A Search Engine Optimizer`s New Year`s Resolutions

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A Search Engine Optimizer's New Year's Resolutions: With the ringing in of the New Year, I resolve to become a better search engine optimizer (SEO).Below is a list of resolutions that I have made in order to make my clients' web sites the absolute best on the web.

* I will not use flash as text.
o Even though many search engines can now read some of the text embedded in flash, flash sites do not perform as well in search engine results as non-flash sites. Flash should primarily be used to enhance sites; in the same way one would use pictures to make the site look better.

* I will not use images as text.
o Although I personally believe that text in images will be read by search engines by the end of 2006, we are not there just yet. As it now stands, image text is invisible to search engines and therefore should not be used in that capacity.

* I will use good usability techniques.
o Usability is simple to test. Get three friends to complete a task on your site as you silently watch and take notes (have them talk out loud too). You will be amazed as to what you find. Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html)has a good introduction to usability.

* I will not use cloaking.
o Cloaking is frowned upon by search engines. Once they catch you, you will get penalized (or in some instances, banned).

* I will not use frames unless I have a REALLY good reason to.
o Frames complicate things for the search engine. There are very few good reasons to use frames and thus they should be avoided whenever possible.

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