"canadafred" wrote ...
> This sounds like very good advice Andrew except that it limits Els'
> ability to challenge other keyphrase competitors in the SERPs, at this
> stage of her game. She needs to get her pages to qualify for the top
> positions in a bigger arena. Sure, she could spend years regimentally
> standardizing code to her highest calibers and eventually have
> accumulated a substantial enough amount of incredible standardized code
> to sustain good SERP positions, The again, maybe not, maybe it'll be
> SERP oblivion for her web pages. She wants more keyphrases at the top
> than what she has already established and I would suspect she wants
> them this century.
....
> Els, do you want to design, optimize or both?

Fred, I hear what you are saying, but I don't agree; short term gains, if
really that important, can be achieved using standard (and straight)
paid-for methods.

There's never a need to take a risk with your main site; indeed, nine tenths
of keyword research and application would be no more useful than simply
adding quality unique content, ensuring good internal navigation, getting
into quality directories - and paying plenty of attention to design detail.

Many would argue that SEO=Design=SEO - they go hand in hand. Any time or
money spent on design that does consider SEO from the outset, could very
easily be wasted (and often is).

Most of the supplementary listing problems are a combination of bad design,
poor attention to detail (and basic rules) and not enough content; all of
which require an SEO with common sense rather than one with risky techniques
up his sleeve.

Finally (I promise!), some sites do take risks and do OK - or very well -
but never forget the many, many more that took risks and disappeared. On a
quiet evening, you can hear the screams ....

All the best,

Andrew