RSS Feed (xml)This question was posted on a message board recently:
Title: Wanted SEO/SEM Vendor Referral
Message: Does anyone have a COST EFFECTIVE SEO and SEM vendor referral. I am open to outsourcing, if referral for trustworthy vendor.
Thanks, "Uninformed Buyer"
I actually cringed in horror; just look at those capital letters on precisely the wrong attributes! Cost is usually the wrong question to focus on when choosing a search engine optimization (SEO) professional, as it implies you are buying a commodity. Strategic effectiveness and search marketing profitability impact are much more appropriate questions. A quality SEO is all too rare, and should be priced like fine artwork.
If search engine optimization is about organic ranking effectiveness on the web that drives relevant, converting and revenue-generating traffic – wouldn't online research of organic listings be a good first step? I'd assert it would be a good place to create a short prospect list of vendors to perform due diligence.
Yet many SEO firms receive sales calls from companies which don't have their SEO act together every day. Educating people to resist this is part of changing the industry's image, and quality SEOs share responsibility in creating this reality.
Quality SEO is presently a significantly undervalued skill set. Yet it can dramatically transform profitability of a business, as it has superior economics when compared to traditional media spending. However, since this value proposition is not yet understood by many management team executives, it often lacks the executive support it requires both in terms of financial resources and supporting needed operational changes.
It is also competing with large, highly entrenched budgets which are frequently controlled by individuals without a deep knowledge of search engine marketing which adds uncertainties to the selection process.
Title: Wanted SEO/SEM Vendor Referral
Message: Does anyone have a COST EFFECTIVE SEO and SEM vendor referral. I am open to outsourcing, if referral for trustworthy vendor.
Thanks, "Uninformed Buyer"
I actually cringed in horror; just look at those capital letters on precisely the wrong attributes! Cost is usually the wrong question to focus on when choosing a search engine optimization (SEO) professional, as it implies you are buying a commodity. Strategic effectiveness and search marketing profitability impact are much more appropriate questions. A quality SEO is all too rare, and should be priced like fine artwork.
If search engine optimization is about organic ranking effectiveness on the web that drives relevant, converting and revenue-generating traffic – wouldn't online research of organic listings be a good first step? I'd assert it would be a good place to create a short prospect list of vendors to perform due diligence.
Yet many SEO firms receive sales calls from companies which don't have their SEO act together every day. Educating people to resist this is part of changing the industry's image, and quality SEOs share responsibility in creating this reality.
Quality SEO is presently a significantly undervalued skill set. Yet it can dramatically transform profitability of a business, as it has superior economics when compared to traditional media spending. However, since this value proposition is not yet understood by many management team executives, it often lacks the executive support it requires both in terms of financial resources and supporting needed operational changes.
It is also competing with large, highly entrenched budgets which are frequently controlled by individuals without a deep knowledge of search engine marketing which adds uncertainties to the selection process.
