Search engine submission

wedgin wrote:

I have a client who has become very uppity about his website listing after having submitted it myself to a bunch of places.

I had the same experience a few years ago when clients would demand a certain spot in search engine listings as a divine right. I always diplomatically used the metaphor of music charts to tell them how a lot of outside factors would influence their position. Then again with the Christina's of this world spending their way to No.1, that metaphor is pretty dead nowadays.

From a quick glance through the site I see some things that work well and other features that could be enhanced for search engines. I use Google as my testbed and let the other search engines follow up behind. I've found from doing it for my own site is reciprocal linking helps the search engines assign your site a higher status than others of the same kind. Every search engine loves text heavy sites but that doesn't mean an automatically ugly site. You just have to be clever in where you put text and images so you still get the message across.

When I enter in Management Group in Google and Yahoo, this is the site I get http://www.omg.org/

As you can see it's not going to win any beauty paegants, but it does all the things that search engines love, text links, paragraphs with revelant "management" phrases inserted, reciprocal links with sponsors and associates.

In terms of your own site, I think small touches like placing key search words liberally throughout the site, maybe making the navbar html text rather than images (or even making sure each image has a descriptive alt tag), changing the page title "Foresight Management" to something more long winded but search engine friendly "Foresight Management: Experts in Resort, Campground & RV Park Planning & Management" would help.

See if there are any associations that you could link to and who would provide a link back to the site.

I recently gave a web development seminar at a trade show and this was the number 1 question: "How do I get listed at the top at Google?"

My take on this is that way too much emphasis is placed on ranking. The better question is "Is my site easy to navigate, informative, and above all, functional?" If the answers to the above questions are "yes," then your site is doing it's job.

well, most sites get at least 50% of their traffic from google, so it's definitely a factor, but you're right top listing with a lame site is no use.

thornysarus wrote:

I recently gave a web development seminar at a trade show and this was the number 1 question: "How do I get listed at the top at Google?"

My take on this is that way too much emphasis is placed on ranking. The better question is "Is my site easy to navigate, informative, and above all, functional?" If the answers to the above questions are "yes," then your site is doing it's job.

That the problem I've run into with this client. I've designed him a perfectly functional website for his business and all he's interested in is whether he can find his site on google. We had a verbal contract for the design of a website, but he has taken that to mean that by commisioning a new website that I should be getting him a good ranking on google. Does anyone else perceive this as unfair? I took this job on as a favour to him because he was a friend of my sister's and I am now getting taken advantage of to get his website listed. Website listing is an entirely different specification from a design job, at least from my perspective. Has anyone else run into this issue with clients? He is witholding payment on this job until it meets his criteria of being done, based on a loose verbal contract for designing a website. I obviously know better to establish a contract with people from now on, even on the favour jobs.

it's a joke. your only responsibility is to make a site, which is google friendly. other than that it's not your call.

Ivan wrote:

it's a joke. your only responsibility is to make a site, which is google friendly. other than that it's not your call.

That's what I thought. I'm trying to resolve this issue so I can get paid, then sever the relationship with this guy entirely.

Search engine submissions is a thing of the past.

I just finished a website and before was even completely done it was already indexed in Google.

If you have enought text on the hompage and the metatags are set correctly the site should be indexed automatically.

Tell your client he can set up Google Adwords..or even better you can do it for him for an extra charge :)

I do agree that engine positioning is extra, I usually include the above "tricks" but I do not guarantee it even if they pay extra. It depends a lot on the type of business also.

wedgin wrote:

Ivan wrote:

it's a joke. your only responsibility is to make a site, which is google friendly. other than that it's not your call.

That's what I thought. I'm trying to resolve this issue so I can get paid, then sever the relationship with this guy entirely.

it's probably just an excuse not to pay...

Did you use a contract?

Even if you didn't... he has no right to the site or the works you produced UNTIL he pays you in full. I would send him a nice professional letter that says you contracted ONLY for the design of the site. Google ranking was not included in the contract, verbal or written. Tell him all sites that are designed with the special details (list out three things) you paid special attention to are there to help with google ranking. Furthermore, point out that engineering a page for special search ranking is something that specific companies handles because the methods used to up page ranking are very specific to each search engine. Tell him you would be more than happy to contract again to hire someone who has that special skill and that you will implement those suggestions. AND GET IT IN INK!!!!

Point out in the final paragraph that you have completed the work required and attach an invoice. On the invoice put a date this invoice is due by. If they don't, take the site down. You still own the end product until they pay in full. If you can't take it down, go over to www.creativelatitude.com and look at Bill's Corner. There is good information about getting dead-beat clients to pay.

Good luck! And if anyone (your sister etc) gives you crap... just tell them business is business, and show them what your REAL time per hour (or per project) billing amount is!

therunningwolves wrote:

Did you use a contract?

Even if you didn't... he has no right to the site or the works you produced UNTIL he pays you in full. I would send him a nice professional letter that says you contracted ONLY for the design of the site. Google ranking was not included in the contract, verbal or written. Tell him all sites that are designed with the special details (list out three things) you paid special attention to are there to help with google ranking. Furthermore, point out that engineering a page for special search ranking is something that specific companies handles because the methods used to up page ranking are very specific to each search engine. Tell him you would be more than happy to contract again to hire someone who has that special skill and that you will implement those suggestions. AND GET IT IN INK!!!!

Point out in the final paragraph that you have completed the work required and attach an invoice. On the invoice put a date this invoice is due by. If they don't, take the site down. You still own the end product until they pay in full. If you can't take it down, go over to www.creativelatitude.com and look at Bill's Corner. There is good information about getting dead-beat clients to pay.

Good luck! And if anyone (your sister etc) gives you crap... just tell them business is business, and show them what your REAL time per hour (or per project) billing amount is!

I already actually did threaten his about taking down the site. I've given him until next week, because he's already had the invoice for a month and is still bickering about the details.

wedgin wrote:

therunningwolves wrote:

Did you use a contract?

Even if you didn't... he has no right to the site or the works you produced UNTIL he pays you in full. I would send him a nice professional letter that says you contracted ONLY for the design of the site. Google ranking was not included in the contract, verbal or written. Tell him all sites that are designed with the special details (list out three things) you paid special attention to are there to help with google ranking. Furthermore, point out that engineering a page for special search ranking is something that specific companies handles because the methods used to up page ranking are very specific to each search engine. Tell him you would be more than happy to contract again to hire someone who has that special skill and that you will implement those suggestions. AND GET IT IN INK!!!!

Point out in the final paragraph that you have completed the work required and attach an invoice. On the invoice put a date this invoice is due by. If they don't, take the site down. You still own the end product until they pay in full. If you can't take it down, go over to www.creativelatitude.com and look at Bill's Corner. There is good information about getting dead-beat clients to pay.

Good luck! And if anyone (your sister etc) gives you crap... just tell them business is business, and show them what your REAL time per hour (or per project) billing amount is!

There was no contract aside from a verbal one stating that he wanted a new website created. I already actually did threaten him about taking down the site. I've given him until next week, because he's already had the invoice for a month and is still bickering about the details of a completed job. Thanks for that link, it's a very helpful website.