Mt first site - quite proud!

[simon@hvs-uk.com]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Hi Cathryn, I can and will get a photo withput the car but not from different angle - there is another house in the way - doh!

I am not very creative so a logo will probably be left for another day, but I do get your point. I am confused about the page not being centred as on my screen it is - with HighVeld Bed and Breakfast on one line (that's live on the web right now) can you hit F5 a few times and let me know if it changes?

Many thanks - isn't it the middle of the night in Florida????? Get some sleep!

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

On a tchnical matter - I have pasted the google code into an html box but it still appears on the page - I just don't know how to get rid of it.

Just get rid of the html box.. it's not doing anything for you, this has nothing to do with your sitemap.

[simon@hvs-uk.com]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

When I went through the sitemap process, Google notified me that I needed to put an html code or metatags on the website and provided the script.
This is the first time that I have done a website so still much to learn - if I remove the html box - will that not negate the sitemap?

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

When I went through the sitemap process, Google notified me that I needed to put an html code or metatags on the website and provided the script.
This is the first time that I have done a website so still much to learn - if I remove the html box - will that not negate the sitemap?

Sorry for the delay in answering you, had to take the dog for a weight check.

The code has nothing to do with the sitemap.

http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/ Make yourself a sitemap here. Choose to download the uncompressed version.

Save it as sitemap.xml and place that file on your server in your root folder. If this is your main website then just place it in the public_html folder.


Go to google webmaster tools and click on sitemap.

Then in the drop down list choose 'add general sitemap'

Then just enter 'sitemap.xml' in field 3

Click submit and everything should be fine.

If you get stuck I will be around but popping in and out all day as I am off on a cruise tomorrow and have a lot to do before I go.

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

I just looked at your home page again and noticed you have toyed with the page titles... You need to be a bit more constructive though.

At the moment you have put 'Bed and Breakfast' only... this is being a bit vague with the SE's....

Bed and Breakfast, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North East, From £35.00

That would be better.

To understand the reason for this:

Type into a UK Google search box 'Bed and Breakfast' You get 687,000 results.

Now type in 'Bed and Breakfast in Newcastle' You narrow the search already down to 536,000

Now type in 'Bed and Breakfast, Newcastle upon tyne' it goes down to 480,000

See where I'm going?

'Bed and Breakfast' is to general. Your niche is that you are in Newcastle Upon Tyne, so you remove all those searchers looking for a B&B in Devon.. you don't necessarily want them on your site...

You know.. this could be extremely easy for several page one results without trying too hard. I would expect within two months tops to be able to type in 'bed and breakfast in Newcastle' or 'Bed and Breakfast in Morpeth' or 'bed and breakfast, North east UK' and see your site on page one of Google. Concentrate on the few tips I gave you earlier in this thread, add good content to your homepage, don't spam the page but just give a much bigger insight into your B&B on the home page.

Although I would still stick with the other pages, I would expect as a visitor to your site to be able to see what you do, where you do it, what are the benefits of staying at your B&B as opposed to one down the road from you, and how do I contact you.. ALL on the front page. You have no phone number on your home page, I would expect to see this.

Basically you should look for ways that a visitor could potentially get a majority of the info on your B&B and be able to see how they can contact you ALL from the home page and without delving any deeper into the site. Your other pages are there as a back up should they require any further info... e.g. more images, more detailed prices etc..

From your home page I can't see an idea of prices.

I can't see how to phone you? I might be stuck in a torrential rain storm on the A1 and looking quickly on my laptop for a place to stay for the night?

How many single rooms do you have? how many doubles? Is it purely for business men and women or can I bring my 2 month old baby? Can you accommodate my family of 12??? etc etc...

Are you close to the A1? I can't see that you are from the first page?

I know exactly where Morpeth is, but 100,000,000 other people don't.

Just a few ideas.... I may exaggerate some of my points (family of 12 etc) but I am trying to get a point over to you about the kind of enquirers you may receive.

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Popping out again for half hour, if you have any Q's I'll answer when I get back.

[simon@hvs-uk.com]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Point taken on the page titles - I will change them straight away. I didn't realise the imprtance.

Now then, I dont even know where to look for public_html folder?

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Point taken on the page titles - I will change them straight away. I didn't realise the imprtance.

Now then, I dont even know where to look for public_html folder?

Ok...

Open BV... Tools > FTP Manager

Enter Log in and connect.

You will see two windows. The LH window is what's on your PC. The RH window is your server.

Usually the RH window will automatically open up your public_html folder. Check this by looking at the blue bar at the top of the RH window pane, it should read public_html.

Then search for the sitemap file on your PC by looking in the LH pane. Once located, hold down your left mouse key on the file and drag it over to the right.

Then go back to Google and verify your sitemap.

[simon@hvs-uk.com]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

All done - sitemap published.

Ramsey, I owe you a big thank you, I have learnt a lot from your comments (and those of others). The site has been redone and it does make a lot more sense now.

Cheers and enjoy your cruise (where are you going?)

[Marincky]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

All done - sitemap published.

Ramsey, I owe you a big thank you, I have learnt a lot from your comments (and those of others). The site has been redone and it does make a lot more sense now.

Cheers and enjoy your cruise (where are you going?)

You are very welcome, your site is already starting to look and feel much better. I am away tomorrow for a cruise around the Med, spain, Italy, France, Barcelona, Gibraltar to name but a few...

[vidalcarmen]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Ok, this site is starting to look nice!

[simon@hvs-uk.com]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Thanks VC - I have just been on your site and I have some way to go!

[leoscats]

Re: Mt first site - quite proud!

Good effort