May 2014 Newsletter
Site Traffic Numbers Leap!
Success!!! After months of hard work optimising the site, Google's latest algorithm changes handed MFHC a huge rise in its rankings, and we are so very close to getting our coveted Page 1 slots back again. As a result, traffic to the site has increased by 200% and continues to rise. We are continuing to make further improvements to the site to ensure further progress in the site's rankings for several key search phrases.
Town and County Descriptions - An Offer
You can search for cottages on MFHC by town. Each town page describes the town and why it would be a great place to stay. We write these descriptions ourselves. They are not copied from anything we find on the Internet. Writing them is, I confess, a bit of a challenge as while we have a good geographical knowledge of the UK, we do not profess to have an intimate knowledge of every single town.
As such, while we do a pretty good job at writing town descriptions, we know you locals can write better ones. You'll know the best cafes, beaches and places to go. So, if you think you can write a better town description than us (3-500 words will be fine), then e-mail us. If we use it, we'll extend the life of your advert by two months. How's that for an offer?
To read the town description, click on the 'Town Search' button in the top menu bar, then search for and select your town. If you cannot find your town listed, we need a description! Otherwise, read what we've got and contact us if you can improve it. Do we have a town description for your holiday cottage? If, for example, your cottage is in a location for which no link appears in the Town Search, then we'll need a link. By all means, e-mail us to point this out, and feel free to offer to come up with a description. That way, it'll get written faster, and your cottage will enjoy the additional promotion.
Reviews Get Read!
I've banged on before about how you and your guests can upload their favourite reviews of your cottage. And I'll keep banging on about it as it has two benefits. Firstly, forgive the jargon, but 'user-generated content' where visitors contribute to the site is much liked by search engines. This means that reviews you or your guests upload to your page will enhance its search engine rankings and earn it more visits.
Secondly, we have also noticed that cottages with healthy up-to-date reviews enjoy more click-throughs from your MFHC page to your website. We only allow people to say their favourite things about your cottage - so no negative stuff will be published! It only takes a few moments to upload a review. You can do it from your listing page. We moderate it to ensure it is positive (we'll contact you if we have any concerns) and then activate it.
Please make any review attributable to a guest who has stayed and include the year/month, so future bookers will see it is relevant. We only ask that you don't upload reviews already published on your website. This creates duplicate content. Search engines don't like this and could end up penalising both sites.
Top Tips: Lay My Hat
This month's top tip is to point you in the direction of a Holiday Property Owners forum, which many of you will probably know. However, for those who don't, may we recommend the very next thing you do after reading this Newsletter is to visit the Lay My Hat website. Billed as 'The Rental Owners Guide for More Bookings', it is full of advice, feedback, questions and answers, all placed and addressed by holiday property owners. There are oodles of sensible information and advice on this site. Ask for some help, and there it will be seen by thousands of cottage and villa owners, many of whom will be only too happy to share relevant experiences. So, even if you're an old hand at letting holiday properties, I promise you, you'll learn something from this site. Here's the link: Lay My Hat
That's All, Folks!
Thank you, m'dears, as they say here in Devon. That's it for this month. It's back to help you fill those last few remaining weeks in June and July (don't forget to use the free Late Availability option on My Favourites if you've got a discount to promote) and add a Review or two while you're at it. I hope you'll have found something in reading this that will help you market your cottage. Send us any feedback at info@mfhc.co.uk - it will help make our monthly Newsletter even more relevant. Whether you'd like us to include topics in our blog or more suggestions for improving the site, everything you say will be welcomed - and read!
Thanks to Updown Cottage
1st June 2014: A big thanks to Updown Cottage for your additions to the description of Shaftesbury. Much appreciated. Your Featured Favourite listing will be posted shortly!