8 replies to this topic

[Kev]

Hi

I'm a web designer/developer by trade, not an SEO expert, or even that experienced at all come to that.

Anyway, the group of sites I'm in charge of are being redesigned (as the previous designer had a strange idea of design!).

I've read through as many threads as I can both on here and other SEO related forums and the threads/article here seem to have the most authority so I joined here.

I'm wondering how often Google seems to dance these days? The site in my sig was completed an uploaded just before Xmas last year and although its getting hit by googlebot (as well as Slurp, FAST and others) there seems to be absolutley no improvement in its ranking.

I don't think I'm using any spammy techniques (am I?) and my main concerns were to transmit the brand of the site and make it standards compliant and accessible to AAA/508 standards, which it is.

I submitted the site to DMOZ, Gimpsy, a few specialist finance based directories, a few UK specialist directories and checked they all had non greyed out PR indicators on teh Google toolbar on IE (I wish there was a PR indicator for the Mozilla Google toolbar!) - in fact all the directories I'm in have a decent PR of 5 or 6 and yet my rankings just aren't going anywhere. Google doesn't even allocate me any backlinks, although alltheweb lists 5. I also have a validated robots.txt file in place.

I realise I'm in a very hard fought category and am trying to persuade my Managers to invest in AdWords/Overture/Looksmart etc but this non-movement by Google is puzzling me. Is it something I'm doing?

[qwerty]

Welcome, bwgroup

I'm a little concerned about one of those backlinks that alltheweb is reporting for you. Its "adsite" page says it

will display your site as long as it is in the top 100 most recent sites. After your site is no longer in the top 100 sites, feel free to re-add the site!

While it appears to be limited to financial sites, that really sounds like an FFA (free for all) links page, and that's not going to help you. Of course, as long as you're not linking back, it's not going to hurt you either.

I think you're saying that the directories to which you've submitted have listed your site. If that's the case, it's just a matter of time before Google and the other SEs see that and count it for you. In the case of DMOZ, it may be a while, though. Rather than crawling the ODP, Google downloads their own copy of it and uses it as the Google Directory. The problem is, they don't download it very often, and the way they utilize it seems to be changing since the update of last November.

[Kev]

Welcome, bwgroup 

Hi, thanks

I'm a little concerned about one of those backlinks that alltheweb is reporting for you. Its "adsite" page says it  While it appears to be limited to financial sites, that really sounds like an FFA (free for all) links page, and that's not going to help you. Of course, as long as you're not linking back, it's not going to hurt you either.

Really? It was mentioned on a list that I found here: http://www.searchengineguide.com that I assumed was a good resource I can't see anyway to turn the listing off so I guess I'm stuck with it til it expires then I just won't use them again.

The problem is, they don't download it very often, and the way they utilize it seems to be changing since the update of last November.

The Florida effect? I see. I've tried hard to stick with Googles own recommendations for designers in terms of avoiding spammy stuff so hopefully when they get sorted out, I will be too

Thanks for the input- its appreciated.

[powerofeyes]

Hello Bw,
All I can see 3 or 4 not so quality links to your site, your site lacks good links,, without good quality links it is very difficult to rank in your targeted field, I cannot see your link in any good quality pages with good PageRank,
Links are important in many ways you have to build quite a lot of good quality links, You say you submitted to directories did they list you, Dmoz sometimes takes more than 6 months to list your site, Gimpsy takes sometimes 3 months unless you go for a paid submission there, Even after listing if it is a deep category it takes a long time to get into google,
That link which points to your site is not a problem, you wont get affected even 100 FFA links pointing to your site unless you dont link to them,

Find good ways to build links,


VIJAY,

[Kev]

Hello Bw,

Hi

Links are important in many ways you have to build quite a lot of good quality links, You say you submitted to directories did they list you, Dmoz sometimes takes more than 6 months to list your site, Gimpsy takes sometimes 3 months unless you go for a paid submission there, Even after listing if it is a deep category it takes a long time to get into google,

I thought it might take awhile No, I'm not listed on DMOZ yet and I'd assume it'll be awhile as my category is probably pretty busy. I'll read the 'link building' board to get a few ideas- thanks

[Jill]

Welcome, bwgroup!

Jill

[Kev]

Welcome, bwgroup!

Hi Jill

[BrianR]

Hello bwgroup - hope you enjoy the fun we have around here - plus a bit of serious SEO chat, from time to time...

By your comment about submitting to UK directories, I guess you're also UK based?

If you haven't found it yet Barry (MakeMeTop) has an excellent listing of UK based SE's and directories over at searchenginespy.co.uk

BrianR

[Kev]

Hello bwgroup - hope you enjoy the fun we have around here - plus a bit of serious SEO chat, from time to time...

Hi Brian thanks.

By your comment about submitting to UK directories, I guess you're also UK based?

If you haven't found it yet Barry (MakeMeTop) has an excellent listing of UK based SE's and directories over at searchenginespy.co.uk

I am indeed- thanks for the great tips!