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| | | Author: | BRICKS_R_KIDS  | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 20:47 | | Subject: | Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 450 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | | Status: | Open | | Vote: | [Yes|No] | |
|
| I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
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| | | | | Author: | Kevin.NXT | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 20:58 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 104 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| YES!!!!!!!!
Bricklink has such large potential to take tons of sales from the other site,
if people only knew about it. I think the biggest untapped market is kids, or
more specifically their parents looking for gifts. If you get them to know about
BL, they can get those parts or sorted CMFs and don't need to get them at
expensive retail.
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| | | | | | | Author: | carolannee | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 21:17 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 115 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| | (Cancelled) |
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | Kevin.NXT | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 21:22 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 111 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, carolannee writes:
| | Google searches do show BrickLink:
If you type in "buy lego parts pieces" on google BrickLink is the 3rd listing.
If you type in "lego parts pieces" BrickLink is the 4th listing.
For "lego parts" - Also the 4th listing.
For "lego pieces" BrickLink is the 9th listing.
|
So lets say I want to buy the Unimog. I search buy 8110. Where is BL?
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| | | | | Author: | cosmicray | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 21:42 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 107 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
When mentioning Google, it would be helpful to distinguish between Google/organic
and Google/Shopping. Organic will crawl your site, unless you have ROBOTS set
to tell it not to (as BL does). Shopping requires a feed, and more recently,
a payment for product placement.
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| | | | | | | Author: | eileenkeeney | | Posted: | May 8, 2013 22:01 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 123 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
When mentioning Google, it would be helpful to distinguish between Google/organic
and Google/Shopping. Organic will crawl your site, unless you have ROBOTS set
to tell it not to (as BL does). Shopping requires a feed, and more recently,
a payment for product placement.
|
Not letting the robots crawl the site does limit what searches will bring up
the site.
I have zero idea why it was set this way. It may have been a performance thing,
although I don't think the google robots are significant, in terms of taking
up system resources.
It may be that BL has all of the traffic it can handle anyway.
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| | | | | | | Author: | cosmicray | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 12:09 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 71 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
Examples ...
A search for "LEGO 7171" gets plenty of hits, but none of them point to
BL.
a search for "lego 7171 site:bricklink.com" gets me to the home page, but not
to the catalog page. It would have gotten me to the catalog page, if it
wasn't for the braindead ROBOTS setting. That search only got me to the home
page because I specifically limited the search to BL site results (and that is
likely the only result that Google/organic has on file).
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | BRICKS_R_KIDS | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 15:17 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 42 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
Examples ...
A search for "LEGO 7171" gets plenty of hits, but none of them point to
BL.
a search for "lego 7171 site:bricklink.com" gets me to the home page, but not
to the catalog page. It would have gotten me to the catalog page, if it
wasn't for the braindead ROBOTS setting. That search only got me to the home
page because I specifically limited the search to BL site results (and that is
likely the only result that Google/organic has on file).
|
Exactly. This is the problem.
I just don't understand how a site that brings in this much revenue wouldn't
want even more business. The sales would be dramatically increased.
Bill
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | Kevin.NXT | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 18:02 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 57 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | Exactly. This is the problem.
I just don't understand how a site that brings in this much revenue wouldn't
want even more business. The sales would be dramatically increased.
Bill
|
I just don't understand how a site brings in this much revenue wouldn't
want to enter the 21st century. Talking about searches, BL catalogue items really
need keywords.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | crazylegoman | | Posted: | May 12, 2013 00:25 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 81 times | | Topic: | General | |
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| In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
|
Do we really want the Google searches bringing people to the specific catalog
page for the item? I sure don't. I assume that those who want better Google
search results want to attract new customers (new to BL entirely, not just new
to their store.) Someone new to BL would be much better off at the main homepage
instead of a catalog page. That way they can explore the site from the main
starting point. I believe that would lead to a better intro-to-BL experience
and curb many frustrating experiences for both new buyers and sellers.
