Well. To my dismay, the search engine that we are all supposed to trust has totally disheartened me this evening and served me up the biggest load of rubbish I have ever seen.

Firstly, Google – how can you let counterfeit organisations abuse your Adwords system so much?  A simple key word search for “Ugg Boots” brings up the following results:

Google Trash

Looks pretty harmless right?  Top Shop selling Uggs? Not a million miles away from being possible.

However, click on the link and you are served with pure rubbish.  The advertised URL is not even the URL linked to the ad.  Adwords Quality Control?  What Quality Control????

Same below, and this time even more obvious.  Boots.com.  Google, you’ve got to be kidding me right?  Boots.com – the chemist selling Ugg Boots online.

Google – you are a joke.  Why should I, and thousands of other SEO‘s be so concerned about quality when quite frankly you can’t be arsed when it comes to you making a quick $$ through Adwords.

It’s reasons like this, that Google is quickly losing ground in my estimations.  It doesn’t care about quality of content, it only cares about its bank balance.

On the odd occasion I have seen pages just return 4 results, just 6 results and on one occasion it only returned Adwords results!  Needless to say, if this is what we can come to expect from Google instant in the future it’s now more important than ever to get your web site ranking in the top 4 results – although I’d hedge a bet to say that this is just a flaw in the instant search feature right now.  To be honest I find it quite annoying anyway!

Google Instant Search, on top of the local search results that we recently blogged about, seems to show that Google has taken to beta testing its new features and layouts on the general public which can be a dangerous game.

Still, it gives us something to blog about!

In the past we have seen a top section of the search results present themselves with a map of the location, and a selection of 5 or 6 companies / web sites accompanying them.  Now things have become very different.

On the screen shot to the right you will see how the local listings take over the majority of the real estate of the search results.  Not only that, but they also come complete with contact details, and where applicable, reviews and ratings.  So what does this mean for search?

Well, there are a few things to consider.

Firstly, Google appears to focusing on becoming a directory for local business, and not a Search Engine for web sites.  If you know that you are looking for a London Courier (for example) and you get these search results appearing then you are instantly presented with the contact details – so you dont actually need to visit their web site at all.

The second most annoying thing about the new Google Local search features is the map that appears over the sponsored listings.  Now on first glance, although it does push the sponsored links down the page it doesn’t look ‘too’ bad, however when you start to scroll the map moves with you – covering up the sponsored links adverts!

Of course, as with any new rollout there are a few ‘bugs’ which means that you wont necessarily get the search results you desire.

The introduction of these localised Search results (OK, not introduction, but enhancement) means that the smaller businesses can now get their voices heard a little more in the SERPs.  Even Pay per Click is becoming difficult for small businesses to utilise as the larger businesses are bidding silly amounts for keywords putting them out of reach of the smaller guys.

So for now, from me, Google Local is a bit of a mixed bag but it will be interesting to see a) if it lasts and b) how it will be improved over the coming months.

If you are looking for a Search Engine Optimisation partner, or just looking for some advice then check out Online Digital at www.online-digital.net

It wasn’t a costly exercise, which perhaps in itself should have sent the alarm bells ringing a little bit.  I placed the order and paid for the project.  This was followed by a polite confirmation email and also a follow up email from my new ‘account manager’.

Sure enough, with a day confirmation emails starting to flood to my account as the links were submitted to the directories.  Great stuff.

Upon completion of the project I received a PDF with a list of all the directories that my site had been submitted to.  Now the fun and  games began.  Me being me I decided to go through each and every link one by one to double check the sites that they had been submitted to.  What surprised me was that at least 20% of the links on the first page of their report were actually dead!   So – is this a scam or do link building sites literally die on a regular basis?

In summary I think that the popular link building sites that are worth anything to your SEO campaign have been established for some time, usually with a reasonable page rank.  You are much better talking to a UK based SEO Company or browsing the web to look for directory lists than taking the plunge and parting with a small amount of money for what in return is a small effect on your SEO campaign.  I guess the old saying that you get what you pay for couldn’t me more true in this example!

Adios for now!

Seriously Google.  There are some great sites out there offering services of this type.  Why exactly are you giving vipcarhre.net any credability when there isn’t even a site behind it?

Answers on a post card!

Before you set out with your new web site build why not consider asking your web designer a few questions regarding SEO.  Do they have a good understanding of whats required from a design front in terms of accessibility, use of heading tags, ALT text on images, keyword usage in emphasised styles such as Bold, Strong and Italics?

If the answer is no then you should consider either a) Looking for a designer that does understand SEO or b) Looking for a consultant to help create solid SEO foundations for your new web site.

In the long term it could work out more cost effective and financially rewarding if you invest in getting your site right from the outset.  Although, in more cases than not,  SEO is an ongoing project it saves a lot of time and money if you can lay down the foundations whilst the site is being built.

If you are looking for assistance with your SEO, a consultant to help with your new web design or a full SEO campaign then why not get in touch.  We’d love to hear from you and help you on your way up to the top of the Search Engines.

