SEO Related Factors When Shopping for CMS Vendors

In today's environment for web development, it makes a lot of sense for businesses with a large volume of web content to be transitioning their website development from stand alone tools such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage to Content Management Systems (CMS) that use set templates and login based environments.  A CMS system allows people that would traditionally not have a technical background to be able to develop content and collateral for a website, and not worry about HTML, Scripting or Web Server configuration.  Unfortunately, not all CMS applications are designed to present website content that is search engine friendly or allow users of the system full control to access and manage specific on-page factors related to SEO. 

There are a few key factors that usually come into discussion when working with a CMS vendor and looking at SEO-specific functionality:

• Web Page Management and Web Page Development
• Web Address /URL Generation
• Code Efficiency
• Taking into Account Overall SEO Best Practices

Web Page Management
Because a CMS is almost always template driven, developers need to assign relationships to certain page related factors when creating web page functionality.   As a result, unless directed, properties of a web page essential to SEO can often be "locked" or automatically generated without a user being able to manipulate them.  Make certain that users always have the ability to manually edit the following characteristics of a "page":

• The HTML Title
• The Meta Description and Keyword Values
• The Page Heading

It's good for a CMS vendor to create "default" variables that affect these properties, but a user of the CMS should be able to override these defaults and choose their own values whenever necessary. 

• One additional note on Title tags: It's optimal that the HTML title tag management be exclusive of all other properties, save the creation of internal cross links that are automatically generated (such as when websites include sections on a page for "related links" or similar usability components).  The HTML Title should not be tied to things like the web address of the page (more on this a bit later)

Web Page Development and Navigation Considerations
Another key feature of web page development in a CMS that can be overlooked is the ability to include/exclude a new page from the main navigational menus.  Make certain that you have the ability to expand the content you want users to find from a site-wide navigational perspective and be able to exclude content, especially if you build pages with seasonal relevance or temporary, promotional campaigns.

Web Address /URL Generation
The ability to control what a web address (URL) reads is less important than another, often overlooked factor of CMS vendors: how the CMS generates and presents the web address.  Here are some guidelines on web address generation related to a CMS:

• The web address should not be rendered as a dynamic URL (none of the following: ?=... or &id).  The web address generated should appear like a static, directory-style URL
  Example: domain.com/folder/folder/end (specific file extensions are not overly important)
• The web address should not contain session ID's for purposes of user tracking or authentication.  While tracking is absolutely important, the CMS vendor should have some form of cookie-based or alternative way to track and record visitor information, not through by way of a session variable appending to the URL.
• The web address should not change in direct correlation with web page changes (such as a modification of an HTML title tag).  The age of a URL is an important factor in search engine rankings.
• Finally, navigation should be consistent and "locked down".  That means that there should be no way to back door the page by entering in either a known dynamic query string or appending variables at the end.

Code Efficiency
How a CMS renders the HTML output can potentially have a negative effect on a search engine's ability to crawl a web page or website efficiently.  For instance, not placing JavaScript in external file locations and simply adding the code to the page output is not uncommon to see.  Another issue I have seen is bloated HTML/script-based parameters around formatted content and hyperlinks that are generated.  Finally, the actual white space that is generated in web page output, while not a backbreaker, adds unnecessary file size to your web pages.

Consider Overall SEO Best Practices
The last thing to critical thing to consider in selecting a CMS vendor is how they respond to overall SEO best practices.  I'm not suggesting they should bend over backwards for every little request - but consider the following components of SEO that are valuable and relevant to your success online in search:

• Text-based navigation
• Being able to incorporate an "alt" or "title" property in your images
• Using <H1>, <H2> etc tags for Page Headings and Sub-headings
• Proper use of CSS and other web design technologies

Finally - Some "Nice-to-Have's" from CMS Technologies
Here are some ideas for CMS vendors to consider when looking at selling the value of "SEO-Friendliness" in their product as well:

• RSS Feed capability - especially for articles, news and press releases
• Automatic Search Engine Sitemap Generation
• Data Exports of product or content related information in general
• Usability compliance or proactively integrating best practices for ease of use, such as breadcrumb trails, access for the disabled, printer-friendly pages (with a noindex parameter!), social bookmarking/sharing features etc.

Wrapping It Up
As with any major purchase, make sure that you are doing the necessary due diligence as it relates to your total web development needs.  This post is not meant to be a guideline purely for purchasing the right CMS, there are many other factors that should contribute to your selection and screening process (platform, integration, capacity etc).   Here are a few links to articles online related to choosing an appropriate CMS system:

• Choosing a CMS: How to find the right content management system for you
• 5 Biggest Mistakes in CMS Selection - from CMS Watch
• Choosing a Content-Management System  - Inc Technologies

12 Good Posts on Search Marketing From Our Blog

Looking back at our first year of blog posts at KoMarketing Associates, here are 12 Posts that are worth re-mentioning in relation to how you can achieve success with Search Marketing, SEO and PPC.  We hope you agree.

