Denver SEO Blog: Web Development, SEO & Marketing

Google has recently decided to let it’s Googlebot crawl through forms in an effort to index the “Deep Web”. There are numerous stories about wayward crawlers deleting and changing content through submitting forms, and it’s about to get worse. Googlebot is about to start submitting forms in an effort to get to your website’s deeper data. So what’s a web developer to do?

1. Use GET and POST requests correctly
Use GET requests in forms to look up information, use POST requests to make changes. Google will only be crawling forms via GET requests, so following this “Best Practice” for forms is vital.

2. Make sure your POST forms do not respond to GET requests
It sounds so simple, but many sites are being exploited for XSS (Cross Site Scripting) vulnerabilities because they respond (and return HTML) to both GET and POST requests. Be sure to check your form input carefully on the backend, and for heaven’s sake - do not use globals!

3. Use robots.txt to keep robots OUT
robots.txt file keeps Googlebot out of where it doesn’t belong. Luckily, Googlebot will continue it’s excellent support of robots.txt directives when it goes crawling through forms. Be sure not to accidentally restrict your website too much, however. Keep the directives simple, excluding by directory if possible. And test, test, test in Google’s Webmaster Tools!

4. Use robots metatag directives
Using the robots metatag directives for more refined control. We recommend “nofollow” and “noindex” directives for both the form submission page and search results pages you want Google to stay out of, even though Google says disallowing the form submission page is enough. Consider using tags and category pages that are Google friendly instead.

5. Use a CAPTCHA where possible
Googlebot isn’t going to fill out a CAPTCHA, so it’s an easy way to make sure some bot isn’t filling out your form.

Googlebot is, of course, the nicest bot you can hope to have visit your website. This provides a chance to secure forms and take necessary precautions before other - not so polite - bots visit your forms.

Tags: website design, website development, denver web development, denver web design, seo, search engine optimization

Yahoo’s “Search Assist” tool is a hoot. Search for “Denver Mobile SEO“. go ahead, I dare you. Now, I’m thinking Yahoo knows me a little better than I’d like. Is this behavioral targeting? Profiling? Something even more sinister? Or is it just that Mobile SEO always goes better when plenty of chocolate is at hand.

Now look through the related queries for “Chocolate“. Go ahead - I’ll wait. It appears many of us are writing about chocolate and writing about mobile seo in the same places. I’m going to bet more people are writing about chocoalte, and I don’t blame them:

Mobile SEO is the (sometimes thankless) task of making sure websites look good on all sorts of mobile devices, including handhelds, cell phones, zunes, and the new ipod touch(which is probably a “no brainer”). Few mobile seo simulators are available online, which means field testing. And then page tweaking. It can be a time consuming and arduous task. It’s best accompanied with plenty of chocolate.

Tags: denver web design, seo, website design, website development, search engine optimization, denver web development

It takes many different web development / programming skill sets for a successful internet marketing project. For any website to be successful on the web, it requires a combination of stunning web design, usability, web conversion, bulletproof web development, search engine optimization, and project management. A failure at any of these points can destroy the potential of any internet marketing project. The roles each require very specialized skills:

Web Design
Web designers are popping up everywhere these days, but it is still very hard to find website designers who have stunning artistic and layout skills and just enough web knowledge to make it all work. Implementing some designs on the web can be impossible. It’s important to have a web designer who understands the limits and potential of each web technology. Web designers must also know enough CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create web friendly designs that will look great in any web browser.

Usability
Usability is very important to any website. Web site visitors must be able to understand the navigate the site. Most usability professionals are not great designers, but have a knack at understanding human behavior and expectations on web sites. Having a site that is highly usable encourages repeat visits - or “stickiness”.

Conversion
Web site conversion is a very important consideration: How do YOU want visitors to use the site? Web site visitors should be eased and encouraged to follow a “desired action” on your website. The action might be to purchase a product, send an email, sign up for a newsletter, or even pickup the phone. Having a great website is still pointless if it does not drive sales, lead capture, or some other desired action.

