Mike@TradeSite

Thanks for the feedback, and actually since posting the question - I followed the approach anyway on the project that I mentioned, and it certainly seems to have done the trick. I got some pretty quick results on the new content when I finally pushed it out. Some page one results on the targetted keywords and locales within a few days after having done tweaks previously as mentioned. Payday - it certainly seems that constant "tinkering" is a good thing! Cheers, Mike

I guess it must have been a boring question - NOBODY got an opinion? I've bumped it because I've be given my first SEO project which raises a similar question in my mind. So I'm hoping a slightly different scenarion might elicit some response. I'm redeveloping the content on a site for a client to be (hopefully) more SEO friendly, it'll take me a week or so. The original site was OK, but had seriously weak keyword density. I've focussed the clients aims to fewer key areas where he wants to make in-roads. So I was thinking in paralell to the main content dredevelopment work I could do some small incremental updates to the existing site regularly for a week or so prior to re-releasing the refreshed site. (Updating the Title and description for example) Will that get the search engines to crawl the main update a bit quicker when I do do it, because it gets used to the site being "fresh"? That's the thought in my tiny brain, but have no idea whether it works like that. Someone must have an opinion - surely (Thanks !!) Cheers, Mike

Cool - I live on Mountain Dew whenever I visit the US - love the stuff gotta try it out! Hope I won't be dissapointed

Hi, As far as I have read so far, text links (good descriptive anchor text) are best, but also Image links with decent relevant descriptive alt text are also OK. What I haven't understood fully is whether one of those is REALLY better than the other. You can stuff keywords into alt text of an image link without affecting the user experience too much, so part of me thinks that each of these has equal merit depending on the situation. So in a forum situation - I guess it depends on whether you have control over alt text or not.... Since this forum is NOFOLLOW - then irrelevant here I guess!! Hope that helps a little! Mike

Lots of experienced folks here, and I just wondered if I can get your opinion on whether gradual updating of a site is better than one massive update. Here's the context, I launched a client site last month and the text content was a little rushed. Anyway, it's for a Windows, Doors etc.. company and afterwards we realised that people will likely search for "replacement windows". (as well as just windows, double glazing etc..) Now the word "windows" is mentioned a lot - but we hadn't included "replacement" much. So I can easily update the site and keep the copy good to include that word in a number of places (headers, links etc...), but I was thinking about Google liking sites that are updated regularly, so will it be beneficial for me to just make small incremental updates to the site over the period of a couple of weeks say, or is that not helping my clients cause? Will it just be better to get all of the improved content up there ASAP. (since it is only for SEO purposes and does not really change the customer experience that much) Thanks for any thoughts on that! Just like to hear what others think. Cheers, Mike

Dragging up an old thread - sorry - but no mention of Dogtanian and the Three Muskahounds !?!?!! "One for all and all for one, Muskahounds are always ready" !!!... Class....

Thanks folks. I'll not sit back then. I'll keep working on it. I was going for an old-fashioned red-top tabloid look with the black / red / greyscale, but if it's not easy on the eye then I've missed the point. Cheers, Mike

Hi Folks, Joined up a few weeks ago and got some useful feedback that my site was a bit TOO simple. As a background, I'm aiming a fairly basic service towards local tradespeople to get them online. A lot of these guys want a site, but find it very confusing. SEO, hosting, domains etc.. are alien language. So I want to keep it simple, but at the same time the intial feedback was that it was a little TOO simple, lacking in navigation options and frankly dull!!! What do you think now? (Yes STILL Times New Roman .. and deliberatly so !!!) http://trade-site.co.uk Thanks for your thoughts! Mike

Wife spends a while on facebook, just reading about inane stuff that other people seem to feel the need to comment about. It's kinda quite interesting in a "Hello magazine" kind of way I suppose. But must admit personally the social networking stuff leaves me a bit cold. I email, or shock horror - actually speak with somebody I use MySpace to host the few tracks I've recorded, but only really as a place to keep the music rather than actually wanting anyone to listen to it. Don't care about the ads and clunkiness - is serves a purpose. As previous posters say - horses for course. They all have their uses in different ways. Just social networking is not really my cup of tea.

