SEO Quiz

1. Consider these four descriptions of a Web site about Chihuahuas. Choose the description that best follows:

2. Look at the following descriptions of a UK-based site that offers free advice about Web design and promotion. Choose the description that best follows:

3. Below are four descriptions of a Web site about the spirits industry. Choose the description that best follows :

4. A site about local entertainment in Seattle includes a review of the first Harry Potter film. The review contains US release dates and refers to the movie by its US release title, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Is this page appropriate for the UK directory?

5. Look at the following four descriptions of a Web site about women's sports. Choose the description that best follows:

6. Which title and description of the Hapsburg Theatre is best?

7. Take a look at this Web site and pick the best description title:

8. Explore the following four descriptions of a site about the Beatles. Choose the description that best follows:

9. Choose the best title for Britannica.com's entry called "The Communist Party of the Soviet Union":

10. Take a look at these four descriptions of a Web site about the Perl programming language. Choose the description that best follows:

11. Examine these four descriptions of a Web site about the sport of squash. Choose the description that best follows:

12. You find a site about the author Charles Dickens, created by a literary enthusiast. It features a biography and many interesting articles. The bibliography section contains a link to a page on Amazon.co.uk, which sells books by Charles Dickens. Should this site be included in the directory?

13. Read these four descriptions of a Web site about the band Dire Straits. Choose the description that best follows:

14. Take a look at these four descriptions of a Web site about fairy tales. Choose the description that best follows:

15. What is the correct title for the Celebrity Encyclopedia's page about the playwright Eugene Ionesco?

16. Look at these four descriptions of a Web site about camping. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Riverside camping at it's best! On the beautiful American River in the California Gold Country.
Information about this often-crowded camping area, including maps, nearby sights, etc.
Camping American River tips safety equipment trails sights animals provisions
Experienced camper offers tips on camping along the American River in Northern California and provides safety advice.

17. Examine these four descriptions of a Web site that contains an article on nutrition. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

News article relates the concerns of many nutritionists and doctors regarding the regulation of food supplements.
Article about food supplements.
Do you use nutritional supplements? If so, you should read this article.
nutritionist + herbs+ supplements + sales + ingredients + CNN + FDA + Food and Drug Administration

18. Which of the following words is generally acceptable in a description?

great
educational
superior
super

19. Look at these four descriptions of a Web site about the film "American Graffiti." Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Tribute to the film by George Lucas.
Learn about one of George Lucas' best films, though it's not as good as "Star Wars."
Lucas, American Graffiti, bios, images, pics, scripts
Tribute to the George Lucas film includes cast bios, photos, clips, and a "whatever-happened-to" section devoted to the film's stars.

Explanation: This description explains the site's subject, while describing the kinds of information that users will find on the site."Tribute to the film by George Lucas." - This is too short and doesn't give details about the site."Learn about one of..." - This is the writer's opinion, not a factual account of the Web site."Lucas, American Graffiti..." This is just a string of keywords. Also, the film title should have quotation marks around it.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 2 and Content 1. Also see "titles" in the A-Z Style Guide. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

20. Examine the following four descriptions of a Web page about the author Ovid. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

E-text of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
E-text of Ovid's Metamorphoses, featuring a probing summary of the work, links to analysis, and lengthy biography of the translator.
E-text of Ovid's masterwork Metamorphoses.
E-text of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" includes a summary of the work, links to analyses, and a biography of the translator.

See Your Results! Correct answer Your incorrect answer

1. Read these four descriptions of a Web site about the band Dire Straits. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Information on band, including their lyrics, history, news, and pictures.
Band whose hit albums include "Brothers in Arms" and "Making Movies."
Cool pics lyrics links about the popular 80s band.
Fan offers this homage to the band known for its hit song "Money for Nothing." Learn about the group's history.

