Search engine optimisation for dummies

[Bluebayremovals]

Good day ladies and gents!

I have a website bluebayremovals and dont have a clue what I am doing with regards to seo.

I previously used Adwords with little result and I have run out of budget, Leads from removal indexing sites work at at around £8 per each and you get a lot of crap with them (some are good)

Is it possible to learn seo myself so I can generate new business as people cant find me on Google by typing in "Removal company cornwall" and I am skint!

I would welcome your advice

Thanks

 

[BEB_Kerry]

Somehow I have increased SEO with facebook adverts. Only with a budget of £50 per month.

Got to 1st page with 'GDPR Help Northampton' somehow.. unsure of how really other than facebook ads.

Interesting to know any other advice

 

[GraemeL]

Here we go , from an expert in SEO :- https://www.freshbananas.co.uk/

Written in language that makes sense.

 

[AllUpHere]

Look at it from a common sense point of view. There are plenty of removal firms throwing quite a bit of money at dominating the serps for your search terms. What makes you think that you can outrank those spending reasonable sums on it if you are, by your own confession, skint?

 

[g]

Is it possible to learn seo myself so I can generate new business?

Yes.
Appropriate info is readily available, and at no cost... from a variety of online sources, including the sites of those in the SEO-business.

Finding/learning what's effective (and what's not) is likely to be time-consuming... to a degree where it's probably an inefficient use of your time. But, as you've no money to spend, that's perhaps a relatively minor consideration.

Remember... every 'expert' once wasn't - they had to learn. And for many things, including SEO, much of that learning was/is experiential... read something, think about and try it, repeat if it's effective.

 

[StevePoster]

It is always possible to have self study on SEO and take some advice from the well experienced members here. However, it doesn't mean that your site is visible in Google it will convert, no, because there is always competition so you need to study and analyze your competitors.

 

[justinaldridge]

We have a client in this market in Brighton and we have them ranking top...so I know what it takes to get there.

It's tough! There is generally a lot of competition and it takes quite a bit of work. We've had to use a slightly different technique to get our client ranking due to the level of competition and available budget.

It doesn't mean you can't do it but it takes time (months) and...is it the best use of your time?

If you don't have any money then you need to look at alternative ways to generate leads. What about aligning yourself with estate agents to recommend you to their buyers? Same with lettings agencies. You can pay them a commission on referrals.

By the way, you have quite a negative review on your Google My Business listing. You should probably respond to that as it can defintely impact you as it currently stands.

 

[Businessquotes]

concentrate on local search to start with that won't cost you anything- get your business listing in Google better than your competitions - try and get some reviews from your past customers. Also have you ever tried one of the big trade websites for work - Anyvan that sort of thing, you'd probably get just as much work there.

 

[Nochexman]

"Removal company cornwall"

I wonder if this is what people in Cornwall search for? Maybe it is 'removal company in Redruth' or something else. Maybe work on your targeting?

 

[Zak Cee]

tips of the day!!!

why are you even using an 0800

that's the first thing Google will look at,

use a local cornwall or penzance telephone number.

enter cornwall in your address, in google my business,

So for example

4 Morrab Road
Penzance
Cornwall
TR18 4EL

and get loads more reviews.

add category in google my business "removals service" along with related functions

the above should give you a boost of 20-25% than your currently getting in about 6 weeks or sooner

 

[Tony Dennell]

Anyone can learn seo, or at least the basics. For anyone just starting out in it, I'd always recommend writing tonnes of good and useful content for your own website and perhaps for other websites where your input would be valued. This way your showing your expert knowledge in your field. Which will attract traffic itself.

It is a long process though and you will not get quick results. But as part of a long term investment in your marketing strategy, it can work wonders. My advice would be to focus less on the SEO element and more on the quality of content.

I would strongly advise against running your own backlink campaigns though, as this can cause a lot of damage if not done right.

 

[Davidincognac]

ranking removal firms is not too difficult!
Why...because most of your competitors are skint as well.
I would recommend you get someone to do the seo for you, but these are my top recommendations.


ONPAGE SEO
1. get a free trial of AHREFS and see who searches for what. You want to to rank for "house removals in town" and realise no one searches for it; so whats the point in that?

