The 3-Page Optimization Technique

by Ammon Johns

Performing basic optimisation to improve the rankings of a page in search results is not truly that difficult. Generic search engine friendly optimization techniques work well in most engines. When competition is fiercer, and many of your competitors have some level of search engine optimization too, things become harder.

At this point, the content needs to be better optimized for the particular algorithm than the competitors’ content is – and this means choosing which algorithm (and search engine) you will attempt to match. One page cannot closely match different algorithms, and each of the major search engines has its own algorithm.

Can a single optimized page match (at more than a generic level) with both the Google algorithms (providing the search results at Google, Yahoo and AOL) and with the algorithms of Inktomi (providing the bulk of search results at MSN)? The answer is ‘No’.

To rank well in different search engines for the same competitive search terms it becomes necessary to have multiple pages optimized for each term, each page optimized for a different algorithm. This creates new problems, namely in how to repeat the targeting of phrases, without creating confusing repetitions within the content.

Traditional SEO would use multiple landing pages, which were kept outside of the main navigation menus of the site. Visitors would land on the version of the page that was built purely to rank well on the search engine used, and would not see any of the similar landing pages built for ranking on other search engines.

This all changed a little when the search engines moved into looking beyond the content of the page itself, and started to examine linking structures. The search engines were easily able to eliminate millions of landing pages from their databases because analysis of the links showed these pages to be outside of the site proper (not included in the navigation menus).

SEOs are still grappling with the consequences today, often using a variety of tricks to attempt to include links to the page for the search engine spiders, but not for visitors. These tricks can include using hidden links, or even in serving different content to known spiders (commonly called cloaking). Huge ranges of deceptive techniques have come about, but the strange thing is that they are pretty much all unnecessary.

Having multiple pages for each product or service is not only simple, but in fact is already in common existence. Here I will explain my classic 3-Page Technique to optimization for multiple search engine algorithms.

The classic catalogue style ecommerce website will have a page for every product already. Here is the easy way to adapt this model to provide three separate pages for each product, with each optimized for a different style of search algorithm, and each a natural part of the site.

The first page, the product page already existing, is the main page, and the centre for linking in the other two. This is the mid-range page, and would be optimized for a length of around 400 words of text in total (including common features such as navigation menus and a footer).

The second page is easily added. Commonly a product page contains a small image of the product, and by convention, customers are able to click on the small image to see a larger, more detailed view of the product.

Now, instead of just serving a larger image, we place the detailed image upon its own page, and we give it a couple of brief descriptive paragraphs of text beneath the image, highlighting certain features for the visitor’s attention. This adds to usability as well as optimization.

We’re looking at a total word-count of under 250 words for this second, short optimized page. The word-count should ideally be in the 150 to 200 range. This is ideal for search algorithms that like short, punchy text, and it tends to do very well on Inktomi.

The third page of my three-page optimization technique is to provide a ‘Full Details’ or ‘Technical Specifications’ page for the product. This takes a more detailed look at the product specifications, provides the kind of deeper info that suits some customers anyway, and allows us to provide our final optimized variant of content targeting the same search phrases, with over 600 words of text on the page.

Now, to tie this all into the site navigation is not just simple, it is natural. These are genuine pages. They actually serve the customer needs just as much as they serve the optimization objectives. Link to the main product page as is normal, then link that page to the short (view product) and long (full technical specifications) page variants from there. Each of the three variants naturally and sensibly links to the other two variants.

This technique works so well, and is so natural in feel, and in purpose, that the optimization is integral, and transparent. I have seen professional SEOs look at these pages and fail to spot that the three pages are a cunning search engine optimization technique. More importantly, the three pages enhance the site for visitors, giving more detail about each product, suiting the various shopper personality types better, and often increasing overall conversion rates.

Remember, the art of successful search engine marketing is to optimize content for high rankings while simultaneously keeping the copy and presentation focused on converting those visitors to customers when they do arrive.

My classic 3-page optimization technique has proven to be powerful and effective for hundreds of clients. In sharing it now, the important part is the lesson in how to combine increased search engine optimization with increased usability for humans too. Anything you need to hide, hasn’t been truly optimized, as it is only attaining half or less of the marketing effects that it could and should.

About The Author
Ammon Johns is a world renowned Internet Marketing Consultant, who lives in the UK. He is an active participant and Administrator in the Cre8asite Forums.

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