Syllabus for
GCMW 177 - SEO for Web Design
Fall 2026 - Online Class - #70586

Office Hours

This is the list of scheduled Office Hours. You will be able to see the links in the class files.

Most office hours are open-ended. They provide time for you to come for help with your work. There are a few times that I have scheduled certain topics. They are not required, but you are encouraged to attend. They will help you with the class.

• The first time is a meet and greet session on Tuesday. Aug 25 at two o'clock.
  Link: https://palomar-edu.zoom.us/j/82187392834
• The 2nd time is on Monday, October 5th when we will work together to get you connected to the student server so that you can upload your Web files. Two times are available: at 10 am and 5 pm.

As the semester progresses, we might find that we need different times to accommodate different schedules. I will adjust the scheduled zoom office hours as needed. You can always find the updated schedule of zoom meeting at http://artbytes.net/OfficeHours. If you can't come at the listed times, please post to the your thread on the discussion board so that we can work it out.

Course Description

When you create a Web site, all your work will be in vain if no one comes to visit it. By far, the most common way for users to find your site is with the use of Search Engines. It's very important to know how to organize the site, what content to display, how to set up your links, etc., to make it easier for the search engines to index your site and to rank your site highly in the search results. In this class, we'll study how to optimize the site and pages. We'll also learn about other Web marketing techniques that are important for driving traffic to your site.

Student Learning Outcome

• Students will be able to plan a Web site that is optimized for Search Engine rankings.
  
• Students will be able to place keywords throughout their sites in optimum places to enhance search engine rankings.

Goals and Objectives for the Class

By the end of the class, students will:

1. Compare different search engines on the types of results they return, their usefulness and usability
2. Employ special tools on the Web to research keywords and competition from other sites
3. Organize site pages to target keywords
4. Apply basic html tags to improve the search engine ranking for keywords
5. Create content that ranks well for specified keywords
6. Employ special tags and content that optimize a page for local searches
7. Create a Web page with special tags for sharing on social media Web sites
8. Analyze external links to competitive sites to discover methods of building link popularity
9. Evaluate sites for mobile-friendliness
10. Create site maps and robots.txt files

How to Access the Course

1. On the first day of class, go to http://artbytes.net/177
2. Use the link at the bottom of the login form to register. You'll only need to register once. After that, you'll just sign in with your username and password. Be sure to follow the directions on the registration page for choosing a username. Write your username and password down so that you don't forget them.
3. Return to the login page and sign in with your new username and password.
4. Click on the links on the left for "Class Content." The information for the class will be there.

Teaching Methods

In most cases, we will have one unit of study per week. Each unit will include notes from the teacher, reading and an assignment to reinforce the learning for that unit topic.

Software Requirements

• You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read PDF files.
• You will use a free FTP program to upload files to a server. That will be explained in class.
• Optional - An image editing program to crop and resize images or to create new images for your site.

Required Textbooks

• Get to the Top of Google - 2025 Edition - by Tim Cameron-Kitchen, Exposure Ninja Publisher, ISBN: 9798378859184 - This book was only $7.99 ($5.99 Kindle Version) on Amazon and came in 1-day with Prime

San Diego County Library Card - Required

A free library card for the San Diego County library will be required to access some free on-line video courses. You will be able to access these from home. If you don't live in San Diego County, you will most likely be able to use your public library. Please see the more complete explanation in class.

Assignments, Student Web Sites and Grading

1. In most cases, you have to complete an assignment totally correctly to get any points for the assignment. If you turn in an assignment, and it's not totally completed, you will see 0 points awarded and a note from the teachers about what needs to be fixed. Then you will have an opportunity to revise your assignment to earn your points. Please request help on the discussion board if you need it.
2. Units start on Monday. The assignment for that unit is due at midnight, the following Sunday. Exceptions will be be noted.
3. Late Assignments: 10% will be deducted for each late assignment if they aren't more than 2 weeks late. Assignments turned in that are more than 2 weeks late will only receive half of their earned value.
4. Most assignments will require that you post to the discussion board. If the directions state that you must post to the discussion board, you won't get any points if you don't do that.
5. Be sure to check the teachers' responses to your posts on the Discussion Board. In that response, you will learn if your assignment is complete, or if you need to do more to complete the assignment.
6. If your assignment is not complete, think of your grade as a "Not Yet" grade. You will have the opportunity to earn the points by correcting the work and then letting the teacher know that you are ready for a recheck. It is a good idea to check the discussion board frequently, so that you will know if any modifications need to be made in your assignments. You should also request help to complete an assignment that you had trouble with. I am here to get you through in good shape.
7. Grading is on a straight percentage basis.

