"Where can I find the UKs cheapest cars" - hey, we are number #1 for this really long search phrase!
I've written before about the trend towards asking users to search for a specific phrase in marketing material as an easier way to help users navigate on the web rather than remembering URLs.
I just saw an example of it taken to an absolute extreme.
In Metro this morning, the strapline for a cargiant.co.uk advert was to 'Just Google it', with the proud boast at the foot of the page:
"For the search term 'where can I find the UKs cheapest cars', google.co.uk returns cargiant.co.uk as the number 1 listed website."
Firstly, note it is on google.co.uk, not .com, that they are asking people to use. They now have to defend that #1 position, and if I owned any kind of car-selling operation I'd have been bidding to put my PPC advert above their organic listing for that phrase the second I saw the ad.
And above all that, I just can't get my head around what happened in the meeting where they decided "search for 'where can I find the UKs cheapest cars'" was a catchier marketing message than "search for 'cargiant'" or just drilling home 'visit cargiant.co.uk'.
Couldn't you have used "where can I find the UK's cheapest cars" at the start of this post title to try and claim the #1 spot?!?
Oh. Yeah. That was pretty dumb not to think of that...I've edited it ;-)
Maybe buy some links off the Mirror now as well?
And change the URL to keyword stuff it - setting up a proper re-direct of course. Then infiltrate The Guardian's CMS and liberally spray a few backlinks into our archives? Sorted.
You are already part way there. #3 on a Google.co.uk search for "where can I find the UKs cheapest cars"
Daniel - I've linked to this story with the search phrase as the anchor text, so when google properly indexes my story, maybe we can get this to #1!
And now you have #1 for "where can I find the UKs cheapest cars" ;)
Well done! :D
Looks like a #5 to me at 3.40pm (unless you search for the actual phrase where Car Giant doesn't even show in the results).
But still pretty impressive - shows the power and advantages of blogs for SEO. And I'm sure this will get picked up and linked to in a few more places so #1 could be on the cards!
Memo to self: acquire some cars at the weekend so I can now sell them online and make a fortune.
I think they need to change their digital media agency.
Yep - good fun. In politics too:
"is the bnp racist"
hmmm.... entering on google.co.uk
"where can I find the UKs cheapest cars" - gives Currybet as #1
where can I find the UKs cheapest cars - give cargiant.
Would most people do it without the quotes, and thus have you not quite succeeded yet?
Great idea, though!!! :)
Looking at the volume of searches, my main point was not about whether I could usurp them, but that it was just such an unlikely search phrase to target and market. Quotes or no quotes, how many people are likely to type 'where can I find the UK's cheapest cars' into a Google of whatever flavour
This piqued my interest because I thought it was an amusing concept (getting CurryBet to the #1 ranking) and also as I was a potential customer of CarGiant.
I’ve no grudge against them and ended up not having to buy a car anyway, and also remember them fondly when I was driving up north towards Accrington many, many times a few months back, as when I passed their northern showroom on the motorway, I knew I was getting close to my destination (and hence first beer!!!)
So, yes, its an unlikely search phrase and I agree with the other points in your article.
However, for me its also misleading to the average user. i.e. they are claiming that they have the cheapest cars and are implying that google.co.uk state this as a fact.
Tesco cannot claim that they are the cheapest supermarket, but they can claim they have some lines cheaper than Asda.
Perhaps this could interest the Advertising Standards Authority.
Also, I’m nothing to do with SEO professionally, and was interested that “where can I find the UKs cheapest cars” returns different results when using quotes/no quotes. Would you be able to comment on that part?
Sorry for the long ramble!!!
i think only the internet marketers search queries with quotes.
They are still number 1, but they also register for cheapest cars UK. It is a strange choice, but perhaps they were just grasping at straws!