Help! Do we need an SEO company with our Ecommerce site

[BuyCleverStuff]

Hello I’m new to the forums but hoping for the ideas on our site, I’ve been running a small business for some time and Google PPC has worked really well however with cost going up we've been thinking should we spend time on SEO.

I'd like to see what people think of page one SEO companies in the UK, we're so busy that I’d find it hard to work our own SEO campaign and i don't feel we have the skill set in-house to get good results anyway.

We are aware of a number of fundamental problems with our site, unfortunately some of them cannot be rectified by ourselves as the backbone of our ecommerce site is run by EKMpowershop. We have made EKM Powershop aware of a number of changes that are required to have a truly SE friendly site:
URL re-write
Hard coded URL’s
Meta Description and Keywords to be editable on each page
Remove the duplicate entry points to our site
H2 header codes
Styles to be fully CSS based
Been able to edit the home page title

After speaking to many page one SEO compaies I don’t know which way to turn, some say the site will do, but need to do more submistion work. Other say a complete new site is need.

Sorry I can't put the URL as i'm a new poster, but the company name is BuyCleverStuff for anyone who want's to look at the site/code.

We have recenlty purchase some new URL's for product specific searches, however i'd like to really look at improving our main site.

If you can please give some friendly advise, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jon

[quikshop]

Hi Jon,

It sounds like you have already identified the key areas where your shop needs to change to improve its performance on the search engines.

The most enduring SEO technique that you can do is swapping links with similar themed web sites. Getting listed on Shopping Directories can have mixed results but I think the overall net effect is positive. Using affiliate schemes, although expensive, can result in hundreds more incoming links to your shop and possibly an increase in sales.

Hope that helps to get started :)

Regards,
Dave

www.internetretailer.biz (http://www.internetretailer.biz)

[BuyCleverStuff]

Hi Jon,

It sounds like you have already identified the key areas where your shop needs to change to improve its performance on the search engines.

The most enduring SEO technique that you can do is swapping links with similar themed web sites. Getting listed on Shopping Directories can have mixed results but I think the overall net effect is positive. Using affiliate schemes, although expensive, can result in hundreds more incoming links to your shop and possibly an increase in sales.

Hope that helps to get started :)

Regards,
Dave



Thanks for your help, I have a few customers who might like to swap link, but we've not got a clue how we go out and get good links.

As per my first post i've just purchase some new domains kitchentv(dot)org(dot)uk, waterprooftv(dot)org(dot)uk, and bathroomtv(dot)org(dot)uk

I'm going to create these using good standards and target longtails. One of the URL (bathroom or waterproof) is just going to forward to a mini site, not sure which yet, and the other two are going to be unique site that are independent of each other and only link (on way) to BuyCleverStuff

I've never been sure about affiliate schemes, we have tried listing on Ciao, which was a waste of time and money. Currenty we have a Froogle feed and a few small shopping directories, but that's it.

Thanks

Jon

[Yorganic]

Hi Jon,

I have the following comments - beware of Page 1 SEO companies. They spend more time on their own sites than they do on yours or, you will be too small to interest them.

I have recently worked with two clients who had spent money with the top5 SEO companies and both had probably outsourced the work and we inherited a right mess. I can only assume that in one case the the client was too small to interest them and on the other they were simply too busy taking money off clients.

Having also recently worked in this area for other clients I have the following comments:

Price comparison systems can be a minefield and the stats can be false to the point they are fraudulent. Get all the basics in place first i.e. good basic SEO and basic PPC campaign.

Things like URL re-writes are really only necessary when you are already top 5 and need that bit of an 'edge'

Reciprocal links are pretty much a waste of time nowadays and multiple domains are only useful for PPC.

At this stage it looks like you really need the basics covering:

Comprehensive keyword research
Good plan to chase to the top of the tail in the early stages
Good layout
Good content
Good content optimisation
Some cross linking
Tag up all key pages
Decent link building
Regular news
Maybe some PR and article submissions

There should be no immediate need to mess around with the e-commerce software too much, if at all at this stage.

Let me know if you want a quote.

