Quoted from an O’Reilly email to me on Thu Jun 1 12:10:59 2006.
" Search Engine Optimization by Harold Davis
SEO--short for Search Engine Optimization--is the art, craft, and science of driving web traffic to web sites. Whether your web site depends on broad, general traffic, or high-quality, targeted traffic, this PDF has the tools and information you need to draw more traffic to your site, and build your bottom line. You’ll learn how to effectively use PageRank and Google itself--effective use of SEO means understanding how Google works: how to boost placement in Google search results, how not to offend Google, and how best to use paid Google programs. You’ll also learn how to best organize your web pages and web sites, apply SEO analysis tools, establish effective SEO best practices, and much more. ISBN: 0-596-52786-1, 41 pages, $9.99 US, $12.99 CA http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/seo/ ”
Everything is true except that you “learn how to effectively use PageRank and Google itself”. A number of the learning issues end up in ‘just keep trying different things and then check Google later to see if that worked’. I think it is important to know that tweaking, trying, miscalculating, recalculating, and checking back later are the only ways we know right now to handle some issues on Google, but they are not very effective. You could be tweaking and trying for days or longer. Some of the most important lessons learned in this book are the ones that let you know you are going into no man’s land with no light at the end of the tunnel, just like everyone else trying for SEO.
My experience agreed with everything Mr. Davis wrote except for his optimal web page length range of 100-250 words. My experience is that 200-300 words would be the best range. Less than 200 words causes SEO problems unless the page has 10-20 photos with 10 word explanations: ‘Aunt Martha at Martha’s Vineyard looking hopefully for Martha Stewart’.
Some of the topics covered include Search Engine Understanding, Site Traffic, PageRank, Links, Syndication, Page Design, Tools, and Pitfalls. Best Practices is probably the best chapter starting on page 37. The rest of the book needs to be clearly understood before you get to SEO that Works. The chapters are written clearly, if briefly. I like that about this book. No long winded explanations of useless trivia here.
I thought the discriminations made between SEO analysis tools were all straightforward and well defined without going overboard. Free tools that tackle different pieces of the puzzle seem to get you very close to where you need to be for SEO. NickeBot, SERPS, and Meta Tag Analyzer are fine tools with a great price. Three licensed tools discussed in this book include Keyword Elite, Clicktracks, and Seo Administrator. Very valuable knowledge worth your time to read.
The book is in .pdf format. I like that feature. You can buy this online through the O’Reilly shopping cart and then download it.
The 40+ pages were easy to read and understand. I read it in one evening. The book is for someone who is a beginner but more experienced people should look it over to make sure they are up to speed with an expert.
I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book for everyone starting with beginners and moving through the rest of the ranks of experience. Since it is such a quick and easy read, you might be missing something unless you check your knowledge against this expert.
Frederick J Eccher Jr June 15, 2006
MBA
M.S. Management of Information Systems
A.B. Psychology
B.A. Biology
President, Board of Directors, Saint Louis Visual Basic Users Group
rick@stlvbug.net
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