Growth - How have you all grown your businesses?

[scottish cleaning service]

Not surprised, people will have most likely thought he had no work on or had broke down and abandoned his van, a street I clean in has a window cleaner who lives in the street his van hardly ever moves and no one in his street has their windows cleaned by him

Probably works for MI5, as they are recruiting window cleaners to look into things. ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Probably works for MI5, as they are recruiting window cleaners to look into things. ?

Just when you had one day were you were talking some sense for change ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Just when you had one day were you were talking some sense for change ?

Read that again. ?

 

[P4dstar]

Probably works for MI5, as they are recruiting window cleaners to look into things. ?

Need a facepalm reaction...

Just when you had one day were you were talking some sense for change ?

I'm afraid Scottish is correct. Reading this hurt my head ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Probably works for MI5, as they are recruiting window cleaners to look into things. ?

Aye, they are training them in Prisons so I believe. ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Read that again. ?

That would be looking through ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

That would be looking through ?

One day were you were talking. Humans are emotional animals and react like them when we get emotional. ?

 

[K in Kent]

What's a Google business page I'm with Yell?

As Chris has said, Google My Business listings are the 'Local pack' (also known as local 3 pack, snackpack, 3pack, map pack ) that typically shows 3 local businesses in a box at the top of the search results on page 1. It will often show where these businesses are located on a map (although strictly speaking it is actually a breach of Google's rules to use home addresses as a business address for a map listing when providing services at your customers address. There are exceptions I'm not going to go into but that is fundamentally the case although rarely enforced by Google).

The local pack shows only the top 3 companies along with summary of Google reviews and stars, website link etc.

This is a link to claim your free listing

It's possible you may already be listed because of information Google has obtained from other sites and directories in which case you need to claim and verify it.

When choosing categories be as specific as possible and use the minimum number of categories. Do NOT treat is as opportunity for a keyword free-for-all by using multiple categories e.g. window cleaning does not also include 'house cleaning', 'residential cleaning' etc. If you have addons choose them with care and be specific. If it does not describe exactly your service don't use it.

It is essentially Google's own business directory and being at the top of page 1 means it generates significant amounts of traffic to your website or Google profile / business page. It is 100% FREE to list and has nothing to do with Paid Ads (although paid ads can sometimes appear now in local pack for certain business types). It's prominence on the page is its appeal but it has many other useful, and often under-used features for businesses, such as adding free posts about  services you offer (plus image), special offers, company news / updates, promotions, competitions (nice 1 Chris) etc etc (various features depending on the type of business). It also helps build trust in your business, show customer reviews, develop customer relationships and respond to positive and negative reviews.

It is also extremely important for SEO purposes. Google see a verified (= claimed) GMB listing as indication of your website and business legitimacy. In other words it demonstrates your are an active, ongoing local service provider and helps improve your website ranking. There are many citation sources that help SEO but none are more important than GMB.

In fact it's not only important for Google's search results but also for Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. The equivalent on Bing is Bing Places and this is another listing that should be claimed.

The fundamental principles of how you rank on GMB are RELEVANCE, PROMINENCE & LOCATION / DISTANCE from the searcher.

In other words how relevant your business is to the search query (your website being properly optimised for services & with location keywords is key to this e.g. town or city and even districts within it included on pages), your business' prominence / authority as a provider of that service (many things influence this) and your location or distance away from the person conducting the search. It used to be related to your location within the town but as real time GPS has got more sophisticated it has evolved into where you are relative to the searcher, so if you live round the corner from where they happen to be at the time the more likely you are to appear in the local pack results.So obviously this is pure chance and can't be optimised. Previous search history can also affect local pack AND organic results with previously visited websites ranking higher than they might do otherwise. This a result of personalisation and Google will make sites you have often clicked more prominent on that basis.

So don't get too carried away if when checking your SERPS rankings you're at your home address and you appear top of the local pack. Assuming you've visited your own website many times and you couldn't be physically closer to the business than you already are, it pretty much guarantees an appearance in the local pack - and if doesn't you need to look at your SEO and content of website, reputation/ review sentiment etc etc.

