Thanks guys for letting me to simply "hang it on the line"!
Caroline, thanks for your input on this, and also, ... thanks for the very kind comments.
I did know of some of the shortcomings from both SM and over at PS.
But I really did not dig around all that much to see how long things had been dragging along. I did know that individuals had been griping about SEO for a very long time, but really did not know how long these things had been in a holding state with those other issues I mentioned.
Those friends of mine had reported that with the "intergrated" sites, those who have personal websites and intergrated their sites with the PS archives, had a very noticeable increase in views of their images. All through Google search going into Photoshelter.
Mine was not intergrated at that point, which is why I did not notice any difference in searches coming through Google.
All of this has happened quickly, ... in a very short time after the PS membership jumped up and said, ... "fix it"!
The staff at PS did, ... and they are fast about it.
I know that the staff at SM realizes that people have a business to run as well, and they know there are issues that their members are concerned about and want fixed, ... but it comes about at a very slow pace.
Look, ... and seriously, ... the staff at SM has impressed the hell out of me in the few weeks that I have been here, and I do appreciate all of their help.
The thing is, that there are companies who move very fast when it comes to their clients needs, and companies who struggle to keep the pace with those needs.
I just feel that SM has been very slow with the member's issues on SEO, Stock, Coupons, ... and it's very telling overall.
I think that I will say no more on this at this point.
I need to jump back on the positive side of things.
I have some things to take care of to pull business back up and in, so let me run.
My 2 cents: SM has been very good at responding to the issues (what few I've had, and were generally my fault, not theirs) - so you can imagine my surprise when I emailed the help desk as to whether SM had developed a white paper on SEO for pro's - and what tools were available for optimization.
My note:
"Greetings
I have been reading the PhotoShelter SEO Toolkit and have been wondering if you are working on making any changes to SmugMug for professionals to allow them (us) more customization to better control SEO (example: being able to create unique titles for every page - of course, maybe you do this and I just don't know how!)
Does SmugMug have a white paper for Pro's for SEO?
Doing those are proven to work. Make sure you follow them and your
search ranking will improve.
We are working on other things to help you improve in the future.
If you have any questions or problems, please let us know.
All the best,
.....
I should have just gotten on the DGrin forum, but wanted a quicker answer. The one I got wasn't a useful answer. Maybe I got the wrong link, but I think that the age of this particular thread speaks volumes about the needs of the pros using SM for SEO tools.
btw - my "grade" on my site is a 49/100 from the Hubspot Website Grader - and two of the places I got downgraded are not in my control:
"Meta Description is too long
Your meta description should be no more than 150 characters, your current meta description is 739 characters.
High Number Of Meta Keywords
The web page has 28 keywords in its metadata.
We believe that though the search engines don't weigh keywords as heavily as they used to, they're still important to get right. By using a high number of keywords, it is possible that you are diluting the effect of your most important keywords. We would suggest keeping the keywords to 10 or less. Currently, this page has keywords in its metadata."
btw - my "grade" on my site is a 49/100 from the Hubspot Website Grader - and two of the places I got downgraded are not in my control:
"Meta Description is too long
Your meta description should be no more than 150 characters, your current meta description is 739 characters.
High Number Of Meta Keywords
The web page has 28 keywords in its metadata.
It is possible to get a much better score than that from the Hubspot Website Grader (against a smugmug site). I just ran my own site and I ran Andy's www.moonriverphotography.com site. I've still got some work to do to catch up with Andy! But I'm pretty happy with the results that I have, even though I'm still working at improving. My site and Andy's were both marked down for the same items that yours was.
Wow - thanks Denise (I hadn't thought of running another SMuser's site - duh! What I did learn quite quickly was that we do have access to at least the Meta Description - it is the "bio Text" on the front page! So - I've tweeked that.
As for the rest, I am working on it - I have only just begun to do the things on SM for improving my score (I am doing better than a direct competitor who isn't a SM user - and their score is a 5/100).
The wiki is a great place to start - i wish that the help folks had sent me there instead of the place they sent me. Oh well - like I said, I should have started here
One of the great things about SM is that I have learned that they do listen to us - and that is the biggest reason I am staying.
