rock bottom basic

[Lee]

Hi Everyone. I hope everyone is ready for another of my rock bottom basic questions! I think I have done as much as I know how at this point when it comes to optomizing my pages.
What I would like to know is what do you mean when you say that you should optomize for specific SE's? Do you optomize different pages of your site for different SE's? Or do you pick a specific SE and optomize your index page for that particular one? I get a little confused because after all you only have so many pages in your site and they all can't be optomized to meet all the various criteria.....or can they?

I hope you understood this question....Thanks, Lee

[ihelpyou]

I personally have never optimized for each search engine. The algos always seem to be fairly similar so I do not bother.

Many will optimize for a particular keyword phrase by building another page and targeting that phrase. Another phrase-build another page.

[Lee]

Thanks Doug....that's pretty much what made sense to me. The other thing I'm wondering about is link popularity. I do have a number of sites that are linked to mine but what I would like to know is how the SE's pick them up? Do the spiders index your whole site because my links are listed deep in my site and not on one of the main pages. Is there a way to make it easier for the spiders to find your links?
As always, thanks for your help.

[ihelpyou]

You could put your resource page link on one of your pages that you know is spidered.

Spiders will find other links leading to you on other sites. That is how they form the link pop. for your site.

[Blue]

Do the spiders index your whole site because my links are listed deep in my site and not on one of the main pages.
One solution to this (well, OK, two solutions) is to create a "site map" page that has all your sites pages/links listed (and most importantly, linked) in sort of a "directory tree" structure or "by sections" structure. Then you place a link to your site map page on your main page. the great advantage to this is that the SE's have ONE page, and only one step away from your main page, that contains links to ALL your pages/links. Many put a "site map" link on all their pages.

Alternatively, you could create a text-link only style navigation box or bar placed maybe at the bottom of your main page that contains links to the different sections of your site.