Carl [A page 2 SEO last time I looked]

[quikshop]

Reciprocal links are pretty much a waste of time nowadays

Some very good comments there Carl but on the quote above I disagree completely. In my experience reciprocal linking and good link neighbourhoods are worth their weight in gold.

We've got web sites to page 1 of Google without any SEO work at all but that's not the case for highly competitve markets with tens of millions of search results. The major factor in helping shops reach prominent positions on Google for a search on mass markets such as 'jewellery' and 'handbags' has been links - quality and quantity.

No web site can be a dead end on the Internet ;)

Regards,
Dave

www.internetretailer.biz (http://www.internetretailer.biz)

[RedEvo]

I believe 'you link to me, I'll link to you' type links are a waste of effort. The real deal has to be a link from someone's content page to something specific on your site. This was the whole basis for valuing links in the first place with its roots in academic peer reviewed papers.

IMHO

d

[quikshop]

I guess we base our seo opinions on experience and what has worked for us in the past.

I agree that links have to be relevant and from similar themed web sites hence the link neighbourhood reference, but I think to say that link swapping has no or little value even if we are simply talking about link pages is, imho, ignoring an important seo technique.

Having said that I would always put web site content, consistency and navigation at the top of the seo to-do list.

Regards,
Dave

www.internetretailer.biz (http://www.internetretailer.biz)

[VLAHAKISA]

I wrote an article ages ago that explains very simply what to do to achieve a good search engine ranking; www.trulyace.com/searchengineoptimisation.html

It does work if you follow the advice, and you can do it yourself. It should work provided search engine spiders can read all of your web page text, and follow all of the links in your website; ie all the links are .html and not images or flash based.

I haven't checked over your site yet.


Best Wishes

Amanda

[betterlanguages]

Hi Jon,

It sounds like you have already identified the key areas where your shop needs to change to improve its performance on the search engines.

The most enduring SEO technique that you can do is swapping links with similar themed web sites. Getting listed on Shopping Directories can have mixed results but I think the overall net effect is positive. Using affiliate schemes, although expensive, can result in hundreds more incoming links to your shop and possibly an increase in sales.

Hope that helps to get started :)

Regards,
Dave



I'm quite worried about link swapping, and am surprised to see this suggested. Google are quite clear that they don't like this, and it could harm your position. We make a lot of use of some of the free Google tools, Analytics and webmaster tools, they provide lots of useful advice. The best input we've had on SEO is from Hallam Communications, you can sign up to receive a weekly newsletter. It may also be worth looking for some web marketing training (if available locally), you may not have lots of time to do SEO yourself, but it can help to know what to look for when looking for an SEO company.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Mike

[BuyCleverStuff]

Hi Jon,

I have the following comments - beware of Page 1 SEO companies. They spend more time on their own sites than they do on yours or, you will be too small to interest them.

I have recently worked with two clients who had spent money with the top5 SEO companies and both had probably outsourced the work and we inherited a right mess. I can only assume that in one case the the client was too small to interest them and on the other they were simply too busy taking money off clients.

Having also recently worked in this area for other clients I have the following comments:

Price comparison systems can be a minefield and the stats can be false to the point they are fraudulent. Get all the basics in place first i.e. good basic SEO and basic PPC campaign.

Things like URL re-writes are really only necessary when you are already top 5 and need that bit of an 'edge'

Reciprocal links are pretty much a waste of time nowadays and multiple domains are only useful for PPC.

At this stage it looks like you really need the basics covering:

Comprehensive keyword research
Good plan to chase to the top of the tail in the early stages
Good layout
Good content
Good content optimisation
Some cross linking
Tag up all key pages
Decent link building
Regular news
Maybe some PR and article submissions

There should be no immediate need to mess around with the e-commerce software too much, if at all at this stage.

Let me know if you want a quote.

Carl [A page 2 SEO last time I looked]

Hi Carl thanks for your reply, i've always felt that a page one SEO is all about getting themselves to the top of Google and getting customer to pay to help them.. however these companies do have some good services but some have tried to BS me, which i don't like.

