OWG & Foxy have it Keep going for more and more 2-3 word terms, target .co.uk, basically look for other angles. Its not the 15,000,000 results that I would worry about, with the gov site, city site and university sites sitting high up (even the BBC sitting at number 10), its going to be a tough job getting past that whatever you do. If you really are keen, then look at the top 20 and take the best bits, make them better and let people know. Though, your time could be better spent
OK, How would you decide on which 2-3 word terms to target - and would you also deep link ? also how do I best determin how many links and what effort would be required to achive a result? Jamie
I think the McDar tool can do that for you. http://www.mcdar.net/SEOTools.htm I just used the searchguild tool, I think it's better off not knowing lol. For the best term I could use it said practically impossible. That term actually reached the first page on Google a couple of weeks ago, I got real excited but after three days it dissapeared to nowhere, which is where it came from. I wish I knew way it was there in the first place. I think Cornwall is too generic. I used to go after generac terms but all they did was bring me a whole lot of traffic that never converted. Now I have way less traffic but a much better conversion rate.....I figure more is not better.....focused is the key.
Thanks Cyclops I guess focused would be the answer, but I am having real trouble deciding on KWs, its doing my head in to be honest, this side of web development is by far the hardest imo, I like to do somthing and get a result, I seem to be floundering in the dark, I have an idea what I need to do and have tuned my pages with a recent CSS tweak, making the most of <h> tags seoing my URLs, Getting the code cleaner, getting my text higher in the script. I have decided to focus on one page, a second level page here Accommodation Cornwall and try my best to increase it in the Google serps. I do not have any issues with Yahoo.co.uk I am all over it like a rash but it brings ZERO traffic MSN is similar. Oh well, time to get some links to that page - not sure how many I need yet though. Jamie
Not difficult if you put in the work. I assume you live in Cornwall and know a lot about it... Here is what I would do. First I would leave your existing site(s) targeting the niche keywords and start a new one for this project. Register something like hidden-cornwall.com with a relation or friend's name and address, and use a US host that you don't have any other sites on. Go to the local library (or even better send someone else if you can involve others in the project) and make a list of 200 'hidden' places in Cornwall. Buildings, pubs, people (I believe it was a smugglers paradise! I found a list of hundreds of them!), flora, fauna etc., etc. Write 200 articles (again in the library where there will be more material than you can ever read on the subject) 800 words+ and allow 2 hours per article. Cornwall doesn't look that big so taking digital photographs to illustrate the 200 articles shouldn't take more than 10 days work. Add the content to the site as each article (one per page) is completed. Keep the site extremely simple i.e xhtml, external css, no fancy logos, text link navigation. Pyramid shape with 'Cornwall' at the apex 'subjects' below like buildings, people etc., then the 'topics' (your articles) at the base. Cross link between topics only when absolutely necessary and the same with 'subjects'. Do not put anything commercial on the site whatsoever and definitely no advertising at this stage. Link out within the articles where appropriate only to tourist boards, local government, academic institutions, local public libraries and anywhere not associated with business. When you have done half the articles start submitting to minor directories. When you have all your articles on the site then begin a full blown link campaign. No reciprocals, just send out link requests. This will be much easier than you think not only because any site that has anything to do with Cornwall is a potential in-bound link but because there is no commercial content on your site people will be more inclined to reference your site. Individual articles will attract links from businesses local to the 'article'. For example on the huge list of smugglers I found I chose one at random and very quickly found the transcript of his trial at the 'Old Baily' in 1799. The location of the offence is given so any hotel, lodging house, saw mill, pub etc., near by with a website is a potential in-bound. Genealogy sites (lots of names mentioned during the trial) would also be potential sources of inbounds. You could even précis your article on him and put it on wikipedia. Just use your imagination to find hundreds of potential links. After 2 or 3 months work (if I was doing it without help) I would expect to be in the top three for 'Cornwall' after tweaking, adding, refining a little, in around 18 months to 2 years. Only then I would start to monetize it... The question is of course is it worth the effort? Only you can decide that - Michael
That was very interesting to read and many useful ideas for the future - at the moment I have more than enough to keep me going but I can see the subtle approach taken here at the initial stage would bode well in the future. thank you for your time, it wasn't wasted its been very valuable. Jamie
I agree that was very valuable, only thing I would do different is that I would add everything Michael mentioned to my existing site in exactly the same process. I can't see the point of wasting time waiting for Google to get started indexing a new site when you have a perfectly good PR5 site already up and running. I had a 10 month old PR4 site doing nothing in Google, since Christmas I refurbished the site, nothing major, just removed and added some pages containing affiliate links, adding or changing text and banners, one product with a link and some text to a page. I never thought it would rank well as I read Google doesn't like predominately affiliate sites. Google noticed and upped the site to a PR5 and terms started to turn up in Googles serps, some made it to the first page. It's a Loan site so you can imagine the competition I have. 225million+ for some terms. It just takes time and patience. Another interesting point is that nearly all the links are from the coop, I am pointing about 80k weight to three terms of three or four words in each, it's combinations of these terms that are coming up in Googles serps. The words combined cover just about every popular term I need. Even though it works for me I don't understand the COOP well enough to encourage anyone to do what I am doing.....but it's worth keeping in mind.
I would get as many backlinks as you can with the link text starting with "cornwall". If possible get other sites that rank highly for cornall to link to you.
Cyclops, The co-op gives me the creeps, I worry that it may do more harm than good - I do use it but am unconvinced. Jamie
hey JB9P, i want to sort out a sitewide for you on my UK Business Advertising directory, hopefully to help you target Cornwall, I am rebuilding it at the moment. you have a PM on the way. James
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