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ABOUT Genealogy Tip of the Day |
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You've spent years tracing
your family tree and even more time getting the information up on a Web site to
share with the world in hopes of connecting with fellow researchers. The
problem, however, is that no one appears to be visiting. How can you get your
genealogy Web site noticed?
The biggest mistake that
most people make is to assume that their site will automatically start to show
up in the search engines once they put it online. This isn't always the case,
however. To get your site noticed, you need to be proactive and follow a few
simple steps:
- Make sure your site is
ready for the prime-time.
It doesn't matter how many people you attract to your Web site if, once they
get there, they get turned off because the site isn't finished (e.g. the
information they are interested in is "under construction"), or is cluttered
and unattractive.
Web Site Design Do's and Don'ts
- Think you're done?
Pumping up your site for the search engines.
Once your site looks good to humans it is time to start thinking about making
it look good to the search engines. Begin by creating a list of
keywords
for your site - words that best fit the site content (your major surnames,
locations, etc.) and which you think people who would be interested in your
site would be most likely to enter into the search engines. Once you have a
list of about 10-15 good keywords, you need to make sure they are included in
the text near the top of your Web page (the first paragraph or two) as well as
in your page title
and meta tags.
Preparing Your Site for the Search
Engines
- Submit your site to
the search engines and Web directories
Once your genealogy Web site is search engine friendly it is time to let them
know that your site exists! Submitting your site to the major search engines
and directories can take time, but is well worth the effort. Take your time
when crafting your site description and be sure to stick to the basics, rather
than obvious self-promotion. It can take weeks and even months for your site
to get in the search engines, but once you are there, people will come!
Submitting
Your Site to Search Engines and Directories
Did
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Genealogy Tip of the Day newsletter!
URL:
http://genealogy.about.com/library/tips/blwebsite.htm
© 2002
Kimberly Powell and About.com. All
Rights Reserved.
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