Optimize Page links for better SEO Placement

In writing content for different clients I have noticed that certain website have very long and complex links that take the website visitor from one page of the site to the next. Instead of using the common link for the pages home.html; about us.html; and contact.html, the links provide some important information to the search engines and aid in the overall creation of an optimized website.

To the casual visitor that is viewing the page the button that is clicked is a normal looking icon that can be found on every website. Simply noting the different page names that are of interest to someone browsing the site the navigation buttons provide the link to another page appear to be colorful additions to the design of a layout.

Like this one is...

However, when clicked on the navigation bar at the top of the screen reports back an elaborate string of words that are related to the company, the page or a particular service or product being promoted.

When building a web page it is now common practice to identify the page title that appears in the browser above the site content. Adding a small logo and name to the page tab makes it possible for the search directories to store more information related to the website, but what is remarkable is that the same "robot" programs that are gathering and indexing a website's written content are also looking at the links and names that are being used by some designers to aid in the optimization of the entire site. 

Allow me illustrate what I mean. For one company a link from their index or home page might look like this http://www.MarketingMediaStrategy.com/services.html, which is perfectly acceptable and will do the job of site navigation, but with some tweaking the same link is optimized when it is written like this: http://www.MarketingMediaStrategy.com/services-writing-graphics-strategic-planning.html

The difference is that while the same page appears on the screen the indexing of that page is unlike any other website. That means that when someone is searching the Internet and types in writing, graphics or planning there is a greater connection to the site that is offering those services. In addition to adding page descriptions that are unique for each page on the website the descriptive navigation link name may boost the ranking of the website within the individual search parameters of an online inquiry.

Whether you are designing you site yourself or having a professional company develop you domain for you it is a beneficial to have them make the page links more usable for the search engines by choosing the words that describe the page and enhance the relevant terms that are being incorporated to optimize your website. Used as covert yet appropriate marketing media strategy when building the pages of a website the lengthy navigation links allow additional optimization work to be done on the website as it is launched and is first scanned and indexed by the "search robots" and "spider programs" that crawl through a website and index the information for the search engines.