2. create one page for every keyword such as "home removals in brighton" but use a mixture of partial and exact matches on that page within headlines and text, for example "best home removals in brighton" and "cheap home removals in brighton"

3. make sure you have some decent content on your page, im guessing here but Im thinking you will need 400 words plus per page.

4. interlink the pages, so your page on "home removals in brighton" links to "man with a van" and that links to "removal vans near me"

5. list your site with google and use their tools such as control panel, analytics, data highlighter, sitemap

6. put your social media buttons on the site along with your address (written as Google would, so Road could become Rd) and add in a google map


OFFPAGE SEO
you need to start to build backlinks, this is much harder then you think and this is where the SEO person earns their corn. Im not gonig into this as I dont have time to write a book.
However int he first instance make sure all of your social media sites link to your website and you register your business on UK directories

RECORDING
Check your rankings today
follow my advice
and re check again.

 

[George Owen]

It takes a long time to learn... and if you don't have that time then definitely outsource it to someone who does and comes highly recommended with white hat techniques.

 

[SEO.co.uk]

Very important to be careful of Google's policies. It's best to do SEO as naturally as possible. Bad SEO can do more harm to your website than not doing anything at all.

 

[Natalie May]

Doing your own SEO is very much possible, however it is time-consuming. Google's constant algorithm changes doesn't help! Adwords are great to target specific audience. Do you generate content using keywords, would work positive for your SEO. You can utilise free SEO business listing services to start with. Create business page on social media sites like FB, Twitter, inLinx and be active on them.

 

[WithinSocial]

SEO is a big ocean and plenty of good suggestions above doing it all will certainly boost your ranking however remember that may it be Google or facebook they need to see you are spending with them before they start giving you space on first page. You do need a monthly budget to spend on Google each and all social networking sites will bring some good for your business try that facebook is cheap right now and put up nicely designed graphics on marketplace in facebook join few local groups put up your text advert there, twitter helps too even if it's personal tweet your keywords or phrases it would certainly boost your ranking be consistent though as pointed above changes in algorithms do not consider or prefer listing too old stuff on first few pages.

 

[OMGVape]

why are you even using an 0800

that's the first thing Google will look at,

Does Google have a problem with 0800 numbers ?

Why? And how do you know that ?

 

[fisicx]

Does Google have a problem with 0800 numbers ?

Why? And how do you know that ?

Because google likes local. Unless you are a national company there is no need to use 0800 (and even then it's not necessary).

Google will match your number with other data it holds about your business. A local number will tally with your address which ticks another SEO box.

 

[Furqan721]

Learning and then implementing on your website really takes time. If experts are available on fiverr and peopleperhour like platforms, then why not hire someone with as low as $100 budget and give it a try for at least 2 months.

You have to target Google maps and Local business listings because you are dealing locally. So chances are, if you can get a good SEO Freelancer, you can really do good in business.

 

[Bronco78th]

Hi,

Im in the same boat, just trying to get abit more traffic to my website on a very tight budget. I am reasonably technical so thats not an issue but understanding more about SEO is something ive neglected in the past and now im working towards, hopefully with an eye to saving costs by plugging away at it myself in the future.

Im going through an SEO course on Udemy by Peter Kent (Who wrote a book of the same name as your Thread title Ironically) and im finding it very useful and getting lots of ideas about how to boost rankings as well as how not to do it.

Also he makes no promises which I like....basically do most of what he says and you should see improvement over afew months (not days) and makes no promises like others about 'getting to number one on google' which I think is a false hope most of the time anyway, particularly in competitive markets.

I can't post links - but if you go search google for Udemy then once at Udemy.com search SEO it will be one of the first things that come sup....also its only £11.99 (as opposed to £200) for the next couple of days.

Good luck.

John

 

[bmt Promotions]

Bad SEO can do more harm to your website than not doing anything at all.

 

[AMSUSER]

Both and neither! Keeping up with Google's constantly changing organic search algorithm is an arduous task that keeps full-time SEO agencies busy. It is very difficult, but not impossible, to maintain an optimized website that covers the different categories -
Website content optimization (i.e keyword density and placement, meta)
Technical SEO (i.e coding clarity, speed, semantic markup)
Link Growth (i.e gaining quality links from related websites back to yours)
The Conversation (i.e social media brand mentions, conversations)

All above takes time..

 

[Nochexman]

Is it possible to learn seo myself so I can generate new business as people cant find me on Google by typing in "Removal company cornwall" and I am skint!

