Google Supplemental Index
Most people wouldn't be aware that Google has a main search result database and a supplemental database (I'm using the term database rather than index, to help keep the explanation simple).
When you search for something in Google, it will generally only return results from its main database. If your query is obscure or there are not many results, Google may dip into its supplemental database to give you a few more results.
The supplemental database has had negative connotations within the search engine optimisation community. Often sites, that have been penalised by Google will have their web pages dumped into the supplemental results database. Other reasons can relate to lack of quality back links to those pages making them less important than other pages. Either way, it's not considered a good thing because your pages are unlikely to be shown in normal query results.
The problem is that your website is at the mercy of Google - if they decide that your pages should be in the supplemental index, then that's it. Don't panic though, it's not necessarily permanent. Generally new web pages will start out in the supplemental database, which is also often referred to as 'the sandbox'.
Results coming from the supplemental database have an additional note in their listing within Google - "supplemental result".... well at least until a few weeks ago.
- Make sure your pages are different (page titles, headings and content)
- Have unique URLs rather than ?product_id=12&category=13
- Have a good amount of content
- Make sure your pages don't link to dead end pages
- Get links from other reputable web sites
Labels: a-better-google-ranking, Search-Engine-Optimisation, SEO, Web-Design-Melbourne, Web-statistics
Posted on Monday, August 20, 2007
How to get a better Google ranking Part 3
If you're serious about getting a better ranking in Google you need to invest some time in checking your website statistics.
At a minimum, your stats will give you an idea if your site is generating more or less traffic. If your visitor numbers are growing, then a little more digging will help you understand how visitors are coming to your site and what they are looking for.
Mention the word stats and most people start to nod off - so the stats talk stops there.
There are some great tools however that can help you understand the phrases and words used by visitors coming from search engines. One tool which we use across many of our sites is free and is provided by 103Bees.com.
You add some code to your webpages and this system will keep an eye out for visitors coming from search engines. Like little worker bees, the system gathers the search terms that people have used and stores them so you can analyse later.
If you blog regularly, it's amazing to see how quickly you can start to get incoming visitors on different phrases that you may have just blogged about.
We include this functionality into all our new online stores to help owners in developing and targeting their content.
Labels: Google, Search-Engine-Optimisation, SEO, Web-Design-Melbourne
Posted on Monday, July 02, 2007
Online Store Tour
Making things really simple and elegant takes time and effort.
We've spent the last 4 years evolving our online store product so that it has all the features you and your customers need without getting in their way.
We've learned a lot about the process and know how to integrate marketing and search engine optimsation into the core of your store.
Let's face it, if it's to hard - you're going to frustrate customers.
Why not take a quick 3 minute guided tour of our some of our recent stores and see or yourself.
Labels: Online-Stores, Search-Engine-Optimisation, Web-Design-Melbourne
Posted on Thursday, June 28, 2007
Pure Destiny Online Store Opens!
Pure Destiny have been an Efront client for almost 8 years and was one of our first clients to use our first online store product. A lot of things have changed over this time in terms of web technology and search engine optimisation.
We're pleased to announce that Pure Destiny have just consolidated their web site into a brand new online store. This online shop has really nice features from a customer and owner perspective. Using the latest AJAX technology, this store makes online shopping a real pleasure.
The built in search engine optimisation means that over time, Pure Destiny's products will rank higher in Google than they ever have before. Each page, is stacked with relevant keywords in meta tags, page titles, and urls to give it the best chance of success in Google.
A dynamic sitemap registered directly with Google means that as soon as a new product is created it's ready for Google to pickup through it regular crawl.
While they are still stacking the virtual shelves - why not visit Pure Destiny Aromatics and see for yourself.
This latest store offering has received a great response. We have a few more stores coming on line in the next 8 weeks - if you'd like to find out more, or get a demo, just drop us a line.
All the best,
David
Labels: AJAX, Online-Stores, Search-Engine-Optimisation
Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007
Search engine optimisation confusion
There are a lot of web design companies out there that promote search engine optimisation (SEO) services. Many charge a few hundred dollars to optimise your web site for the major search engines.
When they say 'optimise', they mean give your site the best possible chance of being picked up for certain keywords or phrases. While that may sound like it makes sense, it's really only a small part of the search engine equation.
