~~~Writing for the Search Engines and Your Prospects~~~
[Heather's note - I've been waiting to post this for a long time. Back
in October, I wrote an article titled "Copy Sells, Flash Doesn't:
Implications for Search Engine Optimization". Since then, I've engaged in
a lively Flash debate with Rob Walker, Web Designer at "This is Essex", and a valued Rank Write reader. I've
reprinted his email high points and included my comments below.
Enjoy!]
Article point #1: Only 20% of respondents would visit a site more
often if it had rich media enhancements.
>>Rob: They may also like cream in their coffee and not tea in the
morning. So what? Web sites should be focused on the audience - media
enhancements should not be added without good cause; if rich media can
deliver information in a more usable way and bring a more appealing
experience to the user, then use it.<<
Heather's response: Yes, Web sites should be focused on the audience.
And some target audiences may benefit from a Flash site (although the
majority of users still use a dial-up account and Flash is sloooowww
loading). If Flash is incredibly important, do some market research
and confirm that is what your audience wants to see. If they're all
on a 56k dial-up, you'll know to keep your site to HTML.
However, remember, we're talking about the search engines here. The
search engines require visible text for their ranking determinations -
and that's not possible with Flash (all the text appears as a
graphic). If your client or company is dead set on a Flash site,
they could be (1) alienating their customers who don't want a Flash
site, and (2) hobbling their search engine chances.
Article point #2: 40% of respondents would visit a site more often if
the pages would load faster.
>>Rob: (Perhaps these same respondents would like to upgrade their
28.8 Kbps modem to DSL).
I'm sure 100% of people would visit a site more if it loaded faster,
but wait...what if the site is a travel agency and you only go abroad
once a year - are you likely to visit the site more often? No. You'll
perhaps use it a few times leading up to your holiday, then not again
for the rest of the year.<<
Heather's response: Hey, I'd love to upgrade my modem, but neither the
phone company, nor the cable company offers it in my area. Besides,
why should I change my connection and pay more money because some
company wants to push Flash on me? At least give me an HTML version
to work with!
Besides, whether I visit a site once a year or once a day, I need it
to load fast and give me what I want even faster. There are a lot of
travel agencies out there, and I don't have time to wait for a home
page to load. I would much rather see a fast-loading home page with
text that immediately explains the company benefits and how they can
help me. A Flash home page tells me nothing.
And if you have a Flash travel site, how will I find you in the search
engines?
>>Rob: Maybe this is directed towards the line of thinking that rich
media enhancements (such as flash) mean the pages take longer to load.
It's all about how the media is used by the designer, of course it can
be abused, just as text can be poorly formatted in a word document.<<
Heather's response: I'll give you that one. Flash - used well -
enhances a site. And you could integrate some Flash components into a
site along with static pages and still rank well. Unfortunately
though, some designers feel that all Flash is what sells. And then
they wonder why they're number 124,876 in the search engines. (g)
Article point #3: These questions can be answered in one short and
sweet comment: Keep it simple.
>>Rob: I might not want simple. I may want to be visually overwhelmed
and have to explore the site in front of me, to interact with it -
searching for links within a cryptic image, whilst listening to a
booming soundtrack. I may want it to knock my socks off. So think
about your client, their content and their customers: then use any and
every tool at your disposal, if you so wish, to deliver a site that
adds to the brand and the customer's confidence in it.<<
Heather's response: Yes, yes, yes. I completely agree! Who wants copy with an adult or gaming site? Those people want the bells and
whistles.
But remember, if you're selling products or services, words are
incredibly important for your prospects. People want to discover more
about the product and company, and not sit through useless whirling
graphics. I mean, do you really need a Flash home page for a dental
site? I think not.
And, as mentioned before, the search engine spiders need words to
munch. If you can keep your ultimate goal in mind (pleasing the
spiders while wowing your prospects), you can still create sites with
Flash components, convert prospects, and get the rankings you want.
Thanks, Rob, for the lively discussion!
Heather
~~~Send Us Your Questions~~~
If you have questions about online copywriting or search engine optimization (or both!), just zip us an email to questions@rankwrite.com. We've had some folks ask if their question
was "too basic" to be printed - and you don't have to worry about
that! There are no "stupid" search engine optimization or copywriting
questions, so ask away!