Actual key ranking factors include number of reviews with "positive sentiment", use of keywords, backlinks, local citations and domain authority.

I think Chris is spot on about Yell for  advertising. I'm no marketing expert but from what I hear about how much they charge I'd say it's a waste of money. I know some would disagree with this. I do also question the usefulness of directory listings from a customer perspective. Because basically it's like using a search engine within a search engine. People use Google for results and don't want to click another website and resubmit the same request for business information (but that's only my opinion and I have nothing to back it up or statistical data).

However, for adding a backlink, as a structured citation source and for SEO purposes YELL is definitely important and a place to claim a free business listing. All free listings on authoritative Tier 1 directories are useful for SEO - Scoot, Cylex, Hotfrog, 192 etc.

Google uses a great many sources to gather info about your business including directories, business data aggregators, unstructured citations (e.g. newspaper references). It is vital that your business information is accurate and consistent (N.A.P. = name, address, phone number) and that it appears on 'tier 1' directories. Yell is one of those Tier 1 sources and higly regarded by Google as a trustworthy and authoritative source of information. It is also one of the few third party review sites that actually influences SEO and your ranking in search results. All good reviews are welcome for a business but most review sites are so easily spammed and manipulated - i.e. adding your own fake great 5 star reviews - that they have no credibility or influence on SEO.

YELL is easily spammed too but it does have some software in place to detect fake reviews and is so well established considering Yellow Pages in its previous incarnation, Google takes it seriously.

So not only should all businesses claim a free listing, it's also worth acquiring reviews on YELL for SEO. In the past Google was only concerned about GMB reviews but this has also evolved and a diverse reviews platform is even more helpful. GMB reviews remain the priority but by the time you're into double figures it would actually help your ranking even more to aim  for at least 5 good reviews on sites like YELL, Yelp, Thomson Local and Freeindex. If you can get 5+ positive reviews on 1 or 2 of those sites it will give your SEO / rankings a significant boost (and set you apart from competitors). Bing Places should not be forgotten either but Facebook likes and reviews are of little or no SEO benefit. However, social media engagement is a ranking factor so should be encouraged and of course fb reviews DO influence some potential customers.

Of all directories Yelp is arguable the most trusted directory for search engines and the defualt source for unverified business info on Bing.

FYI Google verification only requires registering online and then being sent an authorisation code in the post.

In summary, optimising your website for location keywords and services is inextricably linked to ranking high in the Local Pack. Your site and GMB listing are separate entities but if your website is not considered relevant to the location it won't get into the 3 pack.

Technical SEO is also vital, meaning your site must be mobile friendly, load quickly on all devices, have proper security, be free of technical errors, use UK based servers for hosting etc. For WordPress websites in my honest opinion ThriveWP offer the best value for money hosting and care plans and you're in the hands of an expert.

Finally, if anyone is still reading!! R.E. @SureShotand the original post about growing your business there is no better way of getting more customers and better quality of work than increasing and improving the prominence of your website in search engine results, For the vast majority of people nowadays - of all ages - the automatic choice for looking for a local service provider / trade is the internet.

I'm not disputing the usefulness of flyers, word of mouth, sign writing, local adverts in free magazines and papers, sponsorship and whatever else but it doesn;t change the fact that unless someone has been specifically recommended most of us look online.

Google is now used as a verb to Google something and internet search will only grow as it gets ever easier and more convenient with things like voice search.

It is also a statistical fact that where a website ranks in search results directly affects how much traffic it gets with 1st place getting most clicks, then 2nd place and so on down the page. Some studies show as many as 90% of searchers don't look beyond page 1.

So the higher you rank in GMB and organic results the more enquiries and customers you will have contacting you. And it means ongoing, sustainable growth.

I would recommend creating more and better locally focused and optimised website content and landing pages. Target particular locations that matter to you so there's more work and less travelling time.

Try to improve your content in terms of its relevance and usefulness to the reader so it ranks higher. This is the key to ranking well and a senior member of staff representing Google has clearly stated that THE most important factors for improving your position in search results pages are "links and content" but not necessarily in that order. Acquiring valuable backlinks is easier said than done but improving and optimising content is easy and can dramitically and immediately affect your ranking.

