I have gone back to a 2 column template for now for 1 reason: search engine optimization. I can't find any of my posts on Google search anymore. A big problem with the 3 column template that I had is that in the Google Robots would search the html code of the template in this order:
1. left sidebar
2. right side bar
3. post content
Well you see/saw how much stuff I had on those sidebars!
At one point, if someone typed in "Mats Sundin to Vancouver", Waiting For Stanley's post(s) would come up in the top 10 of Google's search queries. The title of the post would be listed, but the problem was that the content and keywords within the post (listed below the post title in the search query) were hardly ever there. It would say something about flash games, blogroll links, or some of the verbage below the 1982 and 1994 Canucks Finals section that was in the lower right sidebar.
Not good enough. I wonder if that pissed off google...maybe not.
At least with this 2-column template the Robots will index the post content FIRST. We'll see what happens.
I would have gone with a 3 column template where the posts are on the left and the 2 sidebars are right of that, but wasn't impressed with how any of those looked.
Keep in mind that I am also dutch and cheap. I'm not buying a domain or template.
And no, I'm not changing to Wordpress either!
In the meantime, I have checked this template with IE, Firefox and Safari. Seems alright. But if you have any issues with this template or see anything messed up, please leave a comment under this post so that I can fix it.
I miss the 3-column template....but don't want to get left in the Google dust with search optimization either.
I am flying out of town tomorrow for 9 days. I will work more on the font sizes and what-not when I get back.
1. left sidebar
2. right side bar
3. post content
Well you see/saw how much stuff I had on those sidebars!
At one point, if someone typed in "Mats Sundin to Vancouver", Waiting For Stanley's post(s) would come up in the top 10 of Google's search queries. The title of the post would be listed, but the problem was that the content and keywords within the post (listed below the post title in the search query) were hardly ever there. It would say something about flash games, blogroll links, or some of the verbage below the 1982 and 1994 Canucks Finals section that was in the lower right sidebar.
Not good enough. I wonder if that pissed off google...maybe not.
At least with this 2-column template the Robots will index the post content FIRST. We'll see what happens.
I would have gone with a 3 column template where the posts are on the left and the 2 sidebars are right of that, but wasn't impressed with how any of those looked.
Keep in mind that I am also dutch and cheap. I'm not buying a domain or template.
And no, I'm not changing to Wordpress either!
In the meantime, I have checked this template with IE, Firefox and Safari. Seems alright. But if you have any issues with this template or see anything messed up, please leave a comment under this post so that I can fix it.
I miss the 3-column template....but don't want to get left in the Google dust with search optimization either.
I am flying out of town tomorrow for 9 days. I will work more on the font sizes and what-not when I get back.