Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike Halliday on November 05, 2011, 12:46:07 pm
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anyone else getting a different look to google.
mine is........ half the screen as adword, then organic listing the you scroll down to get the google places list....... the map is half the size on the right
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Yep, adwords box half way down page, places map small on right, then only top three map entries before the fold.
This means being No1 spot in Google is no good anymore, you have to be 1st on Maps or... as Google want, you start doing Adwords.
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They have been fiddling with the search algorithm, don't know if that's why it's changed.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/google-changes-search-algorithm-trying-to-make-results-more-timely/
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Yeah ive noticed the change ive also dropped off google maps and its hit me quite hard.
I was talking to a seo guy the other week who reckon maps will be coming off soon and will be a button at the top of the search results, whether this is right i dont know.
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Yeah Dennis / Mike They have been changing there algorithm again. You probably noticed in the new changes the red place marker is now gone plus if you hover your mouse roughly in middle off page it now shows top the right your details in your google places account plus screen shot of your website. This is because they are now giving more weight in the local searche results for businesses listed in google places vs the organic listings. You probably noticed for a while they have been merging organic with google places for a while now.
Big G has been uping the anti with google places recently and they are now as of Nov going to start dropping listings that have not been claimed / verified by the owner in favour of ones that have been claimed.
Also as you say Wayne they are really trying to make it so you use there new adwords express platform more if you cant get into the magic 7 box.
If any of you havn't claimed your listing you better do it quick.
Regarding the button at top of search and google maps coming off karl i dont know where your seo guy heard that from. Google is putting more importance now on places than ever before as they have been on the war path to oust yellow pages and yell etc and what they are up to now is part of that process.
Being listed high in google places is going to be more important than ever now.
Has it dropped any of you guys out the 7 box ??
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Hi Scott, Welcome to the forum. I see your a fly fifer. Good post by the way.
Cheers
Rab.
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Everytime I checked last week, I was top of Google places. I checked yesterday and I was 4th. Is it a random thing, or is it linked to me updating my content, my places page, clicks, or something else?
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Hi Robert thanks for the welcome glad the post maybe help someone, yeah im a fly fifer lol
Ash regarding your google places because google has changed algorthm just recently so its moving a lot of these listings around right now as its dumping ones that havnt bee claimed and moving ones up that have been. Youll prob find it settles down in a week or 2.
It also might be your competitors have been working on their listings ie more citations or reveiws which has pushed them above yours might be a possibilty.
You need more citations and reveiews plus all your google places content filled out to make sure you get the maximum from it.
hope that helps
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Yes, I've got more reviews than my competitors (it's a struggle to get any more as it's not straightforward for customers to leave a review on there), I've also put plenty of pics and a video on there. It was after I did all this that I went to number 1, which is why I was surprised to see that Ive dropped back down the list again - can't see any changes for the other listings yet. Like you say, hopefully it'll settle down (and go up!) in a few weeks.
Cheers for the info, and welcome ;D
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Quick question Ash does your other competiors that are above you have reviews or not . Also do they have websites attached to their google places listings or not ?? Also tell me what keywords your listing appears for and ill take i quick look
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1 has 1 review (he's 2nd), none of the others have any. They all have websites attached.
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Whats the keyword Ash and ill take a quick look. Might be able to suss it out
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Carpet cleaners aberdare
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Ash just done a search your showing on C AND F
on the maps
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Long story, as a hobby my mrs makes & sells gift hampers - somehow she ended up on Google places (she would not have a clue how to do this). We were getting loads of junk mail for her, and the only company listed at this address according to google when I searched was hers! Even though I've verified mine with the post card, and she has done nothing with hers.
So I amended her listing on the map to mine, next thing I know, I'm showing 2 seperate results. I'm hoping that this is not why I've dropped down. Even when I was top, I still had 2 listings.
I haven't made any attempt to verify the 2nd listing, hopefully they'll remove it when they see the error?
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Your right you have the most citations and reviews out them. Burfords have 50 citations and dont have their places filled out properly neither does johnstons.
If it dosnt settle in a few weeks you might want to try more reviews and some actual backlinks to your website as i have a funny feeling google is now looking at all that combined together since its now merging the organic and google places togther now hence the bit to right of page with your palces and website all in one place.
Johnstons has loads of backlinks but burfords only 28 so that wont be hard to beat
Hope some of that helps ya
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Regarding your second listing in maps what you want to do is claim that then change address to some other family member and use your mobile on one and your landline on other
Google wont remove it for you and you dont want them too. Just claim the listing then change the address and number of the one thats in the lowest position.
Dont touch the higher listed one apart from more reviews or citations
better having 2 listings in the maps if you can get away with it always better competing with yourself lol
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Yeah, when they changed the layout I instantly noticed an increase in calls (when I was top) - so this is definately going to be an important area going forward.
How do you check how many backlinks a site has??
I was a bit nervous that if they do delete one, they take my better listing and not the crappy one. Good call about claiming the other one (naughty boy!)
Thanks again Scott.
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Here is a tool you can use Ash
https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com
Just put the website in here and it tells you how many backlinks your competior has.
