If you have a choice... one being a headline and the other being a page descriptor (similar words to what a person might enter in a search engine), then it makes complete sense to tag the description as H1 and not the headline. Where we often have to have the seo vs usability conversations is in regard to multiple H2 tags where there is a constant word, paired with a second word variable... as in 'used trek bikes', 'used schwinn bikes', 'used cannondale bikes', etc. Though there are ways to adjust the visual presentation so that it is not horrible to the user without going black hat.
I noticed that Patagonia hides its search keywords at the bottom of the page with a mouse over reveal. Anyone know how this does not get them into trouble? Mark On Jan 3, 2008, at 6:36 PM, Bryan Minihan wrote: > I mentioned one SEO technique as a usability problem a few weeks back > (building "filler" content pages for the sole purpose of driving > traffic to > a web site, regardless of the value of the content itself), and > recently > raised another issue from our SEO: tweaking the page title to > elicit more > keyword matches. Essentially, the advice goes that you add your > tagline to > your page title, on the premise that search engines are more likely to > consider that part of your page body (it's a variance of the "pad your > keyword metadata tag principle" that no longer works). The problem > arises > when your tagline, placed at the front of the title, prevents > anyone from > determining what page they're on, either in Favorites or their Windows > toolbar. I raised the issue as a usability concern, but we're > rebuilding > our site, so I plan to correct the "bug" in the new release coming > soon. > > So yes, I agree that SEO strategies, followed blindly, can work at > cross-purposes with usability. Careful consideration and > integration of > both should work out well, though, as long as everyone is willing > to listen > to each other (heaven forbid =]). > > Bryan > http://www.bryanminihan.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Mark > Schraad > Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 3:25 PM > To: ixda Discuss > Subject: [IxDA Discuss] SEO and Usability > > I'm running into an interesting conversation with more regularity > every week. That conversation surrounds the usability compromise that > sometimes occurs when optimizing pages, functionality, content > organization and linking strategies for search engines. There is > theory being preached within my company that if you optimize for > search engines, then you are optimizing for the user as well. I > disagree. I think they are two separate sets of logic, that may in > fact overlap, but are absolutely not in harmony. Until search engines > accurately emulate human thought (I have my doubts this will happen > very soon) then there will be compromises to the user while > optimizing for search. Any thoughts? > > Mark > ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
