SEO

[eventdomain]

The more relevant stuff is sometimes tucked away on pages 2 and 3....... this is a fundamental flaw in their system really.

Exactly, and beyond the 3rd page too. Many times I've had to search right into the 100's to get what I want, but yeah, its the junk of the web that fills up the SERPS and slows down searching.

 

[MASSEY]

So if you were to look at the results page for Birmingham electricians

What would your view be then, (lets pretend the site in #3 isnt half finished)

 

[eventdomain]

Well, its all directories like Thomson, Upmystreet, Yell, FreeIndex, 192 which although might be useful to some,
the above aren't targeted and pretty much useless from a speed point of view, and that's just what searchers want - speed of search.

But this one is very nice http://www.localtraders.com/electricians-in-birmingham/ and catches my attention and is my idea of an attractive resource that I'd fall in love with.....

LocalTraders.com is a gorgeous site, very attention grabbing and a pleasure to search through it. Very nice!!

don't see many portals like that - wow!

See, why can't people do directories like that all the time huh... how useful is that...

 

[MASSEY]

I hate that local traders site.

I was thinking a link from it might be good but they will probably want too much, which is why there whole site is pretty much tradesmen empty.

Why would you choose to look through a directory over a proper site?

I struggle to understand why people search that way.

 

[Matt1959]

the local traders site is rubbish in my opinion though I will concur that different people want different things when it comes to search results.

Surely to god, if someone wants a trade and they have chosen Google as their search tool, they will click the actual website that happens to be listed so that they directly access the site of that particular firm not wade through directory dross.

 

[eventdomain]

Surely to god, if someone wants a trade and they have chosen Google as their search tool, they will click the actual website that happens to be listed so that they directly access the site of that particular firm

na, bcos niche directories have all the info in one place, and searching them is faster than any search engine..

Don't forget the companies have already been categorised and sorted eg: by Town, County, Service type, postcode etc etc. Its straight forward company search, and cuts out all the wading through unrelated stuff.

 

[Matt1959]

sorry I disagree. Speaking as a homeowner who may want a trade, I want their website in front of me so I can click on it fast. I don't want to navigate someone idea of making it easier for me.

Back to that local traders site - is this your site by any chance?! are you seriously suggesting people will prefer ploughing through that site to get their man when they can just click a website on local business or click a site in the first 6 entries page one google? On what basis are you saying people prefer to use directories such as local traders as opposed to clicking on serps or local business or PPC???

 

[eventdomain]

Sounds like you never had a bad search experience - wow, aren't you the fortunate one, and the only person in the world to experience that wonder.

But as demonstrated earlier by a simple search on Google, most results didn't help the user for keyword 'Electricians in London' - but perhaps that was just a lucky search eh, strange that only 4 were small tradesmen and not large 0800 companies which will be more expensive than the guy around the corner........ the upshot being the poor user not having found customer delight on the first page, now has to trawl endlessly through more another 5 or 6 pages to find perhaps 10 local electricians, which will take another 30 minutes to do, and thats before the work involved of making enquiries to those 10 companies, which could take upwards of 5 mins per call and 50 minutes to get through those 10 enquiries, of which 6 will likely be fully booked/doing jobs elsewhere and not available. And so its possible to do this process 3 times before striking lucky and finding your electrician.... and that's one of the easier service types to arrange, you try booking a hotel, and you'll see how much longer it takes to do searches and the enquiries.

Back to that local traders site - is this your site by any chance?!

whatever is largely approved of by poster, must be owned by poster?

Er, no, no way - my sites are vastly superior in design, performance and what they deliver. No I can't claim ownership of localtraders.com, although I wouldn't say no........ it has possibilities.

On what basis are you saying people prefer to use directories such as local traders as opposed to clicking on serps or local business or PPC???

Oh, not much, just ease and speed of search, conveinience factor, superior freedom to incorporate more content that aids users and advertisers alike, freedom to build a platform dedicated to the user and target the advertiser exclusively which results in superior conversion over its general search competitor.

And the fact just one of my portals delivers in excess of 1 million visitors to its sector every year, without even mentioning Critical Mass - yet!.......... and that's the lesser one of my websites btw, so looks like my following are very happy to use niche websites doesn't it, all 12 million of them.

You know, there's just so many niche companies now, and they make billions every year, so obviously everyone doesn't use Google for everything. Do you know how huge the search sector is for Hotels? I seriously doubt you or others have a clue, or you wouldn't be asking questions like the above..

But PPC is different - its not the same as the free serps, it works to a different level, so its wrong to suggest it gets the same response as a freebie listing.

 

[MASSEY]

Sounds like you never had a bad search experience - wow, aren't you the fortunate one, and the only person in the world to experience that wonder.