8. I do not give the grade of Incomplete, except in rare cases where the student has completed most of the course work, but grave illness or injury has made total completion impossible. I have found that when students have not completed most of the course during the semester, they do not do well trying to complete all of the work by themselves. They do better if they retake the class. Therefore, they should take a grade in the class, retake the class, and then apply for a grade replacement after completing the class a second time.
9. All students are required to do their own work. Assignments should be completed by the student, not another person, or AI. If it's found that a student has not done their own work, zero points will be awarded for the assignment.

Why Do I Grade This Way

Perhaps you would like to know why I grade this way. While the assignments are not broken down into points and sections, you can always get full credit for an assignment by making corrections, and I have always helped with that when needed. So, there is always the possibility of improving your grade - unless you have waited too long to turn in an assignment and we are out of time at the end of the semester.

You often learn best what you might have gotten wrong the first time, but then corrected. When you have a chance to go back and make corrections, you can always count on getting an A, so it can help both your learning and your grade. At times, assignments build on each other, too, so it's important to have each step done correctly before proceeding on to the next step. A "not yet" grade is much more encouraging than an "F" or "D."

You will be able to see your grade progress on the class Web site.

Drop Policy

• According to college policy, students who have not logged into class by the census date must be dropped as a "No Show". See the "Important Dates" chart below for the date.
• It's important to maintain contact with the teacher over the course of the semester. If you haven't turned in assignments, responded to email, or contacted the teacher for a period of time, she might assume that you have just left the course. However, if you are having a hard time, please be sure to let her know so that she can work with your to help you finish the course.

Palomar College Student Resources

Palomar has a large number of resource centers to help students with various needs. Be sure to check them out at Student Resources -https://www.palomar.edu/studentresources/.

Health Concerns, Mental Health and Stress Management

If you are having difficulty completing your work because of any health concerns, including pregnancy, please email the teacher to let her know. We wil work with you to develop a plan for you to complete the class without penalty for late work. It's very important that you do maintain contact with the teacher and that she knows about your situation.

Palomar College services are available to assist you with addressing these and other concerns that you may be experiencing. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Behavioral Health Counseling Services website at https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/bhcs/,

Housing & Food Insecurity Statement and Financial Aid

The Office of Student Affairs ((760) 744-1150 x2594) can connect you to resources assisting with food, housing, and more, including the Anita and Stan Maag Nutrition Center and other free food events. Visit the website (https://www2.palomar.edu/pages/studentaffairs/) for a full list of available community resources. If you feel comfortable doing so, please communicate with your instructor about any food or housing insecurity you may be facing that may impact your performance in class.

Financial aid can help to cover the costs of attending community college for eligible students. Please visit the Palomar College Financial Aid Office (https://www.palomar.edu/fa/) for more information. Students who do not meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements have the right to Appeal to the financial aid office with extenuating circumstances.

Important Dates

Drop Policy

It's the Palomar College regulation that any student who does not sign into class and participate on the discussion board by the Census Date (see above) has to be dropped from the class.

It's important to maintain contact with the teacher over the course of the semester. If you haven't turned in assignments, responded to email, or contacted the teacher for a period of time, the teacher will assume that you are no longer interested in taking the class. Therefore, it's important to let the teacher know if you are interested, or having difficulty. She would love to help.

Palomar College Policies

• Palomar College regulations apply for Graphic Communications courses, and can be found in the current catalog (Section 3, 4, 5). Students should be aware of Palomar's Student Rights and Responsibilities. Please pay particular attention to the sections on Academic Integrity, Drugs and Alcohol Policy, Smoking Policy, Crime Awareness, Sexual Harassment Policy, Student Behavior Rules and Regulations, and the Student Conduct Code. The documents can be found at http://www2.palomar.edu/pages/catalog.
• Palomar College takes pride in our gender, sexual, religious, ethnic, and racial diversity. We do not tolerate hate of any kind on campus, and we especially condemn in the strongest possible terms the intolerance and mistreatment of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning. Embrace all differences!
• Palomar College standards for student conduct can be found here: STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT – Palomar College Office of Student Life & Leadership
• Project Themes: Class projects should be suitable for family viewing, creative and original. Racial, ethnic, or subcultural slurs, pornography and hate are unacceptable.