The guaranteed secret to SEO success is individual pages for a specific service(s) targetted at specific location(s). You can incorporate more than one service and/or location but the more targetted and relevant a page is, the better your chances are of the number one spot - that's what you want to be aiming for. Of cousrse all web pages need to be properly optimised and have the right keywords in the right places e.g. in SEO titles you see in SERPS, URL's, headings, within the content and your GMB listing, to name but a few.

Your site also needs to be well designed, clearly laid out and easily navigated and of critical importance is having an effective maintenance / management care plan and hosting in place to protect it from hacking, malware and the like. All websites are under threat from malware and if yours gets infected it is very hard to come back from. It is a black mark against your name in the eyes of Google as it is a trust factor to them and indicates a lack of proper care and website security.

Improve your website, improve your optimisation and content and you will improve your ranking.Dominate local search results and you will grow your business.

And just for the record I do know something about all this and have got websites onto page 1 for window cleaning and addons in more than 100 towns, cities and counties across the UK from Cornwall to Aberdeen. Cheers, hope this was of some use to someone.

 

[Chris33]

As Chris has said, Google My Business listings are the 'Local pack' (also known as local 3 pack, snackpack, 3pack, map pack ) that typically shows 3 local businesses in a box at the top of the search results on page 1. It will often show where these businesses are located on a map (although strictly speaking it is actually a breach of Google's rules to use home addresses as a business address for a map listing when providing services at your customers address. There are exceptions I'm not going to go into but that is fundamentally the case although rarely enforced by Google).

The local pack shows only the top 3 companies along with summary of Google reviews and stars, website link etc.

This is a link to claim your free listing

It's possible you may already be listed because of information Google has obtained from other sites and directories in which case you need to claim and verify it.

When choosing categories be as specific as possible and use the minimum number of categories. Do NOT treat is as opportunity for a keyword free-for-all by using multiple categories e.g. window cleaning does not also include 'house cleaning', 'residential cleaning' etc. If you have addons choose them with care and be specific. If it does not describe exactly your service don't use it.

It is essentially Google's own business directory and being at the top of page 1 means it generates significant amounts of traffic to your website or Google profile / business page. It is 100% FREE to list and has nothing to do with Paid Ads (although paid ads can sometimes appear now in local pack for certain business types). It's prominence on the page is its appeal but it has many other useful, and often under-used features for businesses, such as adding free posts about  services you offer (plus image), special offers, company news / updates, promotions, competitions (nice 1 Chris) etc etc (various features depending on the type of business). It also helps build trust in your business, show customer reviews, develop customer relationships and respond to positive and negative reviews.

It is also extremely important for SEO purposes. Google see a verified (= claimed) GMB listing as indication of your website and business legitimacy. In other words it demonstrates your are an active, ongoing local service provider and helps improve your website ranking. There are many citation sources that help SEO but none are more important than GMB.

In fact it's not only important for Google's search results but also for Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. The equivalent on Bing is Bing Places and this is another listing that should be claimed.

The fundamental principles of how you rank on GMB are RELEVANCE, PROMINENCE & LOCATION / DISTANCE from the searcher.

In other words how relevant your business is to the search query (your website being properly optimised for services & with location keywords is key to this e.g. town or city and even districts within it included on pages), your business' prominence / authority as a provider of that service (many things influence this) and your location or distance away from the person conducting the search. It used to be related to your location within the town but as real time GPS has got more sophisticated it has evolved into where you are relative to the searcher, so if you live round the corner from where they happen to be at the time the more likely you are to appear in the local pack results.So obviously this is pure chance and can't be optimised. Previous search history can also affect local pack AND organic results with previously visited websites ranking higher than they might do otherwise. This a result of personalisation and Google will make sites you have often clicked more prominent on that basis.

So don't get too carried away if when checking your SERPS rankings you're at your home address and you appear top of the local pack. Assuming you've visited your own website many times and you couldn't be physically closer to the business than you already are, it pretty much guarantees an appearance in the local pack - and if doesn't you need to look at your SEO and content of website, reputation/ review sentiment etc etc.

