Cheshire wrote:

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Good morning John
Difficult one this and one that it might be worth doing more some local research on. Have you noticed how a very large proportion within this industry use their own names or just initials followed by the words bookkeeping/accountancy or the like, so unless people know the name of the business in the first place they would not be looking under that name if they are looking for a bookkeeper anyway. They look under generic terms such as bookkeeper etc, some obviously use other search methods. So from a SEO perspective its more about getting other search words and terms into your website in the first place to drive people to your business. I did a quick very basic search on 'bookkeeper Ripon' and funnily enough found your old business name, rather than the new, so maybe you could start to do a link in there and some work on the Ripon side. (Although strangely I didnt search Doncaster as despite you mentioning it above, I always think of you as Ripon based!)

It's the Doncaster side I wish to concentrate on, and when I overhaul the website content I will optimise it for that.  I'm still planning to moving to Chesterfield, and providing everything goes as planned, it will be July/August next year.   Just had a look on Google and I'm in the Ripon local google listing as 111, like you say.  I did that when I first started, thanks I could do with changing that. Leger is on page 4 though lol.

Issue comes I guess when you get clients recommending you to their associates, or the name is mentioned in passing, then try to look you up later, because then those people do not know how to spell it and will perhaps put the ledger spelling in, although in certain areas of South Yorkshire they may well put the Leger spelling in first (I do recall you talking about it when you first launched your new name on here that it was commonly used in the area).

That's true.  Yes, Leger was chosen because of it's connotations with Doncaster, but I never factored in the ledger connotation.  Anything other than accounts and I don't think it would be an issue.  The misspelling is the only reason I'm thinking of changing it. 

If you changed names - how many clients is it affecting? They are the easy ones to approach, advise and remind. But the biggest issue - what about all the potentials out there/any Accountants that you work with - ie how do you get the message through to the unseen masses for them to be able to remember it when they are ready to use it. It needs careful management.

I agree, and it's been whirling around in my head for a few months now, I'm loathe to change it but feel it's an hindrance when I'm ready to expand. 

You could also consider changing the name of the Ltd company behind it and still trade as Leger, work on seo of both and gradually drop (or indeed by then you may decide to keep Leger). You could even build something in about Ledger v Leger by way of a slogan/advertising.

I've no wish to change the Ltd Co name, although I did think about it.   Interestingly I just told Google to search leger bookkeeping not ledger and I come right at the top of the listings without an area, so that proves the point about the mispelling.   Its just a shame Google will default to Ledger.  But yes, I could seo so that Ledger gets picked up. Think I will experiment with that and see if it helps first.  I've just had another idea as well, which will also boost the local side of it (landing pages for both area's)

Biggest issue for me would be perception - people will naturally ask....why is he changing his name again. Cynics will think its because you have something to hide, but that would be completely down to how you handle the change - a little spin can go a long way.

I absolutely agree, which is why I'm looking at just a domain change, rather than a trading name change, or concentrating on local seo.  However, doing a name change now though will only affect my current clients, and not in any massive way. They know me well enough not to be worried about it.

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