16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
16 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Can Not Rank My Local Business No Matter What!

by Limelightcc
16 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hello,

I started a business back at the beginning of january as a new year resolution to go it alone, and have been battling to get up the ranking since.

I have pretty much learnt how to get pretty decent at wordpress, after having wix for a month and being unhappy with the functionality.

my website is a local carpet cleaners, and being on page 9 of google, i am not getting seen by any for my main search term "Carpet Cleaning Manchester", however I am ranked #4 on Yahoo/Bing. I am seriously thinking of selling all my equiptment and getting a regular job again, as ive only had a handful of jobs in 6 months, and its getting to a point where i struggle to support myself financially

I have been building backlinks PR6/PR9 manually. have every social media profile going, am highly active in sharing things on facebook etc.

I have learnt how to do tag heading h1/h6 properly.

What annoys me if my competitors websites who rank first page google are very 1990's looking, when I research their backlinks, they appear to be incredibly spammy, and they do not have any social media profiles, or any heading tags anywhere on there homepage, which they rank for.

what am I doing wrong?

Thank You.
#business #local #matter #rank
  • Profile picture of the author Gambino
    I didn't research your keyword, however I would try to improve your Google places ranking first and foremost. You are currently ranked #33 in Google places and have only one review. To my knowledge, Google places is essentially based on determining that your site is real. And a large part of what goes into that, is having your business listed across the Internet on sites such as business directories. Additionally, you are not shown at all in Google.co.uk in Google places. "Carpet cleaning Manchester" appears to get 320 searches per month and you're ranking 86 in Google.co.uk and nowhere to be found in Google.com. I can't check the keyword difficulty or other possible keywords from my phone, but is this enough to build a viable business around with your pricing and profit margins?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746679].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
      Originally Posted by Gambino View Post

      I didn't research your keyword, however I would try to improve your Google places ranking first and foremost. You are currently ranked #33 in Google places and have only one review. To my knowledge, Google places is essentially based on determining that your site is real. And a large part of what goes into that, is having your business listed across the Internet on sites such as business directories. Additionally, you are not shown at all in Google.co.uk in Google places. "Carpet cleaning Manchester" appears to get 320 searches per month and you're ranking 86 in Google.co.uk and nowhere to be found in Google.com. I can't check the keyword difficulty or other possible keywords from my phone, but is this enough to build a viable business around with your pricing and profit margins?
      thanks for the reply.

      i have used longtail keywords in my homepage, under my H2's, such as:

      Carpet Cleaning Service in Manchester
      Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
      Domestic & Commercial
      Professional Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners
      Domestic or Commercial Carpet Cleaning
      cleaning services in Manchester
      etc etc

      I have submitted to lots of directories, such as yell, yelp, scoot, all the major ones in the UK.

      I'm not too bothered about ranking on google.com, because if you visit google.com from anywhere in the UK, it just redirects to .co.uk anyway.

      I will focus on building up google places.

      Profit margins can be good if I clean even 2 carpets per day, as my minimum callout fee is £40 ($55), and obviously this would be higher if one customer had a few carpets at once.

      it is just I cannot get the customers organically, adwords I just get other businesses calling me selling their services, or customers who never materialize and at £1.50 a click ($2) for the cost amount of an average job that i charge for, it is just not feasible.

      anyone have anymore tips before I start having to eat tins of cold beans lol.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746803].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author samsuung
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746817].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
      Originally Posted by samsuung View Post

      There are also other factors that come into play:

      keeping a low Bounce Rate is very important in ranking 1st.
      Bounce Rate is simply how much time visitors spend on your website,
      if they are bored on the fly, they quit and your bounce rate goes higher.

      In order to keep them for a longer time, then you should improve your content,
      its visibility and probably add stuff like "related posts". it depends on your site and it's up to you.
      Thanks,

      I'm going to build a little bit more content on the homepage and link it to my main services pages, just don't want it too packed thats all.

      ive had a blog-post widget feed in my sidebar for the last 4 weeks to try and decrease bounce rate, with it being a small services website i think bounce rate will always be high(ish).

      its just frustrating that I am doing articles, and my competition seems to be so highly ranked, and do not have any heading tags, no blog, no social media, just spammy backlinks.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746826].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
    these are my main competition by the way, if anyone is interested

    rank #1 in my city: expresscitycleaning.c0.uk (wix website)
    rank #2 in my city: justperfect.uk.c0m/
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746840].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
    What you are doing wrong is right here

    Originally Posted by Limelightcc View Post


    I have been building backlinks PR6/PR9 manually. have every social media profile going, am highly active in sharing things on facebook etc.
    You are not getting quality natural links. NO PR6 - PR9 site is allowing you to put links on their home page. You are putting links on their interior pages with no juice.

    Get some natural links from other businesses
    Signature

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10746930].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author paulgl
    In addition to Mike A....

    There's also this:

    Originally Posted by Limelightcc View Post

    Hello,

    I have pretty much learnt how to get pretty decent at wordpress, after having wix for a month and being unhappy with the functionality.