The complaints in this thread are still very valid, but some improvement is possible even with the current state of smug.
--- Denise
Ironic that I started this thread, and the wiki page, to help people get the best out of what we can do, isn't it?
Don't get me wrong, we love the suggestions, and requests for SEO improvement - but sometimes I get the feeling that folks don't first do what actually, really works to improve their findability.
To reiterate for newcomers to this thread:
We love the input.
We want to do what we can to improve your search results.
SmugMug sites are found via Google - and SmugMug Images are, too.
Can we improve? We always want to improve, and we continue to try.
Frank, Doc from our help desk made a link mistake to you in the email dated 8:25 am ET April 10th. We are Super Heroes, but even Super Heroes make a rare mistake For that, we're very, very sorry!
RE: 5/100 grade
Keep working at it! I'm glad to see some of you using the hubspot website grader to get an overview of where your site sits on the effectiveness scale.
I have my site at about 94 / 100 but I still have a heck of a lot of work to do to my site. This can be time consuming work but, it's all worth IF your goal is more viewers and visibility in the search engines.
I'm still a little annoyed by the fact that I can't shake the SM metatag but it's their site... I'm just another pro trying to do the best I can to improve my site effectiveness.
When SM decides to allow pros to REALLY ratchet things up and...
1. remove their metatag that's glued to our sites
2. make our alt tags into image links instead of just putting alt= in front of our caption text
...............I'll be a happier camper then.
That means I'm a happy camper with a few gripes
That said, I do commend SM for keeping an ear to the posts and responding with changes when they can.
Markjay
As for the rest, I am working on it - I have only just begun to do the things on SM for improving my score (I am doing better than a direct competitor who isn't a SM user - and their score is a 5/100).
-frank[/quote]
Markjay
Canon AE1 - it was my first "real camera"
Canon 20D - no more film!
Markjay - while working non-stop to get your site ranked highly in the search engines I can't find any mention of it in your profile or signature. I guess I'll have to resort to google to find your site...
Keep working at it! I'm glad to see some of you using the hubspot website grader to get an overview of where your site sits on the effectiveness scale.
I have my site at about 94 / 100 but I still have a heck of a lot of work to do to my site. This can be time consuming work but, it's all worth IF your goal is more viewers and visibility in the search engines.
The free Hubspot website grader is just a smart marketing trick to promote their web site.
You would be much better off to get a free Google account and install the Google Webmaster Tools.
See http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=88817 for adding the verification code to your site.
I don't agree with this whole having to put my photos on someone elses site for SEO, but I will since Andy has suggested it over and over.
It's certainly not the only thing to do. But here's a thought about why I have a site on flickr:
suppose they're browsing and find it? They come to me by virtue of links I've put there. It's just another way, a free way, to get 'out there' and 'be seen' and 'be noticed' - not a requirement, do or not do, it's up to you
Don't use picasa or flickr or any other site if you don't wish to. You have to be comfortable with the terms of service (which are much more draconian than SmugMug's!).....
Here it is Andy. In your wiki thread on SEO you suggest opening a Picasa account. Why would Smugmug give us the ability to protect our photos with right click protection and watermarking, then turn around and suggest we sign up for a Picasa account when this in part of their (Picasa) user agreement?
It was just an idea. More sites, more linkage. Always read terms and conditions and make your own decision.
It's certainly not the only thing to do. But here's a thought about why I have a site on flickr:
suppose they're browsing and find it? They come to me by virtue of links I've put there. It's just another way, a free way, to get 'out there' and 'be seen' and 'be noticed' - not a requirement, do or not do, it's up to you
Don't use picasa or flickr or any other site if you don't wish to. You have to be comfortable with the terms of service (which are much more draconian than SmugMug's!).....
This is pretty much the same thing I do. I have small watermarked copies of my pics on picasa, flickr, pbase, photoshig, facebook, ning etc. all with links pointing back to my main smugmug site for sales or more information. I get a ton of hits from flickr in particular, and have sold prints and licensing agreements through folks who have found my work there and followed to my smugmug site. It can be difficult to keep everything in sync and up to date, but it's invaluable if you are trying to get your name out there.
