OTOinsights

Live from Google Labs - The New Accessible Search

Accessible Search is one of the latest in Google's deluge of beta product - this one is targeted towards visually challenged users.  According to Google, their algorithms for this search focus more on the HTML structure of the page than just the content and use of keywords.  Image- and flash-heavy sites will not fare as well on this search, nor will sites that lack <ALT>ernate tags for your images.  Following standard W3C guidelines for page development will help keep your site high in these rankings.  Don't be surprised if Google ultimately merges these algorithms in with their current ones, as their goals are to both better organize the world's data, and make it universally accessible. 

p.s. No paid placements are available on Accessible Search (yet).

Is My Site Hot Or Not? Think Fast!

According to researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, it can take only 50 Milliseconds for a user to decide whether or not they like a Website.  It's an interesting psychological approach to judging aesthetics, if nothing else.  I'll advocate one suggestion made in the article regarding good site design... "It's not about getting as much stuff on the page as possible".  Big animated logos and abuse of the color palate was really neat in 1997, but these days it just doesn't make the cut!