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Needing SEO and content strategy advice

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    vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    Google has visited your site... cache on May 12th
    amp;rls=HPIA,HPIA:2006-34,HPIA:en&q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fw ww.mycreditstrategy.com%2F
    ~Roland
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    All,These days, it`s essential to know CSS (backwards and forwards) if you`re designing/creating a website.
    nhgnikole     makes an excellent point about the role XML plays (and will continue to play) in the semantic web. As web developers, we are obligated to understand the concepts of the semantic web if we are to push web development to the next level.I can suggest an excellent book on CSS (I have no financial interest in this book): CSS MasteryThere are a number of superb sites which help folks understand the logic and syntax of properly designed CSS sites. I will post a list of these tomorrow when I am fully awake. For now, you can make a good start by exploring the resources at this site: CSS Beauty Cheers,Patrick
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    Hey Craig,The semantic web is an approach to web development which recognizes the importance of how web content is understood, interpreted and used by web apps. If the web is ultimately a knowledge exchange medium, then it is vital that the way we construct web pages adheres to a logic which serves this  information exchange as much as it allows us to format pages to look nice and please the  aesthetic eye. I`m a big fan of WikiPedia, so I`ll point you to the definition there: Semantic WebCheers,Patrick
    pkamm2007-5-18 2:23:35
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    vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    At this point, though, with so many people believing that to write content for human understanding is as simple as walking into a wall, I wonder how important a "semantic web" really is going to be?
    Hahaha   great expression!
    There is a continual discussion (in various forums, blogs, etc) around 100% validated code, CSS, standards, and "just" making a site that works...a site that the viewer can understand and "connect" to. Similarly, there is a debate about SEO versus having good, customer focused content.
    While I do not suggest people should abandon sound coding and SEO practices, I do think it is very important that more attention should be given to the content of a website. The relevance of the content. How the content is presented, written, and engages the target viewer.
    The bottom line is for a website to be effective/successful, the viewer needs to be able to connect to the content and find what they are seeking be it a widget, a solution to their problem, or an answer.
    SEO may help get the viewer to the site, validated code may reduce some spider issues, and CSS may help the maintenance of a site, but effectively written and presented content with intuative navigation is what opens the door and invites customers to return.
    ~Roland
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    CreditMogulCreditMogul subscriber Posts: 1
    So in that case, even though I do plan to keep improving my SEO and CSS skills, how do you guys feel about my content, do you have any advice there?  Is it easy to read, should I have more images, etc.I believe my website is content-rich, especially when compared to other cookie cutter credit card sites. It should be a pretty good experiment to see if that, along with a little SEO, can get people into the site from search engines.
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    No doubt that effective communication is vital in any medium.Having said that, it`s no less important to understand the medium itself. For example, an effective TV commercial is as much about effective writing as it is about a solid understanding of film and video art, performance art, graphics skills, and audio skills. It`s a rich medium that requires a greater skill-set to be effective.In the same way, the web is a richer medium than a simple printed word medium. Having excellent writing skills is necessary but not sufficient for the web. CSS and XML are a bit like the grammar and syntax of web content. One of the best examples of a well-organized, effective site I know is from folks who are continually emphasizing the importance of the semantic web. Take a look and see what you think: www.alistapart.comCheers.
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    So, CreditMogul, the way that the semantic web may relate to your question is when you look at your layout and its organization.Your page makes extensive use of graphics, many of which have an equal value (vie for the same level of attention from the user). The one which really stands out (the big globe and hand) is not particularly clear or effective. With good CSS, you can eliminate all the graphics you are using for text, giving them appropriate weight, and making the maintenance of the page far easier. The graphic of the woman for Links doesn`t make sense to me. You may not need to pack so much information onto the home page (white space can be your friend).The "Make Thousands with 0% Balance Transfers" is effective, and should perhaps play larger role, along with the name of your site.My $0.02Cheers.
    pkamm2007-5-18 17:56:44
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    Wow, Craig, I`m surprised  that you found it difficult to know what the site was all about. For me, I have an excellent test to see if a site meets the first basic rule. I go to the site and notice what`s the most prominent element on the page. If that element tells me something basic about what the site is all about, then the designers have at least passed a most basic necessity for an effective site. So, for this site I would suggest that the graphic element in the upper left with the name of the site, the issue number, and a quick blurb about who the site is for, is the most prominent element on the page. No?Beyond that, it`s about effective navigation elements (in this case, 6 basic areas are clearly situated and linked at the top).  The heads and subheads and links are all given a different value (weight/color) to quickly indicate the hierarchy. The page is not cluttered.All of these things are developed with a clear understanding of how folks process and use content on a web page. These designers and content developers know their medium forwards and backwards.I might add, the articles themselves are well-written and  are  quite informative for someone wanting to know more about the semantic web and the important role it plays  in web development.There`s much to learn from this site.Cheers.
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    To each his own.Perhaps you can share an example of a website which you feel is particularly effective, and explain why?
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    Amazon is a relatively good example. And, what makes Amazon work so well has nothing to do with well-written prose. It`s much more about well-designed navigation, good use of categories, hierarchies and searches, and especially it`s social networking design. In fact, it`s really the social networking aspect of Amazon`s user experience that sets it apart.
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    Hmmm... sorry Craig. I can`t really agree that Wikipedia is either particularly well-written nor a reliable source of information. It`s a cool idea. The "collective wisdom" and all. But it`s got a ways to go before it becomes a stellar example of well-written prose--or even a reliable source of information. (By the way, much of Wikipedia is now full of editorial oversight, precisely because they`ve begun to realize their shortcomings.)I like the philosophy behind sites like Wikipedia and encourage their growth. (I have installed a MediaWiki wiki [the opensource wiki software of Wikipedia] at our university`s Center for Teaching & Learning.) But I am wary of the potential for dis-information from these types of enterprises. Do we want our wisdom to be defined by folks who simply have more free time to make more posts at these social hubs?Cheers.
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    pkammpkamm subscriber Posts: 2
    I don`t follow your logic, but I do admit that you have created more posts.
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    JDawgJDawg subscriber Posts: 4
    I don`t follow your logic, but I do admit that you have created more posts.
    Craig, I respect ya man but you have to admit that is pretty funny!!!
    The one thing about Craig, he can really help you put your thinking cap on~
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