Search engine
Hi sorry but I have tried to find the answer myself. When I do a google search my web page comes up but the description under the title is code from my bio. Could someone please point me to the instructions that will allow me to fix this. Thanks in advance. Blair. www.blairhall.com
Hi sorry but I have tried to find the answer myself. When I do a google search my web page comes up but the description under the title is code from my bio. Could someone please point me to the instructions that will allow me to fix this.
It was just an idea. More sites, more linkage. Always read terms and conditions and make your own decision.
I'll remove it.
I recently re-discovered a website that I found helpful some time ago before I had a SmugMug site and hope its OK to mention it here www.howipromotemywebsite.com . If you check it out you will find a massive amount of advice, tips etc, it endorses what Andy says, and adds to it as well. It also confirms that we have to explore whatever is right for each of us and if we work at it our efforts will pay off - as Andy says, more sites, more linkage.... make your own decision.
Cheers
Caroline
Different Title on each page?
I, like so many others, have been working on SEO in order to raise my page rank in Google/Yahoo/MSN/Live/etc. One of the tips that many sites talk about is making sure that the title (the discriptive part that is in the very top of your browser window) is NOT the same for every page.
I've found under the new "Easy Customizer" page a place that will supposedly let you change the title of each page to something custom. Only problem is, whenever I try to change it, it gives me an error message saying "The theme you have set for this gallery may be affecting your customization." Or "The All Pages theme you have set for this gallery..."
Does this mean that I have to remove themes or change themes on all of my pages just to change the title? Currently my theme is set to "Fresh Air". Please help...
I, like so many others, have been working on SEO in order to raise my page rank in Google/Yahoo/MSN/Live/etc. One of the tips that many sites talk about is making sure that the title (the discriptive part that is in the very top of your browser window) is NOT the same for every page.
I've found under the new "Easy Customizer" page a place that will supposedly let you change the title of each page to something custom.
The Easy Customizer is a great new feature, but it does not give the option to change the page title for every page. I really do not understand why Smugmug does not offer this to the pros. Many experts in SEO state that unique page titles is THE most important thing to have for the search engines. Yes, you can follow all the suggestions for SEO on this string and it will help your search rankings, but when your pages are all titled the same, your efforts will definitely be hamstrung!
Would Andy or any of the Smug Heroes please comment on why we do not have this functionality? I mean, it should just come down to adding a line of text to the html of each page. I can't see how this would change the current navigation system in Smugmug or anything.
The Easy Customizer is a great new feature, but it does not give the option to change the page title for every page. I really do not understand why Smugmug does not offer this to the pros. Many experts in SEO state that unique page titles is THE most important thing to have for the search engines. Yes, you can follow all the suggestions for SEO on this string and it will help your search rankings, but when your pages are all titled the same, your efforts will definitely be hamstrung!
Would Andy or any of the Smug Heroes please comment on why we do not have this functionality? I mean, it should just come down to adding a line of text to the html of each page. I can't see how this would change the current navigation system in Smugmug or anything.
Thanks,
Joel
Amen to what Joel said; the importance of a unique title for each individual web page (including Home page) cannot be overstressed. As i understand, taking care of the page Titles is the first thing (and the easiest) to do when building a website.
By the way, i leave empty the Page Title box in the Easy Customizer browser section. That keeps SmugMug's title in the non-galleries pages but gives me a unique title page (my gallery name) to every gallery-page. The problem is that SmugMug adds and [Photos] as the 1st and 2nd words of the title, which happens to be the most important place in the title...! (and, of course, it leaves my home and category pages without my own titles!!!)
To me too, giving us the option to customize each and every page Title, seems very easy task to do, but i don't really know enough to say so.
Custom URL Naming/Renaming?
Hey Andy, thank you for continuing to take note of user requests/demands/rants. It just shows what great customer service you guys continue to have!
I would love to see a way to change urls such as /gallery/1234567_abcde to something more easily remembered like /school_dance or /what/ever. I know that there is a workaround but I would love to see a way to actually rename the galleries.
Hey Andy, thank you for continuing to take note of user requests/demands/rants. It just shows what great customer service you guys continue to have!