But as demonstrated earlier by a simple search on Google, most results didn't help the user for keyword 'Electricians in London' - but perhaps that was just a lucky search eh, strange that only 4 were small tradesmen and not large 0800 companies which will be more expensive than the guy around the corner........ the upshot being the poor user not having found customer delight on the first page, now has to trawl endlessly through more another 5 or 6 pages to find perhaps 10 local electricians, which will take another 30 minutes to do, and thats before the work involved of making enquiries to those 10 companies, which could take upwards of 5 mins per call and 50 minutes to get through those 10 enquiries, of which 6 will likely be fully booked/doing jobs elsewhere and not available. And so its possible to do this process 3 times before striking lucky and finding your electrician.... and that's one of the easier service types to arrange, you try booking a hotel, and you'll see how much longer it takes to do searches and the enquiries.



whatever is largely approved of by poster, must be owned by poster?

Er, no, no way - my sites are vastly superior in design, performance and what they deliver. No I can't claim ownership of localtraders.com, although I wouldn't say no........ it has possibilities.



Oh, not much, just ease and speed of search, conveinience factor, superior freedom to incorporate more content that aids users and advertisers alike, freedom to build a platform dedicated to the user and target the advertiser exclusively which results in superior conversion over its general search competitor.

And the fact just one of my portals delivers in excess of 1 million visitors to its sector every year, without even mentioning Critical Mass - yet!.......... and that's the lesser one of my websites btw, so looks like my following are very happy to use niche websites doesn't it, all 12 million of them.

You know, there's just so many niche companies now, and they make billions every year, so obviously everyone doesn't use Google for everything. Do you know how huge the search sector is for Hotels? I seriously doubt you or others have a clue, or you wouldn't be asking questions like the above..

But PPC is different - its not the same as the free serps, it works to a different level, so its wrong to suggest it gets the same response as a freebie listing.

That local traders site is terrible.

Anyway keep takin the tablets.

 

[eventdomain]

Anyway keep takin the tablets.

Oh, come on - that's rediculous, when you don't own a search engine or portal site, so you have zero evidence of visitor stats to back up your claims that I'm wrong.

So you have no case to say I'm wrong and zero authority on the subject, and you like many others are sadly, clearly stuck in the old days of search, which is very sad and narrow-minded, and your loss.

The search world has moved beyond 1996, with powerful niche engines doing incredible things for search, and making so much money, I doubt their bothered by the unqualified, ungrateful nutters out there do you.

Oh, and my company just got more media attention, and another magazine plug in a few days time going out to 50'000 targeted users - so looks like the media strongly disagree with you doesn't it. And who do you think people will believe, established press publications or unqualified ignorant hecklers.

 

[dagaul101]

Search engines are changing and adapting to what people want, who knows in the future you might just type a search, and a few minutes you might get an sms, or phone call from a local trader closeby wanting your business

 

[eventdomain]

who knows in the future you might just type a search, and a few minutes you might get an sms, or phone call from a local trader closeby wanting your business

That's exactly what I was thinking, and its very doable too. As much as I hate any sort of personal tracking/spying, I reckon search will end up that that way.

Scary I know, but I can just see this.....

People will go to what gives them the most accurate result, and all-purpose engines just cannot deliver this.

Group tracking search????? bit naughty, but we have voucher sites targeting offers to select users, so why not, retailers have been doing this for years and nobody ever complained. But now advertising is more focussed via technology, surely more convenient?

I think you'll whip out your mobile, and ask it to search for the nearest drinking hole, and in addition you'll get a host of other recommendations eg: nearest & best restaurant, mini-cab, bus stop, tube, guest house etc - you'll also get directions, it will tell you which services are available, so you dont waste time contacting services.

Everything will be arranged to give the fastest, most accurate search, and that fortunately means the niche search engines. SEO may end up a pointless activity, as search will be done based on testimonials and ratings. Being at No1 rank in the SERPS won't matter, as the very best will be rated by other means.

 

[Matt1959]

ignorant heckler eh:| it doesn't take much brains to realise what people will use to search and what they won't. I completely agree that if you want to buy a car you don't google you use Autotrader. And, I completely agree that if you want to buy a house, you don't use google, you use . Rightmove. However, if you want an electrican (which is subject of this thread, not hotels) theres nothing out there that is anything like what I've just mentioned so Google etc is the best way at the moment and its just daft to say otherwise....There we are, I managed to post without any trace of sarcasm - it can be done

 

[eventdomain]

ignorant heckler eh :| it doesn't take much brains to realise what people will use to search and what they won't.

Yeah, well, they obviously haven't done enough research.

if you want an electrican (which is subject of this thread, not hotels)

actually, the subject is SEO, and SEO is part of the search world, since it aids all in showing up on search engines. But everything webby is really about how people find information, and there's no law against improving that.

The way search will go is business currently at 6.63% of searches and lifestyle 3.36%, which includes Entertainment which is at 12.23% according to Hitwise Intelligence research. The business searching will keep increasing, as will the lifestyle searches.

http://weblogs.hitwise.com/robin-goad/2009/08/content_driven_websites_receiv.html

So that's 22% of search which is owned by the niche sector - that's a pretty significant slice of world search. So searches for Electrician will eventually become a niche product and be better for all concerned won't it.

So if 22% of searches at least are done on specialist websites, then they aren't being done on Google are they. This is NOT a bad thing - its called progress, and its in the favour of the searcher.