Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Mark Johnstone on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 07/11/2018).

Please give me suggestions on how I can rank my website

Anyone kind enough to help out or give suggestions on how I can rank my website. I have been doing my own SEO for about a year now and I just cant get my site to rank very well. The keywords I was trying to rank for is "web design Glasgow"... I gave up on this as I was getting nowhere and now am trying to rank in UK for "affordable web design" which appeared to be a low KD. I must be doing something wrong or I`m clearly missing something. My site is https//markjohnstonephotography.com
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Naveen Kapoor: Images not Optimize on your website
  • Michael Martinez: In general it is better to write about either what you know or what you believe. Opinion often builds audiences faster than knowledge. Everyone is trying to explain the same basic stuff on their blogs. But sharing your opinions about Web design (especially emphasizing what you believe is good with examples) is what has a better chance of attracting people. It`s also a way for you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in the field.
  • Neil Cheesman: It may or may not be relevant but there are a handful of websites with a different spelling - and seem to have a problem with content on a couple of them. Mark Johnston Photo - and http://www.markjohnstonphotography.com/
  • Amber Greening: Have you run this through any software? Idon`t have a ton of time today, playing catch up, but the speed is super slow and I thought it was a website for photography but maybe web design? https://gtmetrix.com/.../markjohnstonephotograph.../Lx9iGIme
  • Mark Johnstone: Im looking into speed issue at the moment thanks
  • Neil Cheesman: As above Speed is mega slow... also - the styling seems to have a problem on a desktop - it didn`t display correctly to start with...Tbh - I think you have quite a lot of work to do in terms of `ATTENTION TO DETAIL` - and this can be the difference between success and failure.This text "However, if you are looking for a web designer that will meet you at your point of need then We work with any web design plat from "To be blunt (and no offence meant) - looking at the website, I would wouldn`t employ you.https://www.webpagetest.org/.../180710_RJ.../
  • Stockbridge Truslow: Your web site design page has a call to action in the meta description. "Website Design Glasgow services offered by Mark Johnston Photography with Affordable rates. Call Now for Free and get in touch with us today!"The problem there is that there is no clear place on the page that tells the person how to call now (except your business info at the bottom). Don`t describe an action which can`t be completed. "Website Design Glasgow Services" is not a phrase that makes any sense in English, either. My nose smells something is up - and Googlebot does too. You also use the word "affordable" in that description - but the word doesn`t appear on the page except in the footer in the "about us" box. You don`t even talk about anything regarding price on that page (at least during my quick scan of it - so if you did, it`s not anything major). You`re also using Divi Theme and PageBuilder to build out the site which adds a TON of extra markup to every page. Complicated markup makes it difficult to Google to understand context. Those themes only make VERY light usage of semantic html markup. (article and nav are the only ones in there). Using Asides, structured markup to declare WP Header and footer, marking ALL nav elements as nav elements and all that are important nowadays, too. You`re optimizing for the keyword "Glasgow" which is redundant and unnecessary. Use structured data and the search engines will know your location and the area served. There are a ton of novice SEO mistakes, omissions, and problems here. My advice is to keep learning - both real web design skills (get way from the evil WPBakery and all the themes that are built on it), and technical SEO skills. If you can get better at those things, ranking will come naturually. Read these groups, follow the SEO and web design blogs, and digest everything you can. It`ll come - but you aren`t there yet.
  • John Bosworth: Ok this is not meant to be rude, but is a mere suggestion.Both you, and your brother (I assume craig is your brother who posted an almost similar post 3/4 weeks ago) are both on here asking how to rank your sites for web developers / freelancers etc and tbh neither of you seem to have a clue.How you can charge for services you obviously can’t offer is unfair on your customers?Only my opinion but I think you’re both in need of some serious help and shouldn’t be looking to charge people for services until you at least have a basic understanding
  • Mark Johnstone: You look like a person who just talks pish for the sake of it , let see your website...bet you didn`t design your own !! Anyway this group us for asking for help and questions..... knob !
  • Craig Johnstone: By the way .. I don`t offer SEO as a service. Yes I can point customers in the right direction but would never say I can do your SEO. If you have nothing helpful to say don`t say anything just stfu
  • Srinath Rangaswamy: Frankly don`t worry about ranking for your website. Rank clients first and you won`t even have time to manage your own site!
  • Martin McGuire: I`ve only looked at the website and design page for a moment, but one thing that is evident is that the language is far from natural. There is no variation in the keywords you`re trying to rank for. "Are you looking for web designer Glasgow?" Doesn`t read well. Also, I`m on my mobile here, but when I look at the blog section of your site I can read ALL of your blogs on the one page. Is this intentional? Would you not be better having separate pages.
  • Mark Johnstone: Yeah I should sort out some issues I have with the site tbh I`m just looking for some advice and you have me some, thanks
  • Tim Capper: So a couple of things for me.1) Trying to be cleaver with structured data and using the internal url in your LocalBusiness structured data, is not going to help.2) Embed your own GMB listing map3) Why linking out to WP - create your own internal WP page and link once out from there. In fact create your own internal resource page for all the platforms you mention.4) I am surprised you do not have a manual penalty already - http://www.shalomboston.com/.../mid/428/articleId/49.aspxJust one small example5) Your images are displaying in search results separately , set them to be attached to the actual page.6) I would be seriously concerned that my web design Glasgow page is ranking for - over the counter diuretic walgreens7) Immediately fire the person that attempted any "SEO" on this site - they may have burned that domain for Good.
  • Mark Johnstone: 6) can u tell me were your seeing this ?7) I already did
  • Tim Capper: Mark Johnstone 2) Search for - over the counter diuretic walgreens - you are showing at position 59 for me.
  • Mark Johnstone: Tim Capper yeah my website was hacked a while ago were all my meta descriptions were changed, thought it was removed....I`ll have a look again thanks
  • Ammon Johns: Mark Johnstone, the first thing is always, always to step back from personal investment and bias, and look at it unemotionally, as if for the first time, and for someone else.Do you know what the first thing that leapt out at me from your post was?You want to rank a photography business, that apparently does web design as a sideline, above dedicated, specialist web design businesses.Think about that for an hour or so over a drink, and you`ll start making some discoveries and getting new ideas.
  • Perry Bernard: Was also my first reaction.
  • Tim Capper: That domain is burned pretty much - time for a new brand name I think.

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 07/11/2018).