.
Traditional SEO would use multiple landing pages, which were kept outside of
the main navigation menus of the site. Visitors would land on the version
of the page that was built purely to rank well on the search engine used,
and would not see any of the similar landing pages built for ranking on other
search engines.
This all changed a little when the search engines moved into looking beyond
the content of the page itself, and started to examine linking structures.
The search engines were easily able to eliminate millions of landing pages
from their databases because analysis of the links showed these pages to
be outside of the site proper (not included in the navigation menus).
SEOs are still grappling with the consequences today, often using a variety
of tricks to attempt to include links to the page for the search engine spiders,
but not for visitors. These tricks can include using hidden links, or even
in serving different content to known spiders (commonly called cloaking).
Huge ranges of deceptive techniques have come about, but the strange thing
is that they are pretty much all unnecessary.
Having multiple pages for each product or service is not only simple, but in
fact is already in common existence. Here I will explain my classic 3-Page
Technique to optimisation for multiple search engine algorithms.
The classic catalogue style ecommerce website will have a page for every product
already. Here is the easy way to adapt this model to provide three separate
pages for each product, with each optimised for a different style of search
algorithm, and each a natural part of the site.
The first page, the product page already existing, is the main page, and the
centre for linking in the other two. This is the mid-range page, and would
be optimised for a length of around 400 words of text in total (including
common features such as navigation menus and a footer).
The second page is easily added. Commonly a product page contains a small image
of the product, and by convention, customers are able to click on the small
image to see a larger, more detailed view of the product.
Now, instead of just serving an image, we place the detailed image upon its
own page, and we give it a couple of brief descriptive paragraphs of text beneath
the image, highlighting certain features for the visitor's attention. This
adds to usability as well as optimisation.
We're looking at a total word-count of under 250 words for this second, short
optimised page. The word-count should ideally be in the 150 to 200 range.
This is ideal for search algorithms that like short, punchy text, and tends
to do very well on Inktomi.
The third page of my three-page optimisation technique is to provide a 'Full
Details' or 'Technical Specifications' page for the product. This takes a
more detailed look at the product specifications, provides the kind of deeper
info that suits some customers anyway, and allows us to provide our final
optimised variant of targeting the same search phrases, with over 600 words
of text on the page.
Now, to tie this all into the site navigation is not just simple, it is natural.
These are genuine pages. They actually serve the customer needs just as much
as they serve the optimisation objectives. Link to the main product page
as is normal, then link to the short (view product) and long (full technical
specifications) page variants from there. Each of the three variants naturally
and sensibly links to the other two variants.
This technique works so well, and is so natural in feel, and in purpose, that
the optimisation is integral, and transparent. I have seen professional SEOs
look at these pages and fail to spot that the three pages are a cunning SEO
technique. More importantly, the three pages enhance the site for visitors,
giving more detail about each product, suiting the various shopper personality
types better, and often increasing overall conversion rates.
Remember, the art of successful search engine marketing is to optimise content
for high rankings while simultaneously keeping the copy and presentation
focused on converting those visitors to customers when they do arrive.
My classic 3-page optimisation technique has proven to be powerful and effective
for hundreds of clients. In sharing it now, the important part is the lesson
in how to combine increased optimisation with increased usability for humans
too. Anything you need to hide, hasn't been truly optimised, as it is only
attaining half or less of the marketing effects that it could and should.
...
Discuss
it....
About The Author
Ammon Johns is a world renowned
Internet Marketing Consultant,
who lives in the UK. He is
an active participant and Administrator
of the Cre8asite
Forums.
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