Hello, I'm working on a new site and now that I've been introduced to this whole SEO thing I want to do it right. There's no other site that I can find like it so I guess it's a niche and I think I've got a good domain name and lots of potential. There's no actual content at the moment as I want to nail down the layout and navigation first. I'll take it back offline once I get some feedback from you guys and work on the info. I'm not happy with the logo and need to do graphics for the left column but I'll work on that stuff last. How is the site as far as SEO is concerned? It's already a PR3 because of links to it from my other site but there are no other incoming links. Any tips for SEO? Am I making any obvious rookie mistakes? I don't have any meta tags yet at the tops of the pages because I don't actually really know much about them! Are meta tag generators any good? Is there a format I should follow for them? Oops... the site is http://www.workingholidayinfo.com Any and all comments will be hugely appreciated! Thanks, Kirsty
Not sure if it is because my network is being flaky or what, but I saw lots of missing pics, especially in the USA section.
Sorry I should've explained better... most pics and content aren't done. I'm just looking for feedback on layout, navigation and SEO at the moment then I'll make any changes and build from there. Thanks!
Initial impression is good. The layout is pretty decent. Navigation is simple once you figure out that the countries in the left cell are the countries you want to work in. Why are some countries in the upper portion while others are in the lower portion? There must be a reason for division, but I can't figure it out. I do like the flags at the bottom, but with the same buttons also in the left cell, I'm not sure what good they'll really do. On the other hand, if the left nav cell changes, then they'd be hamn dandy. The colors are good as the are, but have you considered tying the individual country pages to the colors of their flag? For example, UK's predominant color is Blue with a lot of Red and some White. Maybe where the main css style is black, you could use Blue, and then use red in place of the Brick Red color (993333). Also, maybe its just because I'm an ignorant American, but what exactly is a working holiday? Is this a vacation where I get to work in another country? Perhaps relaxing from the streeses of my normal 9-5 in favor of a different set of stresses? Or is this just a term for being employed in a different country? I'd also recommend either avoiding acronyms, adding a glossary, or use the acromyn/abbreviation tag to explain acronyms like WHV (Work Holiday Visa I presume?).
The countries on the left are divided because the bottom ones are only for students or recent grads... still need to make those graphics. I like your idea about individual country colours. I might tie my logo on the top left to each country and alter the page's colours like you mentioned. Cheers for that! Americans get left out of the whole working holiday visa thing with the exception of a few places but for shorter amounts of time than us lucky Commonwealth countries. Basically they're reciprocal visas that usually last a year where you can work abroad... usually in crap jobs, but it's more about meeting people, getting to stay awhile in a place, and having a blast than carving out a career. Good idea for a glossary or something. Maybe I'll include a 'Working Holiday Intro' page or something. Thanks! Anyone else?
Another thought on the glossary idea... maybe a wiki? I don't know how interactive you intend to make the site, but a wiki glossary and/or forums where people can discuss their experiences might be good for this. Being mostly ignorant on this subject, this may be way off base. I guess what I'm picturing is something like your review of SWAP blog-style. Perhaps other users could past their experiences with SWAP, and it may come out that it's a worthless investment for a seasoned pro, but someone new to WHV's may find their guidance invaluable. Along the same lines, maybe someone has experience with Company XYZ, and can post a review of them. A forum doesn't quit fit the picture; it should look more like a blog entry. I'm not sure how you would implement something like that off hand though... hmm.
Good first impression, however: - I think the logo could be more professional, try without bevel and emboss.Same goes for the menu. - Some images at the frontpage don't work. - Fill your meta description & keywords with some good sentence/keywords. - Your main keyword, Working Holiday, only returns 10 times on your page, perhaps you should have a higher keyword density.