The Internet service provider Earthlink Inc. and Google apparently are close to a deal that will provide San Francisco with wireless Internet. Back in April of 2006 the City of San Francisco began negotiations with both companies to develop the free wireless network.

The online news website Marketwatch reported the story stating that the City will join the ever growing number of cities making free wireless available. The free service will deliver advertisements on the user's computer once they log into the network. Although it is evident that Earthlink's motivation for this project is their desire to further develop their Internet audience, Google's involvement is still somewhat a mystery; it will however generate ad revenue from the free network service. In the past Google had developed its own large wireless network.

The long negotiations have been on and off for the past nine months and one of the roadblocks have been put up by American Liberties Union over its concerns that Google will be tracking the location of the users on the network. Google has stated that it does have the ability to track its users and if it does it will be to "tailor the ads that would appear to mirror a business someone is close to".

Last week's featured article Correcting Common Usability Mistakes turned out to be a very popular topic for our readers. I received a great deal of questions and comments about website usability and design.
I have decided to share a couple of them here in the hope that others can benefit as well.

Question:

I have just read your article and from what I can tell, my web site is obeying the rules, however, when I search on Google for Musical Group Name , who are one of the bands we manage, our site is nowhere to be found. The relevant page is www.website.com/internal-page.html I would be hugely grateful to know what I have done wrong
Many thanks in anticipation... S.

Answer:

There can be a variety of reasons for the lack of results you are experiencing.
On a quick glance I can see that the search term " Musical Group Name" can be a competitive phrase to go for as your band's name is also competing with actual geographical locations (for example, Texas and North Carolina). In addition your phrase is a popular musical group song title as well and this has driven the competitiveness that much higher.
With this in mind I would suggest the following to possibly help the placements for this phrase:

1. Develop more than one page of content for the band, making the content unique from anything else that is currently on the internet
2. Try to obtain back links to this page from other relevant websites. This is to say, have them point directly to the Musical Group Name page.
3. Assess the design of the page(s) to ensure the search engines can flow through freely.
   I hope these brief tips point you in the right direction S.

Question - Part 1:

You mention that studies have been done regarding the placement of the navigation menu (top vs. left side). I am in the process of redesigning my site and was actually contemplating this question before reading your article. Do the studies present a compelling answer to this question? I personally prefer the left side, but I am a perverse person by nature and my likes or dislikes can not be relied upon. Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on this issue.
M.S.

Answer - Part 1:

Your question is good one to say the least. Ever since the early days of design the question of "where" to place your top level navigation has been a hot topic.

Usually I look at a proposed layout of a newly created website following the "Z" eye scanning method for layout. When a visitor views your website for the first time, 9 times out of ten their eye scans the page in this pattern. With this in mind I tend to design the main layout with the navigation at the top of a page with a two or three column layout below.

I do need to point out that the latest studies show savvy web surfers following more of an "F" pattern when scanning a page. See StepForth September 28, 2005 article for more information.
Remember to also make sure the navigation you decide upon should allow the search engines to freely spider throughout your website. As you may or may not know some methods of navigation are friendlier than others.

This reader then replied with another question based on my first response.

Question - Part 2:

Thank you for the prompt reply. But now you have raised another issue. Won't an up-to-date xml sitemap (or an html sitemap linked from every page) allow the spiders access to all of the pages?

M.S.

Answer:

Thank you once again for your email. I ran your question by our Senior SEO, Scott Van Achte and he was kind enough to provide the following answer:

Both HTML and XML sitemaps are designed to help guide the spiders to all pages of the site, but this in itself is not enough. While this can help to have the individual pages indexed, it does not add any contextual value to the pages, which drastically reduces their actual value. Also, using a sitemap (while highly recommended) also pushes the page down a level in the site if their link is not on the home page. The sitemap is more of a catchall to ensure all pages are indexed, but should not be relied upon solely. The main site navigation from the home page provides not only more value for the internal pages, but also provides a more timely spidering (as spiders will often only visit the first two levels of the site on a regular basis). If the link to an internal page is from the second level, the spider frequency is reduced, and rankings may suffer.

Hope this helps...

