Search Engine Optimization Question

[LaserKid]

I know this is a deep subject, but I really need to work on my site relative to search engine optimization. I am getting frustrated reading a "little here, and a little there" about the subject.

My problem is my company (North Woods Laser) has lots of different products, but all of them custom engraved. I have in the past utilized gateway or doorway pages (not sure about the difference). This seemed to make sense because I could include copy in the pages that would relate to my many different products. I have been told that these pages are "proper" to use. However, if you read the fine print on the Google site, you will see that they are grounds for rejection, so I removed them. Is this true? Does anyone know of a site that was blacklisted because of these pages?

I just started working on creating better copy in each different products page so the engines will have more text to hit on. Another question I have is: does a good page ranking "trickle down" to other pages deeper in the site? I am just now starting to exchage links with high quality sites that have a direct corilation with mine. I am hoping to increase my page rank shortly. But since the other sites are linked to my home page, will it affect my deeper pages? Maybe a better way to phrase it is will having good copy in my sub pages make any difference if they are ranked low anyway? If the answer is no, then I guess gateway/doorway pages have less of an impact since they won't be ranked high.

If you could, please take a look at my site and offer any feedback. Don't sugar coat it either! Thanks for the help!

[slim]

hey just taken a look at your site and the first thing I noticed is that it only covered half my screen our site is set for 600*800? Ther is a way to make your site for people who use higher settings. Also you are limited on youyr key words. and finaly I have done some reading on this matter too of late it may help if you key words are tken from the text on you homepage where I see there is very little. Of corse I could be wrong.

sorry if I was too blunt..

[Sux0rZh@jc0rz]

I don't mean to be mean but that's all i can be, is just me, and I am...whatever you say I am....

*snaps out of eminem song to post*

Nice site. slim covered this but i'v not seen the geocities rules enforced....mayby im wrong about this though. all I know is that on their free pages it says, "no nudity, or sale of items" and iv seen like at least 5 adult pages and tons of pages that sell items (this is in their freepages...not the pro like u have)

ANYWAYS I like your site but you might wanna look into a background for your site....mayby a waterfall in teh woods or something... (Iv seen many wallpapers like that so just look!)

again, nice site. but move teh leaves on the side...I almost missed them thinking they were background.

[pyro]

The absolute first thing you need to work on is the validity of your code. You are using nested table, and hosts and hosts of invalid tags/attributes. Take a look at the results of trying to validate your page (and this is using the transitional doctype) http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inthenorthwoods.com%2Findex.html&charset=iso-8859-1+%28Western+Europe%29&doctype=HTML+4.01+Transitional&verbose=1 178 errors. I would take a look at what is and is not allowed in HTML 4.01: http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/ Using valid code helps ensure that the search engines know what to do when they get to your site. Also, with Google, content is King....

[LaserKid]

Guys, guys, guys... don't worry about beating my up! I can take it. This is the first website I have created. Thanks for the input!

Slim: you are right about page resizing... I haven't gotten into that yet. I have spent a lot of time making the site "pretty" now I need to have it start "paying the bills". I will look into resizing the pages after I figure out this search engine optimization stuff (and when I get smarter - I am pretty dumb now). Also Slim, you are right on about having more copy on the index page. I guess I didn't include much as I wanted it to look "pretty" but now I need to. I need to think about how to do it without destroying the layout I have now.

Pyro: obviously you think I am a whole lot smarter than I am! I looked at the errors you spoke of, GADZOOKS! I don't know where to start first! I am using Adobe Go-Live 5.0. It looks like a lot of it has to do with the actions I created when I made my leaf navigation buttons. I might have to hand this off to a pro to fiqure out. But the fact remains that Google finds my site, I just need a higher ranking..... If you enter "Minnesota and Laser Engraving" I am 4th down on the first page. But try just "Laser Engraving" or one of my products like "Granite Pet Grave Marker" and good luck.... you will be searching through a lot of pages to get to my site.

Anyone have experiance with gateway/doorway pages and Google? Will they blacklist me? Also, please read my initial question about page rank "trickling down" to subpages. Does it?

Thanks for the info again. I need to hang around more smart people.... maybe it will rub off.

[Sux0rZh@jc0rz]

you can pay those search engines to keep you in the top 10. just contact them and see how much it costs. they have plans like pay per click and some have a monthly thing...

BTW: you got some problems like you said but i dont think you need professional help. just keep asking here and your problems will work themselves out. but as I said, you will probly get more business if u relocate the leaves and put in a gentle background. People tend to stick around when the webpages look pretty and yours alrdy looks nice. but I think I'll stress this again, relocate those leaves! navigation is a major part of your page and if its hard for your customers to get a feel for your site at first, they are likely to leave.

tip #02
put a special or your best offer on the page so they can see a sample of your pricing and work. put it right under that showcase you have going there in small print, like 10 or 11. doesn't have to be big and flashy.

[Sux0rZh@jc0rz]

Off subject: have you ever thought of adding some metal to your work? if you need wire or rings of ANY size, even sheets of metal and weave patterns, check out my favorite website:
http://www.theringlord.com

I love chainmail and i tell you this, thats the best pricing and quality stuff you will ever find. Better than business class bulk buying from industrial companies even. I'v checked that. If you buy in bulk from this place you get free shipping/major price reductions that rival japan's pricing(I'm talking japan pricing where if you lived in japan and had no shipping charge it'd be hard to match www.theringlord.com )

hope you look into this. I think it could add a lot of flavor to your work.