Yell Small Business Websites – Lies and Damn Statistics
For a few years now, Yell have offered small business websites and marketing packages to compliment the Yellow Pages directory.
It’s been a while since I have dealt with a Yellow Pages sales call. However, I am taking my own advice and slowly adding my business to the business directories. I claimed my free Yellow Pages listing a couple of weeks ago.
Now, just to go off on a small side track – adding your business to the online directories is good. Here’s the BUT…
You do get inundated with sales calls, so don’t do them all in one sitting or your phone will be ringing off the hook – not in a good way…
Back to Yell small business websites though.
I had not one, but three calls from the nice chaps over in Yell Telesales HQ last week and I really could not believe what I was hearing.
The first call was a nice guy who really seemed to believe his sales patter, and if I didn’t know better it was very convincing.
First of all he asked me about my business online and what did I do. He didn’t seem put off at all when I told him, I help local businesses get found online. Really, alarm bells should have gone off for him at that point – I know what you are talking about, you can’t baffle me with bullshit!
Then he asked me if I knew that Yell had a special partnership with Google and they can get me to the top of the first page in Google.
Really?
That’s rather economical with the truth to be polite about it. OK, let’s not be polite, it’s a lie.
Yell is an accredited Adwords reseller. AdWords are the Google advertisements that you see on the Google search results and on websites that sign up to AdSense. It’s advertising space, nothing more, nothing less. Stop paying and your top “listing” (read advertisement) disappears.
Fact – you do not need to pay Google to get in Googles listings. You may have to work quite a bit to get in the top 10 (or hire someone to do it for you), but you don’t need to pay Google anything.
Google ads can be very useful, they have their place in the grand scheme of things, so I am not saying don’t use them. Just don’t be taken in by the “Partnership with Google” rubbish.
So, the sales guy gave up trying to sell me pay per click ads on Google. The next tactic was to get me to upgrade my free online directory business listing on Yell.com.
Did I know that Yell.com was the most searched for site in the UK, even more than Google?
No I didn’t.
That’s because it isn’t.
It doesn’t matter what spin the sales guy puts on it, how many thousands of visitors they get each month, Yell.com is not a “top searched for” site in the UK.
How do I know this? Well statistics are great things and you can make tell all sorts of wonderful stories. They don’t beat fact. There is a site called Hitwise and they publish the data results for website usage.
Now perhaps he didn’t mean searched for? Maybe just a top site?
No, I don’t see Yell there either.
Give Yell some credit, they are in the top 100 in the UK, sat at 93 which is pretty good, but certainly not used more than Google. These results are from Alexa.
Then came the best part, the rubbish that really infuriates me more than “Partnered with Google”, more than “top site in the UK”.
He tried to sell me a small business website.
Not just a one page website, but up to five pages all done for me with free updates that will save me time. I wouldn’t need to write a word and they would even buy a new domain name on my behalf!
What the sales guy didn’t mention was, yes they will buy a new area specific domain name on my behalf, but that website domain name would be owned by Yell.
But that’s not the worst part of a Yell’s small business websites deal. Does he seriously think I will let my web copy be written by people who claim to know the internet, claim to be partnered with Google and yet still use OUTDATED and downright crap on-site website techniques that go against Google webmaster guidelines?
I do feel for the poor sales guy, he got earache for reading his script.
I see the basic Yell small business websites all the time, and yes I have ranted about their website copy before now too. That sort of keyword writing is really out of date and serves no purpose what-so-ever. Following the recent Google changes, it can possibly harm your rankings too.
I’m the first one to say that you don’t need a fancy all singing all dancing website for your business, but you do need one that makes sense and works. Definitely not recycled copy with less than 100 words on the main page of your website, and not even decent words at that.
Since I searched plumbers in the screen shot above, and one of the ads is one of Yell small business websites, let me show you this…
The basic Yell small business websites for plumbers first page copy is:
You should choose knowledgeable and experienced [trade] in [city] for assistance with your [trade service]. It is imperative that you receive high quality equipment and excellent customer service. At [business name], knowledgeable [trade] undergo extensive training. When you choose us, we get the job done right first time. You can discuss your [trade service] needs with [business name] by calling [phone].
Note that one of Google’s guide lines is:
Don’t create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
Yell Web Copy on tour on the following small business websites near you now!
- dslplumbingandheating.co.uk – Wrexham (google ad above)
- kdheatingplumbingpeterborough.co.uk – Peterborough
- oxbowplumbingedinburgh.co.uk – Edinburgh
- acservicesaberdeen.co.uk – Aberdeen
- gloucestermechanicservicesgl1.co.uk – Gloucester
- bgsweeneywelwyngardencity.co.uk – Welwyn
- garyblairplumbing-heatingka11.co.uk – Irvine
- ph2olimitedpeebles.co.uk – Peebles
- emcgasheatingplumbingarbroath.co.uk – Abroath
- spplumbingheatingengineertr27.co.uk – Hayle
Oh, I could go on, but you get the idea with 10.
