I have been in the search marketing field now for about three years and I can honestly say there are still some areas of this industry that baffle me. I know I am not supposed to admit that kind of thing but it’s the truth and I simply suck at telling lies, so I don’t. One of the most intriguing areas of search marketing is the mystery of pricing of search engine optimization (SEO) services.
If you have spent any time fielding quotes for SEO services you are probably well aware of the ridiculously wide range of prices, services, promises, tall tales, outright lies and all stops in between that occur in the marketplace. If you are confused and frustrated I would suspect that you are not alone. In the next few posts I would like to cover this matter from the point of view of the service provider. After all, if it’s incumbent upon the SEO provider.
Before we get to the hard numbers let’s take a look at what is required to deliver SEO services. First and foremost is knowledge. Knowledge of the search engines themselves, knowledge of the latest and greatest practices, an overall knowledge of business, knowledge of marketing ….. Well, you get the point. There is incredible value in this knowledge so paying for that knowledge rather than obtaining or hiring it yourself is often preferred by businesses. However, here’s the catch on the knowledge play; if someone makes SEO appear to be too easy to do (“Oh, we’ll just do some directory submissions for your link building” ) or too difficult ( “With a multivariate analysis of the various key algorithmic factors …….”) your BS detector should be lighting up like a Christmas tree. Knowledge is the means to the end and not the end unto itself. Many firms will concentrate on technique rather than practical application of SEO principles that will yield bottom line results for your business. Be careful not to get fished in by the over simplification or over complication of SEO.
Another important factor in the effective delivery of these services is people. It starts with your sales experience. Does your SEO account executive or sales representative give you a sense of comfort or a sense that you should be hiding your checkbook? Although people laugh about this, it is one of the most critical aspects of the process of deciding who to work with for search marketing services. Sales people should be concentrating on business applications and not on the technical side of SEO. Most SEO salespeople have never optimized a website in their lives. You may even want to ask your sales rep about that and see how they handle it. The good ones will tell you the truth: that they are there to solve a business / marketing issue and if you want to get in the weeds on the technique they will have someone from their delivery team talk with you. Here’s a joke that someone once told me on a sales call “What’s the difference between a used car salesman and an SEO salesman? Answer: The used car salesman KNOWS when he is lying. Considering I am a sales guy that stings a little but considering what I have heard regarding sales folks in this industry it might be well deserved.
Well, that’s enough for today. I will continue this examination of the service provider’s side of the story in my next post.
SMB Takeaway: Don’t allow anyone to over simplify or over complicate SEO when talking about their service; both tactics are red flags. Don’t be afraid to “go with your gut” and size up the potential SEO provider based on the professionalism and knowledge of your sales contact.
Thanks and have a great day!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Ya know, sometimes I wonder if the reason people charge this is more as a deterrent. A lot of people charging crazy prices often offer up plenty of information, one might say even enough to do your SEO yourself. Maybe the price is to help encourage more people to learn proper SEO themselves before asking for help.