Tuning Up Your Web Site
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Sometimes web sites are like cars. You can have a site that looks gorgeous from the outside, but if it's under-performing and not getting you where you want to go, it might be time for a tune up - or even a complete overhaul. Read on for your own care and maintenance guide.
Regular readers of SEO Chat will know that I recently discussed a series of tips on doing SEO that some might consider a little unorthodox. One of the tips advised readers to engage in regular site redesign - say every six months to a year - for a variety of reasons. This got me thinking about how one would approach redesigning a web site for SEO purposes.
To begin with, an important part of SEO as a discipline involves getting the details right. Admittedly, I say that as someone who has read a lot about the subject; I've never optimized a web site beyond writing articles and making sure they stayed on topic. But most of the information I've read on SEO, whether it's been from books, forum posts, blogs, articles, or what have you, has emphasized the "little things" that make a big difference.
It's good to have a checklist, because it's easy to miss certain things. Beyond that, though, you might need to be prepared to rethink certain aspects of your web site, especially if you simply built it and left it in a state of benign neglect for several months, figuring it will do its job. I compared a web site to a car in the introduction, but really, it's more like a pet: you need to feed it, water it, take it for walks, be alert to when it's not feeling well...the list goes on and on.
So how do you know if your site really needs an overhaul? Start by checking your search engine referral and site traffic figures. You want to get several months' worth of figures. Chart your progress. Are these figures growing? And just as importantly, are site visitors doing what you want them to do (i.e. converting, buying products, ordering newsletters)? If not, it's time to get your site up on jacks, break out the tool kit, open the hood, and get to work.
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