Note, this post was written in June 2011 – theses website thankfully have now gone! There’s still a lot of recycled website copy with just a few word changes or sentences in slightly a different order floating about online.
Apparently Mr. Yell salesman wasn’t aware that they recycled copy, and anyway, businesses approve websites before they go live.
Well of course they do – they’re trusting you as an expert in your field! You’re supposed to know that website content should be both search and people friendly, that it should speak to the viewer and not just spout garbage. I doubt if you told small business owners that the exact same wording is used on websites all over the UK that they would approve the site.
Then he let me log in to some wonderful business website score chart, to show how Yell can help me. While my scores were generally high, my website marketing is poor. Until you ask what it is scored on. This is the best bit…
I am not listed in every online business directory known to man.
Thank you for telling me that Yell, I KNOW that the website isn’t listed on all the main online business directories. I’m doing it in small batches so I do not get inundated with sales calls that waste my time!
Overall, just that one call lasted 40 minutes and it would have gone on longer if the phone hadn’t cut out. It really was hard selling. If I didn’t know any better I would have fallen for the sales patter 2 minutes in. It was only because I am an argumentative woman who is really irritated by the small business websites offered by Yell with their downright lies that the call went on for so long.
This is a rather longer than expected blog post and I haven’t got to the other calls yet!
The moral of the post is – don’t believe the sales patter. Ask questions.
- No one is partnered with Google,
- ads are not rankings,
- web copy should be unique to your business,
If you do want an “all done for you” small business website, that can be easily updated (by you if you want to) Check My Local Business Website packages.
You can host your website wherever you wish. If you choose to use my hosting, I will not tie you to minimum terms. I will not charge you £500 to move to another provider. But most of all, the website domain name will registered to your business name and address and web copy will be unique to your company and owned by you too.
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Paul Stamp says
Hi Jan,
I’m leaving a comment here just to clear up a couple of points raised in the post. We do produce websites for businesses, with products called Yellsites. Bespoke content is produced for these pages.
The links you have provided within the blog post are to something different. These are free pages set up, if a customer wants one, to establish a basic web presence, as part of an advertising package on Yell. These pages are being phased out however, and as you say things have moved on.
Yell do have a strategic alliance with Google to resell Google AdWords which we call Search Marketing Services. It has proved highly beneficial for Yell’s advertisers with Yell winning the EMEA award for the fastest growth in active advertiser base in 2010.
However, no one can guarantee a number one position on the results page for organic or inorganic listings.
If you want to hear more about this, here’s a video featuring Google’s Tariq Janmohamed talking about Yell’s relationship with Google -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9a6rNdrC2I
You also mentioned that you added yourself to Yell with a free listing – did you know you can now ‘claim your business’? Just go to your listing on Yell, click ‘more information’ and then ‘Add/Edit your business description and services’. You do need to register but it only takes a couple of minutes. Once you have done that you can add loads more info about your business to the listing.
Let me know what you think of it, as this is a new feature and we are looking for feedback on it.
Thanks,
Paul (Community Manager at Yell)
Jan Kearney says
Thanks for taking the time to comment Paul. Oddly, that ended up in the spam comments, it was only because most auto bot spammers do not post such long comments that it caught my eye before getting caught in the “select all” and delete.
To reply to your reply…
1. It’s good to hear you are phasing out the basic sites. If these basic sites are being phased out, don’t you think it is unfair on your current clients to continue to use them as adwords landing pages?
2. As you pointed out you are a Google Adwords reseller. Yet your sales people told me they could get me to the top of Google. As you correctly state, no one can promise that. If I didn’t know any better, I would have fallen for that hook, line and sinker. There is a huge difference between Adwords, organic listings and places listings. With the we are “partnered with Google” and “get you to the top of the listings” lines, your sales people are mis-selling the service, they are using deception and ignorance of the process to try to make a sale.
3. I haven’t claimed my business, I will do when I have the time for another round of sales calls…
Yell have always had aggressive sales, even back when it was just the paper directory. All the online directories are re-inventing themselves to move with the times (to the point one was upset I called them a directory not a social site!) And all of them follow listings up with sales calls to upgrade – that’s to be expected, a business needs to make money, thats not a bad thing.
However, until I was subjected to the multitude of sales calls last week, I put the things people I have worked with were telling me about Yell down to misunderstanding of what was actually offered. I even had one client asking when do they start paying Google for their places listing!
