Blue-Nimmo

Hi, my name is Brock and I am 14. I have a website, and I would love to have you go to it, and possibly give me feedback if you're feeling especially nice. :)

My site is http://www.blue-nimmo.net ... thank you!! :)

I doubt I'm your target demographic, but thats a pretty impressive website you've put together (there is alot of content - and its well written).

But you don't apparently host with dreamhost... (Bravenet?)

Yes, I host with Bravenet... :)

Thank you for your kind words though! I've been trying for a while to get more hits to my site (average is I think now like 7 a day?), does anybody have any suggestions?

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Yes, I host with Bravenet... :)
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does anybody have any suggestions?

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Well yes, actually. I suggest you host with DreamHost!

You really need to improve your ranking in search engines.

Go to google, & msn and do some searches using keywords that you would use to find your site. I just searched for neo-pets and I couldn't find you in google.

Then look for articles on 'search engine optimization', and read them for tips.

It gets down to some basic principles of what google (for instance) likes:

It likes url's with the key words in them:

So: http://www.neo-pets/neopets/neopets.html

It also likes:

People linking to your site with keywords as the text of the link:

"I get all my _neopet information_ from xxx' - so get people to link to you.

It like valid markup (valid html), and headings/bolder text which mentions the keywords.

It will mark you down for text which you try and hide which exists only to trap search engines.

Put your website in your signatures on forums (but don't EVER EVER spam, or you'll be crushed by large rocks)

As for hosting with Dreamhost, I have nothing against it, but no thanks. I'm happy hosted by Bravenet. ;)

As for my ranking in search engines - I've got a few questions... if that's what to call them. Now please forgive me if I sound dumb here, for it's 1:00 AM here, and I tend to sound dumb this early in the morning.

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 Put your website in your signatures on forums (but don't EVER EVER spam, or you'll be crushed by large rocks) 

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Is this what you mean? It's only spamming when you continuously advertise your site, and annoyingly, and unwantedly at that, correct?

Also,

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It like valid markup (valid html), and headings/bolder text which mentions the keywords.

It will mark you down for text which you try and hide which exists only to trap search engines.

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I believe I already have this a few times on my site... and what do you mean hidden text to trap search engines?

If its unasked for advertising, its spamming, but thats were your signature can help, you can make a valid useful comment, and then through your site in at the end in a .sig :)

Hidden text to trap search engines I mean text which isn't there for people to read, like sticking

'neopets, neopets, naked women, hot cheese' at the end of the page over and over again - usually in a colour you can't see - like blue text on a blue background.

People do that so that search engines see it and thus think your site has useful text - but googles apparently fairly smart and can notice that and marks you down.

Oh okay... but I don't get why people would do that. If they wanted to trick a search engine, wouldn't they do that in the

<META name="keywords" content="KEYWORDS HERE">??

So, now going down the checklist of stuff you said to do:
ğI've put my site url as my sig in forums,
ğI don't try and trick search engines,
ğI'll go out and try to get people to link to me - should it be text links or image links, or either or?
ğI'll make sure my HTML coding is correct
ğMake sure to mention the keywords a bit on the index page

Correct?