Rugged Radios

[Forrest]

Hello community. I've been working on this site for almost a year now, so some of you may have seen this site already from other posts where I have referenced it. Anyways, I'm ready to share it with you now.

http://www.ruggedradios.com
Rugged Radios (Rugged Race Products, Inc.) manufactures and supplies two-way racing communications equipment.

This site is one Joomla/VM install as a master site. We are now breaking the site Main categories into sub-sites. The first example of this is for "Aviation" products category, which redirects to http://www.ruggedairheadsets.com, providing it's own titles, modules, metadata, theming (tho I have kept it very similar), etc. As I complete the other sub-sites, we'll redirect those categories as well. The right floating icon set will allow users to jump to any sub-site (or main site) quickly.

The sub-sites are still within the same joomla/vm install, so all product, user, and all site(s) management is under one admin. We're still working to populate category and product data, videos, etc, as this is a massive WIP!

We have this integrated with Facebook pages as well to deliver live product feeds to the facebook pages with buy-now options right there. (Latest, Featured, & Best Selling mods, as well as category pages).

Look forward to your feedback!

[iAmNameLess]

How is your SEO?

[PRO]

Looks good. I looked at it the other day when I downloaded the menu hack. Is that the same hack?

[Forrest]

How is your SEO?

This is a GREAT QUESTION. Rugged Radios website was performing well before the launch of Rugged Air Headsets. Now Rugged is back on page two, from page one, for the top searches we were targeting for the general industry. I'm assuming duplicate content may be the issue. Most of the URLS, metadata, titles, etc are different... but product info is identical of course. I have written Google explaining the goals, providing our clients with more specific sites suited directly to their needs, and that were not trying to gain site rank via blank hat tactics. We'll see. I may need to find ways of altering product info as well if Google ignores me. I have had good luck in the past with them.

Looks good. I looked at it the other day when I downloaded the menu hack. Is that the same hack?

Yes and no. One the homepage I am using the menu mod, but only for the "Shop by Type" menu. On all other pages, you will also see the "Shop by Application" which is also the menu mod.

[jjk]

Now Rugged is back on page two, from page one...

Are you shure?
As I'm flying myself, I would type "Aviation Headsets" or just "Headsets" into Google if I wanted to buy a new one. For both searches I just didn't see your site show up on the top 20 Google pages. Of course if I type "Rugged Radios" into Google, it shows up on top, because it's part of the site name.

[Forrest]

Yes, I am sure jjk

Rugged RADIOS is page #2 for the search terms I was referring to, which we use to be page #1 (rank# 3-6 depending on the terms used and order). Rugged AIR website, however, just got launched... so I do not expect wonders overnight with that site's Google rank... which is directly for aviation headsets.

I was referring to Rugged Radios TOP general industry search terms... which we were page 1 for, and now page 2:
Racing Radios
Racing Communications
Racing Electronics


These are the main terms we have targeted with Rugged RADIOS website, though I did not specify what those terms were in my previous post. I'm sure we rank #1, to #100000 depending on all the other searches you can think of.

(And now you see this is exactly NOT what you would type in to find aviation headsets. Rugged Radios is mainly a TWO WAY RACING COMMUNICATIONS manufacturer and dealer, though we have broken off into other vertical markets such as Aviator headsets... hence the need for a multi site system, like rugged Air, with very targeted websites in their own right for each industry we do cover, in which SEO dramatically changes based on that industry). The goal of course for Aviation, is to be #1 for "Aviation Headsets", "Pilot Headsets", etc, but again, this site was just launched.

My intent to the SEO response post was to provide insight for people as to what Rugged Radios site rank was before and after, to give peops some overall insight, without spelling it all out. I will try to keep u all updated on my successes and failures here, but won't comment anymore on specific keywords and respective rank. We are in business to win, not to provide our competitors with our insight. And I am here to share info to the degree I feel comfortable sharing, but not be in a "you said this and it's that" debate.

Otherwise, enjoy the flying... it's my fav activity.

[Pyke]

I really want to know what is the "Testimonial" component that you use. It is a great testimonial component!

[Forrest]

It's just the Joomla article system.
1. I use a link to Joomla cateogories.
2. I use the readmore to show only part, then the full testimonials
3. I use yootheme's article slideshow module to rotate through them on the bottom of most pages.