Using Freshness to Optimize for MSN - MSN Optimization Basics
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I could summarize MSN optimization basics in one word: content. But then you won't be satisfied. MSN wants key word rich content, unbroken HTML links so that the MSN crawler MSNbot will be able crawl effectively, well ordered HTML, and a hierarchical structure with good use of your H1 and H2 tags (this enables the crawler to view descriptions down the page).
This sounds harder than it actually is; basically all you have to do is avoid heavy pages and put descriptive content on top of your page. The issues are the same for all search engines, but you should keep all this in mind when updating your websites content (and in some cases, overhauling your entire website).
Ideally you should have a site map, since the crawler cannot crawl through links embedded in graphics or animations. You should also ensure that all the pages on your site are close together to help the MSN spider crawl your entire site.
MSNbot also obeys the robots exclusion standards.
Keep all this in mind every time you "freshen up" your content. These may seem like small things, but as chaos theory says, "a butterfly flapping its wings in Brunei, leads to a hurricane in Florida." Small changes could mean the difference between effective updating and updating merely for the sake of looking good (but the point of looking good is really to get good ratings, right?)
Update Your Description Meta Tag
When you update your content, you should also update your description meta tag, since the MSNbot uses part of it in composing a short description of the site. This short description is displayed when MSN displays its SERPs. Every time the MSNbot crawls, it indexes updated content, and generates a new description for it.
Next: Practicing Freshness >>
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