Problems with indexing sites with Google

[Larry Launstein Jr]

I have an existing site I designed for someone who, for several months, was able to get a first-page listing for his index page on Google when one typed the keywords Vintage Cool Stuff (the official name of his business). Now, we can't even find him, because so many other sites are now using Vintage Cool Stuff, either in the title of the site (as part of their site's title), or in the site's description. He is not terribly thrilled with this turn of events, even though Google will index for individual items he is selling on his site. He wants his index page indexed, but because so many people are now using the term Vintage Cool Stuff, it is difficult for him to get his site listed. What can I do to help him? He has metatags on every page of his website for fear he may be passed over by Google. This is something he insisted on.

Also, I recently designed an official site for the Chesaning Area Arts Association. I have put the metatags in there, too, so Google can find the site. However, the designers for the Chesaning Area Chamber of Commerce designed their site in such a way that all members are supposed to get a little window template (which unfortunately, for those who are not in the know, believe is a legitimate website). It is my belief that the template that was made for the Chesaning Area Arts Association by the Chamber site designers is making it impossible for the Arts Association to get a listing on Google. I have tried to tell the Chesaning Chamber this, but they are so bull-headed about the whole thing, telling me the templates are how their site designers set up their site. It would seem to me that they could take that template down quite easily and give a direct link to the Arts Association site (they have both a direct link and a link to the template on their site, which I believe further confuses visitors to the Chesaning Chamber site), but they won't do it. Will the continued use of the template deny the Arts Association's official site (designed by me) a ranking in Google?

The website address for the official site for the Chesaning Area Arts Association is:
http://www.chesaningarts.com
The website address for the CAAA template on the Chamber of Commerce site is:
http://www.chesaningchamber.org/memb...3?MemberID=122

The information for the CAAA in the template is also not up to date.

I have had no other problems getting sites listed with Google.

[flood6]

According to Ov, "Vintage Cool Stuff" was searched less than 20 times last month. If your client's site is no longer ranking well for that phrase, tell them to forget about it. Your time will be better spent optimizing for a phrase that gets more searches.

I have put the metatags in there, too, so Google can find the site.

Meta tags wont help google find a site. No meta tag sends out "come index me" in morse code.

I don't see what that little page on the Chamber of Commerce site has to do with you getting the CAAA Page you designed listed in google. Do you have any links pointing to the CAAA page? Did you submit the site to google (though it is argued that this has little effect)? How long has the site been up?

As far as having clients question you, just put the issue in writing. Just shoot them a memo telling them that in your professional opinion, X won't happen because of Y. Then if they ever complain to you, you can show them the memo and say, look, I tried to explain this to you earlier and you were not interested. Of course, if you want to keep them as a client you will have to do this as diplomatically as possible.

If you want some more help about why the CAAA page is not showing up in G, try and explain your reasoning behind how that Chamber of Commerce site is affecting it.

Good luck.

[Larry Launstein Jr]

The Chesaning Area Arts Association site has been up since April 4, 2004. It was submitted to Google via an automated search engine submission tool through the company they got their web hosting from. That did not work, so I resubmitted it through one of the other free submission services.

So far, the only links pointing to the CAAA site, to my knowldege, are from my portfolio page on my website, the Chesaning Township official site, and one of the two links the Chamber gave us as well as some art-related websites. It is the other link that points to the template page that I'm afraid is throwing us off as far as getting on Google is concerned.

[cbp]

It was submitted to Google via an automated search engine submission tool through the company they got their web hosting from. That did not work, so I resubmitted it through one of the other free submission services.

Google guidelines clear:

Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our terms of service.

CBP