Hi all, I have been asked to do an events organizer site, which i thought was a good time to try something a little more visual.

 

This is no where near finished nor styled or cross browser conpatable (not tried really) and is vary bare as i need to think of some other ways of adding content but please give your opinion of the idea ( nav bar really and theme)

 

regards, Phil.

 

http://www.actwebdesigns.co.uk/www.specialforyou.co.uk/

also seems to be oddly skipping cufon when it chooses too....

Hi all, I have been asked to do an events organizer site, which i thought was a good time to try something a little more visual.

 

This is no where near finished nor styled or cross browser conpatable (not tried really) and is vary bare as i need to think of some other ways of adding content but please give your opinion of the idea ( nav bar really and theme)

 

regards, Phil.

 

http://www.actwebdesigns.co.uk/www.specialforyou.co.uk/

 

 

Tell you what, i love the balloons

Thank you, i did too untill mi missus told me she thought it looked tacky...

Thank you, i did too untill mi missus told me she thought it looked tacky...

 

The balloons are excellent, KEEP THE Baloons, you need to try and build another template though, and text should be text not an image btw, bad for SEO

The balloons are excellent, KEEP THE Baloons, you need to try and build another template though, and text should be text not an image btw, bad for SEO

 

I like input its a good method to keep the thoughts and adeas ticking over, but Shaun Childerley, I've been doing this for many moons and take a closer look at what your saying. I know more about SEO than you you do about breathing.

 

But as always, ill take onboard everything

 

EDIT: since i was nine, i've never used a template...

I like input its a good method to keep the thoughts and adeas ticking over, but Shaun Childerley, I've been doing this for many moons and take a closer look at what your saying. I know more about SEO than you you do about breathing.

 

But as always, ill take onboard everything

 

EDIT: since i was nine, i've never used a template...

 

 

Ok no worrys I was told that text over images are no good but your an seo expert.. so you may be right

I love this design.

Ok no worrys I was told that text over images are no good but your an seo expert.. so you may be right

 

What I mean my own chappy is as a designer, and potential developer, you should look further than your eyes... take another look

I love this design.

 

Thank you good man, im trying to make it work ( in a design and non off putting sense ) we will see what happens.

Just done a tiny update..

also could someone tell me if cufon is working in IE7 or 6 as i dont trust IE Tester any more lol.

Sorry but I'm not a fan of the site. It looks more like a birthday invitation than a website, it doesn't have any real layout or substance. I know that the transparent part between the two lines is the layout, but I'm just 'not feeling it', as SmoothOnline said before.

 

 

I think the illustrations that have been done on the balloons are very good, but they're too big a part of the site for me and they just tip over the edge, I'm sure this could be executed a little better.

 

You should always remember that less is more.

 

A website that has large illustrations and executes it well is Envira Media, you should head there and you'll see what I mean. Everything on that just feels right.

Looks great! New design is far better than the first version you posted up. Loving the balloons.

@Shaun - view the page source!

 

EDIT: Just tested in IE with VirtualBox - the Cufon seems to work fine in IE6 and 7, but in IE6 there's the transparency issue with the balloons.

Sorry but I'm not a fan of the site. It looks more like a birthday invitation than a website, it doesn't have any real layout or substance. I know that the transparent part between the two lines is the layout, but I'm just 'not feeling it', as SmoothOnline said before.

 

 

I think the illustrations that have been done on the balloons are very good, but they're too big a part of the site for me and they just tip over the edge, I'm sure this could be executed a little better.

 

You should always remember that less is more.

 

A website that has large illustrations and executes it well is Envira Media, you should head there and you'll see what I mean. Everything on that just feels right.

 

why have they got the ground on it's side but the clouds set at the top... but thats a nit pick, very nice site. Will take your comments on board.

Looks great! New design is far better than the first version you posted up. Loving the balloons.

@Shaun - view the page source!

 

EDIT: Just tested in IE with VirtualBox - the Cufon seems to work fine in IE6 and 7, but in IE6 there's the transparency issue with the balloons.

 

 

Just sortted the transparency sorry. Thanks for the comments.

Transparency working now - if you're looking for nitpicks then at 1024x768 the red balloon overlaps part of "You" in the main title.