For most SEO services this means changing some code behind your sites web pages which give search engines clues about the content of the page (META tags). They may even go as far as changing page titles. After this they may use a service that resubmits your site a heap of search engines (most of which you would never have heard of) and then send you an invoice for weaving this magic on your website.
Now we don't pretend to know everything about SEO, and realise that a lot has changed since we started developing websites 8 years ago. We know however, there is a lot more that you should expect for your hard earned dollar.
Ranging from dynamic re-writing of your sites urls to be keyword rich, dynamic sitemap generation, search engine referral keyword tracking and how to avoid duplicate content from impacting your ranking.
Let's face it - the purpose of SEO is to increase traffic to your site. When we sit down with a new client, we don't just spend time talking about the design of their new site, we talk about ways in which they can use their website to save time, save money, make sales or improve quality of service.
Real search engine optimisation takes time, crafted content and a serious commitment.
When was the last time you looked closely at your website statistics?
For most people, the answer is "Statistics? I don't think we have them". Like anything in business, if it's not measured and monitored - you have no real control.
Search engine optimisation should be part of any well designed website, not something you add on later. Before you spend money on SEO see how the company you're considering ranks or if they rank at all...
All the best,
David
Labels: Search-Engine-Optimisation, SEO, Web-Design-Melbourne
Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2007
A new online store in Melbourne!
Ok, so we've been talking about it for a while - but it's finally here!
Our newest online store offering has just been completed and we're really pleased with the result. The first store launched under the new design is Crimson Home and Giftware.
This store uses AJAX technology to make the online shopping experience not only fast, but extremely simple. Minimising page reloads and giving the site a streamlined feel. The site also incorporates a postage calculator that's seemlessly linked up with Australia Post.
Search engine optimisation has been built in from the beginning with this site. Page titles, urls, Google sitemaps, keywords, descriptions, and image names are all dynamically generated from the product information entered by the store owner. This means as Google indexes the site over the next few months it will have the best chance of a good ranking.
We've also incorporated a Google Blog into the site. You wouldn't know it by looking at it as we've reskinned the default design templates so they have the same look and feel as the rest of the site. This allows the owners to add news and updates to the site and build up content (including RSS) to help further improve their rankings.
If you get a chance, try out the search function on the site - it's pretty addictive...
We're also pleased to announce that the store has received a Platinum Award from the Web Designers Network of Australia for design, usability and functionality.
Labels: AJAX, Crimson-Home-Giftware, Online-Stores, RSS, Search-Engine-Optimisation
Posted on Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Top Google Ranking
It takes time, focus and patience but a great Google ranking is possible.
Kerry Smolarek was selling her chocolate making supplies on eBay 12 months ago. While things were going ok, the amount of time it took to list items, handle sales not to mention the increasing fees, highlighted the need to find a better way to do business online. Another important aspect of moving from eBay is the intellectual property. Owning your own online store means you are not handcuffed to Ebay's pricing or sales policies - and you have a tangible piece of online real estate - hey, let's call it efront-age... :)
Ok enough about all that, I could go on about eBay but....
The Chocart online store has been built from scratch with search engines in mind. Any time Kerry adds a product or category, a number of things happen in the background to make life easier for the search engines, giving her the best chance of a better and broader ranking. Kerry has been diligent in adding recipies and news to the general area of her site - demonstrating to search engines that Chocart is an authority in the area of chocolate making.
Chocart now commands a number 1 ranking for "Chocolate making supplies" on Google.com.au - See for yourself!
While we're happy with this result, we've been busy improving our store model and we're just taking the bubble wrap off version 3. This online store not only looks stunning, but in terms of usability from a customer and owner point of view is a major step forward - all things going well, we should be able to give you a look in the next week.
Our online store design philosophy is simple - keep the focus on the products and make shopping easy. This means don't clutter the space, avoiding animated objects that distract attention and confuse - guide the visitor, don't make them have to work. It's amazing to see how many online shops make you register with them before you can even add something to your shopping cart....
Congratulations Kerry!
David
Labels: Chocart, Google, Online-Stores, Search-Engine-Optimisation, SEO, Web-Design-Melbourne
Posted on Monday, April 30, 2007