“Using the quotes operator, "hairdressers milton keynes" returns 4,260 UK results for me.
”
It is still 2400 for me in google and zero in keywordspy using the quotes.
“If you then go to the bar at the bottom, and select page 8 of the results
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If you are talking about the google keyword tool page, I only have two pages so I can't check page 8.
And also all the pages list result for different keywords and phrases close to the one you requested so the results would differ from one to another obviously. So I am not sure what you are talking about. Why do you need to go to page 8?
“this then drops to 78 results
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What do you mean?
What exactly drops? For which phrase?
“Will confess to not really understanding why it does this, but this would leave me with the conclusion that this phrase wasn't that popular.
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Don't know what you are talking about
“hairdressers milton keynes"
Page 8 of 78 results (0.09 seconds)
I think it's because the original number includes everything, google images, news, discussions etc, even though the quotes operator is supposed to cut out the long tail results, I suspect it's not that effective.
”
Oh, I see, i did not take this into account
Would be good to know the way to check the actual number of searches in google.co.uk or .com rathen than including all you listed.
“Ref Keyword Spy
The 2400 searches is the data sample it takes from Google, in this case it last collected data for this key phrase on the 25/11. As above, today, I'm seeing 4,260 searches across the whole index.
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Where can you see this?
“Ref your website not appearing in the organic list on keyword spy, the reason is your site isn't displaying at the top of the organic listings. Google is actually displaying your local places listing, which is different to your natural organic listing.
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Before Google change the result page my website appeared at the top (not in google places), but purely as a website. At the same time if I went to google maps and typed hairdressers milton keynes there, my listing appeared under letter "J" which is far from the top. Actually, if I go to google maps now, it would do the same still. So my assumption is Google combined information from both, places and organic results and displays it that way in the search. I think this is the reason why my website is at the top there.
“If you are seeing your actual site and not googles places listing at the top, then you may be seeing your own cached results.
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I always log out my google account and clear all data in the browser before checking. So I dont think it is cached results. And again, before Google has changed the results page, my website was at the top, just below the map (places)
“Food for thought, is "hairdressers milton keynes" your primary key phrase. Have you asked your customers what they would type into google? Anyone phoning up for an appointment, do you ask them how they heard of you, if google, then what did they type in?
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I have tried that, it doesn't work. People don't remember what they type
“Once you have a rough idea of the percentage of your customers search online, then you have a good idea how much effort it is worth putting into SEO, versus say more traditional leaflet dropping, cards in shop windows etc.
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99% of my customers are from google
I have tried flyers and still trying and paid for adverts in local prints and stuff.
That does not work at all!
I have invested hundreds already for adverts and flyer distribution and spent weeks designing flyers and adverts using photoshop (which I knew nothing about) and the response is almost zero. so I find this waste of time and money.
All my customers find me in google, so it has to be my focus.
Another option is to follow the recent advice here and look in to Facebook.
But this is something I have got to learn about because all I can do there at the moment is only a user level basic things.