It is certainly possible to learn SEO yourself and every business owner should have a basic understanding if their business is online and depends on their website for business.

There are some excellent courses available online, and you can usually find someone running a training course near you if you prefer the personal touch. Good luck!

 

[aaron web designer]

SEO is one of those things which cannot be guaranteed with whichever SEO specialist you go with. You can learn it yourself but it can be time consuming. There are many factors to consider. Speed of website, number of words, images, internal links, h1 tags, h2, tags, alt names, backlinks, anchor texts. It really depends on how competitive the keywords are which you want to rank for and what the competition are.

 

[AMSUSER]

It is easier to learn through the assistance of a mentor or coach. But you need to be careful in who you choose. Many are scammers just looking for your money. But be careful. If they guarantee results (especially in a short amount of time), stear clear. Everything takes time.

 

[Matt Tomkin]

Have you looked into getting a free SEO audit done? These are the normal starting point for us.

Do you have Google Search Console set-up?

 

[Leonardo Gonzalez Dellan]

Once you understand the basics in SEO, it is really easy to rank in the search engine. But, first you need to give some time to learn. If you do not have the time then you can hire the SEO experts who will do the great job at the most affordable price.

 

[SEO Ninja]

I spoke to a business owner only a few days ago that were advised to "Do the SEO yourself, plenty of info online, it's easy" This resulted in the site going from page 2 to 174. Why would anyone risk their income and 10 years of hard work to to build a business to do something that they have zero experience in. For all the people giving this advise out i have seen a few Youtube videos on dentistry, next time you need a filling please tell me, I'm sure a 5 minute video is all I need to know to sort your tooth. Both results can be very painful!

 

[Matt1966]

Hi, guys, this is my first post here. My profession is SEO.

"Got to 1st page with 'GDPR Help Northampton' somehow.. unsure of how really other than Facebook ads."

There's no correlation to Facebook and the SERPs. It could be one of two things.
1) Personalised results. If you've visited your site through Google, they will display your site higher than the actual result. Try incognito mode or a SERP checker.
2. The Facebook ads could have built up a but if exposure which has then, in turn, given you a few links your way. Either way, Facebook won't have been a direct factor to the increase in ranking.

Others have suggested also building backlinks. Modern day SEO's DO NOT "BUILD" backlinks unless they're "no-follow" backlinks. Building standard links is a clear breach of Google's terms, and their Algorithms can spot this stuff a mile off nowadays. Check out Google Penguin / Panda for more information on this.

Another person advised hiring someone from Fiverr for $100 a month. Keep in mind, the expert you hire doesn't only have the power to improve your websites rankings, they also have the power to absolutely destroy it. I'm not going into the topic in too much detail, but you will regret this decision. Might not be today, maybe not tomorrow, but you'll find your website being deindexed from Google one day. It's like buying a Rolex watch for $100, just this Rolex watch is 1. Fake, and 2) has a timebomb in it.

As for the original question from OP:

Although I can see what SEONinja is saying, not everyone can afford to pay 1k a month for an expert.

Yep, you can learn SEO yourself. You just need to be very careful where you learn. Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land is too good resources to keep up to date. As for learning SEO, Moz is a good resource, as is Backlinko. My advice would be to solely concentrate on technical/on-page SEO. Attempt "Off-page" SEO and you'll regret it.

EDIT: Adwords shouldn't cost you anything. You should be making on it. This is another which, if configured incorrectly can just burn money. Adwords is a complex niche itself, something you should also take a course in.

 

[SEO Ninja]

Matt1966 - How can you start your post with "My profession is SEO" Then on the next line say "unsure of how really" regarding your rankings.

My apologies but that really does not make any sense at all..

 

[Matt1966]

" Matt1966 - How can you start your post with "My profession is SEO" Then on the next line say "unsure of how really" regarding your rankings.
My apologies but that really does not make any sense at all.. "

My apologies. Quotation marks are an indicator that somebody else asked the question. I then answered their question (simply read what is below it).

I'm not sure if you're playing dumb or what, seems pretty obvious to me. Read my whole message.

 

[fisicx]

Most people use the quote feature.

 

[Matt1966]

Most people use the quote feature.

Yep, figured that out now. Considering I'm a Mod at a vBulletin forum, I probably should have a tad quicker then I did.

