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17 December 2008
All the above apply. I just wanted to add that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn't difficult, it's quite logical really. The main problem is that it's very time consuming. It's hard enough if you have a small business without the added pressure of finding more time to promote your website.

People that know what they are doing can help you a lot even with a limited budget. So depending on how much time you have to spare it might be worth sitting down with someone and asking for some quotes.

K/Regards,

Paul

31 December 2008
Hi Glynis,

I have had a quick glance at your site and would offer the following observations:

The key services that you provide, should be presented in key phrases that someone might type into Google to find a company such as yours. Get into the mindset of what someone who is looking for your business would type into Google.

e.g. Buyers agent, Central Coast.
Property sales negotiator
Property agent

Next. Outline the type of property that someone might be looking for. It might not cross someone’s mind to get someone to look for a property for them. Instead they will search for the type of property they are seeking e.g., Coastal holiday home, 3 bedroom luxury apartment overlooking sea.

If you can’t hook someone in for the services you are offering, you can capture them by listing the types of properties you can find for them. List your biggest selling property types.

Use bullet points, emboldened text and repeat some of your key phrases to capture the search engines. This should also be written so as not to annoy visitors to your site. Quite often if I am looking to increase key word density, I will add a strapline to the bottom of a web page.

e.g. Address2impress – Number 1 buyers agent, Central Coast. (Again put it in bold).

PAGE TITLES
I see you have these across your website. Remember. Google allows approximately 8 key words so choose them wisely.

I see on your testimonials page you have “Testimonials – Read what our clients have to say”. A waste of valuable words. Again, repeat your key search terms.

You have 8 main pages. Therefore you should have:

8 different page titles encapturing key phrases
8 different meta descriptions again capturing key phrases

YOUR CURRENT META DESCRIPTION IS:



“Save time and money” – a waste of words.

Try “Central Coast house buyers agent, Address 2 impress, house price negotiator, estate agent, etc.,”

I know that you are not an estate agent, but why not try and capture their market too.

Again, a different description for each page.

Visit Google Adwords key words page. If you type in what you think your key terms are, it will tell you how many times that term was used in a search over the last month, PLUS, list all the alternatives that were used.

You can also put your url through the page, and Google will tell you your key terms based on your text.

GOOGLE SEARCHES:

Do a Google search on your competitors. Type their names into Google. The first result should relate to their own url. Look down the page and you may see your competitor listed again. This could be because they have listed themselves in an on-line directory. Look at whatever directory they are listed in and get yourself in there too.

To find a suitable directory do a Google search for:

SPECIALISED DIRECTORIES = “subject + directory”
LOCAL DIRECTORY = “place name + directory”

Do a Google search for the type of services you are offering. See who appears and look at their page titles, meta description, text etc., and make sure you feature them too. Don’t copy their text word for word as this will be seen as a copy write infringement. Just use your common sense to see that there is nothing you have overlooked for yourself.


ALT TAGS

Check all your alt tags are named properly describing what the image is from a user accessibility view point, but also to get a small plug in for your business.

SUBMIT YOUR SITE TO GOOGLE:

1. Go to www.google.com
2. Select “About Google”
3. Select “Submit your content to Google”
4. Select “Add your URL to Google’s index”
5. Complete the blanks.

LIST YOUR BUSINESS ON A GOOGLE MAP

https://www.google.com/local/add/login?hl=en-GB&gl=GB&utm_medium=et&utm_source=bizsols&utm_campaign=mapsF

SUBMIT YOUR SITE TO YAHOO - search for “submit your site” and follow the easy steps.


Review your website statistics regularly. This will tell you what terms people were using to find your site.

LINKS

Exchange links with businesses/people with a page rank of 3 or more. Only link with someone who is going to add value to your own site. Don’t exchange links just for the sake of it if the business is not related/complimentary to your own.

To find a page rank simply do a Google search for page rank checker and loads will pop up.

I hope this helps. I am conscious this is a forum type website so have tried to give you a few quick pointers.

Best regards.

Alison Winn.

12 January 2009
Hi Glynis,

Search engines can be helpful, but it can be very difficult to get any meaningful results, especially if you have a lot of competition for what you're doing.

Invest some time, and maybe a little money into targetting your target audience directly.

For example, find forums and message boards that relate to your topic and post on them. You may be able to find some new customers this way.

Google ad words can also be a good way to get hits. The cost is relatively low in comparison to other advertising methods and you only pay when somebody actually visits your site.

Your web site should sell your business. I did notice a few grammar errors on your site which can be off putting for a potential client and lose their trust. I always find it helpful to reread my content maybe once a week and seeing how it sounds in my head. It's always easier coming back to a page, rather than trying to write large chunks in one go.

Hope this helps and best of luck for the future,

Jordan Burnett