Understanding Web Page Content
All of the content on a web page can be classified as one of the following: Main Content (MC), Supplementary Content (SC), or Advertisements (Ads). In order to evaluate webpages, you will need to be able to distinguish between these different parts of the page.
Identifying the Main Content (MC)
Main Content is any part of the page that directly helps the page achieve its purpose. MC can be text, images, videos, page features, etc. Webmasters control the MC of the page.
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Type of Page and Purpose |
MC Highlighted in Yellow |
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News website homepage: the purpose is to display news. | |
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News article page: the purpose is to display a news article. | |
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Store product page: the purpose is to sell or give information about the product. | |
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Video page: the purpose is to allow users to view a video. | |
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Currency converter page: the purpose is to calculate equivalent amounts in different currencies. | |
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Blog post page: the purpose is to display a blog post. | |
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Search engine homepage: the purpose is to allow users to enter a query and search the Internet. | |
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Bank login page: the purpose is to allow users to log in to bank online. |
Identifying the Supplementary Content (SC)
Supplementary Content is content which contributes to a good user experience on the page, but does not directly help the page achieve its purpose. SC is created by webmasters and is an important part of the user experience.
For example, one common type of SC is navigation links which allow users to visit other parts of the website. Sometimes the easiest way to identify SC is to look for the parts of the page which are not MC or Ads.
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Type of Page and Purpose |
SC Highlighted in Blue |
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News website homepage: the purpose is to display news. | |
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News article page: the purpose is to display a news article. | |
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Store product page: the purpose is to sell or give information about the product. | |
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Video page: the purpose is to allow users to view a video. | |
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Currency converter page: the purpose is to calculate equivalent amounts in different currencies. | |
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Blog post page: the purpose is to display a blog post. | |
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Search engine homepage: the purpose is to allow users to enter a query and search the Internet. | |
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Bank login page: the purpose is to allow users to log in to bank online. |
Identifying the Advertisements (Ads)
Advertisements are content and links that are displayed for the purpose of monetizing or making money from the page. Ads are sometimes labeled as "ads," "sponsored links," "sponsored listings," "sponsored results," etc. Usually, you can mouse over the content or click on the links to determine whether they are Ads.
Ads may change when you reload the page, and different users may see different Ads on the same page. Webmasters can choose to display Ads on their page, but they don't directly control the content of the Ads. However, we will consider a website responsible for the overall quality of the Ads displayed.
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Type of Page and Purpose |
Ads Highlighted in Red |
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News website homepage: the purpose is to display news. | |
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News article page: the purpose is to display a news article. | |
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Store product page: the purpose is to sell or give information about the product. |
No ads |
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Video page: the purpose is to allow users to view a video. | |
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Currency converter page: the purpose is to calculate equivalent amounts in different currencies. | |
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Blog post page: the purpose is to display a blog post. | |
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Search engine homepage: the purpose is to allow users to enter a query and search the Internet. |
No ads |
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Bank login page: the purpose is to allow users to log in to bank online. |
No ads |
Summary of the Parts of the Page
Let's put it all together. Here are the examples again, with all parts of the page labeled:
|
Type of Page and Purpose |
MC, SC, and Ads Highlighted |
|
News website homepage: the purpose is to display news. | |
|
News article page: the purpose is to display a news article. | |
|
Store product page: the purpose is to sell or give information about the product. | |
|
Video page: the purpose is to allow users to view a video. | |
|
Currency converter page: the purpose is to calculate equivalent amounts in different currencies. | |
|
Blog post page: the purpose is to display a blog post. | |
|
Search engine homepage: the purpose is to allow users to enter a query and search the Internet. | |
|
Bank login page: the purpose is to allow users to log in to bank online. |
MC and SC are important parts of the page. It is easy to understand the need for MC: MC is the reason the page exists. SC is also important. Almost every web page needs navigation links, and most pages can be improved by features and content designed to help users get the most out of the page and website.
Many pages have Ads. Without advertising and monetization, some webpages could not exist.
Do not worry too much about identifying every little part of the page. Carefully think about which parts of the page are the MC. Next, look for the Ads. Anything left over can be considered SC.
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