I would love to see a way to change urls such as /gallery/1234567_abcde to something more easily remembered like /school_dance or /what/ever. I know that there is a workaround but I would love to see a way to actually rename the galleries.
Superb, does this mean that google friendly sitemaps may be usable in the future??
I don't know how effective this is but I've submitted all of the RSS feeds that Smugmug so kindly gives us as well as my own home made sitemap into Googles sitemap submission area.
Again, I don't know the effectiveness of this since I've only been using Google Analytics for about a week now but I did want to pass on the info in case anybody else wants to try the same thing...
Comments
Caroline, thanks for your input on this, and also, ... thanks for the very kind comments.
I did know of some of the shortcomings from both SM and over at PS.
But I really did not dig around all that much to see how long things had been dragging along. I did know that individuals had been griping about SEO for a very long time, but really did not know how long these things had been in a holding state with those other issues I mentioned.
Those friends of mine had reported that with the "intergrated" sites, those who have personal websites and intergrated their sites with the PS archives, had a very noticeable increase in views of their images. All through Google search going into Photoshelter.
Mine was not intergrated at that point, which is why I did not notice any difference in searches coming through Google.
All of this has happened quickly, ... in a very short time after the PS membership jumped up and said, ... "fix it"!
The staff at PS did, ... and they are fast about it.
I know that the staff at SM realizes that people have a business to run as well, and they know there are issues that their members are concerned about and want fixed, ... but it comes about at a very slow pace.
Look, ... and seriously, ... the staff at SM has impressed the hell out of me in the few weeks that I have been here, and I do appreciate all of their help.
The thing is, that there are companies who move very fast when it comes to their clients needs, and companies who struggle to keep the pace with those needs.
I just feel that SM has been very slow with the member's issues on SEO, Stock, Coupons, ... and it's very telling overall.
I think that I will say no more on this at this point.
I need to jump back on the positive side of things.
I have some things to take care of to pull business back up and in, so let me run.
Take care gang,
Michael
My note:
"Greetings
I have been reading the PhotoShelter SEO Toolkit and have been wondering if you are working on making any changes to SmugMug for professionals to allow them (us) more customization to better control SEO (example: being able to create unique titles for every page - of course, maybe you do this and I just don't know how!)
Does SmugMug have a white paper for Pro's for SEO?
I love your service and am NOT changing to them.
Thanks
-frank
The reply I got:
Hi Frank,
Thank you for contacting SmugMug.
While we do not have a specific "white paper" on SEO, we do have the
best tips possible listed here:
http://wiki.smugmug.net/display/SmugMug/Hacks+and+Apps
Doing those are proven to work. Make sure you follow them and your
search ranking will improve.
We are working on other things to help you improve in the future.
If you have any questions or problems, please let us know.
All the best,
.....
I should have just gotten on the DGrin forum, but wanted a quicker answer. The one I got wasn't a useful answer. Maybe I got the wrong link, but I think that the age of this particular thread speaks volumes about the needs of the pros using SM for SEO tools.
btw - my "grade" on my site is a 49/100 from the Hubspot Website Grader - and two of the places I got downgraded are not in my control:
"Meta Description is too long
Your meta description should be no more than 150 characters, your current meta description is 739 characters.
High Number Of Meta Keywords
The web page has 28 keywords in its metadata.
We believe that though the search engines don't weigh keywords as heavily as they used to, they're still important to get right. By using a high number of keywords, it is possible that you are diluting the effect of your most important keywords. We would suggest keeping the keywords to 10 or less. Currently, this page has keywords in its metadata."
- frank
Central Ohio Portrait and Wedding Photography
http://www.TuttleImages.com
Flickr
Have you followed the advice on the wiki page http://wiki.smugmug.net/display/SmugMug/Maximize+Search+Engine+Findability?
The complaints in this thread are still very valid, but some improvement is possible even with the current state of smug.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
As for the rest, I am working on it - I have only just begun to do the things on SM for improving my score (I am doing better than a direct competitor who isn't a SM user - and their score is a 5/100).
The wiki is a great place to start - i wish that the help folks had sent me there instead of the place they sent me. Oh well - like I said, I should have started here
One of the great things about SM is that I have learned that they do listen to us - and that is the biggest reason I am staying.
