So i am taking a shot with fortressforever.eu

[squeek.]

Originally Posted by Ricey

As of right now, searching for Fortress Forever will lead to here, where the site should be, if fortressforever.eu gains #1, that'll be confusing to newer users. I have seen it happen a few times before, happened one sometime tired to remake an old site of mine. My url was FFAlpha.com/.net and they had finalfantasyalpha.com,funny thing was I got to FFAlpha from AlphaFF.com(Street Fighter Site, dont remember how I found it).

That's fair enough. I don't know how hard it would be to overtake fortress-forever.com in search engine ranking (I'd imagine it'd be pretty hard, but I don't know much about SEO), but if that happened it could indeed become confusing.

[FDA_Approved]

How will it be confusing? It'll be a new site that leads to the same downloads, and directs to these forums.

The example you used was incredibly irrelevant, as it refers to two different games.

Also how would this imaginary confusion detract from people playing the game? I don't think it would. So who cares? Let them be confused and seek out the answers they desire after playing a few games with us in the pub.

[squeek.]

I guess confusing is the wrong word. It'd be unfortunate to not be the top result for our own game.

[FDA_Approved]

Originally Posted by squeek.

I guess confusing is the wrong word. It'd be unfortunate to not be the top result for our own game.

Perhaps. Less so than if something gross was the number 1 result. Like horseporn or something like that.

[WubbaDucky]

Hello,

for me (from an SEO point of view) overtopping this site, is not the goal. When i speak in terms of TLD's & extensions.

.eu is targeting other everything else then Google.com, it's all about I implement or point out the countries I want to target. And it comes in different languages. People, or young players approaching them with Dutch content will be alot easier for:

A: Them (comfort zone)
B: Gain a strong position in google.be & google.nl

For example:

It's very easy to gain the biggest marketshare for FF with content written in Dutch.
Ranking a .eu with subfolders or subdomains for specific countries will succeed more.

Trying to rank or compete with an offical websites is never a goal.
From an seo point of view, .EU domains in google.com don't rank well or is very hard. So there is no threat.


It's mainly driving the traffic to push them to download and when seeking help => get on this forum.

I Am targeting 60 keywords per language

And (when i keep going on the dutch content) the search volume of the keyword 'fortress forever' in Belgium and Holland is pretty low. around 100 exact

It's not much, but when you gain a 90% marketshare of the 100 endusers where at least 20% tries and download it, its a high sucessratio.

Now, take every country in Europe and you're game.

It's easy to point out that the EU is not the official website, and the keyfactors are links and exposure to:

Steam Page, IRC, and this forum

@Ricey, at this point design / development is not the goal. Mainly SEO
If I want, i can hire a dev / designer for 15K to design it, i don't mind. But i have no statistics for the global share of FF at the moment. I need data and results from europeans.

I can go also that far that I set the goals in conversion tracking when people come to the install page how many of them actual downloaded steam, FF and Source.

It's all about the statistics tp determine a global rebrand, wether it's this official site or another one.


About the amount of pages:

It's how you approach it. Content is king, and became more of a digital asset for traffic and brand awareness. Pages include full written texts, news, videos + text, updates on pickups, how many servers there are, etc etc

It's easy to get a 100 pages for a dynamic product

[WubbaDucky]

Oh and before i forget,

I know this site is getting a makeover, but also for here, I want to use Search Engine Strategy & Tactics on the new site to get a global targeting group/

[WubbaDucky]

http://www.fortressforever.eu/information/serverlist

Am i missing a server?
Sidebar menu on that page will be extende when I add more important pages.

[Features-]

I think it is a great idea to have an addition forum/website that gets more downloads for the game or just puts FF out there in anyway. I don't get why this would confuse anyone. This is the offical website.. and there are more than one sites dedicated to the game. It is like that for any game. I think ricey is just confused on your direct goal and doesn't want it to turn into something that is bad for the 'offical' website.
For you guys hating on ricey he is taking his own time to develop an orginal website that takes time and effort. Anyone could slap a half decent website together in a day or two. He is making it so that it looks very nice and detailed. Though he does seem a little self asborbed with not letting other people help him or finish he's unfinished work that are more than capable of doing it.

[Drakonal]

Originally Posted by WubbaDucky

http://www.fortressforever.eu/information/serverlist

Am i missing a server?
Sidebar menu on that page will be extende when I add more important pages.

Unless it is down now i think your missing the Old Timers server, which is arguably the most played on US public server in exsistence, esp for new players.

[FDA_Approved]

8.6.74.118:27015

It is up still. There's a bug that keeps source mod servers from showing up in the browser. When I showed them Ze's fix they said they tried it a couple times and couldn't get it to work.

[WiFiDi]

personally I think it sounds like ricey needs help, not that he can't do it himself. rather that he doesn't have the time. I think a better idea would be to get with ricey and say what can we do progress things with the site like finishing the different pages the big stuff. however this would also mean that ricey would have to put his pride over on the end table and let others help him. I don't mean not with the little side things like gathering data but actually doing some of the work. just because its riceys brainchild doesn't mean there can't be multiple people working on it. knowing ricey this could be hard on his pride because after all it is his job however if he can put it aside and let someone else do some of the work for him. I think we will have a better site, faster.

now back on topic to the exact topic on hand.

also i think that this could split the community. but come to think of it eu and Americans are always split geographically, politically, and in any number of different ways. i have a possible solution's to fix that.

ricey's worried about splitting the forums which honestly I'd be worried about as Ive seen it with many games some do it on purpose others on accident and still other times it just happens. well I don't' know if its possible but i have an idea. both sites keep there different designs but share the same forums. here is what I mean ff.eu would have its own design of forums but share the same forum data so if i posted it would show up there and here. also share the same account stuff as well.

rambling rant over.

