Competitive intelligence · 9 Oct 2026
Merchant Advice Service: where the search traffic lands, and where the leads go
Correction (9 Oct): what "the Payments Directory" means
The Payments Directory is the search-and-filter page at /providers/, with its "Get personalised recommendations" form. The 60 provider listing pages are what it links to. Earlier versions of this page called the listings "the directory"; they are labelled "Provider listings" below.
- The directory page itself gets almost no Google traffic: 4 keywords, all at position 43 or lower, about half a visit a month estimated. It ranks for nothing containing "directory". Visitors almost certainly reach it from the site's own menu and buttons.
- How many people use the directory search or submit its form is unknown. That needs Merchant Advice Service's own form or analytics data.
The short version
- The site is small in Google: about 808 estimated visits a month from 878 keywords. Only 37 keywords are in the top 10.
- The provider listing pages get about 157 of those a month (19%), and almost all of it is people searching a provider by name ("zempler bank", "dna payments", "takepayments", sort codes, logins). They were already looking for that provider.
- The 60 provider pages send enquiries straight to a named contact at the provider, not through the Merchant Advice Service matching form. Whether Merchant Advice Service is copied cannot be seen from outside.
- The lead-shaped traffic comes from advice articles, which carry the Merchant Advice Service forms: "payment broker" at position 1, "high risk payment processing companies" and "high-risk payment gateways" at 2, "debit card machines" at 3.
Traffic figures are DataForSEO estimates for UK Google, not measured clicks. Real numbers need the site owner's Search Console.
808
estimated visits a month, whole site
157
of those land on provider listing pages (not the directory search page)
60
provider pages that route enquiries straight to the provider
37
keywords in the Google top 10 (of 878)
How a visitor becomes a lead
Read from the live forms on 9 Oct 2026. Nothing was submitted.
1. Provider listing page (most /providers/ traffic)
Searches a provider's name, e.g. "takepayments"
↓
Lands on /providers/takepayments
↓
Clicks "Contact" → /provider-contact form
↓
Enquiry emailed to a named person at the provider
The provider's email sits in a hidden field on the page. No Merchant Advice Service matching form on these pages.
2. The Payments Directory search page and its category pages
Lands on /providers/merchant-accounts, /payment-gateways, /epos, /cash-advance or the directory home
↓
Multi-step matching form: business, payment set-up, turnover, consent
↓
Lead to Merchant Advice Service, passed to partners
These pages get very little search traffic: about 6 a month combined.
3. Advice article (where the buying searches land)
Searches "payment broker", "high risk payment processing companies"
↓
Lands on an article, e.g. best high-risk card payment providers
↓
Profile form or matching form → Merchant Advice Service
Plus phone 0800 304 78 75 on every page.
Estimated traffic by section
Estimated visits a month, UK Google.
Every /providers/ page (directory search page plus provider listings)
Sorted by estimated visits. "Top keyword" is the page's highest-traffic ranking. Links open the live page.
