Is This A Good Offer?

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

http://www.webmarketinggroup.co.uk/

I'm starting to think about doing something to my site in terms of SEO because simply put I am getting zero business from it currently!
My site is www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk (http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk).

They have offered to optimize my site using a landing page with a relevant article written by an in house journalist and guarantee 1st page results within 28 days for the key phrase "cheap business gas and electricity".

The cost is £120 for set up costs and £50 per month for a phrase with 5 words and has a 12 month contract.

I know that the phrase "cheap business gas and electricity" is searched very few, if any times in google, however, the agent I spoke to said that it will improve search results for more competitive phrases such as "cheap business gas" and "cheap business electricity".

Is this true? What is people's opinion on whether it is worth doing? Is the set up cost standard or a little high?

They also offer a 3 word phrase such as "cheap business electricity" for £150 per month. This phrase is searched around 500 times per month in google and a hit rate of 5% or 25 clicks, with a conversion rate of 4% will provide approx £300 revenue.

Maybe I've just answered my own question! However, I would like to hear expert opinion on the best course of action.

I've only been in business for 6 months and know very little about online marketing so any tips (however basic they may seem) will be appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

[sirearl]

Well the intial price is very cheap,but as you point out very few searches for that term.

But yes it will improve your standing for various related terms.

you are in a high competition area,so afraid it is going to cost lots of money to get useful traffic.

A conversion rate of 4% is very high,are they talking PPC.?

May be better to discuss with them Geographical targeting.

Is this a UK based company.?

Earl

[SFD]

Sounds very expensive for what you are getting.

Also your site has no content visible to Google so it won't rank anywhere worthwhile.

This is what Google sees (http://www.seo-browser.com/index.php?user_agent=1&address=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.efficientenergysolutions. co.uk%2F&action=Parse+URL)

You can see there is no content.

My advice would be to get an adwords campaign set up by someone who knows what they are doing and see what phrases/keywords work for you and bring business, then look at developing your site/SEO in the future.

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

Well the intial price is very cheap,but as you point out very few searches for that term.

But yes it will improve your standing for various related terms.

you are in a high competition area,so afraid it is going to cost lots of money to get useful traffic.

A conversion rate of 4% is very high,are they talking PPC.?

May be better to discuss with them Geographical targeting.

Is this a UK based company.?

Earl


I guessed at the 4% figure! I'm starting to see that it's probably an unrealistic conversion rate...

It's not a PPC campaign but an SEO one. They create a landing page writting by a professional copywriter to increase SE ranking.

It is a UK based company.

I don't think geographical marketing will work for me because most businesses who use an energy broker do not use a local one.

What do you think about the £150/month SEO campaign? They can guarantee 1st page ranking for the term "cheap business electricity" which has 5/600 searches a month on google.

[SFD]

What do you think about the £150/month SEO campaign? They can guarantee 1st page ranking for the term "cheap business electricity" which has 5/600 searches a month on google.



This is why I suggested PPC. Adwords allows you to see what trafic converts to business, get a conversion rate and then you can work out if SEO is viable for that amount of money.

[Ali-v-8]

If your going down the SEO route then do it properly.
I'm a firm believer of "if you pay peanuts you get.....5h1t service"
I consider price to compare to competition.
As sirearl said its a competitive market.
I wouldnt just target one term.
At least look at a package deal.

[QVA - Emma]

What do you think about the £150/month SEO campaign? They can guarantee 1st page ranking for the term "cheap business electricity" which has 5/600 searches a month on google.Hmmm this seems suspiciously like PPC - especially as they are "guaranteeing" it.:rolleyes:

The fact that you are asking for advice and also said that you think you have answered your own question suggests to me that you are not comfortable with their offer anyway.

If it is seriously something that you wish to do and get your website sorted and SEO'd, you would be best looking into it yourself. There is lots of helpful advice out there and there are lots of companies that can help. As SirEarl and Aliv8 said you are in a very competitive area - particularly at the moment when everyone wants the cheapest fuel and electricity there is!

I'm a firm believer of "if you pay peanuts you get.....5h1t service"

I don't accept peanuts, but definately offer a GREAT service :D:p

[Ali-v-8]

I don't accept peanuts, but definately offer a GREAT service :D:p

Well hello :D
If you don't like peanuts could I temp you with a packet of prawn cocktail Skips.

