Google is sooo different! (Full Version)

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RickP -> Google is sooo different! (9/1/2005 9:46:32)

Google is sooo different!...

I know you're gonna say, "Have you only just realised this!?" but basically, in real practical terms - "Yes!"

I knew Google worked differently from other engines in certain ways but I've been doing some testing in attempts to optimise some pages for Google - the result on Google is that I've gone from page two to Never-Never land! I've been pretty miserable about this today but thought I'd just check up on my recently optimised pages on MSN, Yahoo and a couple of others and my two test pages are on first page, even no.1 spot once or twice[:D]

Is the big difference the number of inbound links? These sites have few other links to them. Also, maybe I went OTT with the key phrases and that sent me down the G ratings!?

Anyhow, do people think that Google will give place to the other engines again for popularity?

Also, how can I find out what percentage of people use G and the other main engines CURRENTLY?



Tailslide -> RE: Google is sooo different! (9/1/2005 10:03:34)

Hi Rick

Apart from the splash page which I've always understood might damage your ratings - I noticed that on your main page you're <h1> is "About Our Services" and your <title> tag has the company name first. There are people on here with a lot more SEO expertise than me but I'd suggest that it would be better for your title tag to be: Web Design Medway Kent | On the Web Now! - and have your <h1> tag as "Web Design Medway Kent" too. You can always hide it behind your main banner image using Image Replacement techniques such as: http://www.cssplay.co.uk/menu/ir.html or http://wellstyled.com/css-replace-text-by-image.html. Then have your <h2> as "About our Services".

I'm just guessing here that "Web Design Medway" would be a useful key phrase to aim at - you might have another one along similar lines in which case use that. I think that being more specific (i.e. specifying Medway or Kent) is better than being broader (i.e. UK) - cuts down the opposition!



RickP -> RE: Google is sooo different! (9/1/2005 13:13:57)

Yes, all good advice tailside - I am planning to tweak my own site for SEO along those lines. My test cases however, were on another site:

On this page I was trying to optimise for "Geoff Snow"

On this page I am trying to optimise for "stainless steel sculpture"
(I am still waiting for the main content for the latter page but was interested to see what happened with just the bare bones)




Mojo -> RE: Google is sooo different! (9/1/2005 16:05:23)

Do what Tailslide has recommended.

Get backlinks. Not just any link, but links that come from pages or sites that relate to your site. Those are the best kind. Try to add more pages of unique content and have a strong internal linking plan.

Personally, I would drop the splash page. While I am confident that you could rank it with the correct linking plan - it would be easier to pull off on a page with more natural content and internal links. I am not sure how many clients desire a splash page anyhow. Could that somehow make your company seem out of touch? For many U.S. companies I think it could, but I don't know the subtle differences of the Mother Land.

quote:

I'm just guessing here that "Web Design Medway" would be a useful key phrase to aim at - you might have another one along similar lines in which case use that. I think that being more specific (i.e. specifying Medway or Kent) is better than being broader (i.e. UK) - cuts down the opposition!


Exactly. The odds of you ranking for "web design UK" are not too good without a strong plan and budget. It would also seem sure that your conversion ration wouldn't be as good for such a broad market. Being the big fish in a smaller pond is much more possible and still profitable.



RickP -> RE: Google is sooo different! (9/1/2005 16:35:33)

quote:

The odds of you ranking for "web design UK" are not too good without a strong plan and budget. It would also seem sure that your conversion ration wouldn't be as good for such a broad market. Being the big fish in a smaller pond is much more possible and still profitable.

Oh, you're all just scared now and want me off the more global patch - conspiracy![:D]

Okay, okay, yes I have in fact tried to use 'medway' & 'kent' in my keyword strategy but I could use it better - and shall be trying!

now re:
quote:

but I don't know the subtle differences of the Mother Land.


The 'Mother Land' is really more like the 'Daughter Land' in the realm of The Internet. Some of the people I speak to, at the very lowly end of the market, are frequently impressed with flash and the like. But seeing that we all ogle jealously the rare car with 'air conditioning' (ooohh[8|]) you should understand that the average Englishman can still be easily impressed with such 'advancements in technology'[:D]



RickP -> RE: Google is sooo different! (9/2/2005 14:46:13)

Re backlinks...

The most obvious place for a designer to get links for their own site is on the other sites they've created - (right?) Now, what difference will it make if I just have one linkback on one page of the site or put a link at the foot of every page? Which is the best approach?



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