Get your website listed on the first page of Google As a web designer my aim is not only to design an attractive website for my client, but also to get my client’s website on the first page of Google for the most relevant keywords related to their business. The potential value to a business for a first page listing can be enormous and add hundreds, or even thousands of pounds of additional revenue to the business each year. All the websites I design for clients include some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) free of charge. And quite often this can be enough to get their business listed on the first page of Google, but this envious position can depend largely on the amount of websites competing for the same business and how well they have been optimised for the relevant keywords. Keywords are the words and phrases being used to enter search terms into search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing etc, by people searching for a specific subject, product or service, so choosing the right keywords to integrate into the design of your website is an important step in the planning stage. Unfortunately, there are many web designers who overlook this important ingredient for building a successful website. They may be very proficient at designing a great looking website, but when it comes to SEO and marketing, are sadly lacking the key skills that enable your website to get found in the search results. For this reason, a lot of specialist SEO firms have sprung up to take advantage of this lack of knowledge by providing a service which will boost a website’s ranking. However, they can easily charge thousands of pounds a year for this type of service, because let’s face it, who wants a website that never gets found? especially one that relies heavily on generating new business. With possibly hundreds of businesses similar to yours competing to get on the first page of Google, and only a handful of listings displayed in the main ‘organic’ search results, competition can be fierce. A recent study revealed that 58.4% of people making a search clicked on the top 3 listed sites, with less than 15% bothering to look further than the first page. Even the top sponsored ad only achieves a mere 8% of the clicks. Get your website listed on the first page of Google for up to 10 traffic generating keyword phrases
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* This offer is only available to new and existing clients with a website designed by Studio Arts ( terms and conditions apply ) Not so long back I sent out an email to all my clients recommending that they get their business and website listed with 'Google Places' Getting a listing here is just as important as being listed in the Yellow pages. There is no charge to list your business and details about the services you offer, but if you haven't done so already I urge you to do so, because your competitors almost surely will when they find out how important it is. To get more enquiries from your website there are a few things you can do to improve results. If you run a service business there are 3 primary ways to get your business noticed in the search results (in the UK 90% of searches are done with Google)
- Get your website optimised for the best results (this will provide high rankings in the natural ‘organic’ free search results)
- Get listed on Google Places (this service is free and is generally provided on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, but other factors are also involved)
- Pay to get listed in the ‘AdWords’ sponsored ads (this service is a PPC ‘pay per click’ advertising service provided by Google)
If you’re not familiar with these methods then here is a brief guide on what they can do for your business. Website optimisation. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the term used to describe the process of getting your website to rank highly in the search results for specific keywords or phrases. These are the words people might use to search for what they are looking for. For example, if someone types in to Google ‘window cleaner Leeds‘ then Google will list the most appropriate websites that match that search query. If a website is optimised effectively, ideally it should appear on the first page. However, your website may be competing with many other websites that contain the same keywords, so other SEO techniques sometimes have to be implemented to improve the chances of getting seen on the first page. As a web designer my aim is not only to build you a website, but also to make sure your website gets found easily. Being on the first page is great, but being near the top is even better. The top three positions will always get the most clicks and therefore they are the ones that are most likely to receive any enquiries. Many of our clients have their websites in this enviable position, simply due to our specialised knowledge of search engine optimisation techniques. However, because Google often changes the algorithms which it uses to find the most appropriate sites, it pays to keep up to date, as listings can change regularly and affect your website’s position. For this reason I recommend using our ‘Advanced SEO’ service. Google Place pages More than 20% of searches on Google are related to searching for local business information and contact details. Service businesses who have local profiles on Google's ‘Place’ pages will benefit most because Google displays these type of search results relevant to the area that the search is coming from. For example, let’s say someone types in ‘window cleaner’ into the search box, Google will try to match it’s Google Place listings to the geographic location of where the search is coming from. On the other hand, if someone types in ‘window cleaner leeds’ then Google will display the businesses registered in Google Places for that specific area, no matter where the search is being made. Now this is where it starts to get interesting. First of all, if your business is not listed with Google Places yet, then the chance of getting noticed for the most popular search terms such as ‘window cleaner (your area)’ (substitute whatever type of service business you’re