Over Optimized home page?

[jcambert]

I'd like everyone's opinion on this, as I find it hard to keep a nice balance between seo and usability sometimes. I am working with an seo who frequents this board, and, I've not gotten around yet to making all the changes she requested. PS. She is amazing. Anyway, if anyone could take a look at my site and let me know what their thoughts are for the key term "discount perfume." on my home page, I would really appreciate it. You can get there by clicking on the signature link.

JP

[LaryL]

[QUOTE=jcambert]I'd like everyone's opinion on this, as I find it hard to keep a nice balance between seo and usability sometimes. I am working with an seo who frequents this board, and, I've not gotten around yet to making all the changes she requested. PS. She is amazing. Anyway, if anyone could take a look at my site and let me know what their thoughts are for the key term "discount perfume." on my home page, I would really appreciate it. You can get there by clicking on the signature link.JP[/QUOTE]

From a usability standpoint, you could increase the size of the font for "women's discount perfume" and "men's discount cologne" on your alphabet menus - they are almost impossible to read at 1024x768.

You are using both "mens" and "men's" cologne in different places on your page. "Men's" would be the correct usage. It wouldn't surprise me if wordtracker told you there were many misspelled searches, but if you want to go after the misspelling, I would try it on a different page. I've also edited the shipping and guarantee paragraphs for you below. Still not perfect, but not quite painful and no spelling errors.

You include "Man's" cologne in your keyword metatag. Perhaps you could include "free shipping" as a keyword, and use it as a header above the paragraph describing the conditions. YOu might also think of using text instead of images in the header, as the word in your images would help your page content.

"Free shipping on orders of $99 or more of all your favorite discount perfumes, wholesale fragrances and men's cologne.

Low price guarantee - If you find a lower price on your favorite discount perfume, wholesale fragrance or men's cologne, we will refund you 100% of the difference. Click on the "FAQ" button above for details."

Hope this helps a bit.

LaryL

[jcambert]

Everything in the header is text, with the exception of the two graphics (logo and the the graphic right next to it). Funny you mentioned that, and you missed that it is, in fact text. Also, I'm in the process of changing to men's, which I know is the correct usage, but, as you said, Wordtracker indicated substantially more searches for the mens, but, I agree with you as to the correctness being paramount, on the home page. But, go back and check out that everything on the header is text.
JP

[LaryL]

[QUOTE=jcambert]Everything in the header is text, with the exception of the two graphics (logo and the the graphic right next to it). Funny you mentioned that, and you missed that it is, in fact text. Also, I'm in the process of changing to men's, which I know is the correct usage, but, as you said, Wordtracker indicated substantially more searches for the mens, but, I agree with you as to the correctness being paramount, on the home page. But, go back and check out that everything on the header is text.
JP[/QUOTE]

It was in fact the logo and the graphic that refers to guarantee and shipping that I was suggesting you could display as text. You can do some amazing things to pretty up text with CSS.

I would choose the correct form of "men's" for the home page, but most important - I would not mix them up together like that. It makes it seem as though you are sloppy and don't pay attention to details, and I don't think that's the image you want to convey.

LaryL

[jcambert]

what do you suggest as far as CSS cause, frankly, I'm no programing expert, to pretty up the text?