Yeah i've called a few SEO places, one BMM wanted £10,000 for one years SEO, I think the figure was a way of just saying go away your to small. I know that i've called one place and the guy let it slip the name of the company that would actually do the work, becuase we are a small company, so i called them direct (small 4 man opp) and they quoted £1,000 less, plus give loads of hlpe over the phone!

We've listed on Ciao, but i noticed the number of frauds going up and the reporting is usless, plus when it was sold to us the intergration would be easy, after we signed up, we had to modify a Froogle feed just for them!!

As you know a lot of the ecom site can't be touched, however a number of the problems have been reported to EKM Powershop, nice to know the URL re-write isn't such a big thing.

yes send me a quote, good to see another quote.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

Some very good comments there Carl but on the quote above I disagree completely. In my experience reciprocal linking and good link neighbourhoods are worth their weight in gold.

We've got web sites to page 1 of Google without any SEO work at all but that's not the case for highly competitve markets with tens of millions of search results. The major factor in helping shops reach prominent positions on Google for a search on mass markets such as 'jewellery' and 'handbags' has been links - quality and quantity.

No web site can be a dead end on the Internet ;)

Regards,
Dave


Different people have different schools of thought, many of the SEO places i've spoke to all differ some say mini sites are the way forward, while others say link building is the best, then the ones I side with who talk about getting the site right with good copywriten content, with a mix of GOOD link building, directories, etc.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

I believe 'you link to me, I'll link to you' type links are a waste of effort. The real deal has to be a link from someone's content page to something specific on your site. This was the whole basis for valuing links in the first place with its roots in academic peer reviewed papers.

IMHO

d

Oh yes, I only want to link from Kitchen / Bathroom related sites, 1001+ website links are a waste of time.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

I wrote an article ages ago that explains very simply what to do to achieve a good search engine ranking;

It does work if you follow the advice, and you can do it yourself. It should work provided search engine spiders can read all of your web page text, and follow all of the links in your website; ie all the links are .html and not images or flash based.

I haven't checked over your site yet.


Best Wishes

Amanda


Thanks Amanda, I've had a read of your site ,a very nice starter info, but our problem is still time.. if you can find a way of getting 30 hours for 24 that would be great :)

I have a good read of SEO chat and use the tools on that site, but getting the time is always the problem, sitting down and doing one thing is a hard task.. but doing nothing is a bad thing because, like now business has gone slow and this is due to lack of organic business.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

I'm quite worried about link swapping, and am surprised to see this suggested. Google are quite clear that they don't like this, and it could harm your position. We make a lot of use of some of the free Google tools, Analytics and webmaster tools, they provide lots of useful advice. The best input we've had on SEO is from Hallam Communications, you can sign up to receive a weekly newsletter. It may also be worth looking for some web marketing training (if available locally), you may not have lots of time to do SEO yourself, but it can help to know what to look for when looking for an SEO company.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Mike


Thanks Mike i've signed you to that Hallam Communications, and i'll look into local training, but have the time is still the problem.

Jon

[sirearl]

Hi Carl thanks for your reply, i've always felt that a page one SEO is all about getting themselves to the top of Google and getting customer to pay to help them.. however these companies do have some good services but some have tried to BS me, which i don't like.

Yeah i've called a few SEO places, one BMM wanted £10,000 for one years SEO, I think the figure was a way of just saying go away your to small. I know that i've called one place and the guy let it slip the name of the company that would actually do the work, becuase we are a small company, so i called them direct (small 4 man opp) and they quoted £1,000 less, plus give loads of hlpe over the phone!



well would you feel the same if an SEO gave you 2 million turnover a year for year after year?;)


Earl

[RayB]

Ahem - reciprocal links - if high quality and absolutely BANG ON TOPIC are still very good IMO - just dont overdo it

[BuyCleverStuff]

well would you feel the same if an SEO gave you 2 million turnover a year for year after year?;)


Earl

Yes i'd like to give customers a taster in year one and then every year dangle the carrot to ensure they keep paying, however if we don't have the time or skills then outsourcing to a high ranging SEO is the first point of call.

