Search engines finding forum posts

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

I am experiencing a problem with my posts here on the forum, and I wonder if there is a solution.

As I am posting with my name, I have realized that if someone googles me my site is very low on the google result pages, while my posts here show at first place. ( Actuallly my website has recently disappeared from google searches, I guess I must do something to the index page subtitles)

Recently one of my clients, while looking for my website, has seen her daughter's portrait here while I was trying to sort it out with you all here, much before it was finished.
Again another client of mine has told me she has been reading all the comments of her son's portrait!
With the RSPP exhibition opening, if someone googles me I would like him to end up on my website rather then having a glimps behind the scenes.
I am actually thinking that a possible solution could be posting under my married name.
Any input?
Ilaria

[Allan Rahbek]

I believe that the WIP section is our own, members only, to look into. I think a little about that when I post.
Allan

[Michele Rushworth]

Forum posts are pretty much open to the public. Because of the high amount of traffic this site gets it's not surprising that these posts would show up fairly high in a Google search. To avoid that you could use your married name for Forum posts, if you like. Good idea actually!

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Nowadays some judges are considering theses posts virtual help. I think they are not going to cause any trouble, but it would be better if only members could access this area.

[Jeff Fuchs]

I see that your website mentions your name only once. That murders your google hits. You need to have it in the title of every page (the title appears on the title bar, not the page itself), and you need to have it on every page. Don't use a jpg image of your name. That doesn't count.

As a webmaster I can tell you that your website is not google friendly.

UPDATE: I googled a couple of the more active users here, and they don't have the same problem. Type their name and you get their site as the first on the results list. Learn about SEO (search engine optimization). Google barely knows you exist if you don't tell them.

[Lacey Lewis]

Yes, I just looked at the forum index and there are 74 users online: 4 registered and 70 guests.

I think it is wonderful that other artists can view the threads and learn from what they see, but at the same time it would be nice if more areas, for example critiques, were for members only.

Using a different name here is a good idea. Is that allowed on this forum?

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Originally Posted by Lacey Lewis

Using a different name here is a good idea. Is that allowed on this forum?

Well, it would be funny, Beth has called me once Romeo, maybe I'd use this ID

[Michele Rushworth]

Lacy, let me ask Cynthia what her policy is on that.

Jeff, your experience on how to make a website more searchable would be VERY helpful to Forum members. Can you tell us more?

[Steven Sweeney]

Originally Posted by Claudemir Bonfim

Beth has called me once Romeo, maybe I'd use this ID

You're kidding!

She calls me Romeo, too!

Actually, that's not true. But it's a good story.

[Elizabeth Schott]

Ah you're both my Romeo's...

Ilaria this is why I don't post for critiques here, I don't think any professional should be doing that for the very reason you have stated.

I know I have inquired and perhaps others too - to get a password protected area where the SOG Artist and/or Juried Members could post an issue like the moderators do on this forum.

I think we would all need to contribute more to Cynthia if she does do this, I am not sure it's a big deal but it certainly would be a big help. I think for her to change everyones names would be a bigger nightmare!


Oops... I forgot, Jeff when you did the Google did you notice if the sites that came up were designed and hosted by SOG? That could make a big difference too.