Lesson (17): Building the Right Site Architecture (2)

The problem called dynamic URLs

As a rule, search engines do not have trouble with scanning dynamic URLs like

http://www.yoursite.com/gallery.php?category=widgets&color=red&price=20

However Google‘s official terms claim that dynamically generated web pages, including .asp pages, .php pages, and pages with question marks in their URLs can cause problems for their crawler and may be ignored. That’s why pages containing many parameters, “?” and “&” marks in URL should be simplified or hidden from the crawlers.

Dynamic pages called as a result of a user submitting a form, won’t be indexed either even if they contain your richest product catalog. However, if the page is called by clicking a link, chances are good that it is open for spidering.

In order to make your dynamic URLs search-engine-friendly, you can work with your “.htaccess” file (assuming we’re on an Apache server). For more details and advice on this issue, please refer to Lesson “Dynamic, Database-Driven Sites, Shopping Carts” of our Internet Marketing Professional course.

Some SE experts are reluctant to use .shtm and .shtml file extensions. To some extent, they are right because search spiders have shown some disregard for files of this type (files with this extension use the Server Side Include technology which forms pages dynamically at the moment they are called instead of reading them from the Web server).

File extensions that are completely OK to use are “htm”, “html”, “txt”, and all kinds of Web images (.jpeg, .gif, .png and .bmp) for Web image search service of certain engines. Some advanced search engines such as Google,  Yahoo and Live Search will also index your  “doc” and “pdf” files but such files will loose in SEO benefits comparing with html ones. Google started indexing any texts in “swf” files too. Our dedicated lesson “Flash Sites” speaks in detail about this point.

Naming images after keywords is particularly important now that AltaVista, Google, Yahoo! and Live Search have image searches. Name your “pdf” files after your keywords as well.
Site Navigation Scheme

Another element of site architecture is a site’s navigation scheme. There are several kinds of navigation schemes; some are more spider-friendly than others.

For example, a set of navigation buttons is often more spider-friendly than a DHTML pull-down menu. And a set of hypertext links is often more spider-friendly than a set of navigation buttons.

Many designers use so-called “breadcrumbs” to show visitors where they are at the current moment and how they can get back to where they just were. Breadcrumbs are just a sequence of text links usually placed on the top of pages that specifies the logical path from the root page to the page where the visitor is now. For example:

Home > biking widgets > red biking widgets

In this case, users know they are currently browsing the category “red biking widgets”; “Home” and “biking widgets” are links to different levels of parent categories.

Using breadcrumbs is a perfect idea, especially with large websites that use a dynamic technology; it enhances and fortifies your link structure.

Types of Web Pages

According to some usability professionals, there are seven types of Web pages. Others claim there are 11. Regardless of the number, it’s important for SEMs to understand that different types of Web pages do exist. How you write, design, optimize and promote a Web page depends on the page type.

Some of the most common Web page types are:

* Home page
* Category/gallery page
* Product page
* Form page
* News/media page
* Services page
* Advertising (landing) page
* Search/search results page
* Credibility page

Optimization and design strategies are different for these kinds of pages because the calls to action are not the same for these page types.

Entry pages

Any page that is meant to bring you traffic (e.g. home page, credibility pages, landing pages of advertising campaigns) can be called “entry pages”. They are points where a visitor enters your website. We recommend that you optimize and submit each of your entry pages first. Make them stand-alone like your home page. When a visitor comes to your site through an entry page, take care to let them know where they are (a good place to use breadcrumbs), who you are and what the page is about. Include full navigation on all entry pages and make it obvious what the page and site is about. Visitors can find any of your entry pages on a search engine, so be aware that much of your traffic will arrive at places other than your home page.

If your visitors come through your “contact us” page, for example, and all they see is a form, that doesn’t tell them where they are or what the page or site is about.

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