Web Development
Web developers are programmers. They create programs that allow interaction with human visitors, like shopping carts, RSS Feeds, image uploading and more. Web development requires a tremendous skill set that is always in need of expansion and updating. Web development languages like PHP, Perl, Flash Actionscript, and the many Java technologies require constant upkeep and training as they develop.

Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is a set of guidelines, technologies and procedures for ranking well in search engines. The first step is determining which keywords can drive quality traffic to the website. What are prospective visitors searching for? Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists research keywords and optimize the pages to show how relevant the site is to visiting search engines. SEO Specialists are skilled at showing the natural relevance of pages and securing better search rankings. Since many search engines also weigh the amount and quality of links to a website, SEO firms will often create and request links from other websites.

Social Media Optimization
With the creation of social media websites like myspace, digg, facebook and friendster, websites have an opportunity to capture amazing amounts of targeted web visitors. With millions of searches starting on myspace, it has become an important opportunity for certain niches. There is a social media website for nearly every niche, however. Finding the correct niche full of prospective buyers can drive tremendous amounts of sales.

Project Management
Project management allows all of the other skill sets to shine. By communicating between clients and the other roles, the project manager helps balance the many roles in the project with the client’s needs. They also serve as the point of contact for many the many questions and deadlines involved in the project.

In sum, any great web development project requires a diverse skill set. A balance between the roles is equally important, never sacrificing usability for design, or design for search engine optimization.

Tags: search engine optimization, denver web development, website development, denver web design, website design, seo

Successful web design projects require a tremendous amount of planning, and planning starts with asking the right questions. Any web design benefits from extra planning, but 4 questions should define the entire project from the start:

1. Who is my target audience?
Too many websites try to be all things to all people. Instead, think of your most important visitors and design according to their tastes. They may or may not appreciate animation. They may be on dialup connections or they may be visiting the site via a cell phone. Knowing your website’s target audience is vital to the project, even before a web site design has been created.

2. What do I want them to do?
If the purpose of your website is to get prospective customers to call, be sure your phone number is prominently displayed. A link to the “Contact Us” page should also be prominently displayed. Other websites may want to capture email addresses or newsletter signups. Ecommerce websites want to make a sale. Whatever the objective, make it as easy as possible for your customers.

3. How will they get to my site?
With competition among websites growing daily, it’s important to plan how you will increase the visibility of your website. Will you blog? Or participate in forums? You might even use pay-per-click advertising on Google AdWords. There are many ways to bring targeted visitors to your website, but they won’t come just because you’ve launched a new website design. Plan ahead, and watch your website bring you new business!

4. How can I measure the project’s success?
Many smaller website owners do not measure their web site metrics or statistics. Without an idea of traffic patterns and popular keywords, it is difficult to tell if a new web site design is effective. Are web site visitors converting to leads? Is the web site generating sales? Only by measuring can you know for sure.

Tags: search engine optimization, website development, denver web design, website design, denver web development, seo

I’m still getting two copies of Search Marketing Standard magazine, but I’m not reporting it. First off, it’s so good that I don’t want to possibly miss an issue by having anyone mess with my subscription. With other magazines, I’ve found that fulfillment centers sometimes get confused, and it’s usually months before I realize a certain issue isn’t coming. I just can’t risk it. Every article is good.

Secondly, I’ll probably read through it twice. Might as well have a fresh crisp copy the second time. I wonder if I’ll even dog-ear the same pages?

Here are four excellent resources for anyone interested in SEO, internet marketing, ecommerce, and the affiliate scene:
1. Search Marketing Standard. If you’ve thought the SEO world moves too fast for print, think again.

2. Practical Ecommerce. Not just for ecommerce store owners. Every web developer creating ecommerce websites should be in tune with the industry.

3. Revenue. Great for affiliate marketers, ecommerce merchants, or any company creating PPC(Pay Per Click) campaigns on Google AdWords or Yahoo Search Marketing.
4. Internet Retailer. Especially important if you are helping larger companies with their SEO, SEM, PPC, and ROI! This publication is best at industry trends influencing larger retailers and online merchants.

