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hheath541 · Aug 22, 2009, 12:30 AM

I have been working on setting up a web site to promote my artwork. It's finally as put together as it's going to get right now. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to promote it.

it's set up through Google sites, so I imagine it's already able to be found that way. I'm just not sure what else to do.

the link is in my signature, if anyone wants to take a look.

oh, I chose to start a new thread instead of hijacking momma's thread asking for advise on her blog ^_^

Clough · Aug 22, 2009, 03:09 AM

Hi, hheath541!

Are you looking to sell your artwork, just want to display it, or both, please?

With either way or both, I can help to show you how you can get better exposure when people do searches for the kind of things that you do.

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 22, 2009, 09:06 AM

For the time being I am mostly displaying it. Later on, when I have the capabilities to fill orders, I am planning on selling it.

Clough · Aug 23, 2009, 01:16 AM

Hi again, hheath541!

We seem to be on here about the same time. Hopefully, we'll be on here at about the same time tonight!

Thanks!

shazamataz · Aug 23, 2009, 06:31 AM

Wow, I really like your artwork hheath!
I like the "Sacred Space" one, very nice.

crigby · Aug 23, 2009, 07:45 AM

Hi,
Neat and clean site. You have a sitemap which helps search engines. I did not look at the source, but you need descriptive titles on all pages and an even more descriptive meta tag on each page. Search engines read these first to ascertain content.
The term is SEO or Search Engine Optimaization. It deals with submission and placement. You can go to various search engines and submit your address for the spider to crawl; the description contained on the page will determine its categoration.
One note; you ought to add an embedded (sub-list) for your other two photo pages since they only link from two places.
Peace,
Clarke

hheath541 · Aug 23, 2009, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by crigby

Hi,
Neat and clean site. You have a sitemap which helps search engines. I did not look at the source, but you need descriptive titles on all pages and an even more descriptive meta tag on each page. Search engines read these first to ascertain content.
The term is SEO or Search Engine Optimaization. It deals with submission and placement. You can go to various search engines and submit your address for the spider to crawl; the description contained on the page will determine its categoration.
One note; you ought to add an embedded (sub-list) for your other two photo pages since they only link from two places.
Peace,
Clarke

The site is hosted through Google sites. Wouldn't that mean it's already in google's search engine?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'meta tag.' is that something at the top of the page? Bottom? Invisible to visitors?

How do you suggest I make the page titles more descriptive? I don't want them too bogged down with words. I prefer things to be a little more simplistic, not overly embellished or wordy.

Do you think my photo sub-pages should be included in the sidebar, or at the bottom of my gallery pages with the other links?

And, thank you, shaz. That is actually one of my 'pagan' pieces, and one of my favorites.

crigby · Aug 24, 2009, 07:18 AM

Hi,
Here is the content of the head element of one of my sites (the base href is the address - the comments have a purpose) and the different metas can be seen.

HTML Code:

<head>
<title>Computer Publications Worldwide</title>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/>
<meta name="keywords" content="computer publicatons,computer magazines,African computer magazines,African computer publications,Arabic computer publicatons,,European computer publicatons,European computer magazines,Asian and Pacific computer publicatons,Asian and Pacific computer magazines,Latin American computer publicatons,Latin American computer magazines,North American computer publicatons, North American computer magazines,American computer publicatons,American computer magazines,computer magazine publishers,publications,computer book publishers,computer magazine publisher portals,computer publication portals"/>
<meta name="author" content="Clarke Rigby"/>
<meta name="copyright" content="&copy; 2009 Clarke Rigby"/>
<meta name="description" content="Links to computer magazines' websites worldwide, those in print or online only"/>
<!-- <base href="crigbypubs.tripod.com"/> -->
<link href="crigbypubs.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="screen"/>
<link href="print.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="print"/>
</head>

It is XHTML, hence the self-closing tags. The title of the page is important, but the spider also reads the keywords for classification. This site is mostly links, so another tag tells the robot not to follow them on those pages since it would leave instead of looking at the pages locally.
Generally the sitemap is submitted to search engines. I could not tell you if Google automatically puts their hosted sites at the head of the queue, but submitting will. This can be done at the various sites, or you can pay someone to do it.
Peace,
Clarke

hheath541 · Aug 24, 2009, 08:13 PM

OK, I still have no idea what a meta tag is. I only know the basics of coding (how to post links and pictures and a little of how to change font size, style, and color). Also, how would I go about submitting my web site to search engines? I'm not finding anything to click on that looks like what I want.