| Page | Est. visits/mo | Keywords | Top keyword | UK volume | Position | Lead route |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zempler-bank | 49.6 | 12 | zempler bank | 18100 | 25 | Straight to provider |
| dna-payments-ltd | 15.0 | 14 | dna payments | 3600 | 22 | Straight to provider |
| takepayments | 10.2 | 7 | takepayments | 3600 | 27 | Straight to provider |
| key-ivr-ltd | 9.3 | 4 | key ivr | 210 | 7 | Straight to provider |
| lopay | 7.3 | 5 | lopay | 2900 | 33 | Straight to provider |
| trust-payments | 6.4 | 6 | trust payments | 2400 | 31 | Straight to provider |
| cash-advance | 5.0 | 2 | merchant cash advance direct lenders | 140 | 6 | MAS form |
| blink-payment | 4.7 | 2 | blink payments | 1300 | 18 | Straight to provider |
| m-world-business-solutions-ltd | 4.5 | 5 | modern world business solutions | 720 | 17 | Straight to provider |
| handepay | 4.3 | 5 | handepay | 1600 | 25 | Straight to provider |
| ryft | 3.8 | 4 | ryft | 1000 | 31 | Straight to provider |
| nochex | 3.7 | 4 | nochex | 590 | 15 | Straight to provider |
| acceptcards | 3.3 | 7 | acceptcards | 110 | 8 | Straight to provider |
| nuapay-sentenial-limited | 2.4 | 1 | nuapay | 210 | 10 | Straight to provider |
| teya | 2.2 | 10 | teya customer service number | 210 | 28 | Straight to provider |
| paynt | 2.2 | 1 | paynt | 390 | 14 | Straight to provider |
| direct-debits | 1.8 | 10 | direct debit for small business | 110 | 70 | No form |
| emerchantpay | 1.5 | 5 | emerchantpay | 480 | 25 | Straight to provider |
| worldpay | 1.4 | 5 | what is worldpay | 480 | 36 | Straight to provider |
| payabl | 1.4 | 2 | payabl | 590 | 40 | Straight to provider |
| ecommpay | 1.2 | 1 | ecommpay | 590 | 32 | Straight to provider |
| aib-merchant-services | 1.2 | 2 | aibms | 320 | 23 | Straight to provider |
| anna-money | 1.2 | 5 | anna bank address | 210 | 50 | Straight to provider |
| foodhub | 1.2 | 5 | what is food hub | 140 | 41 | Straight to provider |
| segpay | 1.1 | 2 | what is segpay | 140 | 16 | Straight to provider |
| bb-merchant-services | 1.0 | 1 | bb merchant services | 90 | 10 | Straight to provider |
| cardcorp | 1.0 | 1 | card corp | 90 | 10 | Straight to provider |
| business-banking | 0.9 | 6 | bank business services | 70 | 65 | No form |
| axcess-merchant-services | 0.7 | 1 | axcess merchant services | 170 | 17 | Straight to provider |
| paystrax | 0.7 | 1 | paystrax | 170 | 17 | Straight to provider |
| rapyd | 0.7 | 3 | rapyd payments | 170 | 22 | Straight to provider |
| fibonatix | 0.6 | 1 | fibonatix | 110 | 13 | Straight to provider |
| paysafe | 0.6 | 3 | optimal payments | 110 | 51 | Straight to provider |
| payment-gateways | 0.5 | 1 | transferop payment gateway ltd | 260 | 41 | MAS form |
| decta-limited | 0.5 | 1 | decta | 210 | 21 | Straight to provider |
| Directory home | 0.5 | 4 | merchant services uk | 70 | 69 | MAS form |
| cardaq-limited | 0.5 | 1 | cardaq limited | 90 | 15 | Straight to provider |
| yumapos-uk-ltd | 0.4 | 1 | yumapos | 210 | 27 | Straight to provider |
| gala-technology | 0.4 | 2 | gala technologies | 90 | 24 | Straight to provider |
| chargebacks-911 | 0.3 | 1 | chargebacks911 | 170 | 43 | Straight to provider |
| boodil-ltd | 0.3 | 1 | boodil | 140 | 21 | Straight to provider |
| pixxles-ltd | 0.3 | 1 | pixxles | 140 | 26 | Straight to provider |
| payment-loyalty | 0.3 | 2 | loyalty payment | 70 | 33 | Straight to provider |
| epos-now | 0.2 | 1 | epos now ltd | 110 | 33 | Straight to provider |
| truevo-ltd | 0.2 | 1 | truevo | 50 | 16 | Straight to provider |
| xace | 0.2 | 1 | xace login | 90 | 32 | Straight to provider |
| wts | 0.1 | 1 | wireless terminal solutions | 70 | 25 | Straight to provider |
| nmi | 0.1 | 1 | nmi payments | 70 | 27 | Straight to provider |
| epos | 0.1 | 1 | epos providers | 70 | 27 | MAS form |
| psp-angels | 0.1 | 1 | psp group torquay | 50 | 55 | Straight to provider |
| acme-limited | 0 | 0 | not ranking | 404 | ||
| acquired-com | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| brokers-and-isos | 0 | 0 | not ranking | No form | ||
| catalystpay | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| cedge-ventures-pte-ltd | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| ecap | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| elite-money-limited | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| extra-direct | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| final-go-live-checks | 0 | 0 | not ranking | 404 | ||
| freedompay | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| hospitality-digital-services | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| layopay-limited | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| loyalty-and-service-providers | 0 | 0 | not ranking | No form | ||
| merchant-accounts | 0 | 0 | not ranking | MAS form | ||
| mobile-pay-systems-limited | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| nomupay | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| open-banking | 0 | 0 | not ranking | No form | ||
| pay-com | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| paymodum | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| removed-trailing-whitespace | 0 | 0 | not ranking | 404 | ||
| taylr-ltd | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| we-tranxact-ltd | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider | ||
| webworks-4 | 0 | 0 | not ranking | 404 | ||
| xda | 0 | 0 | not ranking | Straight to provider |
Keywords in the Google top 10
37 keywords.
