Promoting Database Driven Web Sites

Promoting DatabaseDriven Web Sites

Laura Thieme – Bizresearch

www.bizresearch.com

614-846-7560

Helping search engines to find, index and rank your database driven content

Chicago SES [email protected] - Bizresearch, Inc. 2

Are Question Marks Okay?• Yes!

– URLs with question marks (?) are okay– URLs with ampersands (&) are okay– URLs with multiple ampersands are okay (1-3 are best)

• Example: http://www.retailerdomainname.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ExecMacro/product/report?style=SET00000&catname=0000&V=Z

– URL, title & description are indexed– Top ranked


Dynamic Versus Static

• Most common question --

• My SEO company is telling me I can’t have dynamic URLs, or URLs with question marks

• Do I have to change my URLs, rewrite them, or create static pages to get ranked in Google?


In most cases…


Need proof?

New: Note decrease –3,360 URLs indexed in GoogleIf you redesign, expect change

Begin Your Research Project•Review URL Structure•Review Search Engine Indices•Review Current Rankings•Review Spider Activity•Determine Target Terms•Optimize•Overcome technology challenges•Monitor Improvements


Promoting Database Driven Sites

• Promotion typically involves:– Site optimization

• Create roadmap• Restructure website’s database interaction• Possible design and content edits

– Data feeds• Shopping search, Google Sitemap, Google Base

– Paid inclusion programs• Yahoo Search Submit Express, Search Submit Pro


Indexed, but not optimizedRevise page heading based on

how people search

Fitted T-Shirts (Tees)


New Page TitleWomens Fitted T Shirts – Womens T Shirts from Champion..


Page Title Updated, Top 20 Ranking

Could Update Page Heading

How often will page update?How often will spiders visit?


Indexed, but notoptimized

Revise Page Title: Gourmet Cashews & Coffee – Pear’s Gourmet


Optimization: Wicker Chairs

• Online store wants to show up for wicker chairs

• Current product called the Sonita Dining Chair

• Change or “optimize” page title to reference “wicker” or target term

• Make sure page is indexed in each search engine for optimization to take effect


What’s A Silvertini?

Originally had title of

SilvertiniAdded “Wallet Pen”

Optimized page title


Ballpoint pen added to each product title


You’ve Optimized, You’re Waiting

• Now what?

• What if you’ve optimized

• Little or no changes take place

• Is it something else?


Getting Your Optimized Pages Indexed

• Add home page links if possible– it’s typically spidered more often than lower level pages

• Add Global/Home Page Footer links• Sign up for Google Sitemaps

– Watch for crawling errors

• Increase links throughout website• Review ranked pages

– Look for patterns– Replicate

• Remember: Indexing doesn’t happen overnight (but can be as little as 5 days in Google)


Your site search engine & URLs• Search engines may choke on some dynamic URLs

generated by your site search engine, depending on the version and the site search engine you have

• If you’re using FAST, review which level of your URLs are getting indexed – Bestbuy.com – 319,000 pages indexed– Some retail sites may not get various pages indexed

regardless of using Google Sitemaps due to other problems)– Use Google Webmaster tools and seek help– a rewrite is

probably very likely


Bestbuy.com & FAST Site Search

• 319,000 pages indexed in Google

• Using new version of FAST’s site search engine

• URL indexed for Microwaves is slightly different than one on live site


Six+ versions of the same URL indexed

• http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=ZE3BPHSTQE3UHKC4D3MVAFY?navLevel=4&type=category&navHistory=cat00000%2Bcat05000%2Bpcmcat67800050008&id=pcmcat67800050017

• http://www.bestbuy.com/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat67800050017&type=category (indexed)


Duplicate Content Potential?


>100 for “microwaves” in Google


Note Google Problems

Allintitle: keyword site:www.yoursite.com


Ecommerce Platform Getting You Down?

• Watch out for ecommerce and content management systems (CMS) that block search engines from spidering, fail to properly redirect, and lack administrative consoles to help you fix the problem

Try Talking to a CMSCustomer Service Rep

Research before you buy….


Organic Changes

• May note faster, better rankings in MSN

• Select keyword phrase improvements in Google, but takes longer to achieve top positions

• Consider optimizing a Yahoo data feed, Froogle where you can affect change faster


Creating Data Feeds

• Retailers– Shopping.com, Froogle, Yahoo Merchant

or Product Submit, Shopzilla data feeds– Yahoo Search Submit Express or Search

Submit Pro

• B2B, Other Sites– Overture Site Match or Site Match

Exchange


DATA FEED REQUIREMENTS

Bizrate / Shopzilla Froogle mySimon Nextag PriceGrabber Shopping Yahoo Shopping Yahoo Search Submit

Product Name R R R R R R R R

Manufacturer Name O X R R R R O R

Manufacturer Part Number/SKU R X O R R R O R

Product Category R R R R R R R R

Product Description O R R R R R O R

Product Price R R R R R R R R

Availability (Inventory Info) O X R O R R O O

Product URL R R R R R R R R

Image URL O R R R R O O O

Shipping Costs O X R O R O O O

Product Condition O X O O R O O O

Product Weight O X O O X O O O

Bid O X O O X O O O

Frequency of Updates unavailable 24 hours 1 time/day 4 times/day 6 times/day 1 time/daymerchant's discretion Every 24 - 48 hours

R: Information is required O: Information is optional X: Not Available

Updated


Which one wins? Dynamic or static content?

• In the event some of you can’t resist testing dynamic versus static pages, consider this

• Which page is easier to update?

• The dynamic one that automatically updates based on database changes or the static one you have to remember to update


Other Technology Challeges

• Site Search Engine– Check the version, the way it’s getting

indexed

• Check your robots.txt file– Can you exclude files that would be

considered duplicate

• Canonical issues, soft 404s


In Summary

• Get indexed – that’s your first objective– Every page if possible or at least your leading pages

• Optimize based on the way people search

• Submit a data feed when appropriate– Optimize your data feeds as well

• Monitor Improvements, Overcome Technology Challenges & BE PERSISTENT

• Penalty? No duplicate content, or over-optimization


Tired of Eating Cold Sandwiches?

• Have a hot buffet lunch & ice cream sundaes & an extended Q&A with Bizresearch’s Laura Thieme– Learn more about Dynamic SEO & Web Analytics

• 12:15 – 2:00 p.m. (Wednesday afternoon)• Lunch tickets required (available to session

attendees)• Limited to 125 attendees


For Those Who Prefer Boxed Lunches

• Full service search marketing agencywith US and European clients

• E-mail: Laura Thieme, [email protected]

• 1-614-846-7560 (EST)Columbus Ohio

• Visit www.bizresearch.com

Documents

Promoting Database Driven Web Sites