Clough · Aug 24, 2009, 11:06 PM

Hi again, hheath541!

How do you want people to find your site? By the name of your site or your personal name? Or, by what you do and where you are, please?

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 24, 2009, 11:16 PM

By what I do, first. By the name of the site, second.

Searching for it by my name, at least at this point, is pointless. I don't have my real name associated with the site in any way. It's under a name I use frequently, lovely.

Clough · Aug 25, 2009, 12:09 AM

Please click, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

On the first, at least several of the pages on the searches on Google, it will be about what I do, where I am and also for a couple of websites that I run for others.

It's the same way on most other search engines. Those are not the only things that I advertise on the Internet...

The reasons that they're so well exposed is because of the particular sites that I use; the words that I use on them and the way that I word and phrase the sentences.

Now, someone might come along and say that, "What happens if you leave out the words "Quad Cities" or "Quad City?"

Please click HERE. I'm the one that's listed as "Absolute". I beat all of the competition if someone is looking for a piano tuner in Rock Island, IL. One of the ways that Google operates is alphabetically. Not all of the search engines work that way.

If I was advertising for what I might do as an artist, especially around where I live, the results would be the same. Because I'm so well exposed in searches, I've gotten calls from around the U.S. for the types of services that I can provide. So obviously, the people who might call me from California or New York State, aren't necessarilly looking for what I do, where I live.

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 25, 2009, 12:17 AM

I still don't know how to submit my site to search engines. It does come up in Google, so they submit sites they host automatically. I've looked and haven't found anything on how to submit a site on other search engines.

as far as adding keywords to my site to get noticed, I should rewrite my homepage a bit, shouldn't I? I really have no experience and very little knowledge in web design and marketing.

thank you so much for all your suggestions. As soon as I figure out how, I will be putting them into practice ^_^

Clough · Aug 25, 2009, 12:29 AM

Hi again, hheath541!

You don't have to submit your site to search engines. I've only done that for a couple of the sites that I run for others, and that was to submit them to Google. None of the other things that you see about me on the Internet have ever been submitted by me to a search engine. If you want to submit your site to search engines, that's your choice. But, I've never found it to be necessary.

If you need help adding keywords and phrases, I can help you to choose the ones that will get you the most exposure. You also need to be on more than one site for your main site to be optimally exposed. I'm not meaning that you need to create another site entirely, but you need to "plug and hawk" your site on other sites where you're allowed to do that.

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 25, 2009, 12:38 AM

How would you suggest I find sites where I can market mine?

Clough · Aug 25, 2009, 12:50 AM

I've already found many of them. You don't have to go searching for the.

The link is below, for one of the main ones that you should join, if you would like to be better exposed when people do searches for what you do; what you have to offer, be it a service or items for others to view and/or for you to sell, and where you're located when they do the searches that are location specific.

http://www.hoobly.com/

There are a number of other ones. And, I'll be glad to share with you about them, as we progress here.

Please join hoobly.com, if you're willing to do that.

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 25, 2009, 01:04 AM

Joined, and posted my web site as an announcement/ad/thingy. Anything else I should do on there?

Clough · Aug 25, 2009, 01:13 AM

Okay, that's great that you joined hoobly.com! Before posting things on the advertising sites, please wait so that we can discuss the words, phrases and sentences that would be best to use.

Would you please post the link to what you posted on hoobly.com?

Thanks!

hheath541 · Aug 25, 2009, 01:15 AM

sure. I basically just posted the link, because I wasn't sure what else to post at that point ^_^

http://www.hoobly.com/0/0/1002015.html

Clough · Aug 25, 2009, 01:20 AM

I found the link. http://www.hoobly.com/0/0/1002015.html

To be better exposed, you need to put a lot of other things in your post there. Posts on hoobly.com, can show up within minutes on a Google search, if people post the correct things to get them exposed.

There are literally thousands of people who write things like, "Check Out My Web Site".

In order to be optimally exposed, you need to set yourself apart from the rest...

I've even had people, whom I don't know, contact me by email wondering how they can get better exposure on the Internet.

Of course, I offer that service at a cost. I do so on this site for free.

Thanks!