I started backlinking my site VERY carefully through Fiverr on January 16 (i.e. using Site Explorer to verify backlinks, Alexa to verify traffic to tell if pagerank is real, ect.), and my site has done the Google Dance for about the past three weeks flipping in and out of results, but only for specific keywords that I've been targeting, and been very careful about variating anchor text for; and it's finally settled on 13 for one keyword and 14 for another, however it doesn't seem to be moving any further as I build more backlinks and seems stuck on those spots.

Do you think it's really stuck, or is it just that the other backlinks I've been building more recently haven't kicked in yet? If I keep building backlinks will the keywords keep moving up?

I was hoping someone could provide similar experience and share with me what their results turned out to be in the end.

I've been building since January 16 and my site has moved from PR 0 to PR 3.

Thanks

i have the same thing (at least am on spot 9 - so am in first page)

i think someone had same issue he say: what changed his keywords to first place was register with yahoo dir.
am thinking to do the same but need to finish minor bugs in my site

if u going to register with yahoo, BOTW, or biz.com let us know i like to know if it really make big change

Hi there. First of all, you must know that PR and SERP rankings do not necessarily go hand in hand.

About being stuck, it happens to everybody. Many sites will quickly climb up the SERP's, only to hit a plateau that will be difficult to break. When you hit that plateau, you are going to have to mix up your backlinks and diversify your offsite SEO. Doing the same backlinks that you have done in the past will not give you quick results.

My advice would be to mix it up and keep adding new links to the ones you are doing already. Try social bookmarking, a few high pr posts, a few different fiverr gigs and keep experimenting until it starts to move again. Rinse and repeat.

Doing the google dance is normal. Sites do not normally just keep rising. Just think about how your competitors are also doing SEO work - it's not just you that's working on it.

Just keep up what you're doing - persistence will pay off

Best of luck

Originally Posted by rockong

Doing the google dance is normal. Sites do not normally just keep rising. Just think about how your competitors are also doing SEO work - it's not just you that's working on it.

Just keep up what you're doing - persistence will pay off

Best of luck

That's the thing. I don't have competitors. I've created a program that is in an unfulfilled (but massive niche) where all the sites going right up to number one have just come to number one as a "side effect" of making a page (i.e. most of them are sub-pages with random articles and very little targeted backlinks for these specific terms); everyone else topped these keywords literally by accident, but the main sites themselves have some solid authority, so I'm just basically walking in and wanting to take over undetected, because there's literally NO business in this niche, just random online articles and shitty advice that doesn't work (I know from personal experience, and other people who found my site have told me they felt the same way).

This is because I build the site after 7 years ago looking for information on how to do this specific thing on the internet and not finding anything about it, and in 2011, I came back and checked this niche when I wanted to start a business, and found there was still no useful information about this topic, and no one has seen it, so I'm currently targeting it.

The first term gets around 500,000 searches a month, and the second one gets over 5,000,000.

I honestly believe this site is going to do a lot of good, and help thousands of people who are going through what I went through, and I really believe I'm doing a good thing by getting quality advice to the top of big G, but since they stopped dancing (and I've been backlink building through guest blogs, blogrolls, website links, profile links, etc), they're stuck at the top of the second page in the same spot, and they won't seem to budge for the last week or so.

Originally Posted by chris24

The first term gets around 500,000 searches a month, and the second one gets over 5,000,000.

Make sure you check the exact searches. Broad match searches are very misleading when it comes to the actual traffic that your site will get.

Originally Posted by Ramsweb

Make sure you check the exact searches. Broad match searches are very misleading when it comes to the actual traffic that your site will get.

You're right. They were misleading.

The main keywords came up at around 10,000/5,000 and 22,000/10,000 for the two keywords on global/local monthly searches. As I said I'm near the top of the 2nd page for both keywords.

Do SEOs out there still consider this a good, solid number?

Would it still be worth going after #1 for keywords with this traffic, or should I look for something more lucrative?

I've done backlink research in Blekko, Majestic, Open Site Explorer, etc... and it's not terribly competitive and I know I've got a good shot if I keep going, but are these numbers good enough to be worth going for #1 on?

Thanks!

Number of local searches is a very relative number. Some keywords are buying numbers while some just aren't.

You could have a site ranked #1 for a 1,000 exact searches a month that will generate you $2,000 a month while you could have a site ranked #1 for a keyword that gets 10,000 exact searches a month, only to generate just $500 a month.

Without looking at your keyword, it would be impossible for me to say if yours is a buying keyword or not. However, there are some easy ways to at least get a hunch. First of all, see if there are any advertisers in your niche. If there are more than 5 advertisers in Google, it means that your keyword is worthy enough to rank. Sometimes, you might just find one or two advertisers. I would be a little wary when there are so few as the advertisers could just be experimenting with the keyword, or just making a blunder with Adwords.

You can also use the Google traffic estimator tool to find out the bidding for the keyword. If average CPC is more than about $2, it should be a decent keyword that will give you earnings.

Lastly, you have to set your goals straight. Usually, the low volume keywords are the best revenue generators. However, you have to be in the top 2 or 3 spots to get that revenue as all the other SERP results will only get a trickle of traffic that won't be worth a lot.

I guess this post is just general advice that won't specifically help you although you can use all the tips to choose that good or great keyword that will bring you the moolah.

I find that I am going through this as well. I am going to change the title if I can push out of being stuck by diversifying the backlink. I have a competitive niche

Originally Posted by thelinkjuice

I find that I am going through this as well. I am going to change the title if I can push out of being stuck by diversifying the backlink. I have a competitive niche

Title changes can be a HUGE gamble. You can either fall or drastically or get bumped significantly. If you are going to do it, be prepared for both extremes. However, if it doesn't work out for you, you could revert to the older title. It might bring you back to where you were. I did it once.

Originally Posted by asi_av

i have the same thing (at least am on spot 9 - so am in first page)

i think someone had same issue he say: what changed his keywords to first place was register with yahoo dir.
am thinking to do the same but need to finish minor bugs in my site

if u going to register with yahoo, BOTW, or biz.com let us know i like to know if it really make big change

I paid $600 to yahoo a few days ago for the possibility at getting my site listed... I am just waiting on the denial and loss of my 600bones lol

I am currently stuck floating from #5-#2 If my site gets accepted in yahoo and it makes a positive change I will come back and let you know.