Chris Ainsworth – SEO Consultant

Search engine optimisation is very much like underfloor heating. You might ask how I can say this, but bear with me and you’ll discover the SEO is indeed like this ostentatious, yet very cosy, form of heating.

Harsh times for Google and I don’t mean financially! It would appear that rogue sites and dodgy links are being moving higher up in their rankings. Google are being outwitted by being tricked into displaying compromising web pages as a way for cyber-criminals to hijack end user’s computers, downloading personal information and stealing credit details. One attempt that has been successful in their activities has been to entice specific groups of people by using the phrase ‘Cheap vista for students‘ in Google search terms.

The Google search algorithm has come a long way, and is arguably the most advanced search engine service around. Although the exact way it works will remain a mystery, many SEO specialists have pinpointed how to ‘work’ the algorithm to their advantage. But one question that often occurs as regards the algorithm is ‘Can Google Identify Bad Writing?’

It’s difficult to deny the visual allure of the splash page. Whether it’s in Flash or another animation/motion graphics vehicle, the splash page makes a company look good. It might be thought of as a kind ‘cover’ – much like you would find on a novel or a magazine.

But how does having a splash page affect your SEO? The truth is that most of the SEO community would tell you it’s a bad idea. Often, the problem lies in the fact that a print designer has been given the job of doing the splash page – and indeed the design of the entire site; the hitch is that print designers frequently have more interest in how pretty their splash page looks, rather than how well Google can index the website.

I thought I would kick start my new blog with a quick introduction to search engine optimisation. For those of you who do not know me, I have been working in the internet field for some time now as a search engine optimisation specialist working alongside some of the most experienced people in the industry. Through this I have gained a wealth of information and a huge insight into the online marketing industry.