SEO Experts Come On Then!

[Diablos]

SEO has been a bitch these last 2 weeks, loads of mine have dropped 5-10 places. I think its a combination of new updates rolling out and Google being arses.
:)
Anyone else seeing odd behavior?

[zumojuice]

Well google works on the most relevent and updated sites. A forum such as this gets to the top of google by topic quickly because we are an ever changing entity.

Personally, some of those who claim SEO experts, should first look at their designs - some of them, while technically excellent fall down at the first hurdle in terms of visual appeal. If I am a user of your site, the code is only likely get to see it how it is supposed to be seen. If that's awful, no amount of code will improve it.

The design is the most important aspect, the code is what underpins it and is therefore a very important 2nd. SEO, assess and other factors are all part of this which makes this the more logic-based side of building a site.

[Toon]

I disagree, you could have the best looking site in the world but if nobody can find it it's pointless, what are you going to do keep sending the link to people?

SEO is the most important thing in web design, even the ugliest of sites get business because people don't want to crawl around the web, first 3 pages are usually all that's viewed, if you're not on them I don't get care how nice your page looks.

[lolly]

I agree, no point in having a Bugatti Veyron if you can't take it out of the garage

[CVW]

OK, nobody called me on my assertions that individual SEOs try to keep their activities to themselves.. It was obviously not exactly on topic ( and maybe not in the scope of this forum) but I thought it was worth mention.

Aaron Wall has an interesting article that demonstrates why SEOs need to hide: linky


I only half agree with Toon. SEO is nearly the most important - surely the content (whatever that is on your site) is the most important. As the search engines get more sophisticated they align more with the web user. Google has always been good at this and most of SEO is about creating good content (not waving a magic meta wand).

It's true that you need web users to find you. But you need them to stay and come again too.

Best Wishes

Rob

//Aargh, how do you turn off this auto writing thing?

[lolly]

You can't it's for SEO purposes.....oh the irony

[Diablos]

Yeah I read that post this morning too, very interesting.

I am with Toon i'm afraid, SEO is rapidly becoming the most important factor in the build of a website mainly because the people who want websites want to be found.

[zumojuice]

I think there is a little more to this. Yes, I see your point about needing to find a site, and therefore SEO being important, but if your site looks awful, why would you stay, or even buy from it?

Honest thing is, the site can't function without the code and without some degree of SEO, but it also fails if it can't be navigated, or looked at. The process needs to go together.

[CVW]

Originally Posted by zumojuice

but it also fails if it can't be navigated, or looked at.

Tell that to some of the Flash developers that seem to think that I am some kind of ***king mind reader.

But are we talking about design or "design". I know that this is the Graphic Design Forum but hey, all you artists out there, user experience and functionality (including site design not "design") are the most important thing. If that includes "design" - great.

Don't forget that not everybody has eyes that are sensitive to a line in the "wrong" place. Everyonw starts a site design differently and I bet many here start with a lovely mock up PSD. Personally, I start with end user experience, click paths (and SEO for the navigation structure) which go into a layout that get the "fancy stuff" laid on top of that. but that's because I don't come from a "design" background.

SEO is as we know it only important at the moment (although it is now so mainstream that it can't last in this form long - look at how quickly Google refines it's system). People will always want to find what they are looking for in a large web full of information. But I don't know what the actual web landscape will look like in 5 years, do you?

PS Talking of navigation, this is getting off topic - I am starting to think I might be lost.

[Toon]

Originally Posted by zumojuice

but if your site looks awful, why would you stay, or even buy from it? .

So you don't use google? Or do you think it looks nice?

It's purely function!

Only recently did you mention the Amazon redesign? Did you not use it before it started to look nice?

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