It is essential that web designers and web site developers start paying attention to the many facets that can make or break an online business. These publications can help get you serve your clients!

Tags: denver web design, website development, website design, seo, search engine optimization, denver web development

After the launch of any web design project, stakeholders and web design firms might sit back proudly and call it done. There are, however, a few things that should be cared for after the big launch.

1. Check 404 error logs
Be sure to check your logs after you launch that new site.
A. Missing pages
You wouldn’t move without forwarding your mail, would you? Don’t forget to forward your important (former) page locations, either! Instead of showing the (hopefully customized) 404 error page, make sure you 301 redirect that page to the appropriate new location. You’re not only saving your visitors a click, but you might just preserve the pagerank(and trustrank) Google has given that page.

B. Images
Were important images being shown on other websites? Perhaps your logo is being shown on a partner’s website. Of course they shouldn’t link directly to images on your site like that. But they did. And if the logo is now missing, it isn’t going to get visitors to click through to your site! You may also have traffic from Google’s image search or other sources. Make sure you know what happens to that traffic when images are suddenly missing.

2. Announce the site launch to vendors and customers
A website launch is an excellent reason to get in touch with old and new partners, vendors and customers. Contact them via email, email newsletter, or a direct mail piece. Who knows - you may have a product they didn’t know you offered!

3. Make adjustments
Luckily, changes can always be made after a website launch. Is something working? Not working? You can always fix it on the web. Everything web is measurable. Measure and adjust.

These steps will help any website design launch go more smoothly. Remember - it isn’t over after the big launch. Sometimes a little more work is needed to put the professional touch on that site.

Looking for a more organized approach to your next web design or redesign project? We HIGHLY recommend Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works.

Tags: website development, seo, website design, denver web development, denver web design, search engine optimization

1. Frames
Frames were rarely done in a search-friendly manner. In the age of cellphone browsers and section 508 compliance, frames must go.

2. IE 5 Mac hacks
Internet Explorer was a miserable little browser on every OS it ran on, but was particularly miserable on the Mac. It required CSS hacks that other browsers tripped over. Some standards it - inexplicably - did not support. Even on MacOSX, it sucked.

3. Splash pages
These pieces of eyecandy were frequently skipped by visitors, and even more frequently cursed under their breath. Known to be slow-loading and pointless, it is nice to see them used less often.

4. Microsoft Frontpage Extensions
These buggy little replacements for scripting would break if you looked at them funny, and gave years of frustration to unix admins. Even Microsoft is turning it’s back on the Frontpage product, and not a day too soon.

5. Popup and Popunder windows
There are still sites that tout the effectiveness of popups and popunders, but let’s face it: We all hate them. Every good browser tries to block them, but every once in a while you’ll see one. They are the junkmail of web browsing, and it’s time for them to go far, far away.

6. Animated layers that block content on page load
There are few things as annoying as a layer that suddenly slides over to block content you are reading. They usually make users dismiss the ad to read page content.

I’ve gotten so that I dismiss anything that slides over, not even taking the time to read the ad.

The web will be a better place when these web design techniques are no longer seen. Have others? Add a comment and let us know!

Tags: search engine optimization, denver web development, website development, seo, website design, denver web design

Website visitors have never been more impatient, and I’m the worst. Just today, I was looking up the lyrics to a song. I clicked on the site in #1 position(Like 90% of the rest of the world), but it was too slow. Before I even left the Google SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages), I clicked on the link in position 2. I’m going to bet I’m not the only impatient soul looking for lyrics… or even more important things(as if!).

Lucky, mother Google(our gentle overlord) is paying attention. One of the items mentioned in seomoz’s reent survey of perceived ranking factors is the availability of the server hosting a site. In this case lyricbarn, or whatever they were called, lost a visitor and a potential adsense click or two(Ads are fun to click).

Web Designers - Yeah, you - Reduce your page load times and keep visitors!