[KubeDawg]

Originally Posted by Drakonal

Unless it is down now i think your missing the Old Timers server, which is arguably the most played on US public server in exsistence, esp for new players.

Arguably? Their server went down some time ago. The one being hosted right now is not hosted as an official O-T server as their community either didn't want to fund it anymore or could no longer afford it. The one up right now is likely hosted by one of the few O-T members left in this game.

Right now, the most popular FF servers are Talos and Moto's Sexytime server and will likely continue to be the go-to servers for US players.

[FDA_Approved]

Originally Posted by WiFiDi

personally I think it sounds like ricey needs help, not that he can't do it himself. rather that he doesn't have the time. I think a better idea would be to get with ricey and say what can we do progress things with the site like finishing the different pages the big stuff. however this would also mean that ricey would have to put his pride over on the end table and let others help him. I don't mean not with the little side things like gathering data but actually doing some of the work. just because its riceys brainchild doesn't mean there can't be multiple people working on it. knowing ricey this could be hard on his pride because after all it is his job however if he can put it aside and let someone else do some of the work for him. I think we will have a better site, faster.

now back on topic to the exact topic on hand.

also i think that this could split the community. but come to think of it eu and Americans are always split geographically, politically, and in any number of different ways. i have a possible solution's to fix that.

ricey's worried about splitting the forums which honestly I'd be worried about as Ive seen it with many games some do it on purpose others on accident and still other times it just happens. well I don't' know if its possible but i have an idea. both sites keep there different designs but share the same forums. here is what I mean ff.eu would have its own design of forums but share the same forum data so if i posted it would show up there and here. also share the same account stuff as well.

rambling rant over.

He doesn't plan on making different forums. The euro site will still link to these.

[WiFiDi]

Originally Posted by FDA_Approved

He doesn't plan on making different forums. The euro site will still link to these.

there is no problem then me thinks.

[WubbaDucky]

For every involvement of community i always refer within the texts or in the topnav menu (under community) to this forum or steam page. like (http://www.fortressforever.eu/information/serverlist)
I don't want to create a seperate forum. I need data for Search Engine reasons, to remarket, retarget and optimize ff.eu for traffic, and in a later stage this site.

If there is a decent banner for advertising, i would place that also to get more visibility to this website for example, it's branding a brand to the same brand, with the same purpose.

[ian.de]

Originally Posted by Ricey

As of right now, searching for Fortress Forever will lead to here, where the site should be, if fortressforever.eu gains #1, that'll be confusing to newer users.

I may be wrong but why would you try to target keywords that no one is searching in the first place?

If people don't know what fortress forever is in the first place why would they search for it?

He's probably targeting other keywords like "free online steam fps", "free competitive first person shooter", "best fps game on steam", "games like team fortress 2". These are just examples I thought of at 1am but you get the point.

The man is just trying to help drive traffic to this site!

I think he's a god send honestly and the community is lucky to have anyone who is willing to spend time, money, and expertise to help out. We're thankful for you too Rice

[FDA_Approved]

I agree. We love you wubbaducky.

[Drakonal]

Originally Posted by KubeDawg

Arguably? Their server went down some time ago. The one being hosted right now is not hosted as an official O-T server as their community either didn't want to fund it anymore or could no longer afford it. The one up right now is likely hosted by one of the few O-T members left in this game.

Right now, the most popular FF servers are Talos and Moto's Sexytime server and will likely continue to be the go-to servers for US players.

Don't get your knickers in a twist kube, it was more of a general statement regarding FF history, which from that perspective it can't be agrued that in the entire time FF has been around OT was the most played on and longest running server in FF history.

[Ricey]

Originally Posted by ian.de

I may be wrong but why would you try to target keywords that no one is searching in the first place?

If people don't know what fortress forever is in the first place why would they search for it?

He's probably targeting other keywords like "free online steam fps", "free competitive first person shooter", "best fps game on steam", "games like team fortress 2". These are just examples I thought of at 1am but you get the point.

The man is just trying to help drive traffic to this site!

I think he's a god send honestly and the community is lucky to have anyone who is willing to spend time, money, and expertise to help out. We're thankful for you too Rice

Just an example, bit extreme but it works; Say you are in a public area and you hear someone talking about Fortress Forever and they are raving about its CTF Mode, you remember the name Fortress Forever, so you search for it. You search for it; you see fortressforever.eu first, so you go there, then you see that page.

This will happen a lot; yes, it sends people here, but can and will confuse users.
Lets say they read the basic information, then go to the forums, BAM; completely different site.

Yes, it still says Fortress Forever, but it's still a completely different site.


Wifidi, I wasn't worried about splitting the forums up; I'm more worried about the user's experience when they first come to try FF, a bad or confusing experience will drive the user away, and fast. Faster than any of us bashing them to hell, and then back. That is what I am truly worried about.

Everyone here can say, 'it wouldn't confuse me', but thats you, not the other 7 billion people, lol.

[WubbaDucky]

Hello guys,

thanks for the support again.

1. I will add the OT server to the list. i played on it yesterday, and it worked fine . had 9-10 players on it.

2. I am still seeking for another euro server, but i keep this updated

3. To avoid any confusion about the goals / or things that I have in mind with a. FF.eu and this site I will create and write a small document (some kind of planning)
I will post it here, and everyone can read it. that will be easier for everyone that is interested to understand and see the logics in terms of supporting the game and why oh why i am setting up the EU site.

Meanwhile i keep some stuff about the site here updated. As I mentioned, I do this inbetween work and free time, but always set a certain deadline/ objective. It's handy for me and prolly for you too to give me some extra advice / input about missing elements (content wise)