I personally quite like it, the only thing I'm not too sure of is the font you've used otherwise looks good!

The balloons do my nut in! but then I am really not keen on moving stuff unless it has a smooth transition and is subtle, just my personal preference. I would also prefer cleaner colours ie more of a sky blue in the backgrounds and a less muddy red etc for the balloons.

Transparency working now - if you're looking for nitpicks then at 1024x768 the red balloon overlaps part of "You" in the main title.

 

 

Think I've sorted it now, thanks for the heads up!

If you've been doing it so long how come you're asking us?

 

 

Don't be mean to new people.

 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing it when you've come up with futher development

 

Hey, don't go all emotional on me I simply implying that for someone who was intending to give me advise OR criticism, then I think he/she should know what they are talking about. I mean, I wouldn't tell someone in the C# department that they've scripted up wrong when I don't know much on the subject.

 

I ask for reviews for the same reason as everyone else.. I like opinions. No point in creating a site if I cant display it and talk shop about it!

 

I was also challenging him to dig deep and find out what I was talking about, im not a mean man.

 

P.S. I've moved it to www.special4you.co.uk

Just out of interest why are you redirecting the domain so it opens the home page from a sub-folder?

Just out of interest why are you redirecting the domain so it opens the home page from a sub-folder?

 

using the 301 redirect to a sub folder with selected keywords in the name, then not telling Google about www.domainname.com but of domainname.com/keyword-keyword-/keyword-keyword.php increase page ranking.

Mmmmm! Yes but also causes visitor confusion. Not a method I have seen recommended elsewhere, have you found it works? Any examples.

Mmmmm! Yes but also causes visitor confusion. Not a method I have seen recommended elsewhere, have you found it works? Any examples.

 

i am from a LARGE town small city of Mansfield. A landscaper rings and wants a site terrafirma.info ( his company name ) I sugested working around the keywords "Landscapers Mansfield" as what is I have found if someone who wants a Landscaper who lives in Mansfield.

 

if you type in "landscapers mansfield" in google it is #1.

 

Google provides a good example of url SEO.

 

Say you want a green sleeveless jumper. a good SEO url would be

 

www.jumpers.com/jumpers/sleeveless/green/index.php

 

Even better would be

 

www.jumpers.com/green/sleeveless/jumper/

 

and even better would be

 

www.jumpers.com/green/sleeveless/jumper/green-sleeveless-jumper.php

 

coincidentally if you type in green sleeveless jumper into google

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PRIMARK-BLUE-AND-GREEN-SLEEVELESS-JUMPER-SWEATER-VEST_W0QQitemZ260520228358QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWomen_s_Clothing?hash=item3ca8373606

 

comes up #1.

 

GREEN-SLEEVELESS-JUMPER

 

Yet the url might look ugly, sod it! I've just hit number 1!

 

 

look at number 4 spot

 

http://www.bizrate.co.uk/mensjumperssweaters_waistcoats/colour--green/styles--sleeveless/fashions-&-trends--logo/products__att1162--2723-__att676509--265146-__att676626--257495-.html

 

mensjumperssweaters_waistcoats/colour--green/styles--sleeveless/

 

not the best it could be writen but still hitting number 4

You say Google gives examples of seo url and indeed it does but as far as i know it does not recommend what you are doing, if it does please do provide me with the link. The advice given is to write your urls not as /subpages/page1.php but as /design/graphic-design.php for example.

The biggest thing about SEO that i've found is that there is no set way to do it. When I startted my site 2-3 months ago I was not ranked for my keywords. 1month later i was on page 12, 2 months page 5 now on top of page 2. SEO is basically like coding an application. There are always work arounds and whatever works and ticks all boxes as acceptable is good SEO. Google bot is only a long string of code at the end of the day and code can alway, ALWAYS be bypassed. Trial and error thats what SEO is. And good development is taking the norm and modifying it.

 

EDIT: like I said, SEO is trial and error, if you believe everything what you read on the net you'll get nowhere. Imagine evey developer on the planet stopping typing for 1 day and go right, we need to do our SEO like this, how this says.. EVERYONE would have "good" SEO so how would Google decide what goes where and how? rely on backlinks? What if everyone had the same amount of backlinks? All theoretically speaking but still, someone would have to break the mold eventually and try something else that is not written in stone and would eventually get somewhere.