 

[SEO Ninja]

Hmmm

I agree not everyone can afford to pay for SEO but my last Yellow Pages advert was £1200 + VAT for a very small box 17 years ago! To pay around £200 per month for decent SEO is nothing. I hear daily that "This is a new business that needs to support my family" for a E-commerce website. Seems very poor planning if a very small budget has not been included in the outgoings.

 

[Matt1966]

Hmmm

I agree not everyone can afford to pay for SEO but my last Yellow Pages advert was £1200 + VAT for a very small box 17 years ago! To pay around £200 per month for decent SEO is nothing. I hear daily that "This is a new business that needs to support my family" for a E-commerce website. Seems very poor planning if a very small budget has not been included in the outgoings.

I don't know any reputable SEO's who would charge £200 on a monthly retainer. I don't get off the chair for any less than £100 p/h.

The going rate is at least 1k per month. If it's any less, you aren't putting the hours in or you're doing shortcuts.

The best way to go for small companies in my opinion (if hiring an expert), would be to pay a professional to make everything technically sound with a singular fixed job, then let it sit.

I still think in this day and age, small business owners should learn the fundamentals of SEO though...

When I say this, I mean the basics. For example; avoiding keyword stuffing, headings, page speed, indexing issues... Nowadays, small businesses use WordPress as a CMS, the above can be more or less fixed with a couple of plugins.

 

[SEO Ninja]

I Agree but 10 hours per month is not much time at all. I have just quoted today for a site with just over 500 pages. I estimate it needs 15 hours per week for 6 weeks to go through each page and correct all the errors made by the last SEO agency. It is a real mess..

I know for a fact the customer would not pay £7500 for this work. After that I would expect to spend 10 hours per week on promotion and marketing. Again no way would they pay a monthly fee of £4000 per month.

Its great to charge the big money when we can but very difficult to find customers with that sort of budget for long term work.

Something like Yoast for WordPress is great, but I have many people that have done quite a good job themselves using this still not ranking after quite some time. Obviously we would both know why. I did have one client last year decided to "help" with the SEO and ended up completely destroying weeks of work by keyword stuffing just about everything possible. Information he had been told on a forum!

 

[Matt1966]

I Agree but 10 hours per month is not much time at all. I have just quoted today for a site with just over 500 pages. I estimate it needs 15 hours per week for 6 weeks to go through each page and correct all the errors made by the last SEO agency. It is a real mess..

I know for a fact the customer would not pay £7500 for this work. After that I would expect to spend 10 hours per week on promotion and marketing. Again no way would they pay a monthly fee of £4000 per month.

Its great to charge the big money when we can but very difficult to find customers with that sort of budget for long term work.

Something like Yoast for WordPress is great, but I have many people that have done quite a good job themselves using this still not ranking after quite some time. Obviously we would both know why. I did have one client last year decided to "help" with the SEO and ended up completely destroying weeks of work by keyword stuffing just about everything possible. Information he had been told on a forum!

SEO isn't my only income, so I only really go for bigger clients. Or a fixed job, I.E, Speed optimise a site/page etc. Whatever works best for you I guess.

The reason your client ruined thing's by helping, is because they took information from the wrong places. If they learn the fundamental (like to not keyword stuff), they wouldn't have ruined the site.

 

[TamaraA]

Good day ladies and gents!

I have a website bluebayremovals and dont have a clue what I am doing with regards to seo.

I previously used Adwords with little result and I have run out of budget, Leads from removal indexing sites work at at around £8 per each and you get a lot of crap with them (some are good)

Is it possible to learn seo myself so I can generate new business as people cant find me on Google by typing in "Removal company cornwall" and I am skint!

I would welcome your advice

Thanks

You can find a great free online courses. I have finished one at the Coursera, it was free first seven days and I have learned so much.

 

[TamaraA]

Good day ladies and gents!

I have a website bluebayremovals and dont have a clue what I am doing with regards to seo.

I previously used Adwords with little result and I have run out of budget, Leads from removal indexing sites work at at around £8 per each and you get a lot of crap with them (some are good)

Is it possible to learn seo myself so I can generate new business as people cant find me on Google by typing in "Removal company cornwall" and I am skint!

I would welcome your advice

Thanks

For AdWords, you have a free Google AdWords Academy!