Actual key ranking factors include number of reviews with "positive sentiment", use of keywords, backlinks, local citations and domain authority.

I think Chris is spot on about Yell for  advertising. I'm no marketing expert but from what I hear about how much they charge I'd say it's a waste of money. I know some would disagree with this. I do also question the usefulness of directory listings from a customer perspective. Because basically it's like using a search engine within a search engine. People use Google for results and don't want to click another website and resubmit the same request for business information (but that's only my opinion and I have nothing to back it up or statistical data).

However, for adding a backlink, as a structured citation source and for SEO purposes YELL is definitely important and a place to claim a free business listing. All free listings on authoritative Tier 1 directories are useful for SEO - Scoot, Cylex, Hotfrog, 192 etc.

Google uses a great many sources to gather info about your business including directories, business data aggregators, unstructured citations (e.g. newspaper references). It is vital that your business information is accurate and consistent (N.A.P. = name, address, phone number) and that it appears on 'tier 1' directories. Yell is one of those Tier 1 sources and higly regarded by Google as a trustworthy and authoritative source of information. It is also one of the few third party review sites that actually influences SEO and your ranking in search results. All good reviews are welcome for a business but most review sites are so easily spammed and manipulated - i.e. adding your own fake great 5 star reviews - that they have no credibility or influence on SEO.

YELL is easily spammed too but it does have some software in place to detect fake reviews and is so well established considering Yellow Pages in its previous incarnation, Google takes it seriously.

So not only should all businesses claim a free listing, it's also worth acquiring reviews on YELL for SEO. In the past Google was only concerned about GMB reviews but this has also evolved and a diverse reviews platform is even more helpful. GMB reviews remain the priority but by the time you're into double figures it would actually help your ranking even more to aim  for at least 5 good reviews on sites like YELL, Yelp, Thomson Local and Freeindex. If you can get 5+ positive reviews on 1 or 2 of those sites it will give your SEO / rankings a significant boost (and set you apart from competitors). Bing Places should not be forgotten either but Facebook likes and reviews are of little or no SEO benefit. However, social media engagement is a ranking factor so should be encouraged and of course fb reviews DO influence some potential customers.

Of all directories Yelp is arguable the most trusted directory for search engines and the defualt source for unverified business info on Bing.

FYI Google verification only requires registering online and then being sent an authorisation code in the post.

In summary, optimising your website for location keywords and services is inextricably linked to ranking high in the Local Pack. Your site and GMB listing are separate entities but if your website is not considered relevant to the location it won't get into the 3 pack.

Technical SEO is also vital, meaning your site must be mobile friendly, load quickly on all devices, have proper security, be free of technical errors, use UK based servers for hosting etc. For WordPress websites in my honest opinion ThriveWP offer the best value for money hosting and care plans and you're in the hands of an expert.

Finally, if anyone is still reading!! R.E. @SureShotand the original post about growing your business there is no better way of getting more customers and better quality of work than increasing and improving the prominence of your website in search engine results, For the vast majority of people nowadays - of all ages - the automatic choice for looking for a local service provider / trade is the internet.

I'm not disputing the usefulness of flyers, word of mouth, sign writing, local adverts in free magazines and papers, sponsorship and whatever else but it doesn;t change the fact that unless someone has been specifically recommended most of us look online.

Google is now used as a verb to Google something and internet search will only grow as it gets ever easier and more convenient with things like voice search.

It is also a statistical fact that where a website ranks in search results directly affects how much traffic it gets with 1st place getting most clicks, then 2nd place and so on down the page. Some studies show as many as 90% of searchers don't look beyond page 1.

So the higher you rank in GMB and organic results the more enquiries and customers you will have contacting you. And it means ongoing, sustainable growth.

I would recommend creating more and better locally focused and optimised website content and landing pages. Target particular locations that matter to you so there's more work and less travelling time.

Try to improve your content in terms of its relevance and usefulness to the reader so it ranks higher. This is the key to ranking well and a senior member of staff representing Google has clearly stated that THE most important factors for improving your position in search results pages are "links and content" but not necessarily in that order. Acquiring valuable backlinks is easier said than done but improving and optimising content is easy and can dramitically and immediately affect your ranking.

