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Learn how to design an Internet web site that can easily be found using common, every day
language on all the major search engines.  Following is a list a items you should take into
consideration when designing your website.  

After you have targeted the keyword phrases you will be using for optimization, it's time to
design your website.  We recommend you do a Google search for each of your keyword
phrases to see how the top 10 web sites in search engine results are using the keyword
phrases today.  Target the same keyword densities and number of inbound links for your own
site.  Then design and build following the best practices listed below.  Feel free to use this
page as a checklist.  

When deciding how to design a website that is search engine friendly, remember to:

  • Create a flat directory structure. That means, have as few backslashes as possible in your
    URL.  
  • Place robots.txt and favicon.ico files in the root directory.
  • Have Google's FREE web analytics tool in place from Day 1.
  • Create a link to a human-readable (HTML / PHP) site map on your home page.  
  • Place an XML (search engine readable) version of the sitemap in your root directory.  Have
    a process in place for having it updated as your site content changes.    
  • Create a custom 404 (not found) error page.  Include links to active areas of your site so if
    visitors can’t find the page they’re looking for, they are at least redirected within your site,
    preferably to the human-readable Sitemap page.  Alternatively, redirect them to a page that
    enables an intra-site search.   
  • Run spell check and clean up your HTML code.  Search engine spiders are not nearly as
    forgiving of code errors as are web browsers and you may find some of your content does
    not get indexed.  Validate your code using one of the many free W3C validation tools.  
  • Don’t copy and paste from Microsoft (MS) Word as it won't pass the code validation test. If
    you want to draft content use a basic text editor.  
  • Avoid dynamic pages and the forced use of cookies.  
  • Provide links to all your important pages from your home page main menu bar.
  • Show location and context by providing bread crumbs e.g. home>about us>our locations>.
  • You should place no more than 100 outgoing links on a page.  (We suggest less than 50.)
  • It is okay and even advisable to provide outbound links. Just ask yourself, will my visitors
    gain value from this?
  • Make it easy for a visitor to "tell a friend" about your page or to socially bookmark your
    page.  http://www.addthis.com/ offers an excellent free bookmarking tool.   
  • Name files and directories using keywords.
  • Use link and anchor text containing your keyword phrases.
  • Use the backslash character (/) when naming directories.
  • Use the hyphen character (-) when naming files.  Search engines will interpret it as a
    blank. Do not use underscores.
  • Filenames should be all lower case.
  • Provide links to all of your social profiles.  

Following these Internet web site design guidelines will help ensure your website gains
visibility with the search engines.  Please feel free to use the bookmark button up top to tell a
friend or to share via a social network site.  
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Design Guidelines For Search Engine Friendly Websites

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Learn details about an effective
Internet Web Site Design.  
Search-engine-friendly web pages  
can easily be found using every day
search terms, browsers, and
operating systems.  

We are a Main Line of Philadelphia
organic & local search engine
optimization SEO firm.  Our Goal is to
have your website...

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Engine Results !
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Learn How To Design a Web Site
That Is Search Engine Friendly
Last Revised:  12/21/11
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