Each day at StepForth Placement we view dozens of websites that request an SEO Review and a vast majority of these sites have fundamental usability problems. Often times neglecting this important element of a website can lead online visitors to become lost, frustrated and/or confused. All it takes for a visitor to decide to stay, explore or leave a site is 0.4 of a second. Attracting visitors to your website is a formidable challenge; it is yet another to build a fast connection with them and keep them there. With this in mind, here are some simple measures that can be taken to remedy these mistakes and help promote your online conversions.

Having great search engine placements is one thing but to create a usable website environment is just as important. What good can come from "being found" if users quickly exit your site? A solid search engine friendly and usable website should be your answer to both of these major components for your online success.

There are a variety of standards still in place when it comes to designing a usable website. This is not to say that the uniqueness and creativity of your website has to suffer, rather by following some simple guidelines visitors know where to go to find the information they need.

The process of developing a usable interface can be a balancing act. Some core elements need to be assessed prior to any actual design work being done. Attention to content creation, search engine friendly design tactics, and the face you put on your design each have to be blended into this usable environment.

This is a timely subject for us at StepForth as we are in the early stages of revamping our own websites based on customer / client feedback, recent trends in the design world, and our ever increasing need to develop a scalable website solution. Needless to say we will be following the same guidelines outlined below to ensure we have a website that "works".

I would highly recommend referring to the related links located at the bottom of this article for more details on this subject.

Here is a snap shot of the most common design mistakes we see with websites.

Content

Formatting Linking Text

Frequently we see designers underline body text or even text in images that is not directing users to another part of the website. Underlining on non-linking text is a huge problem especially if you have other links on the site that use the underline to illustrate a clickable path to follow.

A current trend is to have links displayed in body text without the underline text decoration (as defined in the website's CSS ) yet this may still cause unnecessary confusion with users. Try using other methods to highlight a message you want to stand out from the rest of the page content when it is not intended to be a hyperlink.

The same rules apply with the actual colour scheme you choose for your text. Avoid the use of the standard link colour blue (RGB colour #0000FF) for non-linking text as well. This will stop users from becoming frustrated when they attempt to click on text that will take them nowhere.

High Contrast Body Text

Another poor design trend we are seeing more of is the presentation of grey body text on a white background. This has no value what so ever as it immediately excludes a vast majority of users that cannot even read what is displayed. This is definitely one case where usability outweighs the need for attractive page aesthetics.

If clarity is your goal for your website then advocate high contrast body text. This rule also applies to text on images; it is best to avoid fonts and styles that are hard to read.

Page Scanning

The old saying "first impressions are important" holds true when it comes to a visit to a website. There is a fine balance when it comes to how much text to include on any give page or subject. Remember time is precious before a user determines if they are in the right location on your website or not. Keep your initial message brief and informative and offer related pathways if the user wants to learn more. Most users have the habit of quickly scanning a couple of paragraphs before they either decide to learn more or look elsewhere.

Site Structure and Page Organization

Promoting a site structure that builds a level of user confidence is critical to a website's success. Will visitors find the information they are looking for or can they clearly understand your message? Solidifying a clear and organized site structure from the top down will help with this.

Logical Site Structure

Depending on the scale of the website this task can be fairly easily implemented. Unfortunately a common mistake is to try to cram as much information on a page as possible. Each topic should have its own page and any additional related material to that content should be the only linked content present (other than the main site wide navigation). To help clarify this here is an example:

Perhaps you are selling musical instruments online and the page in question is a guitar you are trying to promote. Included on this page should be the standard image(s) of the product, and the description of the product in detail. If users wish to learn more about the product such as technical specifications or an online downloadable manual they should be (logically) linked on the page as well, along with any other relevant material directly related to that product.

It is very easy (and common) to want to point to other unrelated content that you think a user might want to know about. Do not offer opportunities for them to be led astray by cluttering the page with other products. Chances are potential customers arrived to that particular page because they wanted to. Cluttering a page with additional information about the latest flute in stock is not going to help conversions.

