SEOs........the TRUTH, please! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

480sparky · 06-03-2009, 09:46 AM

OK, since we have a new section for websites and SEOs, let's start it off with this:

I've gone over thread after thread after thread about what it takes to come up on the first page of a Google search.

With a bazillion posts with "You're an idiot and don't know what you're talking about! HERE is how you come up on top....", I guess I don't have the patience or time to sort through all the bad information to find the good.

So my question is this: What is the REAL TRUTH about getting your website to come out on top in a normal Google search?

Plain English, please.

I'm an electrician, not a geek.

Tiger · 06-03-2009, 09:57 AM

The truth IMO is that Google doesn't publish how it works or what it looks for. What I've seen so far is that SEO people are like advertising and marketing people. "Buy my ad and you'll get these great results." Nobody in advertising gives you your money back if the phone doesn't ring. I talked with a friend with an international circuit board manufacturing company that pays $1000/mo. for page 1 results, but business is still down.

So you experiment. Experimenting got me on a lot of Google page 1s but it took awhile and maybe mostly luck. If I fell off of Google in a huge way I wouldn't have a clue why.

I did a quick search and you're coming up all over page 1s. What more do you want?

Mr. Mike · 06-03-2009, 10:10 AM

There is way to many variables to explain any one reason. Not any one certain thing will make your site come up #1 it is a combo of many of variables and the site with the most combos wins.

Edit to add below photo:

housepainter1.jpg

I wonder how much this is worth?

nlgutters · 06-03-2009, 11:51 AM

Think about it? If their was one easy way to get in the first couple spots no one would tell and all SEO people would lose their jobs.

rbsremodeling · 06-03-2009, 11:54 AM

These guys are idiots. Send me 2 dollars and I will explain it to you

Mr. Mike · 06-03-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

These guys are idiots. Send me 2 dollars and I will explain it to you

I sent you a check in the mail, go ahead and email me the info.

480sparky · 06-03-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbsremodeling

These guys are idiots. Send me 2 dollars and I will explain it to you

Some guy on CL says he can tell me for $1.75, so you need to lower your price to $1.70.........

MOTB · 06-03-2009, 01:44 PM

Two items that help your rankings are inbound links from other sites and use of keywords. Inbound links take time as you participate on other forums and blogs, and eventually get mentioned by other firms and newspapers. The inbound links increase your viability of a business as far as the search engines are concerned.

SLSTech · 06-03-2009, 01:51 PM

It used to be links, then this, then that --- Google doesn't publish their algorithm, but they do keep on tweaking it

Trying to keep up with it all is almost a full time job - the way I will be going shortly (hopefully) is going with Footbridge, or Carl, someone that is a pro in their area

It is a combination of items related to keywords on the page, your website name, relevant incoming links, page title & time. Updating your site or blog regularly can also help so that the crawlers are always checking

Mr. Mike · 06-03-2009, 02:10 PM

After spending over 20k (cant say that enough) I am going with footbridge. Thats the easiest and cheapest way for me now.

WestCoastVinyl · 06-06-2009, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nlgutters

Think about it? If their was one easy way to get in the first couple spots no one would tell and all SEO people would lose their jobs.

The answer is your backlinks and the text (phrases).
The more backlinks from quality sites is your foundation.
The text pointing to your site is what phrases your getting ranked for.

If you have the time to do your own business and SEO. Do it, but you
have to do it right, so leave SEO for the professionals. Just like your expertise, not everyone knows how to do what you do, but some do but aren't very good at it. So they would call you to do the project!

orson · 06-06-2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 480sparky

With a bazillion posts with "You're an idiot and don't know what you're talking about! HERE is how you come up on top....", I guess I don't have the patience or time to sort through all the bad information to find the good.

The truth: like all things that are worth anything it takes time, dedication, hard work, and/or money.

If you don't have the patience or time to sort through the information and experiment then you'd better hire someone to do your SEO.

rbsremodeling · 06-06-2009, 07:46 AM

You can't handle the Truth

silvertree · 06-06-2009, 09:05 AM

I now come up A, B, and H on the 10 pack for refacing starting last week. I'm pretty pumped to be only 1 letter behind Dreamaker Kitchen Bath.
Here I'm B for St Paul Kitchen Cabinet Refacing
A.Dreammaker Bath & Kitchen by Worldwide

- www.dreammaker-remodel.com - (952) 417-9999 - 2 reviews
B.Minneapolis kitchen cabinet refacing

- www.silvertreeconstruction.com - (612) 788-5584 - More
C.Murphy Bros. Paint & Fine Finishes

- www.mbros.com - (763) 780-3262 - More
D.Specialty Repair & Refinishing

- www.specialtyrefinishing.com - (651) 283-3612 - More
E.B C Kitchens Inc

- maps.google.com - (952) 933-4933 - More
F.Furniture Medic

- www.furnituremedic.com - (952) 942-1991 - More
G.Terrazzo's

- terrazzosflooring.com - (715) 381-9540 - More
H.Cabinetpak Kitchens

- www.cabinetpak.com - (952) 854-5118 - More
I.Adam's Refinishing

- adamsrefinishing.com - (612) 306-6090 - More
J.Kitchen Make-Over

- www.kitchenmake-over.com - (612) 374-2306 - More

PGD · 06-06-2009, 06:19 PM

Hey silvertree I like your Mug better than that snakes!

Your posts are always the "voice of reason" now with the snake avatar I feel like Eve must have felt in the garden!

RCPainting · 06-07-2009, 12:47 PM

Here is a site that may help.
http://www.webpronews.com/tag/seo

silvertree · 06-07-2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGD

Hey silvertree I like your Mug better than that snakes!

Your posts are always the "voice of reason" now with the snake avatar I feel like Eve must have felt in the garden!

Its all Rory's fault, now my wife is getting ready to shoot me again, between her and Rory I feel the only solution is to go and get avatars from the animal kingdom, I would have used a baboon, but it was too close to what Rory looks like and I didn't want to offend the baboon community by having their parentage questioned.

MattCoops · 06-08-2009, 02:29 PM

Google has published information needed to get indexed and rank better in search results.
It's written clear as day here: http://www.google.com/support/webmas...n&answer=35769

All the other tips and tricks are old findings that really don't help too much. And if you start to use a lot of these tips and tricks your site looks over-SEOd and it actually hinders your results.

If you follow Google's webmaster guidelines and create content that people will want to link to (rather than simply having an online brochure) you'll succeed.

Thundercow · 06-09-2009, 03:09 PM

I do this for a living...it's a combination of factors--that's not a cop-out, it's a fact. The one thing that is wrong if anyone tells you is that there is no one thing.

ON PAGE:
-good, current, clean code.
-use meta tags
-use h2, h1, and h3 tags
-use text-based navigation, not images or javascript pull-down menus
-300 to 1200 words per page
-vary keywords density for testing purposes

OFF PAGE:
lotsa links from related-niche sites with keyword anchor text.
more links more link more links...

99% of the competition doesn't know what they are doing online.

MattCoops · 06-09-2009, 09:27 PM

Thundercow, I think this picture may go against the forum rules and guidelines. Maybe a moderator could make that decision. But good work though. Although, with only two results in Google's local search, it doesn't seem like the competition is that fierce for that particular keyword phrase.