It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Yell offered to sell me AdWords ads as Google “listings”. I was told that Yell are a top searched for site as a reason to upgrade my free listing. I really do not envy your position as community manager, I even feel sorry for the sales people who must get some flak. These are practices are deceptive and the sales script needs to be re-written to be clear about what Yell are actually offering – including the small print that Yell maintain ownership of the domain and will charge far more than the site is worth to move it to another provider.
Caira says
I was rently contacted by a Yell sales advisor. They advised me that their free listings in their Yellow pages is no longer being offered and all business that only have a free listing will no longer be included in this directory and therefore I would need to have a paid listing in order to be included.
Do you know if this is true as when I went onto their website they still advertise free listings?
Jan Kearney says
Hi Caira,
I don’t work for Yell, so really can only comment from my understanding of the situation. I had a similar call, and from what I gather, the free line listing in with the paid ads in the paper directory will no longer be available. However, the free line listing will now be in the back of the book in alphabetical order. So if those people who still use the book know your company name, they can still look you up.
The Yell online directory is a seperate entity, and to my knowledge, free online entries are still available. Paul (Yell’s UK Community Manager) left a comment above stating these free listings can be upgraded and claimed free after registration too. I haven’t tried that one, will do when I’m in the mood for more hard sell!
I hope that answered your question Caira. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Phil says
Seems like a long winded rant about Yell (which is clearly the biggest player in your industry) only to pitch your site at the end…lol
Would love to see some examples of your sites to test robustness and seo etc.
I heard Yell have just set their 50,000 th site live in th UK, so would doubt that all these customers got it wrong?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion though, I just think yours comes across as bitter as your attack on their customer base has dried up.
Jan Kearney says
It would appear I have upset a Yell employee. What a shame…
Phil, yes this was a rant. I had 4 phone calls of downright lies in one week. The difference between me and most people they call is they can’t baffle me with stats because this is what I do for a living.
If you actually read the post rather than picked out a few parts, you would know that. I really don’t care how many sites they have live, that does not change my personal experience of them or that of the people I get calls and emails from. Of course, I am not going to hear from people happy with the service, I only see one side.
Am I bitter? Nope, just a bad tempered bugger who likes a rant every now and then. It’s my blog, I can do that, I only answer to myself 🙂 I could have also just not approved your comment.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion as you say. When you come back with some evidence that Yell have changed their sales tactics quoting stats that don’t matter, have stopped twisting the truth about their partnership with Google (it’s adwords they’re selling not search rankings) or have stopped using the same copy on multiple websites across the UK, then your opinion may matter. Until then, it doesn’t.
Rob Allport says
Interesting read.
Firstly, I’ve read a lot about Yell using their “partnership” with Google to get better ranking – I just have to say that just wrong. They are pitching their sites to a certain niche, who wouldn’t think otherwise.
I recently had a potenmtial customer who touched on this whole issue with Yell and he wanted to to prove that Yell are in fact recycling both website copy and their web design. As a web person, it’s as clear as day to me, but the client wanted proof. So I came up with a little method to prove this to clients – have a read of my post at http://www.web-design-talk.co.uk/478/yell-web-design-review
Thanks
Jan Kearney says
Hi Rob,
Thanks for popping in, and thank you for the reference in your article. The Yell websites are evil bit made me chuckle, I probably wouldn’t go that far but it is true I am not their number 1 fan!
It is a bit worrying that I wrote this post a year ago and you are writing about the same issues a year down the line. I know from the calls I get the tactics haven’t changed – those “basic” websites are still live and often used as adwords landing pages.
I’ve added your blog to my reader, you have some great topics on there.
james says
Hi Jan more than a year on and Yell is still making these calls. We had one today. They do sound very convincing and for small businesses operating in tough times it is easy to be sucked in. I am web savvy also and have a in built sense of scepticism which why I did a bit of research and found your blog. We were told that we would “guaranteed” a first page listing but they wanted £750!. Given that it’s all done in a phone call it would be hard to prove any kind of mis representation but I think these calls are at least sharp practice. If someone had the presence of mind to record a call then we could properly evaluate the content and perhaps at least alert Yell if their telemarketers are going beyond what they should say and at best complain to the OFT.
Jan Kearney says
Hi James, thanks for popping in and your comment. I’m not surprised that the sales tactics haven’t changed, I was rather shocked at what they were claiming (as you can tell by the rant…)
No one can guarantee a first page listing, even their customer service guy said that. As for reporting them, I’m surprised that no-one has!
Danny says
Hi Jan,
I’ve just had a call from Yell about their ‘special relationship’, when I challenged the sales guy he confirmed that Google give them better natural listings placements as they have such a large sales team! I’ve never heard such rubbish! Desperate tactics from a desperate company.
Jan Kearney says
*is speechless* It’s a shame you didn’t record it Danny!
From the Google help on SEO
“Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.”
http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291