Thread: is my site google friendly?

Hi all,

Can anyone out there have a good look at my site and give me some advice as to what needs doing to help my google rank. It's beggining to drive me a bit crazy. My post's on this forum seem to be comming up before my web site.
Half the time i can only find my site if i type in the full url in googles search box. I have signed up for add words, that helps a little but other companys not really connected to my search words come up before me. Please save my sanity......

Thanks

It can take a long time for google to index your site properly. Sometimes longer than 1 year. You basically get put into a sandbox effect with google along with all other new sites. Basically it's to weed out all the websites that pop up and disappear within a couple of months. Check awstats via your cpanel and this will not only give you idea of how many people are finding your site but what keywords and phrases they are seacrching for.

Armed with this information you can then optimise your site for the most popular ones.

HTH

Actually, I don't believe your home page is friendly for any se's to move you up for the words people are looking for - I only saw the word limousine on the page once - but if I was looking to rent one - I sure would be using that word with the word rent or rental. You need to do research and find the terms people are using to search for - and then you need to write your copy to reflect those terms.

You need to get rid of things on the page that have no bearing on what you do - which includes telling people how to build a website - or how to protect against adware. That takes away from your professionalism.

You have the words click here on the top of your page twice - but they aren't clickable - Now I'd remove those words entirely (the pictures are clickable) and instead put some text to describe the pictures which are ALSO links to those pages. And both those pictures need to have alt tags added to them. Both the large pictures need to be links to the pages they represent also.

Your page title needs to reflect your top keywords. For example if you discover that rental limousines is the words people use most often to search for your product, then the home page should use that term - and the title would be better as "Rental limousines from Elegance Wedding Car Hire" or to be more precise - include the area you cover there - as I'm sure you don't rent limos to the world. You don't need to compete with the world then.

You have a better banner on the bottom of your page (which is silly - why would I link to the page I'm already on in a banner?) than you do a header on the page. Why don't you make a nice header like that? Although I wouldn't do it in orage - I'd stay with the elegant feel.

All the banners at the bottom of the page take away from your professionalism again.

You have some small pictures down the left side - I can't tell the purpose of the middle (whiter one) and it isn't a link and has no alt text. That does you no good.

As for Google, or any of the other se's - do you have any idea how many other sites you're competing for to get results? You need to be better than them and you'll slowly move ahead of them. With Google it will take even longer than the others - as Google usually puts newer sites in an "aging delay" of about 9 months - sometimes a bit less, sometimes more. They do see you and they will include your more obscure terms sooner - but to be really credible to them takes work and time.

Thanks for the response. Bethers, could you please have another look at my site now. I have taken onboard your advice. Your comments are more than welcome.
As far as having the word limousines in my banner, I don't really think the word limousine is relevant. In the u.k. the word limousine cunjors up thoughts of long stretchy white things.lol. Wgat do you think?.

regards

ok, if limousine is the wrong word, the point I'm making is WHAT are the words people there will use to search for. I promise it won't be your name unless they already know you and that'll come up anyway.

You misunderstood me about your header - that is where your whole name should be - and you took it out and put in what I recommended for the title - the title is what shows up in the blue bar at the top of the page - you get there by right clicking on the bv page and renaming the page.

But that header is better than before - except the white is a little blurry on that background - maybe make the gray background there a little darker - and then get your full name there. Where you did put your name under that - THAT's where in text you should have the area again with your top keywords. - If it's wedding car hire - put it there and in the title.

You didn't add the alt text to the Rolls Royce or Daimler pictures - nor did you put text under them saying something like "Rolls Royce Car Hire" and "Daimler Car Hire" in a text link. Make it very easy for people and se's to read what's important and get there.

And if wedding car hire is what people are searching for - you need to also use it in your text somewhere - how about making a change to:
Our comprehensive wedding car hire service. I would think if you have a comprehensive wedding service, you'll also be doing flowers and catering - so don't confuse people.

You're getting there!

You also might want to consider getting rid of the paragraphs being in centered text - it makes the last lines "hang" and really isn't meant for full paragraphs like this. I suggest either aligned left or justified.

Thanks again Bethers, I have just added some text with the links. I must admit I forgot 1st time round. Can you explain how I add alt text thing is all about. Sorry to be a pest. I'm off out in a few minutes, It's my birthday treat from my wife.lol but I will be improving It all again tomorrow.

Thanks again

Oh, Happy, Happy Birthday.

Right click on the picture and put the text in the "Alternate Text" area.

The alt text, is that alternative text ?. I already did that last week. It says Rolls royce silver cloud when you put your mouse over the pic, same with the Daimler pic.

regards

I suppose I had better ammend that last message, I thought I had the alt text thing ok but it doesn't show up on the site?@??????

Thank you again

Bethers, i thought my home page had to be called index?? have i got the wrong end of the stick?. doh i think i got it lol.

LOLOL - you keep answering your own questions. I guess you found the difference between the name and title - and yes, some of your pictures have the alternative text - but the top 2 smaller ones didn't and still don't - the little Rolls Royce and little Daimler.

Okies, you got the text under them - but it doesn't fit - make it much smaller -

Then, when you have time make yourself a header - that looks nice and fits your colors.

Bethers, please have another look when you get a minute. I have added h1 and h2 thingies. How far off top spot am I now.lol
regards

Hi Dave,

Your site has come a long way since you first appealed for help, well done. If you want to boost your hits though consider not only search engines such as Google as most websites have no chance in the Google jungle!! Not unless you are really clued up on what you are doing. Consider getting listed within wedding directories too, but make sure they are decent ones!! Oh what am I thinking..... I have the UK's most dedicated and best kept and maintained UK wedding directory around and it didn't occur to me to suggest that!!! ; - )

Feel free to click the top link in my signature Dave

When you use the google bar in your webbrowser you can see the page rank immediately. Your score is one out of ten. Not so friendly. There are only two links to your site. Try to get more; publish in a regional paper (free advertisements) which also publish online with your link !

Dave, If it's okay with you, I'm going to take a shot at making you a header.

Thanks guys, help is always good to have at hand. If you have a go at making me a header Bethers, that would be great.

regards

Dave, I was just playing around with a header - will get back to it - BUT - you added the same h1 to every page. This will actually have all your pages competing for that- and is NOT what each page is about. Just as each page has a different title - you should have different keywords to use as an h1 for each page.

I have no problem with having that text at the top of each page - but it shouldn't be a heading for each page.