Social Media Manager and SEO Consultant, Internet Marketer and Web Designer Kent

It’s 2011 and I still see designers, bloggers and some very big brands creating links that just say… “click here”.  Come on people! Web design books and articles have been talking about this for years.  Basically you shouldn’t create links that just say “click here”.  Let me explain why I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Why you shouldn’t use click here:

• It doesn’t tell the user what to expect when clicking.
• Users have to read all the text surrounding the link.
• A search engine works out what a page is about by the words that link to it.  By not using keywords you’re missing out on improved search engine positions.
• Click implies an action that some users might not have. Some users don’t use a mouse and therefore don’t click.
• Users of screen readers and those with a visual disability will find “click here” useless because they’re unable to see where “here” is and the phrase gives them no hint on what to expect.

By using the words click here you are requiring the user to read all the text around the words.  [Read more...]

With this post I’ll tell you how you can get some free links to your web site.

Even a free link and some page rank juice from Google.

Social media is now very important when it comes to successfully promoting your web site.  When choosing a product or service people will often base their decision on recommendations made by friends.  However, many of the social media sites can also give your web site some page rank juice and move you up the search engine listings.

[Read more...]

I received the following new business enquiry. The email was from a domain belonging to a company selling kitchen worktops:

We are interested in Website Optimization and promotion in UK.
Send us please, your prices for this service, inc. quality backlings.
Website address will give after accepting your conditions.

I didn’t bother replying to their email, however it wasn’t because of their bad grammar.  Anyone know what “Backlings” are?   Are they like ducklings?  Perhaps they are tiny little links.

I did send them a new business enquiry myself… [Read more...]

Every now and then people ask me about programs that are claimed to increase their web site rankings in the search engines. A friend sent me an email today telling me about a new bit of software by Brad Callen, an internet marketer, called “Directory Submitter“. It’s designed to make the process of getting links to your site easier and quicker. Remember, in general, the more links to your web site the better. Reciprocal links (sites that link to each other) are good, but one-way links are better. In general, the search engines will rank your site higher if you have a higher number and more relevant links than your competitor.

The internet is full of directories that list web sites in categories (think Yellow Pages). Some of these directories require you to pay to get listed whilst some are free. The Directory Submitter software enables you to submit to some 1800 free directories getting you those all important links. [Read more...]

Herne Bay Court‘s web site was completed sometime ago. I also launched another new site a few weeks ago on the unusual subject of head lice removal!

RBM Training, a specialist IT trainer for lawyers approached us to completely redesign their web site.  They wanted a classy looking site to promote the company and it’s service to legal firms. Their new site was launched earlier today. [Read more...]

I recently completed a web site for a client. You can see it here: www.elizabethbonnici.co.uk

It’s a fairly basic site with just static web pages. The site is already ranked highly in the big three (Google, Yahoo and MSN) for “fashion consultant kent”.

I’m also near completing a complete redesign of www.hernebaycourt.co.uk. Hope to launch that it the next few days.

SaxonIS have won the contract to design a site for another Kia dealership called Dover Garage. We’ve put together a basic stock listing page at their site Aldershot Kia whilst the main site is designed.

I’ve been asked a couple of times how my entry into the SEO Championships is doing. Unfortunately, I just haven’t had the time to devote to it, however there is progress. I see Google ranks my Globalwarming Awareness2007 site as 73rd although other sites are quoting my site as being as high as 55th. Note that not all of the sites above me are actually eligble as they aren’t new domains. The competition is fierce and it amazes that the top site owners have time to get so many links. For further information on how the site is doing go to www.globalwarmingawareness2007comp.com