Will a new site and new host improve our ranking?

[aidsntcg]

I'm not a professional web site designer but did create the web site for the small non-profit that I work for after taking on-line courses, readings plenty of books and getting input from you great people here at WebProWorld at the review my website forum. The site is http://www.aidsnetpa.org and has been up since 2008. Most of our hits are by people seeking information on where to get tested for HIV in our part of Pennsylvania and our site generally ranks at 1 through 3 in response to a search query seeking HIV or AIDS testing in one of our covered counties.

However, our marketing committee now wants to entirely redo the web site, changes which include having it redone and hosted by a website design company, whose website currently consists of one page done in tables that does not pass W3C validation. One member of the committee (the one who recommended the website design company)claims that our web site ranks in the top 5 for only four search phrases and that no other phrases appear near the top. I've tested it myself and I know that is not the case. I realize that SEO optimization is an ongoing process; however, I feel that the changes the committee are suggesting will be a step backwards for us rather than an improvement. By the way, none of the committee members are web site designers or SEO experts.

Your opinions and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[morestar]

Yes you can get good results from launching a new website. I won't go as far as to claim a change in host will do the trick unless your website's IP has been black-listed.

So how were you determining if the website is being ranked for various other key-phrases besides the 4 you stated?

If you've performed some keyword exploration related to your keywords you might find a whole mashup of other keywords you could compete for and should.

Also, are you making sure your getting the search volumes, per keyword (or key-phrase), per region - Pennsylvania ?

Lastly, is the competition that great in the Pennsylvania area for your services to the point where you have to go all out SEO wise?

[morestar]

Here's a pretty nice list of key-phrases related to your website's services that you might want to rank-out for:

---------------------------------

Keyword

hiv test
hiv testing
hiv blood testing
hiv blood test
hiv symptoms
hiv symptom
hiv std testing
anonymous hiv test
free hiv test
instant hiv test
hiv test center
hiv test sites
testing for hiv
test for hiv
hiv test centers
hiv aids test
hiv test results
hiv test accuracy
aids hiv test
hiv antibody test
20 minute hiv test
hiv 2 testing
hiv virus testing
hiv infection testing
confidential hiv test
hiv saliva test
hiv pcr testing
hiv urine test
blood test for hiv
pcr hiv test
hiv tester
hiv test kits
hiv early test
hiv clinic
hiv aids testing
free aids testing
hiv and std testing
tests for hiv
aids home test
tested hiv
same day hiv test
buy hiv test
fast hiv test
hiv test locations
20 min hiv test
hiv test costs
new hiv test
take home hiv test
hiv test mail
hiv test site
standard hiv test
hiv test types
positive hiv test
acute hiv test
hiv test cost
cdc hiv test
over the counter hiv test
blood hiv test
ora quick hiv test
in home hiv test

---------------------------------

As you can see there are quite a few different long-tail key-phrases you can go for - the question is are you?

I've attached the list in .xls and retained the search volume and competition data.

[morestar]

Hey morestar! You have provided the full fledged keyword list.

Google Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal)

;)

[aidsntcg]

Thanks so much, morestar, for the keywords list. No, there's not a lot of competition in our part of PA for our services, but the marketing committee thinks we have to go all out SEO wise.

[morestar]

No problem aidsntcg and well you do, you're competition may one day get one up on ya. Also, because of the effects of Google's real time search results and in order to make the website a long lasting authority on the matter.

It might be time to dominate the search engines...

[sspry]

The site has been up since 2008.

Which means that ANY company you use now to "redesign" the site best be aware of KEEPING the current indexed pages and any existing links to your site intact - far too often a totally new site and structure is created and any existing search engine benefit is lost.


However, our marketing committee now wants to entirely redo the web site, changes which include having it redone and hosted by a website design company

Now there are two things that bug me there...

One is the knee-jerk reaction to redoing the site - we have to get it redesigned! Never mind FIXING what's there first...

In your case, the "design" isn't the problem... it's the content that is mostly at fault. Content which your committee will have to re-write ANYWAY whether you chose to fix or completely redo the site.

The other - WHY does the hosting need to be moved? In 99% of cases it is purely so the web design company gets an ongoing commission from the new hosting. If you are happy with your current hosting company, then I would ask why you need to move? It's not like you are doing anything special that any ordinary webhost cannot supply...


One member of the committee (the one who recommended the website design company) claims that our web site ranks in the top 5 for only four search phrases and that no other phrases appear near the top. I've tested it myself and I know that is not the case.

Is that committee member (since you said they are not designers or seo experts) working from biased info supplied by the web design company who is trying to get your business ??? They may be the contact point for all sorts of email requests from companies who can "improve your web results" (spam)... and have been talked into redoing the site by some slick marketers.

What do your log files tell you? What keywords / phrases are people actually finding you for. Which pages are the main entry/exit pages into the site... What does that suggest you need to change/improve on?


Most of our hits are by people seeking information on where to get tested for HIV in our part of Pennsylvania and our site generally ranks at 1 through 3 in response to a search query seeking HIV or AIDS testing in one of our covered counties.

OK - I search for
aids testing Pennsylvania
and get nothing in the first 100.

I try
aids testing Schuylkill
and your one big long "testing" page comes up at #6... not that wonderful... and maybe your committee member is partially correct :)

So some changes are needed to improve those results. Maybe adding additional pages for each county and naming them appropriately - eg hiv-aids-testing-schuylkill.html - and better internal linking to those pages using keyword rich anchor text.