-frank
Central Ohio Portrait and Wedding Photography
http://www.TuttleImages.com
Flickr
Don't get me wrong, we love the suggestions, and requests for SEO improvement - but sometimes I get the feeling that folks don't first do what actually, really works to improve their findability.
To reiterate for newcomers to this thread:
We love the input.
We want to do what we can to improve your search results.
SmugMug sites are found via Google - and SmugMug Images are, too.
Can we improve? We always want to improve, and we continue to try.
Thanks!
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Frank, Doc from our help desk made a link mistake to you in the email dated 8:25 am ET April 10th. We are Super Heroes, but even Super Heroes make a rare mistake
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
My deepest apologies. I did make a mistake when pasting the link. Sorry about that.
--Doc
http://help.smugmug.com
Keep working at it! I'm glad to see some of you using the hubspot website grader to get an overview of where your site sits on the effectiveness scale.
I have my site at about 94 / 100 but I still have a heck of a lot of work to do to my site. This can be time consuming work but, it's all worth IF your goal is more viewers and visibility in the search engines.
I'm still a little annoyed by the fact that I can't shake the SM metatag but it's their site... I'm just another pro trying to do the best I can to improve my site effectiveness.
When SM decides to allow pros to REALLY ratchet things up and...
1. remove their metatag that's glued to our sites
2. make our alt tags into image links instead of just putting alt= in front of our caption text
...............I'll be a happier camper then.
That means I'm a happy camper with a few gripes
That said, I do commend SM for keeping an ear to the posts and responding with changes when they can.
Markjay
As for the rest, I am working on it - I have only just begun to do the things on SM for improving my score (I am doing better than a direct competitor who isn't a SM user - and their score is a 5/100).
-frank[/quote]
Canon AE1 - it was my first "real camera"
Canon 20D - no more film!
The free Hubspot website grader is just a smart marketing trick to promote their web site.
You would be much better off to get a free Google account and install the Google Webmaster Tools.
See http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=88817 for adding the verification code to your site.
Panoramio: Spectacular photos on Google Earth
Google: Allan Hansen - fotograf og IT-nørd
Blogs: Photo and SEO news by LichtenHansen, Allan Hansen foto nyheder, Antarctica Travel
Homepage: Fotograf Allan Hansen, Unusual wildlife photos
It's certainly not the only thing to do. But here's a thought about why I have a site on flickr:
suppose they're browsing and find it? They come to me by virtue of links I've put there. It's just another way, a free way, to get 'out there' and 'be seen' and 'be noticed' - not a requirement, do or not do, it's up to you
How to make a link? Easy. Here's our html help: http://www.smugmug.com/help/html-help.mg
Don't use picasa or flickr or any other site if you don't wish to. You have to be comfortable with the terms of service (which are much more draconian than SmugMug's!).....
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
It was just an idea. More sites, more linkage. Always read terms and conditions and make your own decision.
I'll remove it.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Take a look at this - http://blogs.smugmug.com/pros/2008/07/04/right-click-protection-and-image-security/
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
This is pretty much the same thing I do. I have small watermarked copies of my pics on picasa, flickr, pbase, photoshig, facebook, ning etc. all with links pointing back to my main smugmug site for sales or more information. I get a ton of hits from flickr in particular, and have sold prints and licensing agreements through folks who have found my work there and followed to my smugmug site. It can be difficult to keep everything in sync and up to date, but it's invaluable if you are trying to get your name out there.
James
Langford Photography
http://www.langfordphotography.com
james@langfordphotography.com
Hi sorry but I have tried to find the answer myself. When I do a google search my web page comes up but the description under the title is code from my bio. Could someone please point me to the instructions that will allow me to fix this. Thanks in advance. Blair.
www.blairhall.com
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
I recently re-discovered a website that I found helpful some time ago before I had a SmugMug site and hope its OK to mention it here www.howipromotemywebsite.com . If you check it out you will find a massive amount of advice, tips etc, it endorses what Andy says, and adds to it as well. It also confirms that we have to explore whatever is right for each of us and if we work at it our efforts will pay off - as Andy says, more sites, more linkage.... make your own decision.
