Webinar follow-up: SEO Best Practices

TW: We are one 501(c)3, but fundraising goals are established for each of our 68 local chapters. National determines the priority campaigns; local chapters are encouraged to supplement those initiatives with local campaigns, as well.

Q: My Web site uses image maps to navigate through the Web site but has text links at the bottom of the page. However, we don’t show up very high on Google. We also have Flash on our main page only for pictures. Any recommendations?

TW: Perhaps your site needs to be formally submitted to the major search engines (and the folks at Google). Also, Flash does present a challenge. Generally, you should provide a static version of the site, as well.

Rob Yoegel: The spiders/bots that the search engines send out to index your site may never get past the image map, but the text links at the bottom are good to have nonetheless. You could always try moving the text links in front of the image map but, honestly, I’d ditch it altogether. Image maps are so 1998 … this is 2008, and things like CSS {Cascading Style Sheets] are they way to go.

As for Flash for pictures, you can definitely include Flash elements on your home page (as opposed to a Flash “splash” screen that includes nothing else), but remember that the search engines ignore Flash. Images with descriptive “alt” tags might be a better alternative. Try building your main page with key text elements that are more search engine-friendly before things like Flash and images, and I’m sure you’ll be more successful. Also, check your html “title” tag and make sure it has the keywords people are using when they try and find you.

Q: When launching a paid search campaign, should the landing page include a donation form (under the fold) or a splash page with an option to donate with another click? Which works better in getting donations?