SEO - Search Engine Optimization

[gravy graffix]

ok i got the same thing you did with leaving the space out.

now if i could get it better in a generic search ....

3 weeks at least...

[DDCSD]

I never figured there were so many things with "better visions" in it.

[gravy graffix]

lol i know but when it starts leaving out one of the 3 words BEFORE mine gets shown...

searching soooo specific returns nothing. "better visions photography joliet wedding "

[MarcGF]

Shannon, I enjoyed seeing your work.

I ran a website grader report for your website. There is a lot of opportunity to make your current site much more search engine friendly. Here is the report URL -
http://website.grader.com/wsgid/1997228/default.aspx

It can give you some ideas of what to do.

Good luck! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions. I have been blogging a lot about search marketing lately.

my blog - http://www.marcfuller.com

[gravy graffix]

wow ty! very interesting!

i actually finally designed one on my own... it scored 1 point higher lol

http://www.bettervisionsphoto.com/index.htm

[gravy graffix]

ok question on website grader... i have been messing with it alllll day and it still says i have no meta data... i dont get it. it was there before. does it have to get crawled again? oh and it DID have my blog on there... now its gone, i even went to wordpress and hosted it my self as suggested.
site http://bettervisionsphoto.com/
http://website.grader.com/wsgid/2077387/default.aspx

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by Nick G

It takes 5 minutes and in 24 hours put my site to number two on google search when putting in my name (even without the use of brackets)!

Being #2 for your own name doesn't mean a thing. Not many people are gonna be Googling for you when they already know who you are. Unless your name is John Smith or something, it's actually kinda sad that someone else has the top spot for your name.

Something relevant yet vague is what you want to be in the high spots for. For me, it would be something like "premium destination wedding photographer" - without the quotes of course.

[cdifoto]

Originally Posted by gravy graffix

i had someone make me a site, and did "seo" and also did the analytics thing....
now if i search i can not find my site ANYWHERE... even if i type "better visions photo" i have been thru 20 pages and nothing.... totally unrealivant crap comes up.

i did see mine 1 time 7 pages deep. he had me name all the surrounding towns and yada yada yada...

can anyone give me suggestions?

www.bettervisionsphoto.com

Your website (even the text) is just images, that's why. Google can't read the text on an image. There's nothing on your website that separates the words "better" and "visions" and "photo" to tell Google that that's your business name. Thus, searching your actual URL yields search results.

In short, Google loves text. It doesn't love images.

But either way, don't concern yourself with getting your business name well-ranked. No one cares about that, and no one but you will be searching for that. Fill your website with relevant content.

[MarcGF]

It seems like website grader will only refresh the report about every three days.

Your addition of the Wordpress blog is helpful, although the theme has a clumsy interface and is somewhat search unfriendly.

If you want to be first in search results for "Joliet wedding photographer", you should just move your entire website into WordPress. And get a better theme. It is really just that simple to get a major advantage.

See what is has done for Christine Tremoulet from Houston, 600% growth in monthly site visitors in only six months. From 800 to 5,000 - http://************/47ye5w

There are a lot of other similar examples I can give you. Just look through my Wedding Professional Success blog -@ http://www.marcfuller.com

cdiphoto is right the key to placing high is search results is relevant content, well structured for visitors AND searchbots. Searching for your own name and finding your own name in search results is about the same being in the whitepages ... very significant. Right now most of your content is just a few unsearchable images.

Put it together right and it will take less than a month to get excellent generic organic search results.

[gravy graffix]

ok its back up to 18 at least, left it alone for a day and its right...

i think i need more inbound( i think it would be ) links... my partners site scored like a 44 and she is like #2. BUT she is listed with all kinds of places.

as far as word press... i played with the dashboard last night and seems very limiting. i want my site to look like it does now, is that possible in WP?

[dmassphoto]

Great thread and I want to thank everyone for posting their advice. Working on SEO is an ongoing process that changes frequently. Does anyone use Link Popularity ratings to track progress of their sites? Thanks.

[Hikin Mike]

Originally Posted by gravy graffix

ok its back up to 18 at least, left it alone for a day and its right...

i think i need more inbound( i think it would be ) links... my partners site scored like a 44 and she is like #2. BUT she is listed with all kinds of places.

as far as word press... i played with the dashboard last night and seems very limiting. i want my site to look like it does now, is that possible in WP?

Add your signature in your website link on ALL of your forums.

[Halcyon]

A huge help with google is to add your business to Google Maps - you have to sign up, but it's free - Then you can submit all your business details.
So if "Miami Photographer" is how you want to be found, then Google maps is the way to do it.
It's also a handy way to check out your competitors

Also, if we all review each others entries, that will up your rankings

[Hikin Mike]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

A huge help with google is to add your business to Google Maps - you have to sign up, but it's free - Then you can submit all your business details.
So if "Miami Photographer" is how you want to be found, then Google maps is the way to do it.
It's also a handy way to check out your competitors

Also, if we all review each others entries, that will up your rankings

Yep. I signed up several months ago. I also uploaded my logo/business card too....more visiblity than no picture! I also had one of my clients/friends write a review. I'm now on the first page in Google in my area...and I'm not even a wedding/portrait photographer!

[gravy graffix]

Sweet Thanks!