Sep 14 2007
Websites with little content
I am seeing a growing number of websites with great graphics but little content.
I always look at those types of website as a challenge, but they can be marketed. Search Engines like content, text content over graphic images.
First, you have to ask the website owner, why don't you place more content on your home page? The normal answer is that they do not want to take away from the "Look". OK, I understand you want a great looking website, but I will relay what it takes to get a heavily graphics website found in the search engines.
1) Since there is very little content (text on the page), then we cannot expect to be found easily via natural search. We are faced with more methods to get that web site found.
2) We try to optimized with what we have, Titles, Descriptions, and Alt tags if possible. If it is an all flash website, We are limited to the main web page and that's it! You optimize as best you can.
3) The website still needs to be submitted to the search engines like any other site, but we need to focus on incoming links. instead of hundreds, you need to look for thousands of incoming links, especially from higher ranked sites. This is a harder way to get found, but it will work. More higher ranked websites that link to you will help place a greater value on the website. I have seen pure flash websites ranked number 1, but they had tons of incoming links to do it - naturally.
4) If it is a site where you must have traffic, then you have no choice, but to use Pay Per Click with the main search engines, like Google, Yahoo, MSN, ASK, Superpages, and any other main portals that will draw the type of traffic for your particular web site.
5) Once the traffic is coming, you need to evaluate the ROI (return on investment) on a monthly basis to see if the website is drawing the level of return you were expecting. If it isn't make changes, if it is, keep updating the site on a regular basis.
It's not rocket science, but it takes long hard hours to make pure graphic sites show up.
Good luck on your marketing
Smitty