David
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | BLUSER_275369 | | Posted: | May 12, 2013 00:42 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 55 times | | Topic: | General | |
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| In General, crazylegoman writes:
| | In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
|
Do we really want the Google searches bringing people to the specific catalog
page for the item? I sure don't. I assume that those who want better Google
search results want to attract new customers (new to BL entirely, not just new
to their store.) Someone new to BL would be much better off at the main homepage
instead of a catalog page. That way they can explore the site from the main
starting point. I believe that would lead to a better intro-to-BL experience
and curb many frustrating experiences for both new buyers and sellers.
David
|
Although I'm not a seller I agree with what David says. I found Bricklink
through a search in 2011. I had just started digging out my old lego collection
and was looking for a dragon to replace the one that I used to have. My search
(google, bing yahoo, i don't remember what engine I used) directed me to
a specific store. For a while I never even realized that there was a whole community
of many many stores. I just assumed the website I came across was someone's
individual store. Only at my second or third visit to that store I clicked the
bricklink logo on the top, was taken to the home page and realized what I had
missed before.
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | ScootersBricks | | Posted: | May 12, 2013 00:55 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 76 times | | Topic: | General | |
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| In General, Rogue11 writes:
| | In General, crazylegoman writes:
| | In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
|
Do we really want the Google searches bringing people to the specific catalog
page for the item? I sure don't. I assume that those who want better Google
search results want to attract new customers (new to BL entirely, not just new
to their store.) Someone new to BL would be much better off at the main homepage
instead of a catalog page. That way they can explore the site from the main
starting point. I believe that would lead to a better intro-to-BL experience
and curb many frustrating experiences for both new buyers and sellers.
David
|
Although I'm not a seller I agree with what David says. I found Bricklink
through a search in 2011. I had just started digging out my old lego collection
and was looking for a dragon to replace the one that I used to have. My search
(google, bing yahoo, i don't remember what engine I used) directed me to
a specific store. For a while I never even realized that there was a whole community
of many many stores. I just assumed the website I came across was someone's
individual store. Only at my second or third visit to that store I clicked the
bricklink logo on the top, was taken to the home page and realized what I had
missed before.
|
I did this as well with TBB...had no idea there were other stores for my first
sale.
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | BRICKS_R_KIDS | | Posted: | May 12, 2013 01:16 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 78 times | | Topic: | General | |
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| In General, crazylegoman writes:
| | In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
| | No it's not. Bricklink shows up on Google searches:
|
Your reply, while technically correct, does not tell the whole story. The searches
you picked were sufficient to key on the home page of BL. They were not specific
enough to actually find something of interest.
|
Do we really want the Google searches bringing people to the specific catalog
page for the item? I sure don't. I assume that those who want better Google
search results want to attract new customers (new to BL entirely, not just new
to their store.) Someone new to BL would be much better off at the main homepage
instead of a catalog page. That way they can explore the site from the main
starting point. I believe that would lead to a better intro-to-BL experience
and curb many frustrating experiences for both new buyers and sellers.
David
|
It would be best to direct them to the cat page of the items they are looking
for.
In other words, if someones trying to buy a 10179, then the search result should
direct them to that exact page. They can see all the listing for sale and decide
where to go next.
Bill
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | Pokernut | | Posted: | Jan 16, 2014 16:42 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 53 times | | Topic: | General | |
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| In General, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | In other words, if someones trying to buy a 10179, then the search result should
direct them to that exact page. They can see all the listing for sale and decide
where to go next.
Bill
|
While I can agree with the main contents of this thread I thinkl this has the
potential to cause harm, particularly for the new buyers we are trying to get
here.
All it takes is a couple of succesful " sales " to scammers, as they will show
at the top of the page as cheapest item, and we get a lot of heat.
|
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | mnementh | | Posted: | Jan 16, 2014 17:18 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 64 times | | Topic: | General | |
|
| In General, Pokernut writes:
| | In General, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | In other words, if someones trying to buy a 10179, then the search result should
direct them to that exact page. They can see all the listing for sale and decide
where to go next.
Bill
|
While I can agree with the main contents of this thread I thinkl this has the
potential to cause harm, particularly for the new buyers we are trying to get
here.
All it takes is a couple of succesful " sales " to scammers, as they will show
at the top of the page as cheapest item, and we get a lot of heat.
|
Just wanted to point out that you have replied to an 8 month old thread. In
the time since this thread was posted, Google has been allowed to crawl the site,
and BrickLink now shows up on the first page of results for a search of "Lego
10179". It takes you right to the catalog page, which is where I believe it
should take you.
