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| The Axandra newsletter archive - 4 January 2005 |
Welcome to the first issue of the Search Engine Facts newsletter in 2005.
This week, we're taking a look at file endings and how they affect your search engine rankings.
In the news: Google distributed Trojan ads, 60 Minutes defines Google and more.
Table of contents:
We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it helps you to get more out of your web site. Please pass this newsletter on to your friends.
Best regards,
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| 1. Facts of the week: Which file ending is better? |
Some webmasters wonder whether they should use .htm or .html as the file extension for their web pages. Rumor has it that some file extensions make it more difficult to get indexed by search engines.
Which file extension should you use for your web pages?
From a search engine optimization point of view, it doesn't matter which file extension you use for your web pages. As long as the content of your web pages can be indexed by search engines, search engines will try to index it.
What's the official Google statement?
Google has posted an official statement regarding this matter:
"At Google, we are able to index most types of pages and files with very few exceptions. File types we are able to index include: pdf, asp, jsp, html, shtml, xml, cfm, doc, xls, ppt, rtf, wks, lwp, wri, swf."
How can you make it easier for search engine spiders to index your site?
Although the file extension is not important, there are some things you can do to make it easier for search engine spiders to index your web site.
- Don't make search engines spiders have to think
Search engine spiders are very simply software programs that follow links on web pages and that index the contents of web pages. If the file extension doesn't make it clear what type of web page the spider has to expect, it might not index it properly.
If a text file starts with code that looks like PDF, a search engine spider might try to convert it to HTML although there is nothing to convert. Never make search engine spiders have to think. They might get it wrong.
- Don't use fancy HTML code
As mentioned above, search engine spiders are very simple programs. If you hide the content of your web pages in fancy flash elements or JavaScript code, chances are that search engines cannot index it.
Search engine spiders cannot execute JavaScript code. If the links to the other pages of your web site are hidden in JavaScript menus, search engines won't find it. Dynamically created pages can also cause problems.
- Follow the standards
It really helps if you web site is compliant to the W3C standards. Search engine spiders are built on these standards. If your web site is compliant to these standards, search engine spiders can index it without problems. We've published an article about this topic some time ago.
- Tell search engines what your web site is all about
If you want to be found for special search terms on search engines, you should make sure that your web pages are optimized for these search terms.
Only web pages that are optimized for special search terms can have good rankings for them. Optimized pages make it much easier for search engine spiders to determine what your web site is all about.
It doesn't matter which file extension you use for your web pages. However, you should make it as easy as possible for search engine spiders. The less a spider has to think when indexing your web site, the more likely it is that your web pages will be properly indexed.
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| 2. Search engine news of the week |
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Google removes Trojan ads
"Search engine operator Google has blocked ads that attempt to exploit security holes in the Internet Explorer. [...] If you clicked on one of the links in the Internet Explorer, a JavaScript attempted to install spyware on your system. And the normal list of hits also included a lot of sites with Trojans."
New European search engine Seekport officially launches
"Seekport's goal is to establish its technology as one of Europe's leading search engines, and to provide organisations with the first real alternative to US-centric search engines."
Editor's note: Of course, Seekport is already supported by IBP.
Search engine Gigablast rolling out new features
"First of all there's a free site search. [...] There's also a new service to get your results in XML format."
VisitorVille Intelligence: Google Inc.
"How do web surfers from Google Inc. use the Web? What are their navigation habits? How are their systems configured? How do they use search engines and e-commerce sites? How does their usage compare with other companies in the same sector?"
Search engine newslets
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Legal threats still loom for Google
"Geico might have lost the first battle in its trademark infringement suit against search giant Google last month, but officials from the insurance company vowed that the war is not yet over."
Larry Page and Sergey Brin: Information at warp speed
"What started out as youthful daydreaming has blossomed over the past half-decade into a 3,000-person company that's changing the world of information. Channeling the knowledge in billions of Web pages through its simple-to-use site, Google has put acres of information at its users' fingertips."
Google's Library Project: questions, questions, questions
"Librarians, academicians, journalists, information industry pundits, and real people continue to ring in with comments, concerns, quarrels, and commendations for Google's new library program. [...] Here is a roundup of some of the questions asked and answers posited."
60 Minutes: Defining Google
"What began as a school project is now worth about as much as Ford and General Motors combined, thanks to a stock that has roughly doubled in price since the company went public last August. And for the first time since then, Google has opened its doors, to let '60 Minutes' Google them."
2005: The Year for Desktop Search
"What Microsoft knows that even the top of the heap of Web search engines do not is how to control loyalty on the desktop. [...] The question for this year is which experts will prevail in desktop search: the desktop pros or the search gurus?"
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Another 5 our of 5 rating for ARELIS!
StoreBuilder.co.uk has reviewed our link popularity software program ARELIS.
"Link building is hard work. Don't let anyone tell you that it is easy. You have a myriad of problems to overcome. Duff email addresses, a 1/10 take up of your link exchange request, sites that won't link to you, sites that have no link pages. [...]
ARELIS does save you tons of time and I mean tons. [...] It's that powerful and it's the reason I would pack this piece of kit in my desert island bag."
Tony Cooper, StoreBuilder.co.uk
Do you get a positive ROI for your pay per click campaigns?
If your AdWords pay per click campaigns don't return a positive return on investment (ROI) or if you're paying too much for your PPC ads, take a look at our new Google AdWords ebook.
Find out how to lower your advertising costs while increasing your profit.
Want to be mentioned in this newsletter?
Just send us some words about your successes with IBP or ARELIS and you might get featured in this newsletter along with your web site address.
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