If you want a free link add your website below.

Best wishes

Peter Cooper

In my experience getting highly ranked on the search engines is a bit of a black art.

I too have heard that linking to other sites can boost your rating, but I think that it is slightly more complex than adding simple links.

The search engines consider not only how many links you have to (and from) your site, but also the quality and the current ranking of the site that you are linking to. So for example, it is likely that www.tescos.com (or some other large website) will have a higher ranking than other smaller unknown sites.

It is my understanding therefore that it is useful to seek out links/affiliations with trusted sites, as these could prove extremely fruitful.

Also, we have recently used Google Adwords to help to boost the local listings for our website - www.carworksni.com.

Google Adwords is the program that controls the listings that you will often see on the right-hand-side of the page when you do a search.

I'll not bore you with the details, but you essentially bid for position within that listing. Our ad is targetted to local traffic only, so it is cheaper than some of the national rates.

Another good tool that can be used in conjunction with Adwords is Google Analystics...it allows you to report on who has visted your site, when, what pages they visited, where they were referred from etc.

As I say, I am learning a bit more as I go, but thought that some of this might be useful for some of you.

Cheers,
Martina

So you want a higher page ranking?.......lets assume that you mean Google

In other words when someone types in key words you want your site to be on the first page. Well in my experience its all about Meta Tags and Page Content

You have to decide on how you want people in your area to find your site

I have found the best way is to put your KEY words in the "Title" of your web page and the META "Description" also the page content is important to include all the KEY words. In my opinion Google tends to pass over META "Keywords"

As an example:
Two weeks ago i joined the "Good Garage Scheme", i incorporated this into the Title, META Description and Page Content, Google will come along every week and re-index web pages. So now if you type "Good Garage Scheme" into Google i am placed 6th on the first page (AFS Redhill), i have picked up 3 new customers in the last week, they all said they typed in Good Garage Scheme with the local post code

Its all about GOOD site descriptions and GOOD descriptive content, after all you want customers to find you........they dont want to come to your site and find a link to Tesco or Esso oil.......its YOU they want info about, the more the better, Google will reward you for it

Page Ranking is for the big boys, with over a billion webpages, you could spend the rest of your life trying to improve it....

All the best

Peter

I even list all my competitors in the webpage code so when people do a search for another local garage I pop up.

We do very well in the Google search engines due to a lot of work several years sgo.

JW

I was just wondering what your membership of the Good Garage Scheme is costing you? We've been approached to join and there was some mention of a monthly fee but I can't quite remember how much.

Sean

<<<<>>>>

Sneaky.....but I like it ;-)

Sean

You can also look at some of the documentation that Google have on their support pages.

See link below.

Amongst other things, it talks about the ranking of your pages, and how having afiliations with high-quality and relevant sites can help your rating.

Cheers,
Martina

The fee is £10:00 per month which covers all the service packs, leaflets, signs, service check sheets, floor mats, feedback cards etc. You get a much as you need. The quality of the packs is excellent and very professional looking, you also get entry into their website

In my opinion the scheme has been very well thought out and presented, if you already use Forte products then no problem.

Some Garages with negative feedback have been removed from the scheme, so they do their best to keep the Garage Standards up

I only use the Flush, Diesel and Gas treatment, there is NO hard sell on all the other products

I have looked at many schemes, but this one seems genuine and seems to be attracting good quality customers.....time will tell

Peter

I am a Bosch Car Service agent, Bosch in conjunction with the MVRA do all the usual vetting of premises, staff etc etc.

I don't have a hard and fast policy on using oil and fuel flush/treatments. I know that there is an additional profit source in selling flush/treatments, but I am unsure if joing upto another scheme is in my benefit or my cutomers benefit.

I would appreciate any feedback from Good Garage Scheme members.

Graham

We stopped using Forte Flush and DFC when the Company had bad press. Rep comes in at least once a month and goes out without a sale.

I agree Forte do a good marketing job, but is that not a good thing?, the whole business world revolves around marketing

All the schemes are linked to products we use ie: Unipart Car Care, Bosch Service, Alliance etc, they are all geared up to sell us products.

The Good Garage Scheme has been well thought out and the promotional material (service books, schedules etc) is very professional

We would all like the Bosch or Unipart signs on the front of our workshops as they are well know in the motor trade, but i do not want to attract customers from the motor trade, i want to attract the general public

Good Garage Scheme is so basic a concept i am amazed no one has picked up on it years ago. Your average car driver is looking for a "Good Garage", it will probably be the first thing they type into a web search or attract their attention if they see the sign, the website is slick and professional.....some of the other schemes are very lacking in the web marketing area. Once Forte have enough Good Garages in an area they will have local radio ads targeting customers at certain times ie mums on school runs etc

Buying Forte additives is a small price to pay.

Peter

Keith