[QVA - Emma]

Well hello :D
If you don't like peanuts could I temp you with a packet of prawn cocktail Skips.

:eek: apologies for lowering the tone of the thread it wasn't meant to read that way! I meant that our business services are great, ooops! sorry :redface:

[sirearl]

If your going down the SEO route then do it properly.
I'm a firm believer of "if you pay peanuts you get.....5h1t service"


Afraid that statement is fundamentally flawed.

Paying the right person,at whatever price is where one aims.

A high price certainly does not ensure quality.

Earl

[QVA - Emma]

To the OP - just thought for your info to let you know how saturated the UK market is with "energy" related terms one of my clients after 3 weeks sits at the number one spot on Google.com for "energy assessment services" with 24,000,000 results but can't even get a look in on google.co.uk - their target market. It isn't a "money" term for them just using as an example.

The funny thing is it isn't even the index page that is at No1, that sits on page 2.:rolleyes:

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

By the way SirEarl... out of interest what do you actually do?

[Ali-v-8]

Sorry sirearl, did sound a bit off on my last comment.
I just worked out he's paying £720 for a five word term.
So its not actually peanuts.
I meant that I would run a mile for a campaign that cost so little.

[sirearl]

By the way SirEarl... out of interest what do you actually do?

As little as possible for as much as possible.:|

I sell various thing on the internet.

I dare not say I am an SEO or lots of the kids will have a pop at me.:rolleyes::)

Earl

[cc976a]

My ha-pence worth

You're right no-one is searching for ' cheap business gas and electricity ' . It of course can help other keywords but one landing page in amongst fierce competition is not going to help much.

If you were my client I would first explain the website needs some work. Why do you feel the search engines should favour your website rather than the many competing websites? Better content? More linkbacks? Reguarly updated home page? Lots of great relevant text on home page?

Afraid most answers to these are no. Have to say not as fierce competition as first thought really - lots of competing websites but many bad things on them (even on first page - i.e. templates, missing pages etc...) to start capatlising on.

Their suggestion if being more niche with your keywords is good but best start with one that at least has a hundred or so searches a month:

cheapest business electricity - 140
cheaper business electricity - 140
cheap electricity for business - 110
business electricity suppliers - 590
electricity for business - 880

Dean

[DavidRyves]

SFD is right - your biggest problem is your site's done in Flash - bad plan if you're looking for good rankings.

[aras333]

if you had to optimise business directory - are there any specific keywords you would try to improve on or just try to improve as much as possible? any advices?

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

I've just read the following on the website of the company I used to create my site:

However, we publish your site in both Flash and HTML so it is available to the widest range of browsers and is correctly indexed and listed by search engines. Flash is often criticised for not being search engine friendly, which is why we extract the content from your site and publish it in HTML too. So you get all the benefits of a slick easy to use Flash interface without any downside. That is why SiteMaker is an awesome tool.

So I guess it's all peachy right? Or are there any other downsides with using flash?

[SFD]

I've just read the following on the website of the company I used to create my site:

However, we publish your site in both Flash and HTML so it is available to the widest range of browsers and is correctly indexed and listed by search engines. Flash is often criticised for not being search engine friendly, which is why we extract the content from your site and publish it in HTML too. So you get all the benefits of a slick easy to use Flash interface without any downside. That is why SiteMaker is an awesome tool.

So I guess it's all peachy right? Or are there any other downsides with using flash?

There is code to do something like that on the page

/**
* Toggles display between text-only and flash
* Due to browser's differing implimentations use the www.quirksmode.org function
* to manipulate the stylesheet. credit to PPK.
* Do this as soon as the stylesheet loads (considerations for base element with IE)
*/


But I don't think it is working or the text hasn't been added as when I view through a text browser I cannot see it.

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

Cheers SFD.

What does that mean?

Do you know for certain that the HTML isn't being published?

[streetslocal]

To the OP - just thought for your info to let you know how saturated the UK market is with "energy" related terms one of my clients after 3 weeks sits at the number one spot on Google.com for "energy assessment services" with 24,000,000 results but can't even get a look in on google.co.uk - their target market. It isn't a "money" term for them just using as an example.

