SEO

Gradz1967

HI. My name is michael. i run a small business.I am looking for some help in SEOing for my site. Are there any recommendations out there.

icdg

Moved to software and web development

HakunaPatata

Gradz1967 wrote: »

HI. My name is michael. i run a small business.I am looking for some help in SEOing for my site. Are there any recommendations out there.

In my opinion the heydays of SEO are over and anyone trying to tell you they can game the algorithms now are scamming you. In the past you could influence rankings by all sorts of trickery, which actually gets you penalized these days.

Now I usually recommend to small & medium business owners to focus on getting as many good (i.e honest) customer reviews as possible. Better still if people leave those reviews using their real FB accounts. Make an effort to be transparent and reply to those reviews and you'll be golden.

M.T.D

A page/website with properly researched and written targeted content with good page structure will, ignoring the odd anomaly, out rank a poorly set up site with unfocused content. (on page SEO)

Good SEO had and has nothing to do with gaming an algorithm, There are always people trying to cheat any system but in Google Land being caught cheating can see your site disappear from searches. Not a worry for a pop up scam, but if you are running a long term business focused content and following the rules is the best way.

Having your business appear in as many other, relevant online, places as possible is also important. The importance of which other sites to be referenced on has changed over the years. Having consistent content in the Google pack and other social media sites, as well as giving more places to be found, can help in a sites rankings. (off page SEO).

There are lots of online resources to learn how to set up your site, Google has a good selection and even has courses.

If you are looking for paid help please PM.

Buford T Justice

You can also consider the options of Paid Search ads too.

HakunaPatata

M.T.D wrote: »

...

Good SEO had and has nothing to do with gaming an algorithm, 

Good SEO always had and always will have everything to do with gaming an algorithm. FTFY. 

Like I said, the alternative is trying to run a good business and collecting reviews from real, satisfied customers which in the past was known as "word of mouth". These days it means a 150 character (maybe) review from someone with a Facebook account.

tricky D

Looking at your language, you seem to think that there is something wrong with 'gaming the system'. Why? That is simply utilising the tools available to get value - nothing wrong with that if the guidelines are adherred to. This is not he same as blackhat SEO which is naughtily beyond the guidelines. It's just doing it properly, which too many SEO operators still just don't do. The Google Pack is a prime example of this where most operators do not exploit this properly and lose out on some great value, mainly because they are not aware about how it works and the bit of gold dust that can be gained from it.

As for relying on word of mouth as a primary business driver is shortsighted. Word of mouth is Advocacy which is at the end of the Marketing funnel: Brand Awareness and Visibility -> Engagement -> Action -> Advocacy. SEO is a large and important part of the Visibility component. So to get to advocacy without the previous steps in the funnel is a bad idea, in a cart before horse sense and anyway relying solely on word of mouth is unreliable. I have seen that dry up for some one who relied solely on that, it can and does happen and it was not pretty. It is putting all your eggs in one basket, and in the wrong basket.

What the OP needs, like most business, is a well-rounded strategy which exploits many and various techniques to garner more value. SEO is right in there and will be for a long time to come.

HakunaPatata

tricky D wrote: »

Looking at your language, you seem to think that there is something wrong with 'gaming the system'. Why? That is simply utilising the tools available to get value - nothing wrong with that if the guidelines are adherred to. This is not he same as blackhat SEO which is naughtily beyond the guidelines. It's just doing it properly, which too many SEO operators still just don't do. The Google Pack is a prime example of this where most operators do not exploit this properly and lose out on some great value, mainly because they are not aware about how it works and the bit of gold dust that can be gained from it.

As for relying on word of mouth as a primary business driver is shortsighted. Word of mouth is Advocacy which is at the end of the Marketing funnel: Brand Awareness and Visibility -> Engagement -> Action -> Advocacy. SEO is a large and important part of the Visibility component. So to get to advocacy without the previous steps in the funnel is a bad idea, in a cart before horse sense and anyway relying solely on word of mouth is unreliable. I have seen that dry up for some one who relied solely on that, it can and does happen and it was not pretty. It is putting all your eggs in one basket, and in the wrong basket.

What the OP needs, like most business, is a well-rounded strategy which exploits many and various techniques to garner more value. SEO is right in there and will be for a long time to come.