Here is something else thats quite interesting from an american company that i found that did research on google places and what made people click on what listings
http://www.capturecommerce.com/blog/local-search-marketing/research-shows-google-places-listings-clicks/
Whatever you do dont change any of the business information in your higher placed listing but claim that other one you have and change the address and contact number to something else before google bounces you out the top 7 as its not claimed
Hope that helps
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The change has benefited the placings of both natural web sites and google map listings but has not made any difference in calls.
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I see your a fly fifer.
We are everywhere. Be afraid!
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Hi Scott
When you say claimed, do you mean that you just have to log into your account if you have not done so for a while.
Also I am currently listed on Google Places (Banbury) as J on the map any advice on how I can get it higher?
Richard
http://www.newleafcarpetcleaning.co.uk
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Hi Richard
What I was meaning by claimed is if you go to your google places listing it should say verified or claim listing. The fact you have it in your account means you must have already claimed it or set it up yourself
If you tell me the keywords I'll take a look at your competitors on monday when im back at my desk top pc and tell you what's up with it
Hope that helps
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You no still with remax Scott? Or is that your name sake?
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Hi Barry
No I sold my part in the franchise years ago when the recession came along as there was no money in it at that time. I think the market has got slightly better since then not by much though. I went away and set up a Seo Web design company after i left years ago which I still do today hence why I know so much about google places maps as I've helped loads of clients with it over the years get to the top positions. One of my friends recently started a carpet cleaning company and ask me to be business partner with him.
You seem to be doing well at the moment with all your websites ill need to get my finger out lol how you been finding buisiness at the moment ??
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Hi Scott
Thanks for getting back to me.
I live in a fairly rural area so am targeting 2 towns near to me Banbury and Stratford upon Avon my key words are:
banbury Carpet Cleaners, Carpet Cleaning Banbury, Carpet Cleaners Banbury, Cleaning Services Banbury, local Carpet Cleaners Banbury
carpet cleaners Stratford upon Avon, residential cleaning services, Carpet cleaning, carpet cleaners, carpet cleaning companies, professional carpet cleaning, dry carpet cleaning, carpet cleaning equipment, carpet cleaning machines, carpet clean,
hope that helps.
I have had the domain name newleafcarpetcleaning.co.uk for over 12 months now and was using microsoft small business free website but due to them removing this service I have created a new website using weebley.com. It was only after i redirected old domain at new site that i realised that some of my google listings were actually on specific pages of my old site which no longer exist and so the links just appeared broken.
Richard
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Am doing fine but wouldn't like to be Just starting up in CCing just now, what made you go from SEO work to carpet cleaning? Chemdry doing buy one get one free all over fife just now and theres moires carpet cleaners around than there was ten years ago.
Mike My google maps all over the place, but its no effecting my sites seen more go on google ads to beat me!
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I'm still doing my SEO web business it was my friend asked me to invest in the carpet cleaning and help him with the web side of things really.
But your prob right about the being loads of carpet cleaners about at the moment.
When your talking about google ads half these folk havnt got there campaigns set up right I've seen company's from Glasgow and further afield appear for fife must have plenty money to burn on wasted clicks lol
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Hi Richard
I had a quick look at the term carpet cleaning banbury for you.
I see what you mean about being in position J on the maps
From what i can see none of them apart from bone dry and to be honest they have had a slight attempt at doing it properly but its a half baked attempt, but the rest in the 7 box have not filled out there places page correctly.
You have more citations than most of them except pro clan and carewell. I would start by fixing your listing correctly first, then take a look at your categories as well and get a few reviews that should help you.
About your website the problems with these FREE website tools and this is not aimed at you, but to be honest there just rubbish most of them. The problem is that you cant set the pages up correctly for SEO purposes as they are limited to what functionality they can and allow you to do, as most of these templates are built to fit all types business and have to be easy for the end user to set up and this is there downfall.
Each different business niche has its own style of website that the public kind of expects to see.
As the saying goes "jack of all trades master of none" and thats exactly what these type of FREE websites are.
They provide a website but thats pretty much it.
Its just a false economy and then business owners end up having to spend a fortune on SEO or adwords or end up eventually binning the website and starting again because it wont rank on the first page and do the things that you want it to do.
The other thing you should always be carefull of is if you ever pull a website down and put a brand new one up you should really use webmaster tools in your google account and remove or redirect the old pages to your new website, as if you leave the old pages from your old website and they dont go anywhere except 404 not found, it will eventually hurt your ranking over time.
I hope some of that helps you
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Hi Scott
Thanks for the honest feedback and the advice. To be honest the free website is a stop gap and I'm looking to get a new one done in the new year. That being said i still want to try and get it up the rankings a bit. I as you point out I should be able to get higher up without too much problem, just needs a bit of tweeking. The website is just a work in progress and I will continue to play with it over the comming weeks.
Just a quick couple of questions:
What do you mean by "citations?"
What do you mean by "fixing my listing correctly"
I understand your other points, especially with regards to the reviews which I am hoping to resolve in the next few days.
Thanks for all your help.
Richard
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Hi Richard
Sorry not got back to you sooner
Citations is how many times your business mentioned on web
Your places page is not filled out right If you look it will say a percentage of how complete it is
If you ever thinking about website give me a shout if you click on the web button on my profile you'll see the one I did for my business partner which is for carpet cleaning
Hope that help you