    Thank You.
    Do you have a real business, because real businesses have a business plan. They also advertise and get brand awareness.

    I'm sure the UK uses some sort of the King's English. Your lack of mastery just might not translate well.

    A real business plan would not include wordpress, PR9 backlinks, and other such rot.

    You need to be on google maps. No website is even needed.

    You don't seem to know much, if anything, so how can you possibly judge your "competitors" webpages, internet footprint, brand awareness, etc.

    Google does not run your business, nor are they responsible for getting you customers.

    You are.

    Paul
    Signature

    If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747030].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kazimuhith
    You can check out this video for seo for local websites:

    Signature
    Modern Interior Design Ideas with HomeZenith! Click Here to Learn More!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747083].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author rehema
      Thank you so much for sharing this video their are many that are getting started but we forget the foundation that we have to follow we are we go along.

      I will be better that while getting started only we will also have to follow first steps that need to be taken while doing all this.

      Apart from all these tips I would also recommend you spending some time on Mathew Woodward blog
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748616].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AlphaWarrior
    Limelightcc, I am far, far from the best at SEO or marketing, but fwit:
    1. When I looked at your site from the link in the op, I didn't see anything that would cause me to stay on your site or to want to call you. You need to sell the benefits of your service. Tell people that after you clean their carpet, they won't want to wear shoes in their home because the carpet will feel so good. Tell them that their furniture will smell like a fresh spring day when you finish. Think about your customers and what they want and sell that to them.
    2. I could not scroll down, so what is above the fold is all that I can see and that isn't much.
    3. At the top right corner, there is a arrow and when I clicked on it, it shows "test". What test?
    4. For email, your info boxes are way too small. I know that people can fill in more info, but because the boxes are so small, a lot of people won't even try to give their name or email address.
    5. See if you can pick a niche within the carpet/furniture cleaning and focus on that niche. For instance, focus on cleaning particular rooms or particular types of furniture.
    6. Content. Write articles about your long tail keywords and put them on you site in a silo structure.
    7. Use titles, h1's, & h2's that get a viewers attention and make a viewer want to know more.

    Hope that this helps you. I am not trying to be critical, but trying to give you the benefits of my experiences.

    Goog luck!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747152].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
      Paul - it has been a minefield getting set up, from training, to sourcing the right equiptment, chemicals, learning how to make a website in wordpress, the list goes on lol. I'm on google maps, have verified my address etc but i will definitely work on brand awareness.

      Kazi: I will be sure to give the Vid a watch, thank you.

      Alpha: I have been working on content a lot, in terms of my blog on the site, maybe I should incorporate that into page content, as most people may not visit the blog, and it is their more for SEO.
      I have been editing all the page Heading tags etc aswell. I don't know what you mean about not being able to scroll down, I have been on my website from 4 different browsers and seems fine?

      Rhmataur - Thats what i have been doing, and it is starting to work, as per my previous post above.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748619].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
      Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

      2. I could not scroll down, so what is above the fold is all that I can see and that isn't much.
      what do you mean by you can't scroll down, my website is broken for you?

      EDIT:

      fixed it i think, my theme had some "fancy scroll" function:

      can you check again AlphaWarrior, as it was yourself who discovered my issue!

      Thanks.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748696].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author rhmataur
    If you wanna rank your webiste fast you have to do your On Page without any lackings. Have to done it 100% professionally and correctly. Have to target keywords and you also have to take a look on your heading, meta tag, header tag, meta description based on your keyword. And once you completed your On Page correctly then move on with Off Page...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10747199].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
    GOOD NEWS GUYS,

    following lots of advice on here regarding on page SEO, moved from page 9 to page 4 over night after google re-crawled my page.

    still not quite page #1 but i'm going to work on this day and night!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748608].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author scott g
    Your Schema markup is for an Attorney...

    https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/
    Signature
    scott g
    "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748635].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Limelightcc
    sorry scott, i'm not familiar with what you mean?

    but i will look into it straight away with a quick google search.

    *edit* looks a bit complex, I can find articles where people are doing it for articles, but not for local businesses

    ok kinda figured out how to use it, but my web page wont scroll down in the strutured data markup helper

    someone on here before said they can not scroll down on my webpage, anyone else have this problem? I tried 4 browsers, all fine.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748677].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Originally Posted by samsuung View Post

    There are also other factors that come into play:

    keeping a low Bounce Rate is very important in ranking 1st.
    Bounce Rate is simply how much time visitors spend on your website,
    if they are bored on the fly, they quit and your bounce rate goes higher.

    In order to keep them for a longer time, then you should improve your content,
    its visibility and probably add stuff like "related posts". it depends on your site and it's up to you.
    No. First, bounce rate has nothing to do with the time on a site. Bounce rate is the percentage of people that only visit one page on the site.

    A high bounce rate is not a negative ranking factor. If I come to your page, like what I see, and I pick up the phone to call you, how is that a bad thing?

    Google doesn't even know what the bounce rate is on most pages.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10748687].message }}

Trending Topics