Regardless of all the hype about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), it boils down to two critical factors: Content and Links. The #1 goal of the search engines (besides making money) is to find useful and relevant content. They judge the content of a website by scanning the text on the website and looking at who is pointing to it (the links). FLASH and other movies can make your website look really cool but the search engine spiders (the software programs scanning your website) can't see the movies and FLASH. They can only read text. I am not saying don't use them, but make sure you have some text the spiders can read. If you want to see what the spiders see and you are using Internet Explorer just go to "View" -> "Source". Having your pictures on your site is great but the spiders can't see them either so be sure to "talk" about your pictures and describe them in writing. Tell the story of the shot. This will give the spiders the content they are looking for and help you build rapport with your customers.

 

For the search engines to find your site and feel like others think you have decent content, you need LINKs. There are many ways to get links. Get all of your friends and family to link to your site in their websites, blogs, and myspace pages. Also, create your own blog and myspace pages. Your blog is another way to build rapport with your customers. You can also look for various directories and post links to your website in them. There are many of them out there and here is a free one operated by the same company that we are sponsoring the classified ad service with: Netoffer Online Directory. It contains an Artists section under Popular Local Searches. Another free directory focused exclusively on art is yourArtlinks.com. Various directories like this will not necessarily bring thousands of visitors to your site, but they will bring the search engines. Over time as you collect more links, the search engines will give your site more respect.

 

Cheers,

Mark