SEO and CMS

[TheElectrician]

How serious do you, as a business owner, take your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and CMS (Content Management Solutions)? I worked as an expert abroad for a few years (in between getting my trade license), working on the Google.co.uk and Google.com servers; and I've had a look at the state here, and not many businesses are doing what they can to get on the front page of Google.co.za for keywords?

I am thinking of hanging up my electrician boots (Outsource the work), and have opened a Web Vitality branch in South Africa, as it is my true passion, but am struggling to get clients (Even though the methods I was taught abroad far outrank those implemented by companies in SA). An example of my work is the plumbing / electrical websites I have created (link in signature), and they are the 2 most optimized sites in SA for certain key phrases. I will eat my hat if you can show me otherwise (The only reason they aren't on the front page yet is the domain name is under 3 months old, and Google doesn't allow these to compete in order to stop spam tactics that take advantage of the crawlers. My claim can be verified if you run the sites through Moz.com).

Could anyone please suggest clients I could approach for this? The type of clients I worked with in the UK were mostly online shops, but the market isn't as big here in regards to that. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[TheElectrician]

Sorry, I misspelled the domain name in my signature; the websites are ...

[pmbguy]

Hi TheElectrician (or should I say TheSEO). Look I know nothing about interwebber related issues, but I do have some good advice for you. Perhaps you should make a list of large business that have a poor ranking, a long list. Study the client business in detail. Then don’t just send them emails, rather try make appointments and sell yourself face to face. I would suggest doing this after at least one successful job to show them what you can do for them. Be over prepared for each appointment, wow them with not only your skills but with how much you know about them And their competition. Compare their ranking with that of their competition, and how their competition benefits by this etc.

Hope this helps

Good luck

[TheElectrician]

Hi pmb guy;

Haha hopefully TheSEO soon, but not without clients :/ I have an extensive portfolio of businesses I managed on search engines abroad, but half the kicker is you won't be able to see them in SA; as Google tries to show you things most relevant to your location to better assist you. Which in all honesty is fair enough, it just makes small things like this a tad difficult. I do however have testimonies on my website, so I would hope they come into play? I have also thought about the direct approach, but I am 23 with a trade license, and South Africa has this weird stigma about not taking young business owners (Esp those with no master degrees etc) that seriously? I have had a few people give similar accounts, but that is a story for another day. I will however rethink this, and stop putting obstacles in my way and just crack on, but if I could ask you one last question, your response would be greatly appreciated:

What businesses do you contact that you have found directly from Google? That way I can look at low ranking ones and try your approach on them. Just a bit of market research before I start Also a cheeky one, but I see you are self employed too? I would love to do a competitor analysis for you if you think you could benefit?

Kyle

[Dave A]

Sorry, I misspelled the domain name in my signature; the websites are ...

Then edit your signature, The SEO Man

[TheElectrician]

Already have ; I just didn't know if it would display on old posts when I said that

[Dave A]

And there I was wondering if you were trying to get the links into the content area.
Silly me

Anyhow - all's well that ends well.

[TheElectrician]

Haha nothing wrong with a decent little link in a comments area, preferably with a little bit of anchor text and the odd Social media share... However, I do play fair :P

[pmbguy]

What businesses do you contact that you have found directly from Google? That way I can look at low ranking ones and try your approach on them.

Can’t think of any, I usually use a business that has been referred to me by a friend or client.

You missing the point slightly. Take time and google. See which big businesses don’t have good rankings...and follow my advice as given above.

Don’t worry about age, I was about 24 when I approached business in my direct marketing efforts for my business. Age is relative to everything else.

Just a bit of market research before I start Also a cheeky one, but I see you are self employed too? I would love to do a competitor analysis for you if you think you could benefit?

I don’t have a website, but I am thinking of having something next year. If you would like to do a competitor analysis for me, given the fact that I don’t have a website, then please do. How can I say no?...and thank you for the offer.

[IMHO]

I don’t have a website,

What!

[IMHO]

(The only reason they aren't on the front page yet is the domain name is under 3 months old,

This post is then a bit premature, don't you think? If someone finds excuses for why he can not back up his claims, I already see red flags and will not look at them, even in future.

[TheElectrician]

Hi pmbguy,

I was hoping to use your list of businesses that you use as a starting point to Google the big businesses that don't rank well. Just speed the process up. I will however, look into just typing in industries and looking through pages 3 and 4... I will get on it tonight after the house is quiet :P If you don't mind me asking, what industry are you in? If hypothetically you did have a website, what would people search to find you? ie. Financial Analysis Pietermaritzburg. From there I can let you know what your competitors are doing, and what you could do to. Could I also suggest registering your domain NOW. Afrihost can do it for R9.00 online (I think if you do it this week you also get 50% off). This will stop you having the problem that I have at this point in time (Domain age), and help you crawl rankings when you are ready to get clients through the interwebs.

[TheElectrician]

Hi IMHO,

Fair enough reply, I did however provide the option to check my claims through Moz.com, which is the worlds leading SEO analysis tool. Companies like Amazon revolve around the features available in those tools, so I figured it would provide me with some credibility. I did not want someone to check my websites, research my current rankings for those sites and make a claim of incompetence against me. I have however got extensive experience and results with web domains I do not own, but they were not my clients directly, but those of my previous employer (And UK based partner). I was also not directly advertising my services, but asking rather how I would, ensuring all my ducks are in a row before I engage them. I am still practicing as an electrician until I can get clients / start generating enough income from the current sites before I devout my energy fully toward it.

I do thank you for your opinion though, and have a good one

[IMHO]

and they are the 2 most optimized sites in SA for certain key phrases. I will eat my hat if you can show me otherwise

The more I think about this, the more I giggle. How can you make such a claim? How did you measure it?

[TheElectrician]

http://moz.com/research-tools

4 years as an international SEO analyst.

The leading source of SEO on the planet. Both my websites have received an A grade, while my nearest competition (Any plumbing / electrical company in SA) has a B or C. Domain age is the only reason for lack of propagation.