I'm beginning the search engine process

[itgl72]

Hello all, I'm moving branching out from the PPC room to this room now. I hope I don't ramble with this post :-)

I'm getting into the Google game, and other search engines as well. Right now I have a company website I purchased. I like its look and feel and many of the features for drip email marketing, MLS, etc. But, theres no use in doing anything with it for SEO. What I have done for traffic thus far is PPC. That will do for now while I wait the months ahead for any search engine traffic.

What I have done is purchased a new domain name with some keywords in it and will be hosting it on a server I have access to. I have taken my purchased website, which is a TABLES layout, and completely recoded the template, to be a CSS design which I understand may be more search engine friendly. Right now if I put both templates side by side in my browser they look identical in IE7 and FF2.

My goal is to have different content on the CSS website but have links, like to the MLS search and other functions, going to my TABLES designed company website. This way a web visitor will not think they went to a different site because the same look and feel of my web presence with me maintained. There will also be links from the company tables design website to my SEO CSS website to places like my real estate articles section.

Do you think linking to my website with the MLS functionality will hurt me in anyway with the search engines? I'm pretty much going to have to do it this way regardless because I'm not willing to part with the company website I have been using because of the features on it I use.

I have not put this new domain and website on the server yet but have been working on content for it for several weeks. I have about 20 real estate related articles I have written on various topics. I'm not really a writer but with time I can pump out some decent reading :-)

Before I put this site online and submit it to the search engines I want to have as much as possible done, and have my ducks in a row if you will atleast to a point where it will not hinder me.

I have been reading this forum, and quite honestly I am overwhelmed with the information so reading and learning will take me a while, however for right now I have some questions.

I plan on using INCLUDES within the page for sections like my footer, links, side bars on the content pages, etc. This way if I need to make an edit I just edit the INCLUDE html page and all pages with that INCLUDE file will be updated. Do search engines that crawl a website read whats in the INCLUDE sections? Will using INCLUDE sections hinder me with search engines crawling? I *THINK* spiders will crawl a page the way we humans VIEW the page when surfing but I'm not sure.

Would it be a problem if at the end of every real estate related article I had a section with promotional content that also listed several cities and county names I work in? I would use an INCLUDE for this as well. Would the search engines be upset with me if they saw that same content at the bottom of every page? Obviously you know why I would want the city names there, they are my keywords!

I have read a lot about links and backlinks. I'm not sure I understand how to do that yet, but I have to crawl before I walk and actually get a website online first. Any info or resources on this would be helpful. If I get a link to come to my sites main address www.MYDOMAIN.com does the search engine system count the links for the entire domain or JUST that one page? How do you folks do it? Do you actually have links to your pages that are within your website? Or just the front page? I guess I really need to get a grasp on the linking side of things, and how its relevant to the whole process! :-)

I have the free version of webceo loaded and will try to use that as something to get going.

I'm just looking for a pointer on some things so I go in the right direction.

Thanks for any help, tips, or resources you can provide!

[judyo]

This is a bit over my head but from what I read it sounds like you're having two basically identical sites on two different domains? That could really get you banned in all se's as mirror sites. Do a search on the term.

I'd ask someone else with more knowledge about having the same exact keywords sitewide in your footer. That could be considered keyword stuffing but I'm just not 100% sure.

Linking should be done to your home page and interior pages. Study this site about linking because there are right and wrong ways to do it. Search engine algorithms change all the time and what worked well at one point might not work as well today.

I think you need to first work on getting your one site online (no duplicate sites - you can have more than one site but they each need to have unique content).

[itgl72]

No, they WILL NOT be idential. ONLY the Design and Layout of the page will be idential. The CONTENT will be completely different. I need to however, link to the other sites MLS SEARCH page. When users click around I wanted them to have the feel of staying on the SAME website, unless they notice the URL.

Keyword Stuffing, OK -- I need to research that. One of the websites thats listed on the first page locally seems to have done that, yet is on the front. Hmmm...

[itgl72]

I think I just asked WAY TOO DEEP a set of question on this post. I thought there might have been more of a discussion by now.

I guess I'll try again with one short question:

I have been working on the website for the search engines. SHOULD I PREVENT IT FROM BEING CRAWLED NOW? I read its best to have it crawled from another link, but should I hold off until its closer to 100%? I'm probabaly at 50% now of what I plan on having on there but I can't do it all in one night.

I just dont know if getting it crawled NOW would help or hinder? But if I do start now maybe it will help with the age process?

[southernbc]

In my opinion it is never too early to post your site as far as search engine optimization is concerned. The only time I stop spiders from crawling my site is if I have a specific reason for not wanting that particular page found first.

It can be however too incomplete from a people standpoint. You do not want your customers to get the impression you are unprofessional or lazy.

If the site is spidered and ranks lower I have never found that to hurt me later once all of the ducks are in a row. It may affect the priority level in which you are scheduled to be re-indexed. Once your site is completely ready you will get indexed on a spider cycle and all will be as if you had been good all along but your sandbox clock will at least have been clicking away.

