Google query

[gail]

When you search for 'Scottish Gifts' we come up on the first page, however when you search for 'gifts from Scotland' we are nowhere to be found.

Both phrases were in the meta description but until recently not in the meta keywords. Is this the reason we don't show up, I was under the impression that meta keywords were no longer important. Both phrases show up in the description of the site on Google.

Does anybody have an explanation as to why we don't show up on 'gifts from Scotland' as we are missing out on a huge amount of traffic by not doing so.

http://www.scottishgifts4u.co.uk/

[leehack]

Can you show us a page optimised towards that specific phrase, if not, that will be part/all of your problem. SEO results involve so much more than a few words in a META description, if that was all it took to do well, then everybody would be in equal first place. Incoming links to your site with that text as the link text would be much better than a simple META completion. You need to do so much more.

Why not change your forum link to that phrase for starters?

[Mike Hughes]

HINT: Look at your domain name.

Mike

[brucet]

The meta description has little effect on rankings, in any at all. The meta keywords have none. Google ignores those completely - see http://bit.ly/ubxSM

As Mike says, in your URL you have the keywords 'scottish gifts' together and in that order, which makes a difference. Consequently, and more importantly, the same will be true of most of the inbound links to your home page.

The page Title also has an impact. It would help if you change your home page Title to 'Scottish Gifts 4U: Gifts From Scotland', and use the exact phrase 'gifts from Scotland' a couple more times in the text. That won't match the influence of the inbound links, but it may lift you a few places in the rankings for that phrase.

[gail]

Thanks Bruce, the home page title change worked a treat.

From nowhere to page 1 in 3 words

[brucet]

Result! :-)