Getting serious about Search Engine Optimization/SEO for JFK websites

[Myra Bronstein]

I have a website about our common subject. It's a work in progress but I want it to be seen. So I'm getting serious about SEO. If you have a JFK website or ideas about promoting such a website you may want to participate in this thread.

A couple of threads preceded this. They give the background.

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=10646

http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=10652

I'll just add that the internet is our last best chance to reach people.

We won't reach enough people without utilizing good SEO practices.

And I don't think the internet will be available to us in it's present form for very long.

I don't think I'm being alarmist or melodramatic when I say that the Big Bad is not pleased that us riff raff are fingering the family jewels. So they will hobble the internet as fast as possible (e.g., "net neutrality"). Then this is our big chance, and we have a brief window of opportunity.

Here is what I know about SEO (relax this won't take long):

1) Metatags still matter... some.

The title tag is important, search engines may look at them. Plus the contents are displayed at the top of the webpage. Max length = 90 characters.

The description tag is also important because the contents are displayed by search engines so people will read it to decide if they want to visit your site. 200 characters max.

Finally, the keyword tag should be used. 500 characters max.

According to this site you should have different meta tags on every page of your site.

http://www.hypergurl.com/metatags.html

2) Google cares passionately about quantity and quality of links, especially inbound links (other websites that link to our page). John already addressed that in his thread so I won't repeat it. You can read what google says for yourself: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/b...py?answer=35769

I'll just stress that even though Wiki is a propaganda pit, they're a valuable SEO tool. Here are some ways to use it (culled from other threads):

2a) Add your website as an external link on relevant pages like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_assassination

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_t...y_assassination

I think you have to have a login and be logged in to edit/add a link. Easy enough.

Less easy, mine disappears sometimes. So I have to add it again. Wonder whatsup with that...

2b) Add your own wiki page. Someone here did this a while back and it was a revelation to me. Argh, I can't recall who. Anyone remember? Anyway, I still need to do this one.

2c) Exchange links with each other. If a lot of us have link pages and with reciprocal links that will help.

2d) Other high volume places (which google values) to link to our pages are social network sites: myspace, del.icio.us, ...

3) Other sites can be valuable partners. Utilize youtube. We should create tie-ins between our sites and youtube. Can we post links there? Add yourself to stumbleupon. And so on.

I suggest we share ideas here.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Myra Bronstein

[Myra Bronstein]

What would people think of the idea of writing a wiki page about the JFK research and discussion forums?