But as i'm on here chatting, this proves i'm no sucker that will fall for page one SEO companies sales pitch. however some have been very helpfull, Weblinx gave some good adise and seem to offer a good level of service plus they seem to cater for the SME.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

Ahem - reciprocal links - if high quality and absolutely BANG ON TOPIC are still very good IMO - just dont overdo it

Yeah i've been thinking of linking from and to a few of my customers kitchen service and fitting websites and it will help all of us, plus the topic is related. however beofre i start i don't want to jump the gun and do it wrong


Jon

[boho]

Jon

Reciprocal links should be
1) Relevant and related sites
2) Not linked to a whole bunch of irrelevant cr@p themselves
3) Utilising different Title text & decriptions that in themselves enhance the relevant keywords.

I'm an advocate of reciprocal linking I've found it has worked for me, but I'm fussy about who I link to. I also take the view that the links are there for my customers use and therefore it's important that the sites are of a good quality and don't go to any undesirable content. I get tons of referrals from places I link with, and I'm sure they equally do just fine out of me.

I also added links to places of interest such as jewellery museums, shows, course etc to give my customers informative links that they would find useful.

Adding relevant articles to your website also helps a great deal, I have trends articles, and other articles relating to jewellery and fashion and not only do they get read a lot but they contain plenty of relevant keywords.

[da8iwr]

Buy Clever Stuff
Most SEO is common sense and just fiddling. For example

LCD Glass Stand
http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&q=lcd+glass+stand&btnG=Search&aq=t&oq=null

Brings my client on the front page of Google (spot-ontv.co.uk which is an almost identical company to you)

His site is using a crap temporary template, made in dreamweaver just to get his site live and out there made in HTML4, and the code is terrible, it doesn't even look the same in different browsers.

That's not the only Keywords it is number one for, in fact he emailed me a list a few weeks ago that he was excited about, i just cant remember them now.

What I'm trying to say, is 99% of SEO is just playing around talking on SEO forums (specialist ones) and getting as much as you can.

BTW
His site is Joomla/Virtuemart, with SEF URLs, and a heavily modified payment system, but that wont effect the SEO at all. And his site is just having a full refurb now as i type, should be ready in a few days, as it was him that didn't like the new template i sold on here a week back.

Regards
Ian

[RedEvo]

Although there is a wealth of info in forums and other websites, and tinkering can give results, you shouldn't ignore the more structured aspect of SEO.

For example:

The exact phrase lcd glass stand appears on 5210 pages in the Google UK index and has a low predicted search volume. In short research suggest it's not very effective.

However, the phrase lcd black glass stand has only one competing Google UK page for that exact phrase (and that's an EBay page) and a higher predicted search volume. Another is lcd stand clear glass, again only few competing pages and a higher predicted search volume than your original phrase.

The trick is, know what your customers are searching for and make sure your pages are optimised for those phrases. Coming number one for a phrase not many people actually use is meaningless.

IMHO

d

[sirearl]

Buy Clever Stuff
Most SEO is common sense and just fiddling. For example



common sense yes but fiddling I don't think so Ian or good SEO would not consistantly get high rankings for there clients.fine tuning is probably more appropiate after the initial SEO,but most work to an established set of rules + there own little tricks of the trade ;)


Earl

[da8iwr]

Coming number one for a phrase not many people actually use is meaningless.

IMHO

dI would totally agree about the specific search terms i put, but i did say there is a list but i just dont have them to hand, but who would ever search for

LCD Black Glass Stand
or
LCD Clear Glass Stand

If its glass its going to be clear, and if its glass its not going to be black is it.

And these so called SEO specialists, taught them selves by tinkering and forums, as Ive never seen a University degree in SEO, so they have either been to a seminar for an hour or so or taught themselves by forums and tinkering.

But your contradicting what your saying though RedEvo, you say

The trick is, know what your customers are searching for and make sure your pages are optimised for those phrases. Coming number one for a phrase not many people actually use is meaningless.

But that's what my client is doing, he is spending time trying to get his site for specific key phrases, as he his never in this world going to get him to the top of Google for "Panasonic Television" is he.

But my client has recently just bought a good size boat, and drives a very nice car, all the back of the income purely from his website.

So i think he is doing ok.

