Validation assures that your HTML or XHTML code is compliant with industry standards. This in turn means that your Web pages should render (display) without errors in a browser. It also helps assure that the code can be easily read by search engine spiders. Sometimes a coding error can make it difficult for spiders to read a web page, and although this is rare, the issue is eliminated through proper validation. (more…)

Browser testing can be an annoyance but is necessary due to inherent incompatibilities between Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) and Mozilla’s FireFox, further incompatibilities between different versions of the same browser (mostly IE issues), as well as numerous bugs that were never fixed in some versions. This situation has always existed and started way back when Netscape and Microsoft jockeyed for the top market share position. Each introduced a number of new features that were not always recognized by the other, and both companies were guilty of frequently ignoring the established W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standards in favor of their own standard-setting desires. (more…)

Google offers a few query commands, also called operators, that can be used to analyze a Web site–and about the competition for your selected keyword phrases. The following is a brief list of the most useful query operators. Just substitute your domain name for "mydomain.com" or your search keywords for "green" and "widgets". Don’t be afraid to try them. They are easy to use. (more…)

E-commerce sites walk a fine line with users. If the site is friendly, easy-to-use, attuned to your audience and the products presented properly, the site should convert visitors to users. However, most e-commerce sites do not work convert visitors as well as they should because they are lacking in features that build trust and help convert visitors into customers. (more…)

JavaScript is a very flexible client-side scripting language that adds interactive features to a Web page. A client-side language runs in a user’s browser. Although JavaScript can also be used as a server-side language (runs on a Web server), it’s primary use in Web development is to add interactive features, such as HTML form input validation, image swapping, mouse rollover effects, drop-down navigational menus, moving objects and other interesting effects, to the user experience. (more…)

JavaScript is commonly used to provide interactive features on Web site, such as rollover effects, drop down menus and creative animations. But the improper use of JavaScript can drive potential customers away and hinder search engine rankings. Learn what you need to know to avoid JavaScript-related problems. If you don’t, you may find that your site will have numerous problems retaining users and and picking up free search engine listing. (more…)

This article describes a search engine optimization technique known as cloaking. While there are some legitimate uses for this technique, search engines consider cloaking to be an unethical practice, because the technique can be used to artificially boost a site’s rankings in search engines. The use of cloaking, or a technique that is mistaken for cloaking, will likely get a site banned (completely removed) from a search engine database if the technique is detected. (more…)

The robots.txt file, also known as the robots exclusion file, is probably the best way to protect specific files and directories from being indexed by search engines. Why would you want to do this? To prevent certain Web pages, images or other Web objects from being added to a search engine’s database. (more…)