Explanation: This description explains the site's subject and its features that would be important to users, while following the relevant rules in the A-Z Style Guide. Note that the term "band" is treated as a singular noun."Band whose hit albums..." - This is an incomplete sentence and does not explain what the site offers."Information on band, including..." Avoid the phrase "information on." There should be a definite article before "band." Note how "their" is incorrectly used, instead of the singular "its." "Cool pics lyrics links about..." - "Cool" is too subjective. There are no commas in the list. The description doesn't meet the 10-word minimum.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 1 and 2, Style 4, and Content 1. Also see "collective nouns" in the A-Z Style Guide. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

2. Choose the best title for Britannica.com's entry called "The Communist Party of the Soviet Union":

Communist Party Information from Britannica.com
Communist Party of the Soviet Union - Encyclopedia article from Britannica.com
Britannica.com - Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Britannica.com

Explanation: This is a subpage of Britannica.com. According to Zeal-LookSmart Style, if a site is a subpage of a larger site, the description title should name the source first, followed by the name of the subpage. "Communist Party of the Soviet Union - Encyclopedia article from Britannica.com" - The source name should come first. "Encyclopedia article from..." is a description of the page, not its official title."Britannica.com" - This title lists only the source name and does not include the name of the subpage. This would be the title of the Britannica.com homepage."Communist Party Information from Britannica.com" - Here, the official name of the page has been changed. The source has been placed second, rather than first, and "from" has been inserted instead of a hyphen with a space on either side.See the following rules in Writing Titles: Titling Style 3 and Parts of the Title 2. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

3. Which of these four descriptions is the best according to Zeal-LookSmart Style?

Take a tour of this New Orleans museum, which houses a collection of local 19th-century paintings.
Museum + photos + online tour + Loiusiana + New Orleans
Take an online tour of this New Orleans museum. Includes photos with descriptive captions.
Paintings at New Orleans art museum

Explanation: This correctly describes the museum while following Zeal-LookSmart Style rules."Take an online tour... " - It is already clear that the tour is "online" or "virtual," so it's not necessary to mention this fact."Paintings at New Orleans..." - This is fragmented, awkward, and does not meet the 10-word minimum. "Museum + photos + online tour..." - This is only a series of keywords strung together with plus signs. Also, it misspells the state name "Louisiana."See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 1 and 2 and Style 5. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

4. Which of the following phrases is generally acceptable in a description?

the cool place for baseball
one of the best sports
the official home of Major League Baseball
the ultimate Major League Baseball site

Explanation: According to Zeal-LookSmart Style, subjective terms should be avoided in descriptions. Of the phrases presented, "the official home of Major League Baseball" is the most objective."one of the best sports" - This is a subjective claim and does not describe this specific Web site."the ultimate Major League Baseball site" - This is subjective."the cool place for baseball" - This doesn't describe the site's content, and is subjective.See the following rule in Writing Descriptions: Content 1. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

5. Examine these four descriptions of a Web site about the sport of squash. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

The premier site for squash enthusiasts worldwide. Features player profiles and tips for beginners
Site providing instructional information for squash. Also has information on rules and links to vendors, events?
Provides instructions for this racquet sport, including rules and tips. Also has links to vendors and events.
Learn about squash, squash is fun and will be the sport of the future.

Explanation: This description explains both squash and what this site contains. "The premier site for..." - Avoid superlatives, such as "premier." Don't use "site" as the subject of a sentence."Learn about squash..." - This description is not grammatically correct. "Learn about squash" and "Squash is fun" should be separated by a period. This is also subjective and doesn't describe the site's features."Site providing instructional information..." - Don't use "site" as the subject of a sentence. " Put main verbs in the present tense ("provides" rather than "providing"). Don't use "information on" or ellipses at the end of a list.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 1, Style 3 and 4, and Content 1.Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

6. Look at the following four descriptions of a Web site about women's sports. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Resources and information on athletics for women and girls. Includes large collection links to softball, soccer and swim leagues. Also has great tips and biographies from women athletes.
Resources and information on sports for women and girls. Includes links to regional leagues, biographies of athletes, tips, etc.
Sports can play an essential role in helping girls develop confidence and leadership skills that will help in future endeavors.
Directory of leagues and recreational programs for women's and girl's sports in California. Also contains biographies of women athletes.