I love listening to SEO "specialists" trying to justify their trade, i find it so funny :rolleyes:

[da8iwr]

common sense yes but fiddling I don't think so Ian or good SEO would not consistantly get high rankings for there clients.fine tuning is probably more appropiate after the initial SEO,but most work to an established set of rules + there own little tricks of the trade ;)


Earl

Earl, i drop links on here all the time to do 2 things, promote my clients sites (at least im honest) and also to back up what im saying, i have done or doing.

I want you to drop 3 key phrases (difficult ones not easy rubbish like what im being criticised of here) which we can all search for in Google and see come to the top, that you specifically put there by your SEO work.

I'm kind of getting sick of people criticising others work on here and then not putting links that we can all see to prove that their work is good enough, to justify them as a critic.

[RedEvo]

I would totally agree about the specific search terms i put, but i did say there is a list but i just dont have them to hand, but who would ever search for

LCD Black Glass Stand
or
LCD Clear Glass Stand

If its glass its going to be clear, and if its glass its not going to be black is it.

Sorry, you are missing the point. People are searching for those terms, however silly you might think they are ;)

d

[BuyCleverStuff]

Jon

Reciprocal links should be
1) Relevant and related sites
2) Not linked to a whole bunch of irrelevant crp themselves
3) Utilising different Title text & decriptions that in themselves enhance the relevant keywords.

I'm an advocate of reciprocal linking I've found it has worked for me, but I'm fussy about who I link to. I also take the view that the links are there for my customers use and therefore it's important that the sites are of a good quality and don't go to any undesirable content. I get tons of referrals from places I link with, and I'm sure they equally do just fine out of me.

I also added links to places of interest such as jewellery museums, shows, course etc to give my customers informative links that they would find useful.

Adding relevant articles to your website also helps a great deal, I have trends articles, and other articles relating to jewellery and fashion and not only do they get read a lot but they contain plenty of relevant keywords.

Thanks for your post, we've just done a update on the site to this “get set to digital” tv campaign the government is doing plus updated the home page to just have the core product line.

First think we are doing is look at the sites our competitors list on and if relevant, link from them too. Just need to get some customers and related site to agree to link.

I already know that each link should be different, and not just the same text on loads of sites pointing to the same place, but still it’s finding those sites to link from is the problem I finding, plus the time.

[BuyCleverStuff]

Buy Clever Stuff
Most SEO is common sense and just fiddling. For example

LCD Glass Stand

Brings my client on the front page of Google (spot-ontv which is an almost identical company to you)

His site is using a crap temporary template, made in dreamweaver just to get his site live and out there made in HTML4, and the code is terrible, it doesn't even look the same in different browsers.

That's not the only Keywords it is number one for, in fact he emailed me a list a few weeks ago that he was excited about, i just cant remember them now.

What I'm trying to say, is 99% of SEO is just playing around talking on SEO forums (specialist ones) and getting as much as you can.

BTW
His site is Joomla/Virtuemart, with SEF URLs, and a heavily modified payment system, but that wont effect the SEO at all. And his site is just having a full refurb now as i type, should be ready in a few days, as it was him that didn't like the new template i sold on here a week back.

Regards
Ian

It's a bit of a long tain isn't, just search for "freeview kitchen flipdown" we are number three, number one and two is still us, but on a AV Forum, plus that is our core product so for a seven month old site, that's not bad!

Yeah i figure that SEo is just trail and error, but some skill is requires, with lots of time, one thing i don't have.

After chatting to a few people Joomla doesn't seem like a good long term option.

[RedEvo]

Problem is research suggests nobody searches on the term 'freeview kitchen flipdown'. This is only an estimate but nonetheless.

People do however search using the phrase 'flipdown t.v. for kitchen'

Like I said, give yourself a chance, find out what people are actually searching for ;)

d

[BuyCleverStuff]

Although there is a wealth of info in forums and other websites, and tinkering can give results, you shouldn't ignore the more structured aspect of SEO.

For example:

The exact phrase lcd glass stand appears on 5210 pages in the Google UK index and has a low predicted search volume. In short research suggest it's not very effective.

