3 types of metadata you need for your website
Select the best and appropriate key words
A website’s Name or Title, a useful Description of the site’s purpose and 5-7 Key Words or Key Word Phrases are the most important and in fact essential features in website design.
Henry Ford Searching an Engine
However, that useful description by itself is not used by Search Engines to determine a site’s relevancy. Key words and key word phrases used appropriately throughout the site (and even, if possible in the website’s name,) are what determine relevancy.
The most misunderstood part of website design is selecting the key words. The key words must relate directly to content. They must be words you use and reuse in text portions of the site. Understanding why “less is more” in selecting key words is crucial to establish relevancy. If you think up and enter 75 words and phrases, this number of keywords actually dilutes a search. The best and most relevant 5-7 key words and phrases you can think of will attract search engines to those words and only those words. Google Analytics can tell you the most popular words people are searching on.
If you continue using the 5-7 key words and phrases often and in relevant places as you add more and more content, you will build and focus your site’s “strength”.
In the past, designers larded websites with inappropriate repetitions of key words. They hid key words in meaningless places all over sites. Because of this misuse of metadata, the major search engines now look for key words in text where it makes logical sense. This is relevancy. The more relevant repetitions the better. And it takes time to be noticed.
nope, no engine here
Please remember- Search engines cannot interpret images unless the file name for the image is real words - not numbers, dashes or letters. Lots of pretty pictures are great for viewers but have no effect on optimizing the website. Use meaningful captions and use key words and phrases (where appropriate) in naming files when uploading those files.
If you want to revise an existing site, or are thinking of switching site creation software or are developing a new website, consider using open source programs such as Joomla! or WordPress. Both are free, reliable and easy to work with. Both have extensive forums for finding answers and support from fellow users and widget designers.
previous post on misconceptions about how search engines find websites
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