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Damned if you do, Damned if you don't: Website Design for Search Engines and People  

:: Monday, April 05, 2004 ::

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't: Website Design for Search Engines and People

Quick! Find the search field on the Yahoo! homepage! You know it's there somewhere, amongst the directory, ads, news, business services, "More Yahoo!", marketplace, etc. Now, compare this busy page with Google's homepage. It's obvious which one emphasizes its SEARCH function.

Both sites link to all kinds of related hubs. But only one makes its site truly user friendly, by being focused on one main task, not 35, as soon as you arrive.

You can quickly tell what Google has to offer. Nicely tucked into the page, surrounded by lots of white space, are links to some, but not all, of the sections that Google provides. Everyone is so used to the most vital properties being listed on any homepage that they assumed that when Google replaced their ODP-fed Directory with Froogle, as a key homepage link, this meant doom for the Directory.

Not so. Google offers not one, but TWO ways to find the other things it provides. There is a "more" link, and "New Google tools help you find things even faster." One link is more descriptive than the other. "More" jumps to a page that's a top level hub page to nearly all the goodies inside the Google site, including "About Google" and "HelpCenter". This page is how most webmasters would design a homepage. The more detailed text link, on the other hand, takes the visitor to a differently styled page, called "Whats New", which is narrowly focused on just the various search-type tools and approaches to search Google offers.

Either way, the visitor will quickly find something useful, and will remain true to their original task. Which is searching.

To understand how this relates to your website, ask yourself two questions. What is the MAIN purpose of my website. And, what is the MAIN task I want them to perform from my site? If the leading reason for the website's existence is to sell goods or services, then call to action links and content are required from the homepage. Start selling when they arrive, not as an afterthought or once they've navigated several pages deeper into the site. And, don't start chattering about different things all at once or linking here, there and everywhere. This is confusing to people and search engines.

Note how Google stayed on task and subject with very little content or distractions.

Most website owners are torn between meeting the needs of their website visitors and those of search engine crawlers. It's especially heartbreaking to fall in rank, or suddenly disappear from SERPS. Ecommerce sites with user traffic that plays hide and seek are struggling to find the right mix for customer satisfaction and search engine rank.

If you were a search engine crawler, what would you think is the main purpose of the Yahoo! site? You would likely say, "Duh, it's a search site." Now, ask yourself, what can I search for from Yahoo!? Here is where Yahoo!'s user interface breaks down. There are countless types of tasks that can be performed, from finding stores to news, and a mind boggling variety of ways to accomplish these tasks.

Google offers the same functions, but eases the searcher into it. The visitor is led down the yellow brick road with suggested possible stops for related tasks that may useful or interesting. For example, Google's About Us page looks more like a sitemap, with descriptions placed beneath categories. This is persusasive design. The key is that the user won't get lost, distracted, confused or frustrated. Google is guiding their visitor or doing the "May I interest you in..." type of design, not throwing them into hompage quicksand.

A related article to what I'm writing about is Are you publishing too much on your website?, By Gerry McGovern

     Most organizations do a relatively poor job of managing their core content. Adding non-core content eats up precious time and money that could be better spent. The cost to readers is that such content distracts them. Generally, when people come to your website they are on a mission. If the mission is to buy your product, you don't want to distract them in any way."

Elsewhere:

Interview with Andy Beal of WebSourced Inc.

     I also see personalization of search results becoming the next step in search technology. I'd love to have the option of letting my favorite search engine remember what type of results I prefer, where my location is and how does my search relate to the other tasks I have been doing on my computer. Some people get nervous about letting the search engines know too much, but I personally want a better experience. If that means giving the search engines more information, in a secure way, why wouldn't I want to do it?

Yahoo! is riding Google's beh...oh, never mind. Yahoo promotion upgrades e-mail for some

WMW still does it in pubs. Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Informal Conference in Marbella, Spain - April 23-25

     The first edition of “Webmasters in the Sun” conference is to be held April 23 – 25 in Marbella, Malaga, Spain. Envisioned as a more laid back, relaxed and informal version of a webmarketing get-together type conferences, Webmasters in the Suns’ aim is to bring together like minded internet marketing professionals from across the globe to meet “on the beach” over a weekend, exchanging the tips and tricks of the trade.

Best wishes Brent, Susan and gang at WebPosition. NetIQ (WebTrends) to purchase WebPosition

     "FirstPlace Software(tm) has entered into a definitive agreement with NetIQ Corporation whereby NetIQ will acquire the WebPosition(r) product line and business. The transaction is expected to close later this week."

:: posted by Kim Krause Berg on 4/05/2004 10:37:18 AM

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