Website design issues do affect a site's rankings

by Craig Mazur - Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved

August 1, 2006 Updated: February 6, 2007

Determining why a Web site will not rank well can be a complex issue. It can take several days to completely diagnose the possible range of problems with a average size Web site. Part of the issue is that proper search engine optimization techniques are not taught in Web design classes, so many designers unwittingly search engine build barriers into Web site designs. We still hear from designers who were taught that meta tags are the key to better search engine rankings. Techniques like that may have worked in the 1990s, but have been hopelessly ineffective since then.

Two major components of good search engine rankings

First, all the issues that can lead to search engine penalties must be identified and corrected. Many Web sites that do not rank well have accumulated penalties that each reduce a site's natural rankings. We've seen simple issues, such as linking to a banned Web site, reduce a site's rank positions in Google by 30 to 50 positions. Other issues, such as hidden text, hidden links or spammy, keyword-stuffed content can have a similar effect. Given the current problems with Supplemental Result penalties, a number of issues can cause individual pages to essentially become banished from Google search results. A large percentage of penalties are related to common techniques used by Webmasters, designers and developers for many years. Sometimes these techniques are very logical and not intended cheat search engines in any way, but nonetheless are in violation of a search engine guideline and therefore are subject to possible penalization.

The second major component is to make sure that all of the elements that search engine spiders look for are in place. A site must have a good linking structure, good informational content and themed pages. There are dozens of other on-page and off-page factors that each contribute to better ranking positions. All of these elements must be properly configured to maximize the opportunities for higher ranking positions. Barriers, such as JavaScript or Macromedia Flash menus, must be removed or circumvented. Poorly written or excessive HTML code can also reduce a website's potential. Inbound links from relevant sites play a role. The list of factors is lengthy and many factors are different from one search engine to the next, or they are moving targets due to changing ranking algorithms.

The best way to identify these issues is with a proper and thorough Web site evaluation. A good site review looks at over 100 factors that either hurt or help a site's search engine performance. Resolving the issues puts a website on the path to better rankings and higher levels of free traffic from search engines.

Top Rank Solutions is located near Phoenix in Mesa, Arizona. We offer personalized Web site evaluation services, search engine optimization and SEO training for companies throughout the United States.