1. Designing for Search Engines MIS 314 MIS 314 Mr. David Auer

2. Overview Why Design for Search Engines Why Design for Search Engines What users want from a search engine What users want from a search engine Google Google Market share Market share How Google Works How Google Works PageRank PageRank Search Engine spamming Search Engine spamming Design features to Avoid Design features to Avoid

3. Why Design for Search Engines E-commerce E-commerce Traffic = Sales = $$$ Traffic = Sales = $$$ Very effective marketing method Very effective marketing method Free!!! Free!!! Effective Design Effective Design Best to be in top 10 Best to be in top 10 Few users look past first page of results Few users look past first page of results

4. Market Share 65%Google 65%Google 16%Yahoo 16%Yahoo 11%MSN/Bing 11%MSN/Bing 3%AOL 3%AOL 2%ASK 2%ASK 3%all others 3%all others Aug. 2009 SearchEngineWatch.com

5. What Users Want from a Search 1. Comprehensive index 2. Relevant ranking of results Millions of pages containing keywords Millions of pages containing keywords Which get listed first? Which get listed first?

6. How Google Ranks Results 1. Relevance Page contains keywords Page contains keywords “Bellingham hotels” “Bellingham hotels” Location & frequency of keywords in page Location & frequency of keywords in page 2. Importance PageRank - measure of page importance PageRank - measure of page importance Based upon number of inbound links Based upon number of inbound links Importance of linking sites Importance of linking sites

7. How Google Works 1. Relevance Page contains some or all of keywords Page contains some or all of keywords Number of times keywords used Number of times keywords used More is better More is better Location of keywords in page Location of keywords in page Page title Page title URL URL Headings Headings Depth Depth Font size Font size etc. etc. Example: Bellingham Real Estate Example: Bellingham Real EstateBellingham Real EstateBellingham Real Estate

8. How Google Works

9. 2. Page Importance PageRank PageRank Measure of a page’s “importance” Measure of a page’s “importance” Popularity index Popularity index Each incoming link adds PageRank Each incoming link adds PageRank Amount added: Amount added: PageRank of linking page divided by PageRank of linking page divided by Number of links on page Number of links on page

10. Page Rank Chrome Page Rank Extension Chrome Page Rank Extension

11. Page Rank

12. How to Be Well Ranked Keyword placement: Keyword placement: Prominent locations Prominent locations Page title – very important! Page title – very important! Headings Headings Near top Near top Use frequently Use frequently Keywords in domain name Keywords in domain name Meta tags? Meta tags?

13. How to Be Well Ranked Selecting keywords Selecting keywords Need to be relevant to site Need to be relevant to site Try to use specific and/or unusual phrases Try to use specific and/or unusual phrases “Chris Sandvig” vs. “Faculty & staff” “Chris Sandvig” vs. “Faculty & staff” Model names, numbers, ISBN, etc. Model names, numbers, ISBN, etc. Maximize PageRank Maximize PageRank Develop incoming links Develop incoming links Avoid leaking PageRank to other sites Avoid leaking PageRank to other sites

14. How to Be Well Ranked Human sacrifice Human sacrifice

15. Example “Bellingham Real Estate” “Bellingham Real Estate” Keywords: Keywords: Page title Page title Domain name Domain name Headings Headings Text Text metaTags metaTags PageRank PageRank PR 3 PR 3 Links: link:http://realestate.bellingham.net/ Links: link:http://realestate.bellingham.net/link:http://realestate.bellingham.net/

16. Search Engine Spamming Trying to “trick” search engine for higher page rank Trying to “trick” search engine for higher page rank Many techniques Many techniques Repeat words many times Repeat words many times Use popular but irrelevant words Use popular but irrelevant words sex, Brittany Spears, … sex, Brittany Spears, … Text same color as background Text same color as background Gateway pages Gateway pages Auto-redirects Auto-redirects Hidden links Hidden links Risk Risk Search engines will ban site from index Search engines will ban site from index Difficult to get back in Difficult to get back in Google Punishes JC Penny for Gaming Search Google Punishes JC Penny for Gaming Search Google Punishes JC Penny for Gaming Search Google Punishes JC Penny for Gaming Search

17. Google Bombing Tricking Google’s index Tricking Google’s index Examples (Sept. 2006): Examples (Sept. 2006): miserable failure miserable failure miserable failure miserable failure Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons of Mass Destruction How: couple dozen people How: couple dozen people Links on web page Links on web page Distinctive phrase: “miserable failure” Distinctive phrase: “miserable failure” SRC: official Bush bio. SRC: official Bush bio.

18. Design features to Avoid Can cause problems: Can cause problems: Forms Forms Google’s spiders attempt to submit forms Google’s spiders attempt to submit forms Don’t count on it Don’t count on it Frames Frames Flash Flash Images without alt tags Images without alt tags JavaScript redirects JavaScript redirects Near identical pages Near identical pages

19. Additional Information SearchEngineWatch.com SearchEngineWatch.com Surveys, statistics, tips Surveys, statistics, tips WebmasterWorld.com WebmasterWorld.com Google World forum Google World forum Google World forum Google World forum Observation Observation Do some searches Do some searches Look at design features of top ranking sites Look at design features of top ranking sites

20. Summary Search engines want relevant content Search engines want relevant content Gain customers Gain customers Effective designs Effective designs Use key words effectively Use key words effectively Build PageRank Build PageRank Avoid Avoid being banned for spamming being banned for spamming Frames, Flash and other problem-prone design features Frames, Flash and other problem-prone design features