Use SEO or not?

[Deleted User]

I own a website and more so a business that provides services for weddings, parties and other events.
We have recently had a lot of interest and lots of bookings, which was great until this week.
This week we have nothing at all! I wanted to cry I was so shocked.
Anyway I realise we don’t rank well in google and if I were a person searching for our services, I don’t think my/ our website would be the first that would be reached.
So I have been thinking about ranking high on google and how this could make “all” the difference.
I don’t know if it will? But I’m thinking if the customers can’t find us what hope have we got.
So I contacted an SEO company who want £195 per month to do this, and we have little traffic currently maybe 25 views and 140 clicks per day.
So can anyone advise, is it worth it? And who to use? Also who is the cheapest?
Thanks so much in advance. :-)

paddyrg

'SEO' is largely smoke and mirrors sold to people who don't know better. There are some basic things you can do to help yourself (they're listed many times over on this site) but Google ranking is not easily manipulated BY DESIGN. Back when SEO made a real difference, sex sites would blanket every search term, making search engines work a lot harder to get natural rankings.

Badly implemented SEO can actually damage your site ranking. Many SEO people pay for an online course and call themselves 'experts', but don't understand there is no absolute 'top of page 1', there is only 'top of page 1 for you'. What I get when I search for a term isn't what you get - it's tailored from every search, every click I've ever made. That means it's easy to show you're ranking well for your own site *because they get you to visit your site often*, whereas nobody else even sees it. The fact they are either 1) ignorant or 2) wilfully deceptive means they're not the people you want to spank a couple of valuable grand a year for.

IMHO.

DKLS

Promote your business in many different ways, there is a lot you can do to boost your own SEO.


Avoid the slick suited goons with too much hair gel who promise the earth, creating a linkedin/facebook page linked to your website would do better than a months payments to one of these SEO "experts".


Also review your site analytics, you will notice patterns that can help identify any duff aspects to your website designs.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for that so how do we spend this money on something that works lol?

We need hits on the site, what's the best option, and the hits needs to be local too. :-)

InsideInsurance

SEO is by no means smoke and mirrors but anyone can set themselves up as an SEO expert. Until Google start offering qualifications, which they never will, then it becomes very difficult to judge who knows what they are talking about and who doesnt.

The other problem with SEO is that it is all long tail stuff. You cannot do something today and in an hours time expect to be at the top of the natural results for every search. If you want short term solutions then look at PPC/ Affiliate marketing etc which also can have advantages because you can turn it on when your quiet and turn it off when your busy.

If you decide that you do want to go down the SEO route and paying others to do it for you then you need to be sure you know EXACTLY what you are getting in return for your money.

DKLS

If I enter the search term "wedding catering west midlands" into Google your site appears on page 1 so your not doing bad at all.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

On landing at your site there are a couple of things that strike out as to why I wouldn't pick up the phone:

Top menu is cluttered and too busy

Top bar, Logo looks washed out, 10% off button and floss cart links to er nothing.

The main image carousel screams stock images, the funeral catering shot looks like a hotel continental breakfast, where possible use your own photos, if you can, have a word with the photographer at the next wedding to see if he will do some nice shots of your food. I would feel so more confident if I could see your work.

Keep it updated! delete the countdown to Christmas link.

[Deleted User]

Thanks so much! It really helps to have this advice, and although we are not stupid when you look at something so often you don't notice what matters - I didn't even know the menu situation or about the buttons going nowhere, thanks so much and if anyone else has more to add please do - we can learn a lot :-)

Vectis

As you've had lots of interest up until this week, I'd be asking what's changed in the past week?

It's probably nothing to do with SEO.

Have you considered Adwords - PPC on Google? For a lot less than £195 you can generate a fair amount of traffic.

[Deleted User]

I'm going to look at those now.

I'm worried somebody else is taking the business and we were so happy just last week thinking we had got to where we needed to be! :-/

When I look around I know there is a lot of people at the same game. But we did so well at the start of Jan - I thought we had got things right... Thanks all we really appreciate this. :-)

DKLS

assj wrote: »

Thanks so much! It really helps to have this advice, and although we are not stupid when you look at something so often you don't notice what matters - I didn't even know the menu situation or about the buttons going nowhere, thanks so much and if anyone else has more to add please do - we can learn a lot :-)

One more thing, put your phone number in a larger font or make it more prominent, perhaps replace the 10" off button and cart with a call to action and your phone number, Call 01212 212121 for your 10% discount.


I really wouldn't focus on hits alone, its the conversions that really matter.

GolfBravo

"wedding catering west midlands" appears on page 1, but there are many more search terms that people may type in.

IMHO you shouldn't pay a monthly SEO fee, your website just needs a one thorough SEO review - you need to identify SEO issues and then create a prioritised SEO action plan. And then start optimising your website content, links, etc.

For a start:
- the overall page rank is quite low, you need quality incoming links to your website
- the page meta descriptions are all over the place at the moment. You need to sort them out asap. For example the Google search result shows the following: ASJ Catering Burgers from the Shizzle Shack; Event catering west midlands example buffet; ASJ Funeral Catering West Midlands Buffet Menu; ASJ party ... IMHO this is not the most enticing advertising copy
- sort out your H1 and H2 headings asap

The above are just the SEO basics.

Then you need to look at your keywords, long-tail keywords, sort out image tags, etc. Use your blog to write about your services - it needs need more text (content), and it needs to be SEO optimised (keywords).

Catering Services link brings up the blog? Why?

I, your potential customer, need to know what you can do to solve my "problem": kids parties, food. A business website can't be just about "me, me, me, me", it needs to be about solving customers problems.

HTH