Now they just have to do some optimizing to move BrickLink up the list a bit.
Troy
Troy
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| | | | | | | Author: | eileenkeeney | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 13:03 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 41 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
Actually,
This is probably good enough.
It is there, but is not flooding the search results.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | BRICKS_R_KIDS | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 16:08 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 55 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, eileenkeeney writes:
| | In Suggestions, crazylegoman writes:
Actually,
This is probably good enough.
|
Actually, this is not good enough. When you do a search for a certain set or
certain part, the search results should go directly to the cat pages so the buyers
can buy the product without having to navigate any further.
Do a search for just about anything sold on Amazon or eBay and when the results
come back you'll be pointed directly to a page to make a purchase.
Buyers who see this site's front will simply click back to Google to find
the search result that is more specific to they need. I doubt they stay on the
site much longer than 1 or 2 clicks. This is easy for Admin to share with us,
but I would bet most Google search results do not lead to deep digging into the
site.
I don't think I can hammer this home enough... specific Google search results
will increase sales dramatically. I would bet we would see 3 or 4 times the
amount of sales.
Bill
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| | | | | Author: | dvsntt | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 10:05 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 75 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| As several people pointed out, bricklink does get crawled by Google and appears
in search listings. However, it is badly optimized, not allowing descriptions
and context of the page to be obtained and indexed. Bricklink would be much much
higher results for nearly any Lego topic if this were permitted. See screenshot
for example. (edit, the site won't even allow PNG files, it really feels
like Web 0.1 circa 1998 around here, converted to jpg for the site)
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| | | | | | | Author: | cosmicray | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 12:27 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 66 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, dvsntt writes:
| | As several people pointed out, bricklink does get crawled by Google and appears
in search listings. However, it is badly optimized, not allowing descriptions
and context of the page to be obtained and indexed. Bricklink would be much much
higher results for nearly any Lego topic if this were permitted. See screenshot
for example. (edit, the site won't even allow PNG files, it really feels
like Web 0.1 circa 1998 around here, converted to jpg for the site)
|
The home page of BL gets crawled. The home page has NOFOLLOW in ROBOTS. Therefore,
the search engines (those which honor ROBOTS, pretty much all of them) will not
work down the object graph to index other pages.
Having said that, if a specific catalog page were linked to from an outside site
that did not have NOFOLLOW, then it is possible that that specific catalog page
might get crawled and indexed.
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| | | | | Author: | aftepes | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 12:57 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 50 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
Assume that things were configured to allow Google to identify stores that sold
a certain product on BL. Don't we then deal with the issues of "But why is
Johnny always listed first?" Stores should determine what advertising they want
and secure that advertising on an individual basis so that BrickLink isn't
accused of tipping the scales in the favor of any one store.
If BrickLink wants to advertise it's own business as a site, then that is
fine, but to advertise down to a particular listing, or worse, a particular store,
that would lead to so many more issues.
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| | | | | | | Author: | cosmicray | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 13:15 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 53 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, aftepes writes:
| | Assume that things were configured to allow Google to identify stores that sold
a certain product on BL. Don't we then deal with the issues of "But why is
Johnny always listed first?" Stores should determine what advertising they want
and secure that advertising on an individual basis so that BrickLink isn't
accused of tipping the scales in the favor of any one store.
If BrickLink wants to advertise it's own business as a site, then that is
fine, but to advertise down to a particular listing, or worse, a particular store,
that would lead to so many more issues.
|
Under the BL 1.0 implementation, I don't think is likely to occur.
The issue appears to be the way that URLs are constructed here. BL does not have
a static URL that points to every item listed for sale. BL does not have a static
URL for every catalog page. Likewise, BL does not have a static URL for every
post in the Forum.
Individual items offered for sale, catalog pages, etc, are being selected based
on parameters to the right of the '?' (question mark) in the URL strings.