The guaranteed secret to SEO success is individual pages for a specific service(s) targetted at specific location(s). You can incorporate more than one service and/or location but the more targetted and relevant a page is, the better your chances are of the number one spot - that's what you want to be aiming for. Of cousrse all web pages need to be properly optimised and have the right keywords in the right places e.g. in SEO titles you see in SERPS, URL's, headings, within the content and your GMB listing, to name but a few.

Your site also needs to be well designed, clearly laid out and easily navigated and of critical importance is having an effective maintenance / management care plan and hosting in place to protect it from hacking, malware and the like. All websites are under threat from malware and if yours gets infected it is very hard to come back from. It is a black mark against your name in the eyes of Google as it is a trust factor to them and indicates a lack of proper care and website security.

Improve your website, improve your optimisation and content and you will improve your ranking.Dominate local search results and you will grow your business.

And just for the record I do know something about all this and have got websites onto page 1 for window cleaning and addons in more than 100 towns, cities and counties across the UK from Cornwall to Aberdeen. Cheers, hope this was of some use to someone.

Hope your well mate

 

[scottish cleaning service]

And just for the record I do know something about all this and have got websites onto page 1 for window cleaning and addons in more than 100 towns, cities and counties across the UK from Cornwall to Aberdeen. Cheers, hope this was of some use to someone.

Your good at typing that's for sure. I told the Google guy to get me on the last page because I'm too busy as I'm only a one man band. The guy was stuck for words and couldn't reply. I may need to come off Checkatrade soon as again I'm far too busy even now. Today i got a few PW jobs and yesterday a pvc clean as well as my own window work. Started two years ago and i haven't stopped working because I invested in new equipment meant I can do different work. There's a downside from having too much work, no time to rest and recuperate. I'm trying to slow down But advertising works so well now because everyone is home on their computers looking for things to be done.

 

[K in Kent]

Your good at typing that's for sure. I told the Google guy to get me on the last page because I'm too busy as I'm only a one man band. The guy was stuck for words and couldn't reply. I may need to come off Checkatrade soon as again I'm far too busy even now. Today i got a few PW jobs and yesterday a pvc clean as well as my own window work. Started two years ago and i haven't stopped working because I invested in new equipment meant I can do different work. There's a downside from having too much work, no time to rest and recuperate. I'm trying to slow down But advertising works so well now because everyone is home on their computers looking for things to be done.

So what's your problem exactly - and your point? And why not share the secret of your success rather than being sarcastic and brave behind your keyboard - or phone?

I made clear, or so I thought, that other methods also have their place but not everyone can afford £500 a year to Checkatrade or pay for other advertising that may not work. A high ranking website is the gift that keeps on giving because people use search engines in such vast numbers.

....but actually I really can't be bothered wasting time on you. I was trying to help someone out that's all

 

[scottish cleaning service]

So what's your problem exactly - and your point? And why not share the secret of your success rather than being sarcastic and brave behind your keyboard - or phone?

I made clear, or so I thought, that other methods also have their place but not everyone can afford £500 a year to Checkatrade or pay for other advertising that may not work. A high ranking website is the gift that keeps on giving because people use search engines in such vast numbers.

....but actually I really can't be bothered wasting time on you. I was trying to help someone out that's all

I'm not trying to be sarcastic but I will tell you my secret to my success (fwiw). "Multi streams of income" Last 2yrs I invested all my money that I made into equipment so I could undertake many different forms of work. If you only concentrate on window cleaning and something happens to you or your run then you could be vulnerable. I do windows, fsg, gutter clears, PW, Softwashing, conny cleans, outside painting, roof cleaning and small repairs so I am always busy. Professional customers want Trust above all else and usually head for Trustatrader, Checkatrader or a professional looking website.

 

[Chris33]

I'm not trying to be sarcastic but I will tell you my secret to my success (fwiw). "Multi streams of income" Last 2yrs I invested all my money that I made into equipment so I could undertake many different forms of work. If you only concentrate on window cleaning and something happens to you or your run then you could be vulnerable. I do windows, fsg, gutter clears, PW, Softwashing, conny cleans, outside painting, roof cleaning and small repairs so I am always busy. Professional customers want Trust above all else and usually head for Trustatrader, Checkatrader or a professional looking website.