Good Luck
Don (the real estate) Mann

[itgl72]

I was indexed somehow before I was ready. Looks like the indexed page has a title of CSS REDESIGN and a bunch of lorum ipsem text on the page. Well hopefully on the next crawl the PROPER pages will find their way to google.
AND NOW THE LONG WAIT BEGINS! :-)

[southernbc]

I was indexed somehow before I was ready. Looks like the indexed page has a title of CSS REDESIGN and a bunch of lorum ipsem text on the page. Well hopefully on the next crawl the PROPER pages will find their way to google.
AND NOW THE LONG WAIT BEGINS! :-)

Sorry to hear that! I hand write my own pages so it is never at a stage where it says anything but real information. My response earlier reflected my realities not yours. When my pages are built the first title that goes on is the one I intended to use. If it gets spidered before I am done writing the ranking is simply lower than it would have been if I had been finished.

I am sorry if that turned out to be bad advice for you.

Good Luck!
Don Mann

[iviebaker]

Wow... there is so much to do. I've been working on my website non-stop for 4 years. I'm always adding to it and trageting different pages to different target keywords and niches.

I have different pages and sub-domains for waterfront, acreage, local information, neighborhoods, logs homes and more.

It's good that you purchased a domain name with key phases/words in it. I did that when I first purchased my domain. Since then, I have also developed sub-domains targeting different types of real estate searches.

All of my sub-domains and my main domain, rank #1 on Google for many important search terms for my local market. There is a way of building a page that will help you. Getting your key words and phrases towards the top of your page is very important. This also includes a great title tag!

I am posting an example of what my html looks like on my waterfront web site. Notice my title tag? It might be long, but it's full of great keywords and phrases. I colored some of the tags in blue, to point them out.

Notice that I have a paragraph with key words at the very top of my page? It's even above the banner. I find that this technique works really well. Uou can compare what my page looks like to people visiting my site by clicking here.

_______________________

<html>
<head>
<title>Gladwin Waterfront Homes - Lakefront Homes - Waterfront Property - Lots - Secord - Smallwood - Wixom - Sugar Springs - Michigan</title>
<meta name="Description" CONTENT="Ivie Baker, Gladwin Real Estate agent. Specializing in waterfront property, homes and cottages. Lakefront or riverfront property.">
<meta name="keywords" content="gladwin, waterfront, waterfronts, lakefront, secord lake, smallwood lake, wixom lake, wiggins, pratt, lake lancer, lake lancelot, sugar springs, ross,">
<meta name="revisit-after" CONTENT="31 days">
<meta name="robots" content="index,follow">
<meta name="language" content="en-us">
<meta http-equiv="expires" CONTENT="Never">
<meta name="distribution" CONTENT="Global">
<meta name="rating" CONTENT="General">
<meta name="copyright" CONTENT="2007 Gladwin Real Estate Agent.Com - Kehoe Realty Inc.">
<meta name="author" content="Ivie Baker">

</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" link="#003B00" vlink="#006600" text="#003B00"
onLoad="window.onresize=new Function('if (navigator.appVersion==\'Netscape\') history.go(0); else center();'); center();">
<script>
function center() {
if (navigator.appVersion.indexOf('MSIE') != -1)
document.all['root'].style.left = Math.max((document.body.clientWidth - 800) / 2, 0);
else
document.PageElement.LAYERS['root'].left = Math.max((window.innerWidth - 800) / 2, 0);
}
</script>
<div id="root" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:820px; height:1566px">
<script>center();</script>
<div style="position:absolute;left:8;top:8;width:797;he ight:66;">
<table width=797 height=66 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top">
<td align="center"><b><font face="Helvetica" size="-1"><span style="font-size:12">Gladwin Michigan Waterfront Homes, Lots and Acreage! Find that special lakefront or riverfront property here!
<br>Ivie Baker specializes waterfront homes and property throughout much of the Gladwin and Clare County areas.
<br>Search for Lakefront homes or property on Secord Lake, Smallwood Lake, Wixom Lake,
<br>Sugar Springs, Lake Lancer, Lake Lancelot, Pratt, Wiggins and many other lakes in the area!</span></font></b></td>
</tr></table></div>
<div style="position:absolute;left:8;top:75;width:799;h eight:140;">
<table width=799 height=140 border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr valign="top">
<td><img height=140 width=799 src="http://www.gladwinrealestateagent.com/waterfront/iviebaker_WF_banner.jpg" border=0 alt="Find your waterfront cottage, home or property in the Gladwin and Clare County areas, including Harrison and Beaverton areas. Affordable lakefront property and homes!" ></td>
</tr></table></div>

___________________________

Of course, don't sacrafice the look of your web site. Add lots of great and useful content. Know your area and talk about it on your web site. Add a Blog to your web site and add to it several times per week. I always post my new listings, foreclosures, articles, newsletters and solds on my blog.

Another great site that has helped me in building a quality site is at Self Promotion.com It's crammed full of great information!

[Boston Condo Guy]

itgl72, welcome to the forums. I think you may be getting too caught up in when to "submit" your site to search engines. Much like has been said thus far, it's probably not too early to do so, as well, your site(s) will be a continuous piece of work for you.

I know for one, I was a little overwhelmed reading your first post, I might suggest breaking up your questions into manageable chunks so folks can give you some honed answers.

Additionally, I suggest that you submit your site for review in the Website Review forum, never too early for that.

Best of luck!

[Boston Condo Guy]

Wow, 500 posts, here's to another 500 on this forum.