22 replies to this topic

[Cruise Planner]

Hello,
I am brand new to this forum and very excited to have found it!

I am a new owner of a business called Cruise Planners, with a website at www.getreadytocruise.com. I am currently using bCentral to help me optimize my site and list it with searrch engines and directories but so far, the results have been less than satisfactory. According to bCentral, the site (or rather the home page) is optimized, but after submitting two months ago, I am only listed in a few places.

I would appreciate any help and advice...if I have posted this in the wrong forum, I apologize....

[qwerty]

At least according to Google, your site doesn't have any backlinks. Which directories have you submitted to, and have any of them listed you yet?

[Cruise Planner]

I believe the only major directory I have submitted to is Open Directory. I have been waiting to submit to Yahoo until I understand a little better what I am paying for.

[compar]

I didn't realize that bCentral was actually doing SEO.

As qwerty said there are no backlinks to your site -- or none that Google lists -- and until there are you won't get listed in Google. DMOZ is a very important directory but it is sometime difficult and takes a long time to get listed there. In the interim are there no other directories or association web sites that will put up a link to you?

Have you asked any of the cruise companies your represent for links to you? Have you considered starting a reciprocal link program? Will your web hosting company or your design company put up links to you?

I had a look at your page and I could suggest a lot of changes but the most important thing is that you must allow the search engines to find you and to do that you need incoming or backlinks.

[raven]

I believe the only major directory I have submitted to is Open Directory.

Cruise Planner, suggest your site to Gimpsy, JoeAnt and Goguides. They are all spidered regularly by google.

raven

[Jill]

BCentral is simply a submission service, and an automated one at that.

You need to actually go in and optimize your site. Have you done any keyword phrase research? Rewritten the copy on all of your pages based on 2 or 3 relevant and specific phrases? Created Title tags and Meta tags to match the copy and keyword focus?

It's easy enough to get a listing in the search engines by making sure you have links from other sites pointing to yours (such as the directories mentioned above), but if you don't optimize for the right keyword phrases, the right way, it won't get you any traffic or sales.

Forget about BCentral. You've got some real work to do!

Jill

[Cruise Planner]

Although bCentral doesn't actually do the optimization, they guide you through several steps to optimize your site before they actually go ahead with the submissions. According to their guidelines (which may or may not be correct), my homepage is optimized.

My site is part of a web program maintained by corporate Cruise Planners. As such, it is a template site...there are only certain aspects that I can actually change. I do have meta tags for the home page, but I don't think I have the capability of having different tags for other pages.

Can you explain exactly what you mean by back links? I am listed on a couple of search engines such as AltaVista andMSN. Does this help? I am sorry to sound so dopey...I am very new to all of this.

I really appreciate your help and advice.

[qwerty]

A backlink is a link from another site to yours. In order to get into Google, its spider needs to follow a link from a page that's in its index to yours.

Once you're in Google's index, it helps to have numerous backlinks, as Google sees that as an indication that your site is valuable to others. It also helps you to gain traffic.

[Mel]

I thought that Bcentrals marketing point was that they would insure your inclusion in so and so many search engines and directories?

[qwerty]

It's been a while since I got off of their mailing list, but I think they used to offer a paid version (which would guarantee some inclusion) and a free one, which was basically a bunch of very basic advice and access to some free submission services.

[Mel]

...My site is part of a web program maintained by corporate Cruise Planners.  As such, it is a template site...there are only certain aspects that I can actually change.  I do have meta tags for the home page, but I don't think I have the capability of having different tags for other pages...

Hi CP;

If this is a template site and there are lots of other similar sites all affiliated with a central site, you have your work cut out for you.

You need to be able to have control over all the text and tags on your site. If you do not have this it might be better to set up your own site rather than use the template pages.

[market seeker]

According to bCentral, the site (or rather the home page) is optimized, but after submitting two months ago, I am only listed in a few places. 

you have meta keyword tags in two different places with about a zillion keywords.
Is this what Bcentral told you to do. If so you better start reading from the beginning of this and other forums.

[Cruise Planner]

Market seeker, Thank you for pointing out the duplicate description and keyword tags. I will have the webmaster fix that immediately. I only have 33 keywords listed in my keyword tag though...is that analogous to zillions in the search engine world? I have seen websites listed on Google with many times more that I have.

Mel, Yes, this is a template site...but there are several Cruise Planners template sites listed on SO like Google. For the most part, they have done no optimization...why are they listed? Also, most of the content on my pages changes often, as pricing and promotions and itineraries are in constant flux in the cruise industry. My understanding is that these changeable pages are not attractive to search engines. This is why I have been concentrating on the homepage and not so concerned with optimizing each page.

qwerty, My participation in bCentral has been through the paid version, not the free trial. It's clear that they are not getting it done for me.

I thought I would be able to do this on my own, but now I am having second thoughts...I don't seem to be able to get listed, nevermind ranked well. And I seem to be in a catch 22 regarding links...I need links to get listed, but I can't get listed until I have links. Should I give up and pay someone to do this for me?

[qwerty]

Have a look at what Raven wrote. If you get the site into a directory or two, Google will find it.

[Mel]

Hi CP
I know that sometimes it seems like it takes forever to get all your pages listed, and in actual fact I would guess that even if you have a few links it may take up to three months for even the fastest major search engines to get all your pages indexed and your ranks settled down.

Affiliate site pages can get indexed without too much of a problem, but getting them to rank well may be another thing.

Do you have a sitemap, constructed with keyword text links which you can submit to the search engines? This will insure that you get both listed and some inbound anchor text credit.

When I review your site it looks to me like it is set up to promote your affiliate partner, not your site:

Your homepage title is "Cruise Planners: Luxury Cruises....

The text on your home page is:
The best prices afloat and a flawless reputation for customer service: this is what makes Cruise Planners stand out from all the other agencies. Cruise Planners is an award winning agency, holding top producer status with virtually every cruise line. This enables us to offer you exceptional savings on all cruise vacations, including luxury cruises on Celebrity, Crystal, ......


But I see little mention of anything about getreadytocruise.com. If all the other pages use the same templates and text why should you rank better than they do?

No need to hire it done (unless you are short of time or have another reason) just ask questions here and you'll soon be on the right track.

Remeber SEO is a process not a project.

Edited by Mel, 25 August 2003 - 07:14 AM.