If the answer is 'no,' read on. Hint: It's Might Have Something to do with How Search Engine Spiders Index Your Pages...

As technology improves and new methods of designing web sites are developed (think Flash-based sites and a host of Web 2.0 technologies), sometimes the basics get overlooked. If you're not careful, the HTML code your site is built upon could be "under optimized" and therefore passed over by search engine spiders. Because it's "in the background," HTML code can sometimes be the "red-headed stepchild" that's overlooked in lieu of cool graphics, built-in Flash or video players or even complex databases. The bottom line is that in order for your site to be properly analyzed and ranked, your HTML code must be up to par.

Here's a quick list of some common obstacles and solutions for how to work around them:

Obstacle 1: HTML Problems Can Prevent Indexing
Your web designer has created a beautiful page with nice graphics and great Flash animations. Unfortunately, it seems that search engines won’t list your website no matter what you do.

This can have several reasons:

1. The HTML Code Of Your Web Pages Is Meaningless To Search Engines
Search engines use very simple software programs to index your web pages. A web page that looks great to the human eye can be totally meaningless to search engines.

Search engines cannot see content presented in images (GIF, JPEG, PNG, etc.), Flash elements, JavaScript and other script languages or other multimedia file formats. If you use JavaScript links for your website navigation then search engines might not be able to find your website page.

Solution: Check your web pages with a search engine spider simulator. Spider simulators will show you how search engines see your web site.

Obstacle 2: The HTML Code Of Your Web Page Contains Errors
Some HTML errors can prevent search engine spiders from indexing your web pages. While most search engine spiders can deal with minor code errors, some of them will send faulty information to search engine spiders.

For example, your web page could contain a tag at the top of the page that tells search engines “the web page ends here” although your main content has not been reached.

Solution: Check the HTML code of your web pages with an HTML validator tool or a professional-grade HTML or text editor.

Obstacle 3: The HTML Code Of Your Web Pages Doesn’t Contain The Right Elements
If you want to get high rankings for a special keyword then this keyword must appear in the right places on your web page, especially in the body text. For example, it usually helps to use the keyword in the web page title.

Solution: Analyze your page with a professional-grade HTML or text editor and make sure the right keywords are mirrored in the page content.

If you want to get top rankings on Google and other search engines then you must make sure that search engines don’t misunderstand your pages. Use the tips above to make sure that search engines see what you want them to see.

If you have any questions or would like a complimentary consultation on how to optimize your web site to get the best page ranking, feel free to contact Avant Garde today.