Get Googled! 5 Common Search Engine Optimisation Faults

9 June 2009
Wondering why your website doesn't perform well (or at all) on Google and other search engines? Here are five of the most common website faults which prevent successful Google indexing.

1. "Untitled Document"

If your website contains pages which are titled "Untitled Document" then this is a major hindrance which will effectively destroy any chance you have of appearing on Google for any competitve search phrase.

Similarly, if your page titles read like "Home" or "Page 2", then this is still worthless as far as search engines are concerned. Importance Rating: 5/5

2. Your site is predominantly Flash

Search engines can't read Flash, so if you have a Flash website then you're basically invisible as far as the search engine robots are concerned. Although Flash is a useful tool when used correctly, in modern day web design it should only be used for certain elements as required and not for an entire website. Importance Rating: 5/5

3. Much of your important web page text is contained within an image

Search engines can't read text on images, so if your web pages are made up predominantly of lots of images with lots of important text content on them, the chances are the search engine won't have a clue what your website is about. Search engines like text - give them what they want! Importance Rating: 5/5

4. You have a splash landing or welcome page

If your website starts with an almost blank page saying something like "Welcome to my website. Click here to enter..." then you're turning away search engine robots by not giving them a good idea of what your website is about when they arrive. Your home page is the most important page on your website and should clearly explain what your website is all about. Importance Rating: 3/5

5. Your web pages have file names like "page2.html"

If all of your web pages are simply named "page2.html" or "index.php?page=23", then this won't do you any favours when the search engine robot comes to visit. Importance Rating: 2/5

These are just a few of the elements which need to be present and correct in order to achieve long lasting and successful search results. There are many other important elements to consider, but the faults shown here are a good starting point for those looking to troubleshoot their website's search engine performance. If you find that your website suffers from any of the faults above, get in touch with your web designer to find out why this has happened and what the best way to correct the problems are.