That's nice - I like that one

Thanks for the opinion! I'll bear that in mind. Cheers.

This was a "Tube" special I think. Had it recorded on Betamax!!! You'll have to click to find out what though hehehehehehe....

Haha ... yeah OK

If I've understood you right, it's a bit like sellers on Ebay who often put "NOT Brand X" in their descriptions so that if you are searching for "Brand X" you'll get their results. Just think to yourself - do you ever look at these when you realise the "scam". No ... frankly it's a waste of time, as a previous poster mentions, you'll get your visibility up in Google but to what end..??

Hi folks, I haven't coded with ASP for about 7 years. I used to do some reasonable DB driven stuff (from a functionality point of view anyway) backk in the day. I was just wondering from you regulars on here, how much has it changed in that time. Is it still current, would I be able to just pick up where I left off do you think? Thanks for opinions, not sure I'll get back into doing that stuff anyway - but just interested to see how out of date my knowledge might be. God I feel old !!!!

Well you could start in the Web Design Tutorials section of this forum ;-) There is some photoshop stuff there ! Little bit down the first page. It's under Other Resources ---> Web Design Tutorials ....

Anyone doesn't know the 80's will be lost by this one... Batman arrives a the scene of a crime but has left his utility belt behind. He picks up the nearest weapon he can see, which happens to be a vase. He bashes the baddie over the head with it yelling "Tapow......." The baddie rubs his head and says "Don't you mean Kapow?...." Batman replys "No - I've got China in My Hand"...

Hi Linksy, Well firstly a bit of practice with standard HTML isn't a bad place to start. CSS sort of just passed me by and I'm only just picking it up now to be fair, but doesn't stop me getting on. What else are you familiar with? If you've got the basic idea of how to construct pages, using images and making links then that's a big part of it for small basic sites. You can do some good looking stuff that way. You can catch up with CSS as you go along IMHO and there's bound to be plenty info to be found on our good friend google!! Good luck in your journey! Mike

Sorry don't know any packages for a MAC, but I'm sure someone on this forum knows! Welcome BTW :-)

Be careful using (what I can only assume) are images protected by the individuals. I don't know the details but this was my first reaction, chances may be small, but I guess you could get hassle from using Ronaldinho's image without permission? Having said that - card looks clean and professional without those pictures, so pretty good apart from that!!

21.4 .. I just felt stupid!

Liking it .. good job

I think we agree about pricing actually then, just how to "package" it to some customers is the trick. I read a bit more context in the original post - because I deal with these "maintenance" type guys quite often and you just have to package it up sometimes to not confuse them!! Cheers for clarifying!

Yep - have a good portfolio and don't underestimate the importance of your own communication skills. Research any potential employer and potential job so you can almost go in to interview situations as if you've been doing the job. Often times you'll miss the mark - but it's the commitment and enthusiasm that counts as much as your skill set. I've employed people all across europe in a past life and that's what I was always looking for. Skills can always be improved - attitude has to be there. Hope that helps! I learnt that the hard way 20 - odd years ago when I thought the world owed me a living ;-) Welcome.... by the way...

You have to strike a balance between what you would like to get for your work and what people are willing to pay. Dare I say you need to know when to compromise on certain aspects of the job to fit the requirement and budget. You mention working for a general maintenance person - that's the sort of market I'm going for but it also implies smaller budget work. My experience so far is extremely varied from folks that have NO CLUE what they want - except a web site. And others who have very clear ideas because they have researched. But there are so many variables. Do they already have a logo? Do they have their own pictures. Have they researched competitor sites themselves and know what they want to say. I see Zach's point about £200 or so being a rip off for three pages, but only if you are given everything on a plate. But if you are sourcing some content, pulling together pictures, spending time picking a logo with your client as well as probably advising on and securing a domain name for them then quickly £300 will seem like a good deal. Any way - I personally pitch a starter basic site at £100 pounds but am careful to be really clear about the scope of that and so far I've averaged around the £350 mark. (for three jobs so statisically irrelevant!!!!) In summary you sound like you're on the right track IMHO.