However, the phrase lcd black glass stand has only one competing Google UK page for that exact phrase (and that's an EBay page) and a higher predicted search volume. Another is lcd stand clear glass, again only few competing pages and a higher predicted search volume than your original phrase.

The trick is, know what your customers are searching for and make sure your pages are optimised for those phrases. Coming number one for a phrase not many people actually use is meaningless.

IMHO

d
Oh yeah I agree and that what I’ve between chatting with Google page ½ SEO companies to work on our site, but ideas from this site have been great.

With our new PPC campaign we only been getting very long tails, to help bring down the budgets and keep visitors coming.

I know that Kitchen TV, Bathroom TV and Waterproof TV are the most searched for our market sector, and this is reason that we own url’s in those names too.

[BuyCleverStuff]

Problem is research suggests nobody searches on the term 'freeview kitchen flipdown'. This is only an estimate but nonetheless.

People do however search using the phrase 'flipdown t.v. for kitchen'

Like I said, give yourself a chance, find out what people are actually searching for ;)

d

That's what i'm saying, showing a long tain is all well and goot, but it's only gets limited searches, however we know that Kitchen TV, Bathroom TV and Waterproof TV are the most searched. I purchased URL's in those neams to help.

[Chris Jones]

Hi Jon,you sound like a confused businessman.
I would like to suggest that i run a comprehensive SEO report for your site which will detail its current status with the areas that are not up to speed detailed, it will include a competition analysis with a leading competitor that is doing well on the SERP's. It will also include a proposal that will detail all the activities that we would carry out, broken down over a 6 month period, to achieve high rankings for you, this includes all off site and on site factors.
If this is of interest to you then pm me or email me , chrisj@searchlogic.com , with the url and some contact details and i will be happy to run the report for you.
By the way it's free and there is no obligation.

[PeteYoung]

That's what i'm saying, showing a long tain is all well and goot, but it's only gets limited searches, however we know that Kitchen TV, Bathroom TV and Waterproof TV are the most searched. I purchased URL's in those neams to help.

I know what RedEvo is saying though his examples would probably help having reasonable searches on, but he is right.

You are right in what you say as well though as regards terms like Kitchen TV, Bathroom TV etc being more commonly searched for, however it is worth considering thefollowing.

Optimising for the more niche terms, in most cases (given some sort of well thought out keyword research and SEO strategy), will often result in a higher conversion rate from the niche/more relevant/long tail terms given you have a desirable product at a competitive price. WHilst I am by no means saying dont optimise for the more generic terms such as your examples, just dont make them the be all and end all of your campaign. Choice of keywords in SEO is much like the rest of SEO - Balance

[BuyCleverStuff]

Hi Jon,you sound like a confused businessman.
I would like to suggest that i run a comprehensive SEO report for your site which will detail its current status with the areas that are not up to speed detailed, it will include a competition analysis with a leading competitor that is doing well on the SERP's. It will also include a proposal that will detail all the activities that we would carry out, broken down over a 6 month period, to achieve high rankings for you, this includes all off site and on site factors.
If this is of interest to you then pm me or email me , , with the url and some contact details and i will be happy to run the report for you.
By the way it's free and there is no obligation.

Cheers, Chris

I've sent you a email you get yuor feedback.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

I know what RedEvo is saying though his examples would probably help having reasonable searches on, but he is right.

You are right in what you say as well though as regards terms like Kitchen TV, Bathroom TV etc being more commonly searched for, however it is worth considering thefollowing.

Optimising for the more niche terms, in most cases (given some sort of well thought out keyword research and SEO strategy), will often result in a higher conversion rate from the niche/more relevant/long tail terms given you have a desirable product at a competitive price. WHilst I am by no means saying dont optimise for the more generic terms such as your examples, just dont make them the be all and end all of your campaign. Choice of keywords in SEO is much like the rest of SEO - Balance

This is the problem, as we are unskilled in SEO we are not sure the best way to optimise, our plan has been to have the site good for natural searches and get those long tails with PPC.

I think our new URL's will help with some searches, but getting to content right is our problem.