The URL string to the left of that is not unique (i.e. it could represent any
number of result pages depending on parameters supplied). The other site I sell
on (not ebay and not amazon) does have unique URL strings for every product listed
on the site. I believe this, along with resolving the ROBOTS issue, would be
necessary to allow Google to properly crawl the site. I don't care so much
about the product listings being crawled, as I do about the catalog pages.
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | Andy_Bell | | Posted: | Jan 16, 2014 15:12 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 83 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, cosmicray writes:
| | In Suggestions, aftepes writes:
| | Assume that things were configured to allow Google to identify stores that sold
a certain product on BL. Don't we then deal with the issues of "But why is
Johnny always listed first?" Stores should determine what advertising they want
and secure that advertising on an individual basis so that BrickLink isn't
accused of tipping the scales in the favor of any one store.
If BrickLink wants to advertise it's own business as a site, then that is
fine, but to advertise down to a particular listing, or worse, a particular store,
that would lead to so many more issues.
|
Under the BL 1.0 implementation, I don't think is likely to occur.
The issue appears to be the way that URLs are constructed here. BL does not have
a static URL that points to every item listed for sale. BL does not have a static
URL for every catalog page. Likewise, BL does not have a static URL for every
post in the Forum.
Individual items offered for sale, catalog pages, etc, are being selected based
on parameters to the right of the '?' (question mark) in the URL strings.
The URL string to the left of that is not unique (i.e. it could represent any
number of result pages depending on parameters supplied). The other site I sell
on (not ebay and not amazon) does have unique URL strings for every product listed
on the site. I believe this, along with resolving the ROBOTS issue, would be
necessary to allow Google to properly crawl the site. I don't care so much
about the product listings being crawled, as I do about the catalog pages.
|
While this is true Google does now see pages.
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| | | | | Author: | bb314137 | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 13:25 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 48 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
That's it, the priority isn't to let google point to specific stores.
It is to make google point to the catalog page for the item we are searching
for, or maybe even it's price guide or lots for sale.
And also it would be nice if google could get into more specific terms. Item
name (not code), maybe year or family tree for sets, etc., could be added as
tags for the engines.
It would flood the site? Well, if it floods the site with new buyers... where
is the problem!? 
|
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| | | | | | | Author: | Brettj666 | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 13:41 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 58 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, LegoProds writes:
| | In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
That's it, the priority isn't to let google point to specific stores.
It is to make google point to the catalog page for the item we are searching
for, or maybe even it's price guide or lots for sale.
And also it would be nice if google could get into more specific terms. Item
name (not code), maybe year or family tree for sets, etc., could be added as
tags for the engines.
It would flood the site? Well, if it floods the site with new buyers... where
is the problem!?
|
Along with a verification email, perhaps it should come with some instructions
or a tutorial about what bricklink is and functions and limitations (like not
buying from 4 sellers and expecting them to all ship together), maybe also what
the difference is between Bricklink from Amazon or eBay.
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| | | | | Author: | BRICKS_R_KIDS | | Posted: | May 9, 2013 16:13 | | Subject: | Re: Not having Google search is killing our sales | | Viewed: | 72 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, BRICKS_R_KIDS writes:
| | I know this topic has been discusses and discussed, but its really a big problem
that we are missing out of Google searches.
I've ran several very large discussion forums and I relied on Google search
to grow the sites. Without Google search, how do people find this site? Friends,
LEGO, clubs?
The admin's need to really make this a priority. There are ways of limiting
the search spiders, so turn them loose and let them find our stores! PLEASE!
Bill
|
I agree with what everyone has said about not directing to "stores". I'm
already doing that myself inside Google.
I meant that the cat pages need to be indexed so that when someone searches for
LEGO 10179, the Google search result looks like this:
Lego 10179 in LEGO Star Wars Sets | Bricklink
Millennium Falcon - UCS 5174 Parts, 5 Minifigs, 1 Gear, 2007 (hyperlinked to:
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=10179-1)
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=10179
20+ items – Find great deals on eBay for Lego 10179 in LEGO Star Wars ...
Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon (10179)
LEGO 10179 ULTIMATE MILLENIUM FALCON Instruction Books ...
$2,200.00
$8.99
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USA, Georgia
United Kingdom, Scotland
)
)
Spain, Andalucia Ceuta i Melilla
Canada, Ontario