 

If I was you I wouldn't even believe me! I would try it, test it, and see what happens. If that didn't work whats next?

 

"OOOooooo whatever you do don't wrap keywords in a tag and put display:none;"......

 

why? why is everyone reading that this is bad... How many folk have got content sliders on there page? google bot crawls javaless therefor has no way of changing some to display block or display the text behind overflow:hidden...

 

If it read display none in in the css, content that elements keyword density and worked out it was over 10% but the whole page density was under 10% how would it choose or decide to mark you down... who is in the wrong? Google for coming up with such madness or you for a bit of text that maybe currently out of view...

 

I've written PHP applications to detect Google bot, display different content to it.... "oooo dont do that if you get caught..." How is it possible as long as you have the same title and description tag that you are going to get caught?? No possible way unless there is a man in the bottom of the Google basement seeing if sites display the way there precious Google Bot cached data says it does..

 

EDIT: Another thing, people believed for 15/16years that google relied on a simple keywords meta tag to help Google bot on its merry way to distinguish what your keywords where (i believed it). But when you think about it, why on earth, with all the power Google claims and we believe it has would it need it when it can find out it's self in a 10th of a second what they are...

 

Anyway, always a work around!

 

EDIT: should really do some work...

I think you underestimate the algorithms. I do not agree with the methods you suggest however each to their own, and contrary to what you think display: none does have to be used carefully. If you can write php to trick the bot then I am pretty sure they have already worked that one out.

 

Re keywords - if you read the history these were needed in the beginning but not now by Google.

 

Re your own site if it's only a couple of months old your search position does not surprise me - that pattern is common for a new site and it does rather depend on the keyword chosen!

 

As discussed on another thread, SEO is not trial and error, it involves many many factors but one thing is for sure every year the algorithm moves to take account of any attempt at manipulation of the search engines.

 

We will have to agree to differ.

Oh my goodness me you have been a clever man.

 

I was gonna take a look at your text expecting to see one image and you've broken it down into seperate words (i'm thinking text replacement.

 

Then I guess google etc still picks up the words because they are in the html and if google check your page the words on the page are the same as the words in your html so no black listing.

 

You think of everything.

 

The site looks great but I prefer the page a couple seconds into loading when the text has a solid background instead of the transparency.

 

 

Other than that there is no tack at all you should take a look at our local fancy dress shop website it's appauling

http://www.balloonaticspartyshop.co.uk

 

 

I'd rethink the static footer on your page it looks like the site is broken.

Its actually javascript rendering a mask over the text.

http://cufon.shoqolate.com/generate/

 

very nice piece of kit.

Yet it being over all good, i would recommend that you do not use it on an informative site which a user might want to copy and paste as you cant, unless

 

a) press ctr+a ctr+c and then paste into document or supply a text only version as well

I think you underestimate the algorithms. I do not agree with the methods you suggest however each to their own, and contrary to what you think display: none does have to be used carefully. If you can write php to trick the bot then I am pretty sure they have already worked that one out.

 

Re keywords - if you read the history these were needed in the beginning but not now by Google.

 

Re your own site if it's only a couple of months old your search position does not surprise me - that pattern is common for a new site and it does rather depend on the keyword chosen!

 

As discussed on another thread, SEO is not trial and error, it involves many many factors but one thing is for sure every year the algorithm moves to take account of any attempt at manipulation of the search engines.

 

We will have to agree to differ.

 

Like I say, I've not only read a book, I've investigated, tried and tested myself.

using the 301 redirect to a sub folder with selected keywords in the name, then not telling Google about www.domainname.com but of domainname.com/keyword-keyword-/keyword-keyword.php increase page ranking.

 

Keep in mind that search engines are more likely to index for content. Having a good link anatomy is one thing, but you're overdoing it and it's obviously to myself and probably to the search engines what you're trying to do.

 

You want your domain to gain link authority, not a sub-folder then sub-file!!!

 

Using a 301 redirect or a URL rewrite really isn't a good idea for your index unless you're just doing it for something like /home/ or /main/.

Its actually javascript rendering a mask over the text.

http://cufon.shoqolate.com/generate/

 

very nice piece of kit.

