Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [52]
Use HTML to Build Context
As the page structure develops, both the user and the search engine rely on the subheadings
, , and to understand the hierarchy of the content and article structure. Bullet points break up the content by providing quick, readable information bytes. Typically, features or important content is contained in bullet points, as searchers browse for fast information cues.
to understand the hierarchy of the content and article structure. Bullet points break up the content by providing quick, readable information bytes. Typically, features or important content is contained in bullet points, as searchers browse for fast information cues.
As a side note about other markup languages, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) layout techniques can be used to mark up content as well. However, the HTML Employ Layout Techniques That Provide Context Many sites do a wonderful job of presenting content in an effective way that allows visitors to quickly scan the content and grasp the subject matter. SitePoint (www.sitepoint.com) is one of the standards, because their presentation of content is one of the best in providing a clear path for the eye to follow and find specific information (see Figure 5-7). Figure 5-7: SitePoint.com article layout The simple beauty of this payout is contained in the high-contrast text to background colors, allowing for an ideal online reading situation. With the difference in headline, main heading, and subheading, the reader can quickly surmise the structure of the document along with the outline and flow of information. From a search engine perspective, the markup in the code allows the engine to do a similar survey of the content, because words that are contained in the header elements are usual indicators of the content. By writing descriptive content and blending keywords as part of developing the article and content structure, the search engine will “see” the importance of the headings. Figure 5-8 shows the markup use of the headings, hypertext links, and bold text. Figure 5-8: SitePoint article layout with markup elements Each of these markup elements provides context. The visual elements appeal to the human reader and provide structure to the page. The markup functions in the code provide context to the search engine and provide structure to the hierarchy of content. Regardless of the type of company that you might be running online, you can take advantage of these layout techniques. For example, BuyDesign, a business-to-business website, impressed me with the layout techniques in redeveloping its website, because BuyDesign took advantage of the reading styles discussed in this chapter (Figure 5-9). The page utilizes contrasting text space, text sizes for communicating the content outline, bold text, and bullet points. In addition, there is also an element of color used consistently throughout the website in order to communicate a specific visual element. I find that many website designs are not that disciplined in their use of color. Many tend to use it liberally, but this design uses the color orange only for specific areas designed to attract the eye in a very gentle persuasion. Figure 5-9: Content arranged for effective presentation In addition to the format, the development of the bullet points and bold text points to a very simple yet effective means of communicating information. Each bullet point is a product benefit. There are benefit statements used throughout the content; however, the beauty is in the content of those benefit statements. The verb describing the benefit is the first word or phrase in those statements, and the verb phrase is bold. Even if the reader reads only the first one to two words in each bulleted phrase, they have read the important benefit statements critical to selling the product. This is a very elegant means of using website content structure to communicate marketing concepts within seconds! How does your content