General SEO Advice Please!

[DarrenPWS]

Hi all,

I have been developing websites for some time, but have never really looked into seo in much detail.

It's getting to a point where to get someone to our site it is costing us a couple of quid as we do not come up in many search results and are therefore using Google AdWords to get leads.

I have recently redesigned one of our websites and have made a few alterations that I hope will improve our position with Google (to be honest we're not too bothered about the other search engines!)

If you wouldn't mind taking a look at the site - www.e-file-uk.com - and perhaps you could tell me if I am doing things wrong/right so far as the coding is concerned, and the use of keywords and content matching etc.

I have also set up another webpage on a different domain, www.efiledev.com, that I hope will help act as "votes" for the Google PR and will help emphasize certain keywords etc. Is this a silly thing to do or can it have some effect?

I am really lost with this, but could do with any help you guys have to offer.

Thanks in advance!

Darren

[computergenius]

I think that efiledev seems to give a sort of spam effect, although I cannot get my head round why I think that... just a feeling, and I may be wrong, but I wouldn't risk it.

I wanted to check that both domains were on separate servers, so I pinged them both - if they were on the same server, I would be very concerned about spam. They don't seem to be on the same server - but why do my PINGs to efildev all time out?

My internet connection has been iffy all day, it could be me, but something looks wierd.

[scanmonkey]

Originally Posted by DarrenPWS

It's getting to a point where to get someone to our site it is costing us a couple of quid

As long as it's not costing dollars

[scanmonkey]

We had Benny Hill before on public T.V.

I think the issue is to first identify the keywords you want to target use http://wordpress.org/

you can use wordtarcker here for free
http://www.nichebot.com/wt/

[Tom O'Leary]

LET ME PREFACE THIS by saying that if any of us knew the recipe for success with Google, we'd be rich. That said, here are some of the ingredients for the soup.

• - Google doesn't seem overly keen on meta tags, although it does appear that Title tags do still carry some weight with them.
  
  - Regularly updated content on the site is always a plus.
  
  - Inbound links seem to bode well with Google. That said, it should be done organically, over time, from quality, relevant referral sources rather than some black hat inbound link generating campaign.
  
  - Try to niche your SEO campaign. There are 651 Million results for a search on "document management" on Google. Think about your target market. What are they looking for when they search. Try some keyword possibilities at a site like http://www.submitexpress.com/keytracker.html to see how many people are using them and try to find a less competitive angle.
  
  - Think about organically growing content on your site. Offer articles, regular news items, a small blog, whatever it takes to both provide your customers with value-added content and to attract Google to fresh content for their customers seeking relevance.

Keep in mind that any SEO campaign takes time. It can be frustrating to put in the time and effort and not see any results for a few months. If you keep adding relevant content targeted for the search market of interest to you, your ranking will improve. It just doesn't happen overnight!

[dburdon]

Darren,

I like the reference to quids!!!!

Anyhow, Milton Keynes eh. Take a look at your keyword meta tags. Poor score (twenty quid in cockney parlance) there. Either change the keywords meta tag or change the content.

On the plus side, the title and description are spot on.

[Irishjim]

Well, then, Darren, I think you are on the right track although I do agree with all the other responses.

One thing critical to Google, if you really want to please the old gal, is to make sure you have well-written text.

You seem to have done a good job on your keywords in the meta names but you need to reflect these in your text. A good ratio is one or two of the same words in the meta tags and 5 to 6 of the same words in meaningful text. Don't just spam the page.

For some reason Google spiders seem to like well-written text although it's well beyond me as to how they can tell.

[TrafficProducer]

Keywords and Keyword phrases

Web site promotion and traffic boosting

Methods of Internet adverting. Here are some FREE TIPS about advertising methods that you may wish to considered when promoting your websites. Do you know the best methods and which ones to avoid?

[greeneagle]

As a member here, I wish we all took the time to read multiple threads and find our answers.

From a MOD perspective, you have to know, it is real tempting to ramp up or kill certain threads by cross posting a reference to another and sometimes I just can't help myself:

http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=62678

It's right on topic!

Ken

[Keimos]

Hi DarrenPWS,

You need to provide a DOC type, a first as G looks at you as an amateur together with accessibility issues. Browsers like to be told what to read.

G is not the only player so make sure that you have the relevant metatags in place other than you keywords and description. Let the others in as well as being browser compatible

I could not access your other example as is was not found.

Your page content needs to be cleaned up, link code that is not needed or close the code up.

There are no shortcuts for Link Building, either pay someone or do the work yourself and go looking for sites.

Best links are people doing the same as yourself but not competing in your market.

Listen to some of the previous stuff, but remember they are after your business, which is why they are not really telling you much.

Keimos

[red]

Hi Darren,
I very much agree with all of the advice to add relevant content to ensure that your keyword phrases used in your tags are present in your on-the-page text and the link to the thread that greeneagle mentions.
I'd start with a couple of very basic ideas that you should get to work on.
First, your most valuable piece of real estate is your index page. It is being completely wasted; it's nearly blank. In this case less is NOT more. There is little useful information and absolutely no call to action. Tell your visitors what you want them to do and how it will benefit them...this is basic "Sales 101" *This is where you'll insert your most important keyword phrases into your copy. Expand on exactly what document management is. Visitors need a more detailed explanation.
Give the page some PUNCH! Get people excited about what you do. This needs to be present in your text and images.
Next - this is mentioned a lot in many threads. While (relevant) inbound links are important, internal linking is also important. Connect all your pages, link back and forth so your visitors will tour the site, stay a bit longer and the spiders will have a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.
You offer a valuable service Darren. Your job now is to let visitors know they simply can't be without it another minute. Follow the advice of these very smart people at WPW and Google will pick up on the fresh content, new links and little by little you will rise in the rankings.
All the best to you!

[kgun]

SEO Rule 1:

Make dynamic quality content with simple, clean code, easy, consistent navigation, good headings on the page and foccused relevant KW's in internal and external links.

SEO Rule 2:
Don't forget rule 1.

Content and code is Queen, refactoring to better content and code is King.

[DarrenPWS]

Hi everyone - thanks for all of the comments!

I think the main thing you have all emphasized is that it won't happen overnight, but being impatient I want everything done today (and my boss wants it done last week!!)

One of the problems, as Tom O'Leary pointed out above, is that there are millions of websites offering the same sort of service and I guess to some extent the content will be the same - am I right in saying Google will ignore content that isn't 100% unique etc?

The efiledev.com page isn't on the same server, but I will take it off as I can't imagine it will have a huge impact. The reason some of you may have not found the page is because I had a comma after the url which screwed everything up!

I will get cracking on some new content for the homepage and will let you know how I get on (no doubt I will be back asking a load of other questions very soon... probably in two months time when my site has been blocked from Google!!)

Thanks again,

Darren

[kgun]

ASP code is exceedingly fast.