Explanation: Objectively describes what the site offers to users so that they can decide whether or not to visit the site. "Sports can play an essential role... " - This discusses some of the effects of sports on girls, but says nothing about this Web site or its content."Resources and information on sports... " - Don't use the phrase "information on" or terms such as "etc" or "and more.""Resources and information on athletics... " - Don't use phrases such as "information on" and avoid subjective terms, such as "great." Doesn't have an article before "large collection" and is missing the "of" before "links to softball..." Also lacks a serial comma before "and swim leagues." We also limit site descriptions to two sentences.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Style 4 and Content 1. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

7. Look at these four descriptions of a Web site about cheese manufacturing. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Cheese maker.
Learn about cheese, which is the greatest food in the world.
Largest page on cheese and cheese history. Sign the guestbook.
Industry resource explains the cheese-making process. Learn how the manufacturing of cheese has changed throughout history.

Explanation: This description explains the site's content and follows Zeal-LookSmart Style rules (such as the hyphenation of compound modifiers)."Largest page on cheese... " - Don't use superlatives, such as "largest." The second sentence does not describe an important feature of the site, since users will want to know more about what the site offers than the fact that there's a guestbook. "Cheese maker." - This is only two words and does not describe the site's features or subject in a useful way."Learn about cheese... " - This is primarily a personal statement by the writer about how much he or she likes cheese. It's not an objective description.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 2 and Content 1. Also see "hyphen" in the A-Z Style Guide. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

8. Barnum's Pet Care site has a front page with links to tips on caring for various types of animals. However, when you click on any of the links, you are taken to a page that says "Under Construction." Should you include this site?

Yes. The links will probably work in the future.
Yes, because the links will probably work in the future.
No. Since most Americans don't have pets, this site wouldn't have broad-based appeal.
No. There is no point in adding a page to the directory if none of the links are functioning.

Explanation: Sites should have a significant amount of unique content to be included in the directory. Pages that are largely under construction offer little to the user.See Goals in Titles and Descriptions. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

9. Examine the graphic for this site and choose the best description title:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Upcomingmovies.com
Crouching Tiger reviews
Upcomingmovies.com - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon From Upcomingmovies.com

Explanation: This site is a subpage of a larger site titled "Upcomingmovies.com." The rule for titling subpages is to list the name of the site's main page followed by the name of the subpage, separated by a hyphen with a space on either side. Even though the source name is written in all caps, we would capitalize the first letter and lowercase the rest."Crouching Tiger reviews" - This is incorrect because it doesn't include the full name of the subpage or the name of the source site. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden - DragonUpcomingmovies.com" - This is incorrect because the subpage is listed first, followed by the source."Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon From Upcomingmovies.com" - This is incorrect because the source and the subpage are in the wrong order, and it uses "From" rather than a space hyphen space between the title's two parts.See the following rules in Writing Titles: Parts of the Title 2. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

10. What's the best title for this page?

Vegetable Guide
GardenGuide
Plant Mixed Salad Greens
GardenGuides - Vegetable Guide

Explanation: This is in the correct format and has the site's names spelled correctly."Plant Mixed Salad Greens" - This is the name of an article on the page, not the page itself. "GardenGuide" - This would be the name of the main page. It's missing the name of the subpage as the second element of the title."Vegetable Guide" - This is just the name of the subpage. It needs the source as the first element of the title.See the following rules in Writing Titles: Titling Style 3 and Parts of the Title 2. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

11. According to Zeal-LookSmart Style, which of these four descriptions of a Web site about playwright Dario Fo is the best?

Do you like Dario Fo? Then you should read this transcript of a talk with him.
Read the transcript of a televised discussion about Fo and his work, or listen to it in RealAudio format.
RealAudio and transcript.
Great discussion on Fo. It covers everything you need to know.