| Keyword | UK volume | Position | Est. visits | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| payment broker | 70 | 1 | 21.3 | /merchant-accounts/finding-the-best-merchant-services-broker-or-card-processing-consultants |
| high risk payment processing companies | 110 | 2 | 17.8 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/best-high-risk-card-payment-providers-uk |
| high-risk payment gateways | 90 | 2 | 14.6 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/best-high-risk-card-payment-providers-uk |
| debit card machines | 140 | 3 | 13.6 | /card-machines/portable-card-machines |
| merchant services online | 140 | 4 | 9.2 | /merchant-accounts/no-credit-check-credit-card-processing |
| passing on credit card fees to customers uk | 70 | 3 | 6.8 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| online merchant processing | 140 | 5 | 6.6 | /merchant-accounts/how-to-accept-online-payments-without-a-website |
| mcc code | 390 | 9 | 5.8 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/merchant-codes-list-identifying-high-risk-categories |
| key ivr | 210 | 7 | 5.4 | /providers/key-ivr-ltd |
| surcharges on credit cards | 50 | 3 | 4.9 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| credit card online processing | 140 | 6 | 4.7 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/credit-card-processing-for-dating-sites-and-apps |
| merchant cash advance direct lenders | 140 | 6 | 4.7 | /providers/cash-advance |
| online credit card payment processing | 140 | 6 | 4.7 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/credit-card-processing-for-dating-sites-and-apps |
| dojo epos | 90 | 5 | 4.2 | /card-machines/epos-now-and-dojo-no-longer-integrating-what-it-means-for-businesses-and-the-best-alternatives |
| merchant service uk | 70 | 5 | 3.3 | / |
| keyivr | 260 | 10 | 2.9 | /providers/key-ivr-ltd |
| nuapay | 210 | 10 | 2.4 | /providers/nuapay-sentenial-limited |
| acceptcards | 110 | 8 | 2.2 | /providers/acceptcards |
| merchant providers uk | 50 | 6 | 1.7 | / |
| barclays epdq | 110 | 9 | 1.6 | /payment-gateways/barclays-epdq-gateway-to-be-decommissioned-what-merchants-need-to-do-next |
| online merchant services | 140 | 10 | 1.6 | /merchant-accounts/how-to-accept-online-payments-without-a-website |
| payment gateway services | 140 | 10 | 1.6 | /payment-gateways/split-payment-gateways-a-complete-guide-for-marketplaces-and-platforms |
| marketplace merchant on bank statement | 90 | 9 | 1.4 | /payment-gateways/marketplace-payment-gateways-a-complete-guide-to-payments-compliance-and-profitability |
| dna merchant portal | 110 | 10 | 1.2 | /providers/dna-payments-ltd |
| bb merchant services | 90 | 10 | 1.0 | /providers/bb-merchant-services |
| card corp | 90 | 10 | 1.0 | /providers/cardcorp |
| surcharge credit card | 50 | 8 | 1.0 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| merchant account comparison | 50 | 9 | 0.8 | /merchant-accounts |
| merchant account comparisons | 50 | 9 | 0.8 | /merchant-accounts |
| surcharge on credit card | 50 | 9 | 0.8 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| pas re m world | 40 | 9 | 0.6 | /providers/m-world-business-solutions-ltd |
| credit card charges banned | 50 | 10 | 0.6 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| disadvantages of biometric | 50 | 10 | 0.6 | /merchant-accounts/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-biometric-payments-a-merchants-guide |
| independent sales organization list | 50 | 10 | 0.6 | /merchant-accounts/what-is-a-payments-iso-everything-you-need-to-know |
| merchant services providers uk | 50 | 10 | 0.6 | / |
| payments epdq | 40 | 10 | 0.5 | /payment-gateways/barclays-epdq-gateway-to-be-decommissioned-what-merchants-need-to-do-next |
| shopify merchant | 40 | 10 | 0.5 | /payment-gateways/shopify-payment-gateways |
Top 25 keywords by estimated traffic
The two biggest ("payment by phone", "nearest plumbing merchant to me") rank far down and are not real buyers.
