Kay Dinsdale - SEO & Internet Marketing Consultant - News Feed

23/07/2010
Have you Claimed your Google Local Listing?

Most businesses have a Google Local listing whether you have added it yourself or Google pulled your details from another business directory resource.

When your business comes up in local search, if you have added your website address to your own listing, the user could click the link and be taken direct to your website. But that is all changing.

Local searches are now starting to show us Place Page results. These don't link direct to your website, they link to your page on Google. As such it's now more important to claim your listing and edit your information.

Read more: Google Local Business Results is Changing

02/05/2010
Beware of Cold Calling Online Marketing Companies

I just wanted to make a quick blog post about an issue that has been brought to my attention by a few local businesses that I work with.

A company has been targetting Tameside Business Family members and offering 'Guaranteed Page One Rankings' in Google.

Anything that sounds too good to be true very often is.

I have recently been investigating a similar offer by a similar provider. My findings were:

• The offer was NOT for SEO - it was for PPC (adwords).
• The company actually only assigns a daily click spend of just £1 (this means that at least £2 per day was going to the PPC company!)
• The ONLY obligation was to make you appear in Google just ONCE per day - this could be for ANY phrase.
• Appearing in google and someone clicking on your ad does not mean you will get a sale or enquiry.

If you receive an offer like this that sounds too good to be true, I strongly advise that you:

1. DO NOT AGREE TO ANYTHING just from a verbal discussion/telephone call.
2. Get everything in writing - and study the T&Cs very carefully
3. Speak to someone from the Tameside Business Family for advice.

16/03/2010
Advertise your business on Facebook

I have launched a new free resource using  Facebook where people of Tameside can ask other members to recommend a required product or service.

Tameside Businesses can reply to those requests and they can also:

• Place an advert in the discussions board
• Post their logo/flyer image to the wall

See Tameside Business on Facebook

16/03/2010
Web and Social Media Starter Package

I'm currently offering a web and social media starter package for businesses.

The package includes:

• A website
• A facebook page
• A twitter account

The website can include a news feed and will integrate with your facebook page, as can the twitter account.

All this could be set up in just one day! Please see my website for more info: Online Business Starter Package

NB. This doesn't have to be a first website - perhaps you could use it to promote an existing niche area of your business.

14/03/2010
Events Feed

I've created an rss feed of the Tameside Business Family Events using feedity.com

I've had it on my google personalised homepage for a week now and it's working fine. Feel free to use it yourself:

Tameside Business Family Events Feed

(Feedity allows you to create an rss feed for webpages that don't have them - give it a go!)

02/03/2010
Free .co.uk Domain and Website

I'm delighted to have joined the Tameside Business Family and in my first blog post would like to share some pretty exciting information with you.

There is a joint initiative by Google, Enterprise UK, BT, e-skills UK that enables UK businesses to get a free .co.uk domain name and website.

It's very quick and simple to use and there aren't mountains of paperwork to complete. You just need a mobile number to activate it.

1. Your free domain is via BT - you get it free for 2 years. After then you have to pay a 2-yearly re-registration fee which is usually under £10.


2. Your free website is via Google Sites. Which has been available for some time now already BUT this way you can set up a domain to point to that site really easily.


3. It's free. Yes I know I already said that but this is pretty much the most interesting thing about it. There are no strings here. You can set up your free websites for just about anything.

To find out more and to start setting up your site just visit http://www.gbbo.co.uk/, search for your preferred domain and you're on your way.

For more information about it and to read more about what I think see my website post: A free website with Getting British Business Online

For other free(ish) website options have a read of Do you really need to pay for a website?

If you would like further help with this you are welcome to get in touch with me either via this site or my own website.

Or perhaps speak to one of the Tameside Business advisors who I'm sure will be happy to talk about what the right option is for you.