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What is HTML?
The best way to start off the HTML section is to explain what it is. First of all, it is the most widely used method of creating webpages. Below is the Wikipedia definition of HTML.
"HTML, short for Hypertext Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document - by denoting certain text as headings, paragraphs, lists, and so on - and to supplement that text with interactive forms, embedded images, and other objects. HTML is written in the form of labels (known as tags), surrounded by angle brackets."
In simpler terms, HTML is the code for a website. The benefit of HTML is its simplicity. You will also enjoy increased search optimization, faster loading times, and the highest browser compatibility. There are also newer versions which combine HTML with another technology XML, resulting in XHTML. The only important thing to remember is that your website should be written in XHTML since it implements the newest technologies.
More details into this subject to come...
Comments (0) 09.19.2007
Flash and Search Optimization
The first thing to understand is how search engines work. The basic idea is that they have programs which scan your website and decide what the content is about. The key thing to realize is that a search engine spider (the scanning program) only looks at the code behind your site, not what a visitor sees. This is where the gap between optimizing a site and Flash comes in.
Flash websites are often full of content and unique animations, however, the code does not reflect this. Flash works like an interactive movie. The website code can be as short as 8-10 lines, but the Flash movie file is where all the information and content is stored. The example below shows how minimal the code is.
<object>
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" />
<param name="movie" value="main.swf" />
<param name="quality" value="High" />
<param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" />
<embed src="main.swf">
</object>That code looks like nothing to a search engine. Any text besides the flash movie is all the search engine will display. A good example of this is the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas. Their website is written in Flash, but they have one link that is done with regular HTML. As a result, Google has them listed 7th when searching specifically for their website (search: "palazzo las vegas"). Note the description of their site. It only says "Reservations" because that is the only text the search engine sees.
Finally, how do you overcome this? The most common answer is to not use a full Flash site. You can use Flash for the animations, but keep the majority of page in HTML. This method gives the search engines something to find, allows for the use of content management systems, and lets your user adjust the font size as needed.
Comments (1) 08.25.2007