We are a Stoke On Trent Web Design agency who specialise in Web Design and SEO.

Why?  Because I feel that it says more about what we do.  Our services including anything that concerns online digital media, such as Web Sites, Web Applications and Search Engine Optimisation.  We are extremely passionate about what we do and want to portray the right image to our potential clients.

To find out a little more about what we do pop over to our new web site.

Unfortunately, the proposal wasn’t accepted for the reason that his business was doing extremely well at the moment and he didn’t need any extra work.

This got me thinking.

What better time to invest in SEO than when your business is doing well? One of the issues for many companies when it comes to organic SEO is the time it can take to achieve a ranking that will start to drive traffic, although instant visibility can be bought at a price using Google Adwords.  SEO is a long term strategy to gain visibility in the search engines so surely the best time to set about your SEO campaign is when your business IS doing well.  That way when you hit the hard times your site is already sat on top of the SERPS shouting out to all the prospects actively searching for your services.

Equally so, if your business is doing well then it’s easier, financially, to invest in an SEO campaign that when done correctly can see a very healthy return in investment.

Naturally, I’d like to credit my colleague / friend / client for the inspiration for this post!

If you want to talk to, or email, us about your SEO requirements then pop on over to our new web site at http://www.online-digital.net

However, tonight something confused (even slightly angered) me.  I did a search for Villa near Disney (one of my clients key phrases) and to my amazement there were a couple of sites that quite clearly don’t adhere to the Google Webmaster guidelines relating to achieving a decent site ranking.

No I don’t know, and probably never will know if these sites are being actively SEO’d but what really grates is the fact that they are appearing so high up in the SERPs when they go against everything Google says about getting a good ranking.

We SEO’s spend much time creating quality content and gaining quality backlinks, whilst making sure that our web sites follow the guidelines / best practices as written by Google themselves, and then we get slapped in the face with things like this.

This isn’t the first time I have blogged about strange results and it probably won’t be the last either…….

Enjoy your Easter weekend!

Ian

The Internet is now an important tool for any business.  Due to the number of web sites and businesses that are now online, is it any wonder that there has been an increase in the number of SEO ‘Consultants’ over the last few years?   There is no doubt that the demand for good SEO practioners is high and personally I feel that the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ is entirely relevant in this niche.

The problem with so many SEO’s is that simply don’t have the skills to effectively carry out an SEO campaign, and yet they still charge premium rates.  The other problem however, is that many businesses go for the cheaper option which ends up in tears as the campaign doesn’t live up to expectations.

So how do you choose the right SEO?

Firstly, check to see how their own web site ranks within Google.  If they can optimise their own site there is a good chance that they know what they are doing and their methods are effective.  This is especially true for SEO companies, who operate in a very competitive field in terms of search results.  The thing to remember here is that each industry is different.  That’s right.   Whilst techniques remain the same some industrys are considerably more competitive than others in the search engines – so will the cost of your campaign give you enough man hours to compete with the top dogs in the listings?

Does your potentional SEO offer just Google results, or do they throw other search engines into the mix aswell?  It’s important that they don’t just focus on one search engine – after all why cut off a % of searchers that might end up putting online business in your direction?

If you are a small business, with a small budget, then you should consider local SEO.  This would mean that you can get a presence on Google for localised search terms (e.gStaffordshire Plumber).  This route would probably see quicker results and ROI for you business than simply optimising for the term plumber.  After all, even if you ranked number one for the term plumber, is it likely that a search in Inverness is going to land you a job?  Highly unlikely.

There are a number of tricks and promises that you need to remember to stay away from.  Some of these include:

• Promises of certain positions within the search engines
• Submissions to 1000′s of search engines on a regular basis

Still not sure?  OK – when you speak to your SEO make sure you ask them a few searching questions:

• What sort of metrics do they measure the campaign on?
• Does the proposal look solid, built on common sense?  Have they offered suggestions on how their campaign will help your site or is it very much cloak and dagger?  SEO isn’t a secret so your consultant shouldn’t make it one.  Find out what techniques they are using.
• Do they promote silly gaurantees such as No.1 in 24 hours?
• Have they provided you with keyword research, showing you keywords that will actually drive you relevant traffic to your web site.
• Does the campaign include optimisation of your existing web pages, link building, social media, metrication and Search Engine Marketing or does it just pick certain elements out of these?

Dont be afraid to ask for samples of the consultants work.  See if they have any testimonials and if possible contact the companies that they have worked with to get a better picture of their methods.  Usually if the consultant refuses to give you references it’s a sign to walk away.

One of the bets ways to find the right consultant is to get a recommendation direct from an existing customer.  This is something that I have been very successful with in the past.

This post was written by Ian Sheldon, an SEO Consultant and founder of UK SEO Company, eSoftware Solutions.  If you are looking for help with your back link campaign then why not get in touch with us on 0845 838 8588 or email info@esoftware-solutions.com