Perhaps the reason that web designers fall into this trap is most likely because they try to employ tactics used in print advertising. With print advertising you are given a certain amount of ad space to illustrate your product. Sometimes the designers forget that websites are dynamic and can grow beyond that page.

Splash Page

Visitors are coming to your website to find the information they are looking for and often the first thing they see is a splash page. The majority of the time these intro pages offer nothing useful to the user and fall outside any consistent look and feel of the rest of the website. Generally speaking, the sole purpose of a splash page is to add a "cool" factor to the entryway to the site. Each and every page on your site including the homepage should be informative and consistent in look and feel.

AN SEO NOTE: If the above is not enough to scare you off of using splash screens, consider that SEOs believe the index page (aka the home page) is perhaps the most crucial element to successful search engine placements. If you have very little relevant content on your index page it throws up an unnecessary barrier to the search engines. What good can come from making your website usable if nobody can even find it to begin with? Learn more about the dangers of Splash Screens >>

Navigation

The placement and organization of the navigation on your website is critical to keeping those potential customers on your website. Customer satisfaction statistics state that up to 95% of visitor frustration comes from inadequate navigation methods.

Maintain Site-wide Standards

Exactly where is the best place on a page to insert your navigation? Numerous studies have been done on this. Should the main navigation be on the top of the page? Should it be on the left hand side of the page? However you choose to present your navigation keep it consistently placed throughout the website. Users should always know how to get back to information they have already seen and as well, they should be confident they can find the information they have yet to read. The homepage button should be in the same place on the page regardless of where you are on the site.

What am I Clicking?

Users should always be made aware ahead of time by what is stated in the anchor text or button where they will go if they click that particular link. If the click leads to a downloadable piece of software or to a PDF file inform them upfront. A vast majority of web surfers are discouraged by unexpected results by navigating through websites and being forced into something they do not want to do.

The following is a good example on how to inform a user that the link they are about to click is a PDF file (warning: the following examples are not linked):

"Product" User Manual in PDF format (16MB)

Or

"Product" User Manual (16MB -PDF format)

NOTE: It is also a common courtesy to inform users of the physical size of file to be downloaded, as shown above.

Just like there are rules of the road when driving a car there are guidelines to follow when developing a website. It is important to note that if tackled in the right manner incorporating basic usability components should not hamper creativity with the vision you have with your website.

If you have any questions about search engine friendly (and usable) designs please contact me .

Related Links

SEO Friendly Redesign -By Mark Johnstone
Is Your Website Search Engine Friendly? Your Personal Checklist -By Ross Dunn
The Ten Minute Optimization REDUX -By Ross Dunn
Includes pointers "Is your Page Marketable" (Section 2.B)
Website Usability Leads to Conversions -By Jim Hedger

Google's lackluster beginning with delivering advertising via magazine ads has not held them back from pursuing other forms of print media. The public will start seeing print ads provided from Google throughout 50 major newspapers as they are planning to test the waters with this new initiative for a 3-month period. The beleaguered news print advertising market is Google's latest target in the hope to generate additional revenue and at the same time help the major newspapers fill ad space.

Approximately 100 companies have been recruited by Google to take part in this pilot project with the majority of them coming from the small business sector. The goal is to have Google fill the lower end ad spots that newspapers sometimes spend a great deal of time trying to fill themselves.

How the System Works

Google has developed the system to allow advertisers to search for potential advertisers via a "Newspaper" section attached to AdWords. The user can select from a list of participating newspapers, select various criteria and add their bid. Users can also sort ads by a given section of the paper or by date range. On the other end newspapers can choose individual ads and utilize the ones they wish to incorporate into the paper.

Newspapers are crossing their fingers hoping that the Google program does not undercut their existing ad base but rather incorporate it into their current model.

Google Maps has added another feature to their service that can be a real time saver. The "click to call" feature allows users to have a telephone connection with the business they have located on any given Google Map search. For example , if you were looking around town for a car part , the displayed results would have the business name, address, location and the additional "click to call" feature. Clicking this feature connects you to that business via your regular landline or mobile telephone and saves you the time of thumbing through a phonebook. You even have the ability to add each phone number in a saved list for future reference.