in) is only going to get harder in the normal search results. This is because the top of the first page listings will be dominated by up to 7 Google place page profiles. You may or may not already be aware of this happening, and you might already have your business listed. But although it used to be a case of ‘first come - first served’ and businesses who were quick to get their details registered were able to claim a high position in the Google Place page listings, things are now starting to change as more businesses jump onto the bandwagon. Various factors can now affect the order in which a business is listed. However, it’s still possible to get a high listing on the first page of Google using Google Places. So, before your competitors leave you behind, go to Google Places now and get listed today. Then, when your listing starts to show up, politely ask your customers to write a short but positive review for you on your Google 'Place' page. This is one of the factors that will help you maintain a good position in the listings. Here’s a quick outline of the procedure for registering your business with Google places. Remember, Google does not charge for this service. Here is the link where you can get your business listed. http://www.google.co.uk/places During the registration process you will be asked for your company details. i.e. business name, address, phone and fax numbers, email and website address etc., plus a few other relevant details to categorise your business. You can then claim and 'Add your listing' To do this you will be given an option to receive a PIN verification number via phone. This is an instant process so be ready to answer the phone number you provide as soon as you have claimed and submitted your listing details. Alternatively, you can have it sent by post but it can take a few weeks to receive it. Once you have entered your PIN correctly to verify you are the business owner your listing will appear on Google Places and Google Maps. This in itself can mean a first page position, depending on the search term entered.
Getting your own Google Place page is great exposure for your business, but results are limited to a narrow range of keyword searches which only cover the area your business is located in, so if you want to attract customers in other areas then you seriously need to get your website ‘optimised’ for better results. Google AdWords Google AdWords is the name of the game if you want to get your business found through Google’s ‘sponsored ads’ Let's say someone is looking for a window cleaner in Leeds and they type into the Google search engine for example ' window cleaner Leeds ' In the search results at the top of the page the first one or two listings you will see are actually sponsored ads (set up through Google's AdWord program) The advertiser pays Google a small sum whenever someone clicks on these ads so it's a bit like advertising in your local newspaper. These sponsored ads also continue down the right hand side of the page. Recent surveys show that around 8% of people click on the top advert in the sponsored ads that appear in the search results. This percentage diminishes sharply the further down the page the Ad appears. The advantage of Google’s AdWords program however is that it enables you to get your business and website appear on Google for many more keywords than you could possibly get exposure for with normal SEO. But you do have to pay for results, so it can be the most expensive option. It also takes quite a bit of specialised marketing knowledge to achieve the most effective results. It can be money down the drain otherwise, because advertising is only effective if you can get enough people noticing your adverts and being able to convert visitors into paying customers. Creating a Google AdWords campaign is something to be seriously considered though. But it’s adviseable to pay a marketing company to attain the best return on your investment.
Other options
Having briefly outlined the three most common methods of getting visitors to your website, you may be wondering if there are other options available to attract visitors to your website. Well actually, there are many ways that are worth considering. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are getting used more and more by businesses that want to spread the word about products and services. Of course, it can also have a negative impact if people are not happy with your service. So as long as you can provide a first class service then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Video marketing can also be very effective in getting your business noticed. Well made promotional videos can often achieve exposure on the first page of Google for specific keyword phrases. Unusual videos that achieve widespread popularity by becoming viral can sometimes achieve tens of thousands of views, even millions, which makes them extremely effective. One of the best ways to build up a client base and get return visitors regularly is to build a mailing list. If your business needs to keep customers informed about special offers or new services that you are making available, then having a mailing list is essential. All our clients have the option to add an opt-in form to their website which enables their customers (or potential customers) to subscribe to their mailing list. For the business owner, it’s then a simple matter of contacting all subscribers on their list with just a one click mailing. One final note... It’s worth remembering that your website is not just a nice colourful online brochure for your business. One of it’s primary functions is to not only inform visitors of the services you provide, but also make it easy for them to make an enquiry at any time that’s convenient to them, without making it an inconvenience to you (for example after normal working hours) The mere fact that millions of people now use the internet to find a service they need means that it’s essential you have a website that’s not only informative but can also be used to contact you easily, by phone or email and through an enquiry form. It also has the additional benefit of adding a professional credibility to your business. |