• The Emergence of Facilitating The Crawl
  Thoughts on how user-generated content and new opportunities for webmasters to work with search engines have an impact on the SEO and SEM market.
• Guidelines for The Open Directory Project (DMOZ)
• SEO 101: The Importance of HTML Title Tags
  If you were to only change one thing on your web pages to help in your efforts with search engine placement and results, it would have to be your HTML Title tag. This post gives some guidelines for effective HTML Title tag creation.
• Tools We Use for Blogging
  A quick snapshot of three tools we use for Blogging - TypePad, Blogger and WordPress.
• SEO Effects of Modifying Your URL Syntax
  One of the components of SEO that can often go overlooked is the importance of maintaining web URL syntax.  Constantly changing your URL names, in order to catch the latest trend or buzz, may actually do more harm than good.
• Search Engine Optimization During Mergers and Acquisitions
  A well-planned search engine optimization strategy is critical for any company going through a merger or acquisition.
• Are Meta Description Tags Important?
  Information on how the Meta Description tag impacts SEO, Search Marketing and a user's search behavior
• Be Careful With Parked Domains
  How parking a domain on an existing website can have detrimental search-related effects in the long-term
• Quantifying Link Building
  Thoughts on the factors that justify the opportunity costs for time as it relates to an ongoing link building campaign
• Adding "Digg This" Links to Your Blog Posts
  How to add this popular feature to your blog posts in TypePad, Blogger and WordPress
• Review of Yahoo! Search Marketing’s New “Panama” Release
• Making MySpace Your Own
  Three important guidelines for building a great MySpace page
  

How ‘Local’ Can Google Local Search Get?

For a while now we have been seeing little maps, phone numbers and addresses appear in Google’s search results.  Sometimes they would show up and sometimes they wouldn’t, leaving us to wonder just what Google was up to.  Well as it turns out they are on their way to taking over the world.  Okay maybe not, but they are in fact entering the world of localized search.

Posted on the Google Blog Monday,Google gave details on where and when local businesses and services would appear in the search results.  Every time a user searches for a place, business or other location specific information, Google will show a map, provide contact information and in some cases (mainly businesses) present reviews. 

It seems as if it was only a matter of time before we heard about this.  SEO’s have been helping sites optimize for specific locations for years and sites like CitySearch and AOL’s CityGuide have made their names and money from providing users with information on restaurants, bars and attractions in every major city across the United States. 

The only real question I have about this, is how accurate can the Google database be?  Are they gathering their information from the yellow pages?  Are they out trolling the streets taking notes?  Can Google really give results for every small town across the U.S?

I don’t know the answer to this yet but I did a try searching for the dry cleaners in my hometown.  (Quick background - my hometown of Avon, NY is extremely small and barely constitutes a suburb.  We have two stoplights, three banks, three gas stations and no Wal-marts.  We do however have a McDonald’s and a Dollar Store).  The surprising thing was, Google not only gave me the name and location of the one dry cleaner we have, but they offered me directions. 

Congrats to Google on this.  Just one more way to increase your search traffic and one more hurdle we in the search marketing industry have to jump.

Marketing Gone Wrong? - Bomb Scare in Boston a Result of Viral Marketing Campaign

In an interesting turn of events, two Boston-area men go to court today in connection with a bizarre publicity stunt, as reported by WBZ.  The two are allegedly responsible for placing more than three dozen illuminated electronic devices that were meant to promote a T-V cartoon, but instead sent bomb squads scrambling around the city Wednesday. The initial devices, confused to be possible explosives, caused a shut down of the Boston highway during peak morning hours, backing up traffic and commuters for hours on Wednesday, January 30th.   By afternoon, at least eight other similar suspicious packages were discovered, each triggering a security alert involving emergency crews, federal agents, bomb squads, police and the U.S. Coast Guard, as stated in the Reuters release.

Once Turner Broadcasting, realized the detrimental effects in the Boston market, they immediately notified law enforcement officials of their locations in 10 cities where it said the devices had been placed for two to three weeks: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia.  They also issued a statement, apologizing for the situation and explaining their intentions.

Read the full article from Boston.com and here is an image, courtesy of MSNBC:

What makes this even more interesting is that (as stated above) these icons have been staged for over two weeks in ten major metropolitan areas.  So either we in Boston are highly astute or everyone else better second guess there ability to observe the outside world and what's going on around them.

All jokes aside: What could Turner Broadcasting have done to make sure that something like this was prevented?   
Marketing Profs Daily Fix suggests that Boston should have known better, given the obvious nature of these devices.

My suggestion would be to put a name, a web address, a marketing slogan or something there in addition to the device - i.e. a Label.  "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", while reasonably popular, is not Coca Cola, McDonald's or "Eva Longoria", meaning the little electronic lighting figure standing there by itself in the morning darkness could be misunderstood by say, "a 50 year old father of two infants that doesn't watch Cartoon Network and is sensitive to issues of terrorism". It could be possible.

While I agree with others that to some degree, it is a laughable situation - especially in hindsight, simple labeling may have solved this issue well beforehand.

Some differing viewpoints on Boston's reaction to the viral marketing campaign:

• Guerilla Marketing Causes Boston Bomb Scare
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force viral ads cause Boston bomb scare
• Viral Marketing...not: Boston Bomb Scare

My thoughts on the value of a label
First off, a label of some sort would immediately give a clue to anyone observing the devices that it was some form of advertising gimmick.  Second, even if it did set off an alarm by some wary pedestrian - which electronic, glow-in-the-dark, circuit-like devices left unintended in public places can do - once law enforcement received word, they could easily use one of the handy tools online to search for any possible information in relation to whatever the web address, slogan or other label read. (To be fair, people were calling in on the radio waves all afternoon, trying to explain what the devices were)

What makes it difficult initially is that running a search online for "weird electronic device sitting in Sullivan Square without any identification" often yields inaccurate results, even in a trusty search engine like Google.  The label would have helped a bit.