Explanation: Describes what the site offers and follows Zeal-LookSmart Style."RealAudio and transcript." - This doesn't meet the 10-word minimum, nor does it make sense to a user who has yet to visit the site. What is the RealAudio file or the transcript of?"Great discussion on Fo... " - This description is subjective. The claim that it covers everything is most likely untrue."Do you like Dario Fo? Then you... " - Don't use rhetorical questions. They take up space and don't aid in explaining the site.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 2, and Content 1, 6, and 8. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

12. In which example is the word "current" used correctly according to Zeal-LookSmart Style?

Band's current record has made them big stars in the pop scene.
Find out about this actor, whose current film is one of the top grossers in Hollywood.
Weekly racquetball e-zine has current news on tournaments and leagues. See photos of the action.
Article talks about the current technology for handhelds and PDAs.

Explanation: In this case, we can be sure that the news is current because the site is constantly being updated."Find out about this actor... " - In this case, the star's "current film" will soon be a film he did months ago."Article talks about the current... " - In this case, the article will soon be outdated."Band's current record... " - In this case, once the band's next record comes out, the description becomes outdated.See the following rule in Writing Descriptions: Content 7. Also see "current" in Problematic Words. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

13. Read these four descriptions of the official Web site of UCLA's men's basketball team. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Official home of the UCLA men's basketball team has schedules, ticket information, and the team roster.
Go Bruins! This site has everything a UCLA basketball fan needs to support the team.
Premier site for UCLA Basketball fans. Web's best information on the team, schedules, ticket information and signings.
Typical team Web site. Has schedules, ticket information, rosters, etc.

Explanation: This description details what kind of information this, the team's official site, contains."Premier site for UCLA... " - Uses the superlatives "premier" and "best." Also, it doesn't explain that this is the team's official site. It should also have a serial comma after "information.""Go Bruins! This site has everything... " - Don't use subjective phrases, such as "Go Bruins!" or "everything." This description also incorrectly uses "site" as the subject of a sentence, and it does not offer specific details about the site's content."Typical team Web site... " - The phrase "typical team Web site" is vague. Writers should instead use the space to talk about what this particular Web site's features. "Etc." is vague and unnecessary.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 1, Style 3, and Content 1. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

14. Here are four descriptions of a Web site about the band Social Distortion. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Fan of this Orange County punk band presents the group's lyrics, biographies, and photos. Includes a tour schedule.
Fan site that features lyrics, biographies, images, tour information & more.
Social Distortion is punk rock. They are the real punks today!
Fan of this Orange County punk band presents this site.

Explanation: According to Zeal-LookSmart Style, you should explain the subject of the site and its important features as they relate to that subject. In this case, all the rules of style and grammar have been followed: "group" has been treated as a singular noun and the writer has used the serial comma. "Fan site that features... " - "Site" shouldn't be used as the subject of the sentence, and the use of "that" makes the sentence incomplete. "Social Distortion is punk rock." - This description doesn't describe the content of the site, but instead describes the writer's opinion of this music genre."Fan of this Orange County punk..." This description doesn't explain what content the site offers.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Style 3 and Content 1 and 6. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

15. Take a look at this Web site and pick the best description title:

Dartmouth's Department of Biological Sciences
Dartmouth College - Department of Biological Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College

Explanation: We can see that the source is "Dartmouth College" and the name of the subpage is "Department of Biological Sciences.""Department of Biological Sciences" - This is the name of the subpage, but it does not include the name of the source."Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College" - The source should go first, then the name of the subpage. Additionally, the latter is "Department of Biological Sciences," not simply "Biological Sciences," and there is room for the full name."Dartmouth's Department of Biological Sciences" - This combines the source and the subpage in an incorrect format.See the following rules in Writing Titles: Titling Style 2 and Parts of the Title 2. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

16. Take a look at these four descriptions of a Web site about the sport of paragliding. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Professional paragliders Earl and Monty give tips for beginners and reviews of the latest equipment. Check the national events calendar.
Best site about this sport. Get an insider's view of our sport.
The only place to learn about the sport. Our reporting is concise, often going behind the scenes to bring you the insider's view of our sport.
Updated monthly. Early and Monty know their stuff.