Clueless as usual. What do you think will happen to a run? Lose a bit here or there is the worst scenario. Many on here run successful rounds and we don't need to have you talking the "keys to success" drivel which if I am honest you cant base on any experience of your own.

Once you have window customers onboard its regular custom. This is an advantage over being busy with add ons, whereby you dont know you will be busy month on month. You can only speculate. 

You had said in your earlier post your always busy, so much so you said that the website guy should put you on the last page not the first page;

but you cant guarantee that longterm. Its business suicide to want to be anywhere other than having a page 1 website. Not only so you can still be busy but also then more selective on price ie supply and demand raise the cost of jobs.

Customers want who they find first. I can guarantee you I get more work off my website than fb biz page (which is busy and optimised) checka or any other review platform put together here. Some check reviews ofcourse they will, but in a busy world the person they find easiest online will get the work.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Clueless as usual. What do you think will happen to a run? Lose a bit here or there is the worst scenario. Many on here run successful rounds and we don't need to have you talking the "keys to success" drivel which if I am honest you cant base on any experience of your own.

Once you have window customers onboard its regular custom. This is an advantage over being busy with add ons, whereby you dont know you will be busy month on month. You can only speculate. 

You had said in your earlier post your always busy, so much so you said that the website guy should put you on the last page not the first page;

but you cant guarantee that longterm. Its business suicide to want to be anywhere other than having a page 1 website. Not only so you can still be busy but also then more selective on price ie supply and demand raise the cost of jobs.

Customers want who they find first. I can guarantee you I get more work off my website than fb biz page (which is busy and optimised) checka or any other review platform put together here. Some check reviews ofcourse they will, but in a busy world the person they find easiest online will get the work.

Anyone can break there leg. Anyhow you are right its not based on my experience but a book I read that investigated millionaires. They all had multi streams of income. Its naysayers like you that have drove me forward in this game and keep doing so. I have 3 days this week, conny clean, fascia fix and PW driveway for £600 then I can begin my windows if I want. I can Only achieve this because I bought the equipment to do it. Is this coming from the guy who is selling his van so he can run one van? If you are angry then don't come on here and try and take it out on me.

 

[Chris33]

Anyone can break there leg. Anyhow you are right its not based on my experience but a book I read that investigated millionaires. They all had multi streams of income. Its naysayers like you that have drove me forward in this game and keep doing so. I have 3 days this week, conny clean, fascia fix and PW driveway for £600 then I can begin my windows if I want. I can Only achieve this because I bought the equipment to do it. Is this coming from the guy who is selling his van so he can run one van? If you are angry then don't come on here and try and take it out on me.

Not angry in the slightest. I assure you I have lots of work but I'm sure you know that anyways. But I can see a fake/dreamer a mile away that's for sure. You've had feedback before on the way you go about things, maybe time to take some notice aye? 

 

[Wind o kleen]

He talks more nonsense than that Scottish health minister ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

He talks more nonsense than that Scottish health minister ?

You naysayers keep forcing me to buy new equipment, going to buy a 230v Generator £960 for my Vac so I don't need to use the customers. ?

 

[TruWFP]

@K in Kent great info mate and good of you to take the time to give such detailed info. Have you done a course or are you self taught on all of this? I’ve had a bad experience with a “SEO Expert” so I’m trying to learn the basics but it’s bleeding hard work. 

I’ll get signed up to all of the free listings you’ve mentioned above ??

 

[scottish cleaning service]

@K in Kent great info mate and good of you to take the time to give such detailed info. Have you done a course or are you self taught on all of this? I’ve had a bad experience with a “SEO Expert” so I’m trying to learn the basics but it’s bleeding hard work. 

I’ll get signed up to all of the free listings you’ve mentioned above ??

Everyone on here used to use him but then something happened and he had to take time out but no one every complained about his work so I would recommend him. I use Checkatrade so don't rely on my website for any work.