The funny thing is it isn't even the index page that is at No1, that sits on page 2.:rolleyes:
I take it you mean:

http://www.energy-assessment.biz/

This is not to do with SEO this is related to the domain name choice being keyword rich and as simple as that.

[SFD]

Cheers SFD.

What does that mean?

Do you know for certain that the HTML isn't being published?

Well, on your 'Electricity Broker' page the only text Google can see is

Efficient Energy Solutions is the UK's leading commercial energy broker, with access to thousands of business tariffs.
We have beaten over 80% of
gas and electric renewal rates!
See how much you can save by filling the form in below or call us now on 0800 970 8540

So the text which is being displayed to the human is not being displayed to the search engines.

Even if it was, there is still nowhere near enough content.

[domainguy]

Apologies if I'm repeating someone else but I skipped the bulk of posts.
Re optimising your site for keywords "cheap business gas and electricity" if they were any good they would of seen there are hardly any searches for that exact phrase so why bother aiming for that?
Find what people would be searching for and optimise for that. Aim at long tails as most short will already be saturated.

I just setup a site for an osteopath and seo'd it, got him to page 1 of google for his selected keywords but as I had advised him it was pointless if no one was searching for them.

[DavidRyves]

My question is why Flash anyway? It doesn't add anything to the site (except rubbish text rendering) and looks like it's adversely impacting on your search engine rankings - it's a simple website and would be fine as just static HTML with good keyword rich content.

[OldWelshGuy]

Set yourself up an adwords campaign, use the phrases they say they will optimise for, find out if they convert, if they do, then get your site optimised for them, but DO NOT EVER, EVER, EVER, post your money phrases on an open forum! ;)

[QVA - Emma]

This is not to do with SEO this is related to the domain name choice being keyword rich and as simple as that.

Then you'd expect it to be high up for "energy assessment" that being the case - but it isn't.

BTW No1 now with the "services" but that is their company name after all.

[sirearl]

Then you'd expect it to be high up for "energy assessment" that being the case - but it isn't.



If only life were that simple.:|

well maybe it is.:p

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=tP2&q=wind+farm+equipment&btnG=Search&meta=

Earl

[EfficientEnergySolutions]

My question is why Flash anyway? It doesn't add anything to the site (except rubbish text rendering) and looks like it's adversely impacting on your search engine rankings - it's a simple website and would be fine as just static HTML with good keyword rich content.

I use flash because it's done via a company called Moonfruit who provide a very simple to use WYSIWYG application to create web pages.

I have zero experience in web design and using Moonfruit I created this site www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk (http://www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk). There's no way I could have made a site like this using HTML!

However, if it is definitely affecting my google ranking I will have to learn to use Dreamweaver.

Anyone know of any better programs for web design or is Dreamweaver the best out the lot?

[SFD]

I would personally recommend Wordpress and install a template onto it.

It can easily be edited, altered and added to. I use Wordpress more and more nowadays. Very easy to configure for excellent SEO too.

You can either install it yourself or get someone to install it and set it up for you.

[Pocket Monster]

The method they use for these landing pages is dodgy to say the least. They told me that they rank for Internet Marketing, have a look now. They have been penalised and their site doesn't even rank.

Look at taking baby steps with your seo, look at geo targeting your keywords and definately don't go for anything that is 'Guaranteed'. There is only one guarantee in SEO and that is that if you don't do it, you wont rank!

Best of luck

PM

[eventdomain]

I use flash because it's done via a company called Moonfruit who provide a very simple to use WYSIWYG application to create web pages.

I have zero experience in web design and using Moonfruit I created this site www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk (http://www.efficientenergysolutions.co.uk). There's no way I could have made a site like this using HTML!

However, if it is definitely affecting my google ranking I will have to learn to use Dreamweaver.

Anyone know of any better programs for web design or is Dreamweaver the best out the lot?


mmmmm, your website needs to be re-designed, it has an unimpressive look about it. I like to see websites that are modern and for a trades service, something that can do a selling job, your current set up doesn't do this.

Its worth spending the SEO cash (or some of it) on a new site, as a searcher these cheap template DIY things just scare me. Its worth shelling out on your own website rather than a quickie cheapo solution, and a web designer can do a superior job for a reasonable fee.

Once you got a decent website that's yours - then you can SEO it!