I have actually been interested in obtaining some SEO help from someone with proven results (case study or the like). The main reason why I haven't done so is mainly due to a lack of time to do the proper research and find someone. Overall my sites follow SEO basics but I am to the point where I need someone at the expert level to move to the next level. My main question is: As a general rule of thumb, what should the minimum budget be to obtain measurable results? I have heard numbers anywhere from $500 - $5000 and up... Obviously it is impossible to give an exact answer without the subject matter etc but I was looking for an overall range. I know there are plenty of "cookie cutter" solutions that really just don't work. I'm curious what the real guru's charge . This way I can actually budget properly for 2007.
If you want to hire a SEO pro to do a decent job, you are looking for fees of at least 5K. You can learn a few SEO tips by hanging out on this forum and other webmaster forums. You don't need to spend all that money for something that you can do with a little effort.
little effort... If it were little effort then the good SEOs woudln't charge so much. Hey, you should go read some medical forums, maybe with some little effort you will be able to cure your family members and save money on doctors
This is always a hard question to anwser. Every company site has different goals of what they want to acomplish. With that said, the best thing that you can do is talk one on one with some seo's and see what they can do for you. And yes each market is also different so cost will always very. I believe that anyone or any company that has one set price for their services is not always the best bet. With so many factors to consider for the market that a company may want to target it is just to hard to say. But one thing for sure, I would always avoid the taking the cheap route. But to answer your question the best way that I can, I normally charge for seo based on the amount of links that are needed in order to push a site the top.
I actually spend quite a bit of time on these forums and take advantage of several tips and best practices. (thank you to everyone!) I'm just to the point where I am not sure what else can be improved upon by myself. Not to mention the lack of time. So many other aspects to worry about then a hard core SEO campaign. Not that I believe PR is everything (or anything that matters really) - but as a point of measurement the site in question currently is a PR6
when I can afford SEO, I'm going to get a company which is listed on the front page of Google for SEO or search engine optimization - preferably both if a company has. That way I know they don't just talk the talk, they can walk the walk and my money is going to show some results.
Depends on the site itself and What kind of SEO you hire. Small or BIG every SEO calls himself the best in the business.
This does not mean anything. Most sites that rank for these keywords do not even offer seo services, and even if they do most people could not afford the cost anyway. I think that is a silly way to judge a company when it comes to seo services. That is like saying "I have the best gift baskets online, but your site is no were to be found for gift baskets".
really? Well the first site that comes up for me when i search google for "search engine optimization" is a company offering SEO services. Why is it a silly way to judge? I have no idea what you are talking about with the basket thing. Basically, they have managed to get themselves to the top for their keywords. I would pay them over some company which says they can get you high in the rankings, but cant even get themselves ranked. But hey, suit yourself.
Forgot to add the rest about gift baskets. What I mean is a company may really offer some of the best gift baskets online but just because they do not rank on the first page for gift baskets does not mean that they are not any good. And most of those sites that rank for seo related keywords have been online forever and a day. There are tons of companies that are very good at seo and focus more on getting the job done for their clients than pushing their own sites. In the end what you do for your clients and how high you rank them for their keywords is all that matters.
What I really want is a company which I can pay half now half later - half at the start, and half after they get the results they promise!
LOL that is the best use of idiot logic I have ever seen. You can easily have the best gift baskets but know fuck all about SEO. If you are pimping SEO however and can't rank at the top, well you aint the best.
No real SEO company charges a flat fee. Anyone that has a clue about SEO knows that you can't just pay a fee and get results to last forever. SEO's charge an hourly fee for their services so whether they work 10 hours or 500 to get what you want is irrelevant. They might offer some type of service for a flat fee but that service does not guarantee results.
A common response from those that really do not know anything about seo or how to rank their own website.
No harm in optimism! If they had enough confidence in their service there would be some willing to do it.
Um... and then... ...that made me laugh. No one offers a guarantee on results...flat fee or not. They offer case studies, testimonials, traffic stats, conversion tracking... all parts of an SEO campaign that should help reassure you choosing the right SEO company. It has nothing to do with their service, it has to do with being burned before by people. There are some SEO's that do it this way...until their clients don't pay them for the work they've done...
number 1 under 'search engine optimization' is Wiki...good luck getting some advice off them! lol The charge should depend entirely on your site and the keywords your after. If it's a couple of local keywords, shouldn't be that hard. After a huge keyword, expect to pay alot and have to wait for upto a year or two!
The way I and many others work is to charge an upfront fee that covers site-optimisation and initial link building. Depending on the clients requirements we then charge a monthly maintenance fee that covers link building and additional page optimisation. I feel this is the fairest way to charge for both the client and the SEO, the large initial cost covers the time and expense of the site optimisation. Costsly link building charges are then spread over a longer period.