Sorry if my post came across as sounding the way you described it. I certainly don't have anything against making full use of any tools available to gain an edge over the competition. After all, that's good business sense isn't it? I was simply stating that in the early days of SEO it was all about using various hidden tags, page structure, domain name similarities etc as well as the amount of real content vs. filler/padding etc to boost a ranking. In essence this is what the phrase Search Engine Optimization means to me at least. 

I didn't study marketing unfortunately, so in my mind SEO is a phrase synonymous with the technical endeavour of gaining higher ranking/visibility. Perhaps over the years it has come to mean an all-rounded approach to boosting one's online presence, which happens to be exactly what I was advocating albeit in uneducated terms. However, the OP did ask specifically about SEO so maybe cut me some slack :P

Also, OP said he runs a small business so I'm guessing that he doesn't have the time or inclination to develop a corporate-level marketing approach but rather wants more clicks. We haven't heard back for him so I'll let him answer that. Apologies again.

tricky D

HakunaPatata wrote: »

Sorry if my post came across as sounding the way you described it. I certainly don't have anything against making full use of any tools available to gain an edge over the competition. After all, that's good business sense isn't it? I was simply stating that in the early days of SEO it was all about using various hidden tags, page structure, domain name similarities etc as well as the amount of real content vs. filler/padding etc to boost a ranking. In essence this is what the phrase Search Engine Optimization means to me at least.

Not having a go, but you did mention a few tropes which need addressing.:)

Yup, it is basic good business.

The kind of blackhat The SEO you decribe is long gone as SEs are far too savvy. And good riddance to it. Nowadays it is largely about doing things properly with no fancy hacks.

HakunaPatata wrote: »

I didn't study marketing unfortunately, so in my mind SEO is a phrase synonymous with the technical endeavour of gaining higher ranking/visibility. Perhaps over the years it has come to mean an all-rounded approach to boosting one's online presence, which happens to be exactly what I was advocating albeit in uneducated terms. However, the OP did ask specifically about SEO so maybe cut me some slack

A well rounded approach includes SEO, PPC, Display, Email, SMM, Mobile, and then all the offline too. That is a helluva lot more than just word of mouth.

HakunaPatata wrote: »

Also, OP said he runs a small business so I'm guessing that he doesn't have the time or inclination to develop a corporate-level marketing approach but rather wants more clicks.

And there's another thing. It not just for corporate level and above. That just implies larger budgets. In reality far more businesses of many types but especially smaller ones, need to be more cognisant of and active in their marketing efforts. Too many small businesses are happy to have a static basic brochureware site which gets no updating. But for a few hours a month invested in some basic marketing even on brochureware by adding endorsements, customer stories, news/trends, offers, updated content etc. can give a business extra juice to get more leads. Anecdotally, I have 2 clients in the same trade type business, but the one that allocates a few hours a month to some marketing is the one growing twice as fast.

However, I get where you are coming from a bit. Marketing for many, especially for techs, is viewed as a dirty word. I used to be right there, cussing the fact that I worked in the marketing dept as I regarded my role as technical. Now I just view it as the business process between production and sales (with blurred lines).

As for going for clicks, that's the old getting the right balance between quantity vs quality thing.

SixtaWalthers

Focus on on-page SEO and quality content. People usually don't use add quality content and only look for SEO. I would recommend you to make Google happy with the user-friendly content and for sure, Google would also make you happy. Don't waste your time behind inexpensive off-page SEO.

Alex Cfyz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/115137557#Comment_115137557

I completely resonate with your situation. Despite consistent daily content and efforts, achieving substantial traffic can be elusive without expertise in quality backlinks and SEO. It's a common challenge, and recognizing the need for professional assistance is a strategic move.

In my quest for solutions, I explored various strategies, and that's where I stumbled upon "what is crowd marketing." This dynamic approach involves tapping into the collective power of online communities to organically promote content. It's not just about keywords and backlinks; it's about engaging authentically with a broader audience.

Considering your goal of increasing traffic and Google ranking, integrating crowd marketing alongside professional SEO services could be a game-changer. By leveraging the wisdom of the crowd, you not only enhance visibility but also build genuine connections. So, let's explore the potential of what is crowd marketing, a strategy that aligns seamlessly with your content goals and can elevate your website's impact.

raniemis

Hi Michael! Optimizing your site for SEO involves several key strategies that can significantly enhance your online presence. Start by conducting thorough keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for. Focus on long-tail keywords that are specific to your niche, as they often have less competition and attract more targeted traffic.