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Web design podcast episode 4

Author:: Paul Boag
Published:: 13 September 2005
Categories:: Classic shows
Reading time:: 2 minutes

On this weeks boagworld.com I am without Marcus due to various technical problems with Skype. However, we hope to have Marcus back with us next week so he can continue to show his ignorance then. Our main subject for this week is “how to improve your search engine rankings”.

Warning! The post you are viewing is out of date and almost certainly no longer accurate. For more topical posts, check out the “related reading” at the bottom of this page or drop me an email with any questions.

To download the latest podcast click here.

Below is a brief outline of the things covered in this week’s podcast as well as links to some of the articles mentioned:

Search engine optimisation

Here are my pearls of wisdom ;)

Part of a bigger strategy

Remember your search engine optimisation work should just be a small part of a bigger marketing strategy. Search engine placement is not good enough by itself.

Search engines are not all that!

Search engines have their place but they also have their drawbacks:

Delays in seeing results
An unpredictable outcome
Need for constant attention
A passive approach to marketing

Learn more about the problems with search engines.

Consider quick fixes

Because search engines take time to index new sites, consider using pay-per-click advertising until you gain the positioning you want from the main listings.

Visit Google Adwords site

Stay focused

Make sure you have a clear focus for your website. Ensure your links, content and navigation are built around that focus and that you do not deviate from it. A lack of focus will dilute your ranking on your chosen keywords.

Use web standards!

For fear of going on about web standards, make sure the code you use is semantic. Your HTML should describe what content elements are, in order to tell the search engines what is important and what is not. For example how does a search engine know what a title is unless you give it a heading tag?

Learn more about web standards.

Don’t make the search engines work

Although search engines can index PDF files and flash sites they cannot do it as well as they can index HTML. Therefore avoid using these plug-ins wherever possible in order to improve your ranking.

Link popularity

Encouraging others to link to your site is key to a successful SEO campaign. However, focus on the quality of links not the quantity. Ensure people that link to you are relevant to your subject matter and have a good page ranking.

Learn more about link popularity

News

Dreamweaver 8 is out!

I have just finished downloading the new Dreamweaver 8 upgrade but haven’t had time to review it yet.

View Dreamweaver’s new features here.

Firefox 1.5 is now in Beta

Firefox have released 1.5 in Beta. I hope that this will go some way to continuing its battle against IE especially how IE 7 is in Beta. Personally, I still prefer Firefox because it has some excellent web design tools as well as the Web Developers Extension.

More move to web standards

More and more big name sites are adopting web standards. This week the GAP and Slashdot jump on the bandwagon.

Google ranking factor checklist updated

The site which lists the alleged factors that effect your sites ranking on Google have been updated to include the latest changes made.

View Google Ranking Factors site

Review

Because of this weeks theme, I review SEO Elite, an excellent tool for improving your site engine positioning.

Learn more about SEO Elite.

About me

I’m a UX consultant and conversion optimization specialist with 32 years in digital. I help teams create user experiences that work; winning support, improving results, and making change stick.

Contact me

Email: paul@boagworld.com
UK Based – Clients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia.

how I help

UX Strategy – Spot what’s blocking a great experience and get a clear plan to fix it.
Improving Conversion – Simple, evidence-based changes that make every click count.
Coaching & Leadership – A sounding board to help you lead with clarity and confidence.
Training & Workshops – Hands-on sessions, playbooks, and self-learning so your team keeps improving.

Dylan Valade

Puma

Actionable Insights

Paul has the ability to see what is hiding in plain sight. He validated ideas under consideration and provided new, actionable recommendations. The most valuable insight was illustrating how our issues were symptoms of an inefficient UX project team structure.

Sarah Zama

Oxford University

Genuinely brilliant

Paul is genuinely brilliant to work with. He’s funny, thoughtful, and really good at meeting you where you are. He matches my energy, communicates clearly, and always seems to know how to say the right thing. Working with him feels easy, constructive, and properly enjoyable.

CREATIVE BLOQ

Magazine Interview

Demonstrates his prowess

As we talk, a pronounced pattern in Boag’s patter becomes apparent: he enthuses about a topic, demonstrates his prowess and then knocks himself down with a swipe of self-deprecation.

Gerry McGovern

Author of Transform

Smart & Generous

Paul is one of the smartest, most passionate, most generous people I know in the web / online industry. He is truly committed to helping organizations become simpler and more customer-centric.

RICHARD HURST

QUEEN MARY’S UNIVERSITY LONDON

An inspiration

Paul is an inspiration, I only wish I’d worked with him earlier in my career. His ability to understand and break down problems and offer advice, drawing on his many years of experience is unrivalled. He genuinely wants to get the best out of you and your organisation and you can’t ask for more than that.

NONDAS PASCHOS

MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES

Invaluable

Medecins San Frontieres, being a decentralised international association, faces challenges in meeting the needs of a diverse global audience. Paul and the team at Headscape have been invaluable in helping us see the potential of digital for doing this. They have helped us recognize the changes needed to engage with our connected audiences, bringing clarity and innovation to our digital strategy.

JENNIFER RUSSELL

THE SAMARITANS

Supportive and Challenging

It’s been a pleasure working with Paul. He manages to be both supportive and challenging at the same time and has a very accessible approach. It’s been a really inspiring process and I would love the opportunity to work with him again.

JOANNA SOUZA

UNICEF

Entertainingly Informative

We can count on Paul to be entertainingly informative. When we bring him to speak at our workshops, people walk out of the session energized and with a better understanding of how a multichannel journey should be assessed and optimized. Thanks Paul!

RIVKIE LIEBERMAN

MOTIF STUDIO

Best investment

You’re the best investment I’ve made thus far in my business, and that includes a previous coach, paid mentors and many courses! Your expertise is absolutely invaluable. Thank you!

Brooke Mills

Beginning Boutique

Moves the Needle

It’s not a question of whether I’d work with Paul again, but what we’re doing next. He takes the time to deeply understand your business and goals, then moves the needle across the growth levers that matter most.