Yet it being over all good, i would recommend that you do not use it on an informative site which a user might want to copy and paste as you cant, unless

 

a) press ctr+a ctr+c and then paste into document or supply a text only version as well

 

and also, for thos who might not know, text sizes for different fonts can vary.

so if javascript is disabled and it refers back to your CSS setting for a font, your display of fluid content could not be inline.

Keep in mind that search engines are more likely to index for content. Having a good link anatomy is one thing, but you're overdoing it and it's obviously to myself and probably to the search engines what you're trying to do.

 

You want your domain to gain link authority, not a sub-folder then sub-file!!!

 

Using a 301 redirect or a URL rewrite really isn't a good idea for your index unless you're just doing it for something like /home/ or /main/.

 

 

Why do you say that?

 

Am I not supplying the correct content that refers back to the title/description and url?

I have indicated that the page previously is no longer in use correctly with a 301 and has been redirected to its new location... all above board to the letter I think.

 

you're just doing it for something like /home/ or /main/.

 

/main

/main/

/main/?

/main/index.php

 

all are read the same. Can you tell me, really tell me and have 100% faith in that something bad is going happen because of what im doing with some folder names and a redirect????

Have you showed this to the client yet?

 

I think the problem with the site is people will either love it or hate it.

 

I don't feel it is very modern. Does it need to be? Nope.

 

Charlotte

 

Aha, just what i said to my missus, its marmite!!

The reason I say all of it is because you're doing something unnecessary that won't necessarily have much effect on your rankings. The way you've written the URL makes it look like a deep page - something that search engines will notice, even if you have it set to a high priority in your sitemap. In the majority of instances it's better to have your link anatomy like so:

 

http://www.yourdomain.com/

http://www.yourdomain.com/page-title/

http://www.yourdomai...sub-page-title/

 

For example, a page on my site is: http://www.traxor-de.../jack-official/ but the page http://www.traxor-de....com/portfolio/ still exists.

 

I can't say 100% that something bad will happen. What I can say is that it's incredibly bad practice and won't necessarily do anything other than make you look bad. For me, it's up there with having header tags with a negative margin set.

The reason I say all of it is because you're doing something unnecessary that won't necessarily have much effect on your rankings. The way you've written the URL makes it look like a deep page - something that search engines will notice, even if you have it set to a high priority in your sitemap. In the majority of instances it's better to have your link anatomy like so:

 

http://www.yourdomain.com/

http://www.yourdomain.com/page-title/

http://www.yourdomai...sub-page-title/

 

For example, a page on my site is: http://www.traxor-de.../jack-official/ but the page http://www.traxor-de....com/portfolio/ still exists.

 

I can't say 100% that something bad will happen. What I can say is that it's incredibly bad practice and won't necessarily do anything other than make you look bad. For me, it's up there with having header tags with a negative margin set.

 

I don't state nor ever will state they my practice is, as I say "the way" to do things. In fact I would agree with what you say but for me, it has worked. Yet I'm not a fan of SEO analysis tools, I have used them and score incredibly high with my approach and "way" of doing things.

 

I might actually start up a site called "challengegoogle.com" and test all techniques see what the outcome is.

 

And yes, I agree that in practice negative margin is a no no but why? I have used it in some cases.

You shouldn't challenge Google you should embrace their changes and take on board everything they do and say to make you a better, more efficient SEO.

 

Negative margins are a 'no no' for me because it's hiding content! Anything that involves hiding content, even a negative margin is a bad thing. Sites should be natural and semantic.

 

Sure, the content should be written with SEO in mind, but it should be as organic as possible, hiring professional copywriters if necessary.

You shouldn't challenge Google you should embrace their changes and take on board everything they do and say to make you a better, more efficient SEO.

 

Negative margins are a 'no no' for me because it's hiding content! Anything that involves hiding content, even a negative margin is a bad thing. Sites should be natural and semantic.

 

Sure, the content should be written with SEO in mind, but it should be as organic as possible, hiring professional copywriters if necessary.

 

 

I use negative margins a lot in javascript and jquery applications

This has turned into a proper SEO rant thread

 

Decent side by the way, the balloons are OK, its the background I'm not too fond of.

 

Keep up the good work