Jon

[DragonZ]

Try IBP application software to optimized your site for a full report

[BuyCleverStuff]

Try IBP application software to optimized your site for a full report


Thanks, look at that and din't like, I use the tools over on SEO Tools website to better effect also on SEO Tools Forums, they don't rate that product.

[sirearl]

Try IBP application software to optimized your site for a full report

IBP is usefull for gathering information,about your site and your competitors,but its SEO is based on comparing your site with the top 10 sites on SE and making suggestions based on that info.

Not recommended for serious SEO buffs ,but usefull for begginers.

Earl

[gocreate]

Your homepage is very text rich, so you shouldn't have any problem optimising that with google.

I have got some relatively new code which is working well for my customers, that I can implement free for you on that front page.

Once that code is working (normally within 5 working days) I can then gauge where you go from there on the keywords you want to focus on.

I have worked with EKM ecarts before and understand their system.

Let me know if I can help.

Iain

[BuyCleverStuff]

IBP is usefull for gathering information,about your site and your competitors,but its SEO is based on comparing your site with the top 10 sites on SE and making suggestions based on that info.

Not recommended for serious SEO buffs ,but usefull for begginers.

Earl

Oh yeah don't get me wrong, IBP is good, but time is our problem. In our product sector the problem is that my real competitors don't have SEO'd sites, some are basic frontpage sites with no clue on style or text, so running IBP is a waste of time.

Had another pay with it this afternoon, to see if it agreed with me again, but the results are all the anwers i already know.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

Your homepage is very text rich, so you shouldn't have any problem optimising that with google.

I have got some relatively new code which is working well for my customers, that I can implement free for you on that front page.

Once that code is working (normally within 5 working days) I can then gauge where you go from there on the keywords you want to focus on.

I have worked with EKM ecarts before and understand their system.

Let me know if I can help.

Iain

Hi Iain,

The home page is a new layout, only put live over the weekend. We've added only relivent keyword products to the home page and given them H2's, plus the home page text is a re-write from the single paragraph we had, to what you see know with nice links off to the products we wish to target.

Would be intrested to see your feedback on the site and it's nice to see you've worked with EKM, because you'll know the limitations. I've implemented a few changes to the basic code and added more H1's and H2's around the site as EKM don't have many.

EKM have also put down a whole list of updates that i've put forward to help for SEO.

Jon

[PeteYoung]

Jon,

Just out of interest, it sounds like you have done a fair bit of onpage work, any offpage work yet?

[sirearl]

In our product sector the problem is that my real competitors don't have SEO'd sites,


I wish I had that problem :D


Earl

[packshoes]

I think seo is not really a long term way to improve your website exposure and ranking.

You can adivertise on b2b website.

I think it's a good way.

[BuyCleverStuff]

Jon,

Just out of interest, it sounds like you have done a fair bit of onpage work, any offpage work yet?

nope, not anything we can really call work, however EKM do some work as standard:

quote "automatically be submitted to over 1,500 search engines and directories including Google, MSN, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Lycos, Excite, and DMOZ." & "Submited to Shopping Directories"

We've also tried Ciao, but the results we're not very good.

Problem is that we are not sure the best thing to do.

Jon

[BuyCleverStuff]

I wish I had that problem :D


Earl

yeah it is a good thing, but we need to try hard with waterproof tv as that sector of our market does have some decent sites.

[BuyCleverStuff]

I think seo is not really a long term way to improve your website exposure and ranking.

You can adivertise on b2b website.

I think it's a good way.

yeah, just not sure of the best places to list, which are relivent.

[PeteYoung]

nope, not anything we can really call work, however EKM do some work as standard:

quote "automatically be submitted to over 1,500 search engines and directories including Google, MSN, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, Lycos, Excite, and DMOZ." & "Submited to Shopping Directories"

We've also tried Ciao, but the results we're not very good.

Problem is that we are not sure the best thing to do.

Jon


If you would like an informal chat, please feel free to give me a call - contact details are on the site.

Would be more than happy to point you in the right direction

[BuyCleverStuff]

If you would like an informal chat, please feel free to give me a call - contact details are on the site.

Would be more than happy to point you in the right direction

Thanks will give you a call in a bit, to chat.

Jon