Tags: search engine optimization, website design, website development, denver web design, denver web development, seo

Many view the worlds of Pay Per Click Advertising and Search Engine Optimization as opposites. While they are certainly very different, the goals are similar: bring eyeballs(with wallets) to your site and make it easy for them to buy.  Here are 5 tips to improve your SEO based on lessons from PPC.
1. Converting keywords
Some keywords convert into sales better than others. Use your analytics to discover which keywords are bringing you sales, then target them with your SEO campaign. PPC(Pay-Per-Click) ads are a wonderful testbed to discover those converting keywords if you are pressed for time.
2. Your title and metadescription are your ad
When composing your titles and metadescriptions, remember they will be shown in the search engine result pages. It’s like having an advertisement to click, but without Google’s AdWords rules. Always remember you are competing against the other pages in the SERPS(Search Engine Result Pages) - who will get the click?

3. Landing pages
It’s great to optimize for your homepage, but setup some (even more relevant) landing pages and be sure they get some of the inbound links you are building.

4. Optimize landing pages for different steps in the buying process
As visitors reach your site, think about what step they might be at in their buying process? Are they conducting preliminary research?  Give them links to bookmark your content, send it to a friend, or signup for your newsletter.  Is their search so specific that they are probably ready to buy? Now is the time to wave the free shipping!

5. Split Test
Internet marketing is measurable. Why not setup split tests when you design your web pages? Create a couple of similar pages(avoid duplicate content) and use your analytics to measure performance. When your sample size tells you which one is better, adjust the worst of the two and measure again. Or create a third page. Hey, why not? HMTL is still free.

Tags: search engine optimization, website development, denver web design, seo, website design, denver web development

Forms can be quite annoying to users. We have all had to fill out “The Form From Hell” at one point or another. Often they are created with no regard to usability whatsoever. The form is sometimes a direct reflection of the organization of a backend database, and human needs are not taken into acount.

There is a great article on sitepoint today titled Checklist for Usability Forms. Based on our own experience with forms, here are a few items that probably seem like no-brainers, but I would also like to see the web’s programmers take into account:

1. Never erase user-entered data
Sometimes a form will have a required field that we humans miss at the first go. “Oh, my title was required?!” I enter “King of the world”, but then discover my credit card details need to be entered again. Who knows what will be missing if I mess that up? If the form is on a secure server, even credit card information can be kept between page requests.

2. If the form requires JavaScript, let the user know
Although users are surfing with JavaScript turned on most of the time, there is nothing worse than finding a form you just filled in requires JavaScript to actually be submitted. Sometimes I’m testing pages with JavaScript turned off, and I’d appreciate the warning when it’s needed. After I fill out a form and see the submit going nowhere, I usually check my JavaScript settings. Then I refresh the page, and all of my precious data entry is gone! My tired and worn fingers just look up at me and sigh as we start filling in fields again.
3. Autofill wherever possible
When a user has to type in their billing address, web designers should also offer a box to copy all information to the “shipping address” field, or it should automatically be filled in. Intelligent web form design should mean users are never required to enter the same information twice. Unless lives are at stake, our web forms can usually make the correct guess.

4. Make it easy for users to find their country in a list
When 99.9% of site visitors are from the United States, it is not impolite to list the United States at the top of the list, and even have it preselected. Yes, I said it - preselected. Rarely is it appropriate to have Afghanistan as the first option(or the option that has already been selected). I cannot tell you how many sites still think I’m located in the “United States minor islands” due to my lack of apparent skill with a mouse.

In most cases, we web developers can even sense the visitor’s country of origin by looking at their IP Address. Why not preselect the country of origin accordingly?

5. Set the tab order of form fields when necessary
Most forms do not require this step, but be sure to tab through the form in various browsers. In most cases, you won’t find anything strange. But that one percent is what testing is for, isn’t it?

Please feel free to comment with additional tips. I didn’t see a way to add tips to the original article, but we can certainly add them here. We’ve all encountered the poorly designed web form. Tell us about it - we won’t think you’re crazy. Let it out: You’re among friends.

Tags: denver web development, denver web design, website design, seo, website development, search engine optimization