Google Caffine

Google is in the process of changing it's search algorithm. This will potentially effect every website listed on the search engine.

This latest update, called Caffine, was announced in August last year, but when the switch will come is not certain, although the general precdiction is that sometime around now is probable.

So what changes will Google make in the way it sorts it's results?

Google focuses on the end user, and their experience surfing the web so:

Speed - we want faster results and we don't want to wait an age for a site to download. Slow loading sites could find themselves drifting down the rankings. Want to check the spped of your site? Try this nifty free tool - www.tools.pingdom.com/fpt/

Content - site content and its relevance to the search terms will probably gain more weight.

Mixed Formats - results from Social Media sites like Twitter, MySpace and Facebook will almost certainly be included in the mix, promoting active sites while also giving 'real time' popularity to site rankings.

Domain - the links to the domain, domain age and the keywords contained in it will probably become more important.

So do you need to panic that your site will shortly disappear from Google's searches? Well, no, not if your site is well designed and ethically optimised. But slow loading sites need to look at methods to speed up. There are plenty of ways that this can be achieved by using CSS, minimising Scripts and optimising images.

And if you aren't aware of Social Media Marketing then you need to start paying attention and grasp the basics. This is often more difficult for smaller businesses with fewer resources but it may be necessary to get that Facebook page working and start Tweeting to stay ahead of the pack.

5 reasons to build a relationship with an SEO specialist

The best results of any SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) campaign are usually achieved where the SEO consultant and business director/manager/department head work together. This sounds obvious but doesn’t always happen. The pressures of running a business often impact on communication and the SEO can be treated as a ‘bolt-on’ rather than a part of the marketing process. But there are 5 basic reasons why it's worthwhile developing good communication with an SEO specialist.

1. You know your business

You know your business, probably better than anyone else and all that information you have about your customers, the competition, sales and your product or service can’t be communicated to an SEO specialist in a brief meeting. Regular communication provides the time to get the basics and the subtlies of the business across.

2. He/She knows SEO

You know your business but you may not know much about Search Engine Optimisation and Marketing a website. Regular communication with your SEO specialst will soon change that and as the relationship builds you will gain a greater understanding and gain your own insights into the type of marketing that will work for your business.

3. Exchange ideas

Exchanging ideas on how to tackle a campaign or a problem can be beneficial for both parties. Sometimes something that seems obvious to one will be a moment of enlightenment for the other.

4. Look Long Term

SEO is more a marathon than a sprint so take time to allow campaigns develop. Develop short term targets but don’t loose sight of the long term aims.

5. Be realistic

Working with an SEO specialist will give you a better insight on what can be achieved. It may be more than you thought possible and will help you to move beyond the ‘We will get you to number 1 on Google’ sales patter so liked by many companies who promise an instant fix for your website’s marketing woes . . . but rarely deliver.

Flash on the Web

Flash has made a big impact on the web and is a great tool with many applications but creating a website with Flash can create a barrier to people accessing your website.

What is Flash?

Flash is a type of animation software, originally designed to create animations for display on web pages. A good example of Flash appears on Adobe’s UK homepage www.adobe.com/uk/ (the makers the Flash software). But Flash is also used for putting video onto websites, creating navigation systems and dynamic content – so it’s a powerful application.

The first problem with Flash is the time it can take to load. Depending on your connection speed this can be anything from a few seconds to minutes. But as most surveys indicate that the average person spends less than 2 seconds deciding whether a page is worth looking at, a page that takes 30 seconds to load is regularly going to be dumped before it’s seen. And some visitors to your Flash site will have to download a plug-in before they start, or they won’t see anything.

But the problem as far as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is concerned is that search engines don’t see Flash as we see it. In fact for a search engine, a Flash page is often just a blank with little or no content to index. Search engines love content, it tells them what the site is about and how it should be categorised and ranked. So a Flash page can create major problems in gaining a decent ranking in Google, Yahoo, etc.

Having said all that Flash is an excellent piece of software which, if used with thought can make a website something special. Navigation rollovers using images and text can really lift a website. Flash banners that load quickly can even liven up the pages of an estate agent - www.seafieldsproperty.co.uk. It can enhance static images and create movement as on www.solentribcharter.co.uk. It can be an excellent way of demonstrating a product - www.vision-environmental.co.uk

So before you go down the Flash route with your web designer ask a few questions like, ‘Is it essential to the site?’, ‘What does it provide?’, ‘Can we do without it?’ and the most important question, 'Will it benefit the end user in any way?'