How it Works

1. Search for the business type you are looking for in your area ; for example , San Francisco Car Parts
2. Click the "click to call" link for the business you wish to contact
3. Enter your phone number
4. Select "remember this number" if you wish to have the business number stored for future reference
5. Your phone will ring with the business picking up on the other end

The service is free to users and the only charges that may apply are if you choose to have the call come through your mobile phone (normal airtime fees charged by your provider). However even with this in mind , what prevents a user entering someone else's' phone number? From what I can tell you do not even have to sign in with your Google Account to utilize this service. Google's response to this problem:

"Google takes fraud and spamming very seriously. We use technical methods to prevent future prank calls from the same user within a reasonable period of time. You won't be charged for any such calls. Please contact clicktocall-support@google.com if you believe someone is entering your phone number without your permission or knowledge."

Although a seemingly small addition to the list of growing features to Google Maps this can be a huge time saver for people hunting down specific products or services in their area. As with other Google services the Click to Call feature is only currently available to U.S. businesses. For us living north of the 49th parallel we can only hope this feature will becom e available shortly in Canada and elsewhere.

Google Co-op is providing a customized search solution for people wanting to add a search feature to their website. Users who sign up for the Custom Search Engine are able to control which websites the engine will search and there is the added feature to add additional websites easily. Users of the custom search tool can add sites to the engine while perusing the internet by utilizing Google Marker . Simply Google Mark the page you wish to have added to your results in one click. This feature is available for both Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers.

Although there have been other search box functions one could add to their website in the past the Google Custom Search has a more robust list of features and is simple to set up. Once a Goggle account has been activated, the time to implement the feature to your website can be done in less than 10 minutes. After a few simple questions to answer and customizations the service generates some very simple lines of code to add to the page or pages you wish to employ the search box. Google's Featured Examples

Here is a basic example I have set up to test drive the Custom Search Engine in action. I have selected for the results to be displayed via Google itself but if one prefers they can have a personalized results page displayed and hosted on their own site. The topic of this example is "SEO News" and I have selected a list of keywords which will describe the content or subject of my search engine (seo news, search engine placement, search engine optimization, seo blog, and seo friendly web design). In this example I have selected to have the results pulled from the entire web however there will be an emphasis on my "included" sites. This function can be altered as well as you can search only your "included" sites.

The ease of set up should not be any sign of the lack of features or customizations one can implement. The following is a snap shot of what is available:

Keywords

One can add their own keywords during set up which will fine tune the results that are served up during a custom search. For more information on choosing the appropriate keywords visit "Choosing Good Keywords"

Included Sites or "Listed" Sites

Simply add the URL of websites that you wish the search box to hunt down information for when a visitor types in their query. In the example above ("SEO News" Search Engine) I have selected a variety of websites from throughout the SEO news industry.

Use the AJAX Search APIs (Advanced Users)
By employing this advanced feature webmasters can add a more dynamic search function. Developers who make use of this impressive application can include Google Web, Video, Maps, News and Blog results. Examples

Invite and Collaborate
An extraordinary aspect of the Custom Search Engine is the ability to invite your colleagues who might be knowledgeable in your field of interest to contribute to the list of sites that are included in the displayed results.

Search Refinements
These labels are available to add to your website and appear above the search results displayed after each search. Once again your "listed" websites are given priority during a search. This assists in refining the targeted results for visitors as it will add additional words to the query.

Google AdSense
By adding Google AdSense website owners can generate money by adding this feature to your search feature. If you create more than one Custom Search Engine your AdSense Account will generate the same results throughout each engine. As always when users click on the delivered ads you can generate funds per click.

Final Touches
You have the ability to customize the look and feel of the search box and the results delivered to visitors to your website via your control panel. This list includes choosing color schemes (changing border, background and font) so integration is visually flawless, adding your personalized logo, and the positioning the layout of the results.

Unlike other search tools available that you can use the Google Custom Search generates clean and simple code to add. The search box itself only creates an additional 8 lines of code to the page it is inserted on.

The Google Co-op has delivered website owners a real world search tool that they can apply their interests to - by facilitating refined search results for visitors with similar interests..