Cheers
Caroline
www.carolineshipsey.co.uk - Follow me on G+
[/URL]
online photo albums,photo sharing,photo hosting,photo storage,albums,photo albums,photo,sharing,picture sharing,share photos,photo galleries,photo gallery,photos,photographs,online gallery,picture gallery,picture galleries,onlinegalleries,smugmug gallery,smugmug,smug mug,smugmug photos,images,image galleries, image gallery,gallery hosting,galleries hosting,hosting
Where have these come from, I'm sure I haven't put them there. Is there a way to make these more site specific?
Become a fan of Chris Humphreys Photography
Are you following all our tips here?
http://wiki.smugmug.net/display/SmugMug/Maximize+Search+Engine+Findability
those other keywords are ours.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
I, like so many others, have been working on SEO in order to raise my page rank in Google/Yahoo/MSN/Live/etc. One of the tips that many sites talk about is making sure that the title (the discriptive part that is in the very top of your browser window) is NOT the same for every page.
I've found under the new "Easy Customizer" page a place that will supposedly let you change the title of each page to something custom. Only problem is, whenever I try to change it, it gives me an error message saying "The theme you have set for this gallery may be affecting your customization." Or "The All Pages theme you have set for this gallery..."
Does this mean that I have to remove themes or change themes on all of my pages just to change the title? Currently my theme is set to "Fresh Air". Please help...
Thanks
Shawn
http://ShawnSharpPhotography.com
The Easy Customizer is a great new feature, but it does not give the option to change the page title for every page. I really do not understand why Smugmug does not offer this to the pros. Many experts in SEO state that unique page titles is THE most important thing to have for the search engines. Yes, you can follow all the suggestions for SEO on this string and it will help your search rankings, but when your pages are all titled the same, your efforts will definitely be hamstrung!
Would Andy or any of the Smug Heroes please comment on why we do not have this functionality? I mean, it should just come down to adding a line of text to the html of each page. I can't see how this would change the current navigation system in Smugmug or anything.
Thanks,
Joel
http://www.joelfletcher.com
Amen to what Joel said; the importance of a unique title for each individual web page (including Home page) cannot be overstressed. As i understand, taking care of the page Titles is the first thing (and the easiest) to do when building a website.
By the way, i leave empty the Page Title box in the Easy Customizer browser section. That keeps SmugMug's title in the non-galleries pages but gives me a unique title page (my gallery name) to every gallery-page. The problem is that SmugMug adds and [Photos] as the 1st and 2nd words of the title, which happens to be the most important place in the title...! (and, of course, it leaves my home and category pages without my own titles!!!)
To me too, giving us the option to customize each and every page Title, seems very easy task to do, but i don't really know enough to say so.
Amos
http://eMixPix.com
http://www.eMixPix.com - Stock Aerial Photos of NYC Metro area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut)
--- http://www.emixpix.com/New-York - NY Aerial Photos
--- http://www.emixpix.com/New-Jersey - NJ Aerial Photos
--- http://www.emixpix.com/Connecticut - CT Aerial Photos
http://www.BestAerialPhotos.com - Aerial Photography service in the NYC Metro area
Stay tuned.
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Hey Andy, thank you for continuing to take note of user requests/demands/rants. It just shows what great customer service you guys continue to have!
I would love to see a way to change urls such as /gallery/1234567_abcde to something more easily remembered like /school_dance or /what/ever. I know that there is a workaround but I would love to see a way to actually rename the galleries.
thanks,
Shawn
http://www.ShawnSharpPhotography.com
Excellent! Looking forward to it. Thanks Andy.
Cheers,
Joel
http://www.joelfletcher.com
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Superb, does this mean that google friendly sitemaps may be usable in the future??
Become a fan of Chris Humphreys Photography
I don't know how effective this is but I've submitted all of the RSS feeds that Smugmug so kindly gives us as well as my own home made sitemap into Googles sitemap submission area.
Again, I don't know the effectiveness of this since I've only been using Google Analytics for about a week now but I did want to pass on the info in case anybody else wants to try the same thing...
Shawn
http://www.ShawnSharpPhotography.com