Ever since I've been doing SEO work, I've always griped and complained about FrontPage and all extraneous code it puts in section of page, etc.Then recently, I had opportunity to visit with a group of advanced search engine optimizers, and I was shocked to fine that many of them use FrontPage and love it.
Front Page?
The first thing I learned is that there are ways to keep out extraneous code. With FrontPage, you can remove code, but it keeps coming back, again and again. But, there's a way to get rid of it forever.
How to Get Rid of Extraneous Code and Headers
Dave Barry, Webmaster of SmartCertify Direct [http://www.smartcertify.com], explains how:
FrontPage 97 or 98 users:
Click on Start, then Find, then Files or Foldert. Search your hard drive [generally your C drive] for a file named frontpg.ini. Click on file.
When it opens, look for a line that says, "Version 3.0".
Add this line under Version 3.0:
HTMLREFORMAT=0
The next time you use FrontPage, remove extraneous code and headers, and they won't come back.
FrontPage 2000, 2002, or XP users:
Look at menu bar at top of Open Web. Click on Tools, then Page Options.
You'll see an option box. Under HTML Source, at top of hte page under General, you'll have this choice:
When saving file(s):
Preserve existing HTML or Reformat using rules below
If you choose Preserve existing HTML, and if you delete any extraneous code and headers, you won't see code or headers on your pages again.
(To view an example screen shot showing above, click here: http://www.academywebspecialists.com/newsletters/fp2.gif)
Dave added:
To disable HTML changing of FrontPage 2000, a registry entry is also needed. This registry file (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/newsletters/noreformat.zip) will do it automatically. Just open file with Notepad to verify its authenticity before using it.
The attachment and registry entry must occur on server.
Or, if you want to edit registry manually, here is code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftShared ToolsWeb Server ExtensionsAll Ports] "ReformatHtml"="0"
Add-In that Generaters META Tags
FrontPage also has an Add-in that will delete META tags without going into source view. It's called META Tag Maker 2002, and it will create and manage META tags through one dialogue box, without having to go into source view.
http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/downloads/addin/ searchdetail.asp?aid=80
In fact, FrontPage site has an amazing number of Add-ins for FrontPage that are free for taking.
http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/downloads/addin/default.asp
Some of hte more popular Add-ins include:
Multimedia/Special FX, Windows Media Add-in, that will easily embed audio and visual into your Web pages;