Also see our follow up post on this subject:

http://www.adjuice.co.uk/blog/google-venice-update-update/

I just reinstated a modified (hopefully improved) version of the page that I previously deleted. It’s at a new address:

http://www.adjuice.co.uk/camberley-seo/

Will that page rank soon at or near number 5 on a search for “SEO” to people searching within a certain proximity of our address (even when they don’t include a geo-modifier in their search query)? I’ll watch out for any effects of the above changes and report on them, either here or in a new blog post. Watch this space.

Yesterday I saw the (initial) effects of deleting the page in question adjuice.co.uk/seo-camberley/ . It has disappeared from google.co.uk’s search index (and therefore also from our expanded site links).

As expected, the number 5 ‘local’ rankings in the main results for “SEO” and also for “SEO services” that were lost due to the page deletion have not been regained by our home page or any other page.

Also as expected, the number 1 ranking (of the former page) for “SEO Camberley” and similar terms which include the location modifier are now held by our home page.

Broadly speaking that’s a positive outcome since the deleted page was unlikely to convert anyway.

I wonder whether it may therefore be necessary to have a very specific geo-targeted page (or site) in order to appear in the main search results, for the most competitive terms, to a local searcher.

What are your own observations?

Actually it was more of an unwelcome surprise because it was a poor page that I should have improved or dropped long ago. This forced the issue – it had to go, possibly one or two good rankings along with it!

I deleted it, 301′d it, URL excluded it in GWT and even demoted the expanded site link!

I don’t yet know enough about what factors are at play in causing that page to rank for those terms because these changes are so fresh. There are an awful lot of other signals that associate my site and that page with Camberley, so it’s a complex web (excuse the pun) to try and unravel.

However, by deleting it, I may learn something from what transpires over the next week or so.

If I lose the 1st page local ranking for “SEO”, I won’t reinstate that page as it was but may consider other options.

Cheers.

What a nice surprise for you! lol…

I am betting that you will lose your rank when Google next spiders your site. (Just checked today and doesn’t look like anything has changed). Of course, if you do, I’m sure you will revert your changes.

Seems like on-page content is finally making more headway. I don’t know how you have optimized your title tags on other pages, but it looks like Google is showing these pages primarily based on your TT and domain.

Are you using microdata mark up as well? I’d go look, but have to get back to work.

Look forward to your update Ewan!

Local Business Rockstar

Talk about divvies. Don’t even bother searching in Google for the phrases they are saying they will optimise for.

And why is it, they charge the same price regardless of business sector?. (FP).

I tease the life out of them and string them along for ever, actually talking them into thinking they are up-selling me. If they are wasting their time on me, they are not hassling somebody for 15 minutes.

Although, when I first started up in 2006, I did do some cold calling, but not as a total out and out call centre. So, Ewan, you are right, it does work. Fortunately now, all new work is refer or rom somebody finding my link on one of my clients websites.

When I first got into he online marketing and SEO field, I was actually working in call centres specifically as a telesales operative. If you have good sales people, as some of the companies i worked for did, the figures on the board can be quite mind boggling. 8 sales people averaging £1500.00 to £2000.00 per week in sales from cold calls? It certainly adds up.

Back in 2002, one company I worked for were selling Alta Vista banners. One cold call, followed by a few follow up calls and email and one company spent £50,000 on them (nice commission on that).

There were other companies like ‘Touch’, selling Lycos banners. The figures they produced from cold calling were phenomenal.

All in all, cold calling does work, however, as you rightly stated in your post, not many of the cold calling SEO companies and online marketing firms can deliver. Especially those that are offering a one off payment website optimisation package.

Yes, I agree that it makes sense to consider avenues of marketing other than organic SEO and I wasn’t suggesting otherwise. I can also see there may be a case for cold calling. It’s just that when one SEO provider cold calls another without first checking to see what service they’re offering, then I think things may have gone a little too far.

Now as far as the “seo companies” that don’t deliver, that is an unfortunate reality of the industry, but as a reputable SEO company that delivers results, I don’t think telemarketing is as awful as some make it out to be.

I thought you might get wind of this post so thanks for taking the trouble to comment. I’m glad the punt paid off for you! I thought I had been the first with this idea but you clearly were well ahead of me!

All the best.