Google-friendly web site

[Mark Bolam]

I need to get a web site up and running, but am unsure how it works as far as Google findability is concerned.

 

I know of several really great looking professionally done web sites that Google struggles to find.

 

I realise you pay to be top of the list, but what methods can you use to guarantee your site can be found somewhere on the list as soon as it goes live? First page would be good, is this possible without spending loads?

 

All I'm after is a customer typing in 'tree surgery in XXX (area post code, village, nearest town etc.) and my website to appear.

 

Google ad words? What's all that about? Where can I get independent advice?

 

Not being funny, but if you don't really know, please don't post. These threads sometimes get swamped with misinformation overheard from the fat bloke in the pub!

[detritus21]

Google searches by, what are called, spiders and bots. They automatically trawl the web for sites. You need good keywords and titles on your pages. It is also worth submitting your site to google via webmaster tools. This doesn't guarentee that you will appear on google. It took over 6 months to appear in a web based listing. You can also submit your company into google listings which when you type in tree surgeon xasdasd will come up with a list in that area at the top of the page along with a map. You can link from this to your website. This is an instant thing.

[Alinicoll]

Google adwords is pay per click. You set up an ad put in how much you want to bid per click max and a daily budget say £2 and see what happens. Adwords is ok but but people have variable results. I used to pay about £20 per month tops and get a few enquiteis. Recemtly a competator of mine took out an ad and suddenly i`m paying loads ie they click my ad alot.

 

Basically adwords is worth a go but its variable.

 

To rank highly on google your site needs to be optimized. The criteria for google ranking changes but the following are important.

 

Keywords ie tree surgeon, tree surgery, hull etc. The more keywords you have the higher you come up.

 

Speed of loading is now an issue ie a large site with too many pictures will rank lower than a simple, well designed site.

 

Links (see my signiture) are a massive part of optimization. The more site that link to you the better. Also anchor text links ie a link to you sights which has the words "tree surgeon ****" as the link rather than website.co.uk Domain FOR SALE!

 

You can optimise yourself, i have, its alot of work. There are people who can make budget optimized sites or you can pay loads.

 

I hope that is useful.:001_smile:

[Mac McLennan]

Mark, I bought a site which cost me £380 and it was cr*p. Had to trawl through about six pages to find my site.

 

Decided to do my own website Welcome Page Once you have a website get a free listing on yell.com and any other sites you can. The downside is that you might also pick up more phone calls from people trying to sell you insurance, windows etc.

 

GOOGLE - Tree Surgery CT10

 

I'll be at the top of the page. More importantly above BILL .....lol

 

Then click on my name ACORN TREE SURGERY you will see my site.

[Mick Stockbridge]

Not being funny, but if you don't really know, please don't post. These threads sometimes get swamped with misinformation overheard from the fat bloke in the pub!

 

 

Hey Mark I was in the pub last night and over heard a skinny bloke and his friends sisters aunty who is married to a fat ginger bloke reckons that.......

[treesnakey]

I used mr site, I did it myself. Its just like using powerpoint. Its not the most professional looking, but it brings in work. I used a page i created called "where we cover" then areas and postcodes the people put in "tree surgeon se18" and bobs your uncle. £55 quid for the year, second day online brang in a 3.5k job. as part of the package they set you up with google. get the proffessional package though.

 

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Site-Professional-PC-Mac/dp/B000WGK8IG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1268326080&sr=8-1]Mr Site Professional (PC/Mac): Amazon.co.uk: Software[/ame]

[morten]

Disclaimer: My business is located in Denmark, but I don't see why that should matter much.

 

I am getting about 80% of my new business via my web site. The vast majority (90%) locates me via Google searches.

At least half the business is generated via adword ads, the remainder via normal ("organic") Google search results.

 

I have stopped using classified ads in the local papers, since the payback on the investment was far lower than using Google Adwords.

 

The business that is being generated equals approx 1½ full-time employment (not counting jan/feb 2010 )

I should say that I have a background in the IT business, and have spent a lot of time optimising (SEO = search Engine Optimisation) the site and playing around with adword ads.

 

If you are not desperate to get you business kickstarted immediately, I suggest you try out generating your own site with only a few pages.

Start out with the free website offer detailed in this thread http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/14559-free-web-site.html

The site that backs this offer is hosted by Google sites.google.com, easy to work with and easily optimized

 

Then start playing around with Google Adwords and Google Analytics (visitor statistics), and read som SEO guides to work on your Google rating. Google has a brilliant SEO guide here: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Webmaster Tools Help

 

If you find the DIY approach too daunting, or you want your website to have an effect quickly and you have some money to invest (I guess £200 - £500 would get you going), I suggest you get someone to create a website for you, and do the SEO too. But watch out, there are a lot of fraudsters around. Do a little market research before committing to spending anything. Get references, and talk to their other clients about their experiences.

Another approach would be to search google for...

 

ARBORIST KENT

 

... or similar search terms, and have a look at top-10 search results, and find out who created those sites - they generate business. Also check the AdWords ads that are shown at the top and right hand side, and see which ones you believe will generate business. Let yourself be inspired by your competitors, but DO NOT COPY! Don't even copy a single sentence or adword ad. It is illegal (copyright infringement), and you might end up in court paying top £'s. Just take my word for it!

 

Remember to limit the Adword Ads to the geographic area that you cover. No point in paying for AdWord clicks from Scotland.

Hope you can use the advice.

 

Good luck.

 

Morten

Edited March 11, 2010 by morten

[Ian Flatters]

theres always google accounts which is free all you need to do is add your buisness info and verify it via a phone call. then presto your findable on google maps. mine also has a link to my website.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Ian Flatters

[Tom D]

My new site is already back on page 1 and bizarrely the old url (which redirects to the new one) is still top. Its important to have relevant information on your site in english, not just a big list; tree surgeon, pruning, dismantling, etc. I have a few lines at the bottom of each page but it needs to make sense. The google spiders/bots can distinguish between this and a big list spamming key words. Make sure your meta information is relevant.

 

And most importantly submit your site to google. HERE Add your URL to Google

 

 

My site TD Tree & Land Services | Tree Surgeons Edinburgh | Arboricultural Contracting and Consultancy

[Mark Bolam]

Great stuff guys, loads to play with.

 

My wife's accountancy co. just paid £2.5k for a site (which looks great), but the only way you can find it is by Googling their company name!

 

I don't want to go down that route!