Explanation: The description defines the site and its subject in a sensible way."The only place to learn..." - Don't begin descriptions with articles or "this" or "these." Also, the use of the first person is subjective, as is the claim that the Web site is the "only place to learn about the sport." The second sentence is more of an ad than an objective description."Best site about this sport..." - Don't make subjective claims, for instance, that something is the best."Updated monthly..." - This doesn't meet the 10-word minimum, nor does it explain the subject matter of the site.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 1 and 2, Style 2, and Content 1. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

17. Read these four descriptions of a Web site that provides relationship advice and personal classifieds. Choose the description that best follows Zeal-LookSmart Style:

Ideas and advice.
The complete collection of ideas and advice for men who seek to date women.
Search personal ads by city, country, heritage, height, and build to find a soul mate. Read advice about how to attract Mr. or Ms. Right.
A collection of advice and ideas for men who seek to date women. Excellent resource.

Explanation: This description explains the content of the site and its important features."Ideas and advice." - This doesn't say anything about the site's subject or features, nor does it meet the 10-word minimum."The complete collection of ideas..." - The term "complete" is a subjective claim. It's doubtful that this site contains every single idea about dating. It also doesn't fully explain the site's features."A collection of advice and ideas..." - Avoid beginning descriptions with an article or with "this" or "these." The second sentence is subjective and says little about what the site contains.See the following rules in Writing Descriptions: Basics 2, Style 2, and Content 1. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

18. You're the Zealot of the Do-It-Yourself section. You find a site in this category Personal > Home > Do-It-Yourself that offers extensive advice on how to construct a picket fence. What is the best category for this site?

Move the site to this category: Personal > Home
Simply publish the site in its current path: Personal > Home > Do-It-Yourself
Move the site to this category: Personal > Home > Do-It-Yourself > Home Projects
Move the site to this category: Personal > Home > Do-It-Yourself > Home Projects > Fencing & Walls

Explanation: "Fencing & Walls" - Sites should be placed in the most specific and relevant category you can find. Of the options listed here, this is the most specific category, and it's relevant to the topic of putting up a fence. "Do-It-Yourself" -This category is also too broad, because it's about all the various facets involved with do-it-yourself activities, including materials, tools, and various types of projects. A site just about fencing wouldn't fit at this level."Home Projects" - Though much narrower than some of the other choices, this is not the ideal solution, because it's still not the most specific context for a site about putting up a fence. Sites kept in this category should include many different types of home projects. More specific sites should go under dedicated subcategories (such as "Fencing & Walls")."Home" - This category should contain only sites concerning at least several aspects of maintaining a home. It's much too broad for a site just about fences.See the Managing Categories guidelines for the section on Classifying Sites. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

19. Bradley's Pamela Anderson Shrine includes partially nude photographs of the actress. Can the site be added to the directory?

Yes. It is OK to include photos showing partial nudity as long as the photos are of famous people.
No. Partial nudity in this context violates Zeal-LookSmart standards.
No. There are already too many Pamela Anderson sites in the directory and to add any more would be overkill.
Yes. The photos are fine as long as the person isn't fully nude.

Explanation: Partial or complete nudity is not permissible unless it is used in a nonprovocative context, such as health-related education or established artwork. See Nudity in Selecting Sites. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.

20. Choose the best title for the Web site in this graphic:

Page for the Energy Information Administration
Energy Information
Energy Information Administration
EIA

Explanation: This is the main page of this organization, so the name of the description is the name of the organization."EIA" - Only use the acronym in the title if there is not enough room for the full name (in which case, the full name should be spelled out in the description). "Energy Information" - This is not the official name of the site. "Page for the Energy Information Administration" - "Page for the" is not necessary.See the following rules in Writing Titles: Titling Style 2 and 3 and Parts of the Title 1. Also see "acronyms" in the A-Z Style Guide. Read more about this topic in the guidelines.