Changing the anchor text in existing navigation menus - eg Care Services : change to HIV Care Services - and using better linking methods within the current body content would also be useful - eg on home page, link to testing in each country, and to HIV Care Services etc.

I'd be looking at rewriting the CONTENT of the home page... not trying to be nasty, but it seems like it was written by a committee :)

Currently it is an "about" page... and not a "home" page which should serve as in introduction and link through to the variety of content on the site.

To be honest... your site does NOT need a re-design at this stage... just a re-WRITE of existing content, adding some new, keyword optimized pages, and integrating them into the existing structure, and using more/better linking from within the body content on all pages.

And with most web DESIGN companies, a reWRITE is not usually a strong point - so you guys will most certainly have to re-do the content anyway.

So start there yourselves and see how you go :)

Cheers
Stephen Spry

[Tiggerito]

I totally agree with morestar and sspry

I would focus on improving the copy and not some fancy re-deisgn which will not specifically benefit you SEO wise. Your website has no issues with SEO aside from the optimal use of keywords in the titles and content.

I'm currently running an analysis on your keywords using the same source as morestar (Google KW tool). Here's a list of words that come up a lot in relevant searches. Ordered by how often:


hiv
aids
testing
test
what
symptoms
std
statistics
clinic
causes
about
how
herpes
blood
info
cdc
spread
treatment
virus
get
infection
tests
disease
centers
prevention


It can give you a clue on what people are looking for, and therefore what you should talk about. For example, some specific frequent searches are:


what is hiv and aids
what are the symptoms of hiv
how can you get hiv aids
hiv and aids treatment
hiv aids clinic


All good subjects to talk about and help people.

I will add some more info once my analysis program has finished.

[morestar]

Yes as McCreath says, the key phrases above should/could be used in conjunction with my list to create articles...

;)

[Tiggerito]

My computer has finished its analysis. Here are the search phrases it thinks you have best chance in targeting:


"hiv test, viral load"
hivs and aids
hiv
hiv&aids
hivand aids
aids
hivandaids
oraquick
std
human immunodeficiency virus symptoms
where to get hiv testing
hiv and aids logo
what is hiv and aids
info about hiv and aids
info on hiv and aids
hiv and aids info
hiv and aids treatment
difference of hiv and aids
what are the causes of hiv and aids
causes of hiv and aids
the causes of hiv and aids
statistics about hiv and aids
how is hiv and aids spread
sti
symptom of hiv infection
cdc hiv aids prevention
instant hiv test


My formula is based on relevance, search volume, competition and competitiveness. They are what people are looking for in your field, and few people are providing the answers.

As before, these are great subjects to talk about.

The first phrase; "hiv test, viral load"; seems to be locally popular (USA)

Many other city based searches showed up indicating people are searching locally. It's hard to get data on this sort of thing as Googles KW Tool is not good at providing data for longer search phrases like this. The fact that some show up is a good sign. You should always promote your location on your website (in text).

I found you in the top 100 for the flowing search phrases:


hiv aids help in pennsylvania
hiv aids pandemic in pennsylvania
hiv aids project in pennsylvania
hiv aids charities in pennsylvania
hiv aids clinic in pennsylvania
children with hiv aids in pennsylvania
hiv aids resources in pennsylvania
hiv aids services in pennsylvania
hiv aids community in pennsylvania
hiv pennsylvania
hiv aids organizations in pennsylvania
hiv in pennsylvania
hiv aids treatment in pennsylvania
hiv infection aids in pennsylvania
hiv aids in pennsylvania
hiv aids funding agencies in pennsylvania
hiv aids funding in pennsylvania
spread of hiv aids in pennsylvania


Obviously you are only competing locally at this time. You have a page rank of 3 and at least 43 websites linking to you, so you should be able to do better.

The top website that came up was www.avert.org (http://www.avert.org). You came 6,118th in my list of 18,355 websites that were discovered.

I can send you an excel file with the core data I acquired if you want.

[Social-Media]

I'm not a professional web site designer but did create the web site for the small non-profit that I work for after taking on-line courses, readings plenty of books and getting input from you great people here at WebProWorld at the review my website forum. The site is http://www.aidsnetpa.org and has been up since 2008. Most of our hits are by people seeking information on where to get tested for HIV in our part of Pennsylvania and our site generally ranks at 1 through 3 in response to a search query seeking HIV or AIDS testing in one of our covered counties.

However, our marketing committee now wants to entirely redo the web site, changes which include having it redone and hosted by a website design company, whose website currently consists of one page done in tables that does not pass W3C validation. One member of the committee (the one who recommended the website design company)claims that our web site ranks in the top 5 for only four search phrases and that no other phrases appear near the top. I've tested it myself and I know that is not the case. I realize that SEO optimization is an ongoing process; however, I feel that the changes the committee are suggesting will be a step backwards for us rather than an improvement. By the way, none of the committee members are web site designers or SEO experts.

Your opinions and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A redesign could help... or it could hurt... It just depends on what all is done and how it is done. I've seen lots of people on the web reporting that since Caffeine and Mayday, that Google seems to be VERY sensitive to changes in site architecture/design and that even though the new site should be MUCH better from an SEO perspective, they are seeing it take many months before the rankings begin coming back... where in the past the dip in rankings and traffic would typically have been a few weeks, maybe a month or two.

There are a lot of things you should consider and plan for if you intend to redesign your site for SEO (http://www.canonicalseo.com/site-redesign-and-seo/). It's something that needs to be planned out and thought through extensively BEFORE you start making changes to your site if you want to preserve any rankings your site might already have.

[mjtaylor]

Thread deserves a bump.