This is live coverage of SES Munich 2007 by Gilad of SearchMarketing.co.il contributed to the Search Engine Roundtable conferences coverage series.
Site Architecture is very close to Search Usability.
Search Usability - The ease with which site users are able to find their desired data in a website.
Web site usability: - Measures the ability of users to complete a desired task, It is not a set of focus-group opinions. - Web site usability is a BALANCE between business goals and user expectations - Successful site architecture addresses all search behaviors, not only querying behaviorTypes of search behaviors: - Querying o Refining o Expanding - Browsing/Surfing - Foraging - Scanning (eye tracking) - Reading - Pogo sticking - Berrypicking - "The design of browsing and berrypicking techniques for the online search interface" (Marcia Bates)
Architecture is the organization of site pages into groups - how is the content arranged. "Sense of place" is crucial - On each page try to put a logo, breadcrumbs, navigation signals and verify that the page visitors can easily understand where they are.
Shari repeats a lot from the first session (https://www.seroundtable.com/archives/012845.html), the room is full now and many attendees weren't here in the morning.
Page Layout - Most important information should appear above the fold, (also from 1st session). Shari says she probably the whitest hat ever and recommends:
- Don't put all your text in <h1> - Don't use hidden layers - Don't use z coordinates - Don't cloak - Don't use same color for background and text - Don't use CSS positioning
URL structure is part of the interface, Hyphens is better than non hyphens in URL. Problematic characters: &, ?, =, $, +, % - avoid using these in URL. Avoid duplicate content Issues (don't says how so I will - use robots.txt or the Meta robots tag)
Pages all web sites should have:
- Homepage - About us - Products (If you sell something) - Services (If you serve) - Help, FAQ, customer service - Links and resources - Contact us - Site map - Custom 404 page - shows Apple's 404 as a good example and Google's 404 as a bad implementation. - Robots.txt - shows samples
JavaScript and CSS used to be easily abused by "bad" search marketers but the SE started looking at them lately so this isn't working anymore (I'm keeping my under the radar image, nodding).
Other issues that don't affect ranking: - Server response time - Server Type (MS, Apache) - SSI implementation (I believe bad implementation COULD affect) - Type - File type (.asp, .php, .aspx, .htm, .html, .zgiio) - Static IP vs. virtual hosting (as long as you're a snow-white hat and didn't burn the IP...) - Advertising with SE - What is site architecture?
Similar Session from Chicago:https://www.seroundtable.com/archives/006895.html
Gilad, SearchMarketing.co.il.