| Keyword | UK volume | Position | Est. visits | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| payment by phone | 49500 | 57 | 103.9 | /card-machines/taking-card-payments-via-mobile-phone |
| nearest plumbing merchant to me | 40500 | 35 | 85.1 | / |
| zempler bank | 18100 | 25 | 38.0 | /providers/zempler-bank |
| payment broker | 70 | 1 | 21.3 | /merchant-accounts/finding-the-best-merchant-services-broker-or-card-processing-consultants |
| high risk payment processing companies | 110 | 2 | 17.8 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/best-high-risk-card-payment-providers-uk |
| surcharges | 2900 | 13 | 17.1 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| payment systems regulator | 8100 | 28 | 17.0 | /merchant-accounts/understanding-psr-regulations-and-the-impact-on-your-business |
| psr | 8100 | 31 | 17.0 | /merchant-accounts/understanding-psr-regulations-and-the-impact-on-your-business |
| high-risk payment gateways | 90 | 2 | 14.6 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/best-high-risk-card-payment-providers-uk |
| debit card machines | 140 | 3 | 13.6 | /card-machines/portable-card-machines |
| open a business bank account | 4400 | 75 | 9.2 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| open business bank account | 4400 | 68 | 9.2 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| opening a business bank account | 4400 | 75 | 9.2 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| merchant services online | 140 | 4 | 9.2 | /merchant-accounts/no-credit-check-credit-card-processing |
| dna payments | 3600 | 22 | 7.9 | /providers/dna-payments-ltd |
| takepayments | 3600 | 27 | 7.6 | /providers/takepayments |
| passing on credit card fees to customers uk | 70 | 3 | 6.8 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| online merchant processing | 140 | 5 | 6.6 | /merchant-accounts/how-to-accept-online-payments-without-a-website |
| apply business account online | 2900 | 63 | 6.1 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| lopay | 2900 | 33 | 6.1 | /providers/lopay |
| online business account opening | 2900 | 76 | 6.1 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| open a business bank account online | 2900 | 73 | 6.1 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| open business account online | 2900 | 81 | 6.1 | /business-banking/opening-a-business-bank-account-quickly |
| surcharging | 2900 | 25 | 6.1 | /merchant-accounts/surcharge-rules-in-the-uk-what-you-need-to-know |
| mcc code | 390 | 9 | 5.8 | /high-risk-merchant-accounts/merchant-codes-list-identifying-high-risk-categories |
Whole-site figures, every ranking page and all keywords: Whole-site search traffic.
Things seen on the site
- 4 sitemap URLs return 404: /providers/acme-limited, /providers/final-go-live-checks, /providers/webworks-4, /providers/removed-trailing-whitespace.
- robots.txt still names a sitemap on onboarding.merchantadviceservice.co.uk that lists conical.io pages (same as the July audit).
- The provider-contact form takes the recipient email from a hidden field in the page. If the server does not check it, the form could send email to any address. Inferred from the page, not tested.
Evidence and method
Traffic: DataForSEO Labs (domain_rank_overview, relevant_pages, ranked_keywords), Google UK, English, pulled 9 Oct 2026. "Estimated visits" is DataForSEO's traffic estimate from position and volume, not real clicks.
Lead routes: every /providers/ URL from the site's own sitemap (sitemap.en-GB.4seo.1.xml, 341 URLs) fetched on 9 Oct 2026 and its forms read. A page is "Straight to provider" when its only form posts to /provider-contact with the provider's email; "MAS form" when it carries the site's own matching form.