Content, not trickery, key to Web visibility

09.03.2006

'Remember, you really want to create the path of least resistance for any search spider program to go in and index the content you are trying to be found under,' said Jonah. 'There are millions of sites that are invisible on the Web because the content has not been placed in a structure that allows or encourages the search spider to index it fully.'

Putting a title on each page of the Web site increases the chances of a search spider easily understanding what the page is about and under what category it should be indexed, he said. To be effective, however, the title must only contain up to 70 characters with keyword or keywords relating to the content in which you want the search spider to index the page, Jonah added.

The work doesn't stop there if the objective is to maintain search engine visibility, as fresh content needs to be uploaded on a regular basis, he said.

Who you know on the Web could also increase your chances of getting found. Creating content that would cause a reputable Web site to create a link to your content can elevate your level in the hierarchy, said Jonah.

Google's search engine process came under scrutiny recently after the German Web site of car maker BMW was taken off the search engine's index database for 'violating Google's Webmaster guidelines,' Google software engineer Matt Cutts wrote on his blog.