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Local SEO query

by Sarah_Lyle
12 replies
Hi, just wanted to get some advice. I have recently started in offline marketing for businesses and am presently with my second client. The guy wants me to create 5 websites all to rank for particular keywords because the guy does not want to use ppc. So I have to create the sites and work to get them ranked high. The problem I have is this - i know that by creating squeeze pages that will be the best way to convert his visitors by showing them a sq page first - but I have created my first site built around a targeted kw complete with TLD -
so my question is - do i use his targeted kw for the sq page only now - say have the sq page as the TLD and the product site in a sub directory? But is it not difficult to onpage SEO a sq page - as there is ALOT less content than a proper site with info and products connected to the targeted kw.

I dont quite know where to go with it and what sites to rank for the main site or a sq page - knowing he would get more enq from visitors to a sq page.

Any advice, greatly appreciated by you lovely warriors x
Sarah
#local #query #seo
  • Profile picture of the author Summertime Dress
    Perhaps give him a 6th website that is like a business card website. hisname.com or hiscompanyname.com. That way you can keep each keyword site as lead capture mini sites and rank those.

    You can include info on the site like, "TLD is a division of his name/company name".

    As a related question...what if he used Google Places for hiscompanyname.com....could he be penalized for having multiple lead capture sites if each listed his company information?
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    • Profile picture of the author LiquidSeo
      Originally Posted by Summertime Dress View Post

      Perhaps give him a 6th website that is like a business card website. hisname.com or hiscompanyname.com. That way you can keep each keyword site as lead capture mini sites and rank those.

      You can include info on the site like, "TLD is a division of his name/company name".

      As a related question...what if he used Google Places for hiscompanyname.com....could he be penalized for having multiple lead capture sites if each listed his company information?

      If he used Google Places, he would want to only have 1 business name at his address with that phone number. Otherwise, he runs the risk of having the listing suspended.

      Personally, I would create 1 master website that was designed to rank for all of the terms. I wouldn't bother with the other sites - but if he is paying you and wants you to do it, just create simple 1 page sites that tie into your main site. Not the best idea in my book, but I've learned that sometimes doing what the customer wants..even if not the best solution, may be the right solution.

      Brian
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      • Profile picture of the author Sarah_Lyle
        Thanks Brian and Summertime - the only thing is the guy has already spent tens of thousands on a main site (company name) that is nowhere on google for his best keywords - basically it was created a few years ago with poor onpage seo and he's fed up with not getting any web visitors. So he already has his big site - with actually very little product info or content, but it looks flashy. The only other problem is his product range is big in genre - thats why I thought it would be good to take "one" product/keyword and asign it to a TLD.
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        • Profile picture of the author Summertime Dress
          LiquidSeo, are you saying a business can be penalized on GP for simply having multiple websites that all lead in to a mian website? Or is it ok to have multiple URLs, as long as the GP listing itself only lists the main URL/address/phone?
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          • Profile picture of the author LiquidSeo
            Originally Posted by Summertime Dress View Post

            LiquidSeo, are you saying a business can be penalized on GP for simply having multiple websites that all lead in to a mian website? Or is it ok to have multiple URLs, as long as the GP listing itself only lists the main URL/address/phone?
            No, not at all. I just don't like to do that from a traditional organic SEO approach.

            Yes - you can have 100 websites, use 1 of them in GP, and be fine.
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        • Profile picture of the author akazo
          Originally Posted by Sarah_Lyle View Post

          Thanks Brian and Summertime - the only thing is the guy has already spent tens of thousands on a main site (company name) that is nowhere on google for his best keywords - basically it was created a few years ago with poor onpage seo and he's fed up with not getting any web visitors. So he already has his big site - with actually very little product info or content, but it looks flashy. The only other problem is his product range is big in genre - thats why I thought it would be good to take "one" product/keyword and asign it to a TLD.
          Like you pointed out, the reason he doesn't rank is because of "poor on-page SEO" and "very little content." Not because he is not dedicating a TLD to each keyword you want to rank. It is, in my experience, easier to rank a TLD for a keyword, but with a bit more effort, each page on a larger site can be dedicated to a keyword and ranked just as well... it just takes more work.

          The choice is yours and if you diligently backlink, you will be ok either way you choose to go.

          Good Luck!
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          Brite Future Marketing
          Practical Local Business Marketing <= Available at Amazon
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah_Lyle
    Many thanks Akazo! It was my idea to get him to buy a bunch of TLD's and get them ranked. I started off creating a mini site for him but it's not a sq page site, and so on the next one i've decided to do a mini site again but maybe as a sub directory of the TLD and have a sq page as the TLD home page. Would that be the right way to go? I dunno whether a small sq/sandwich combo will rank as well as a mini site with good content thats my concern really.
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    • Profile picture of the author akazo
      Originally Posted by Sarah_Lyle View Post

      Many thanks Akazo! It was my idea to get him to buy a bunch of TLD's and get them ranked. I started off creating a mini site for him but it's not a sq page site, and so on the next one i've decided to do a mini site again but maybe as a sub directory of the TLD and have a sq page as the TLD home page. Would that be the right way to go? I dunno whether a small sq/sandwich combo will rank as well as a mini site with good content thats my concern really.
      Well, in my opinion, there really is not a right or wrong way to go. I have done both because I wanted two spots on the front page for the same keyword with different branding. But you just want one page ranked for one keyword.

      It is easier to get a TLD, with exact match to your keyword, ranked but getting a page ( such as "snartlepiffers.com/mycity-snartlepiffers" vs. MyCitySnartlepiffers.com ) to rank is not exponentially more difficult. If your client is ok spending the money, you can go with TLDs and make your life easier. But just keep in mind that either way you go, content is important, on page SEO is important, and backlink like crazy depending on how competitive the keywords are you wish to rank.

      Good Luck!
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      Brite Future Marketing
      Practical Local Business Marketing <= Available at Amazon
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      • Profile picture of the author TimD
        For SEO, a big site with pages or subfolders dedicated to particular keywords will have an advantage in that the links to the total site count toward authority for individual pages and subfolders (That's not true for subdirectories, you're best to stay away from them except in very special circumstances).

        On the other hand, squeeze pages will convert at a MUCH higher rate than most regular website pages, if you create true squeeze pages with no navigation and no links out to other pages or sites (except in the footer).

        Also, exact match domains still currently have a huge punch in getting on page one (though people are saying that may only last for a few more months).

        Net, I would buy the minisites and put up squeeze pages to gather leads, and use the main site for your social proof if he's running the kind of business where clients want to check him out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tony Wagner
    Pardon my ignorance but what does TLD stand for?
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah_Lyle
    no worries Tony - top level domain!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah_Lyle
    Thanks alot Tim for that. Yes I am in a bit of a dilemma with knowing that sq pages would get him more leads but for ranking in google - wouldnt it be harder to rank a one page sq with as you say no nav except the footer, as opposed to a content rich mini site that has more kw, images, video etc? So if I put the minisite in a sub directory attached to the sq page TLD - that would not be a good idea?

    Also thats a bit of a shock about TLDs not lasting the rest of the year in their positioning - thats not good. Could it be true? Best, Sarah
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