I have just set up a classified ads website called PoundAd.co.uk and am currently looking into SEO. I have a limited budget so have been having a go at it myself. Have managed to achieve page one results for a small number of keywords e.g. "classified ads", but I am still not getting enough traffic through to my site. The kind of phrases that I need to target are very broad and competitive phrases like "for sale", "property", "cars for sale", etc. Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can generate greater traffic? Thanks, Peter
You should dig deeper into your available target keywords. There are probably many longer phrases that include the words 'classified ad'. You could target several of those at once possibly with separate pages. You need to find the right mix of competitive and less competitive phrases. That way you will gradually build up traffic as you keep achieving rankings for those low volume keywords. If you've managed page #1 for your keyword, you are definitely on the right track. Keep doing what you've been doing and you should keep moving up in the rankings. Aim for a top 3 position for maximum traffic.
When you say there are probably longer phrases that include the words "classified ad", do you mean to say if I targeted for instance "property classified ads" this would also boost my ranking for the phrase "classified ad"?
I have to agree with vansterdam. The terms that you mentioned are far too broad to have any rankings without doing some major link building. You should look for some long tail terms. This will pay off better in the long run