Why is SEO so Expensive? (and how to make it more affordable)

Written on June 30, 2009 – 9:48 am | by oldschool

Many people complain about the high cost of Search Engine Optimization. It is true that in very competitive fields, it can be very costly to compete, but no one can change that – at least not for now. Paid Search (pay per click) often does not offer to get the job done much more affordably than SEO does and the competition factor also plays a huge role there as well. So what is a business owner to do?

First, I would say become a student of web marketing and search engine optimization. I don’t mean to try and be an expert, but I mean try to see what you can actually do on your own. I speak to people nearly every day that are looking to improve their online rankings and get more customers, and for rmany it is overwhelming because they have not taken the time to learn “something” about SEO. It is no different than if a CEO had no knowledge of finance or the production side of his or her business. It is no longer an optional form of marketing, given that people turn to the web more often than not for solutions.

Second, I would say “do something rather than nothing”. When I prepare a proposal for a client, I always try to walk them through it before sending it so they know what to expect. If I get a reaction over the price, I don’t just say “that’s the price… take it or leave it”, I try to find out how what has been proposed differs from their expectations. More than that, I try to help them understand the value of doing something as opposed to nothing which will make the next phase that much lesss costly, and hopefully they will see some results from the introductory level service. When people have “sticker shock” over a proposal, it still often boils down to a lack of education. I apprecaite when a prospect is up front and just says “we’ve never considered this so we had no idea what the costs were”. At least I know I am dealing with someone who is honest and realistic (as opposed to the insecure executive who thinks he or she needs to appear to know everything).

Last year, I wrote a book for the people that I just decribed. I realized that I had the same conversation with people time and time again and it always boiled down to not having any idea about the basics, and sometimes having mis-information (which is worse). I basically told my story of how I learned all that I learned (before they had classes in this stuff), which lead me to build several successful companies and websites. I spell out the A to Z’s so that not only will a conversation with a web marketing specialist not be confusing, but you will be able to implement many of the services yourself, saving thousands of dollars.

I am now at a point of (finally) getting that book in print – which has been a journey. Depending on the terms of the publishing agreement, I may not be able to offer it as an ebook (which I currently do), so I am making an offer to get it into the hands of those that truly need it. I am making the next 500 copies available for just $5 (it is currently priced at $29). For the first 100 to purchase, I am offering a FREE SEO Website Analysis and consultation (valued at $500), and giving everyone the opportunity to get some free exposure in the print book. For more details or to get your copy of my “tell-all” book, visit: http://www.anthonykirlew.com/

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Tags: internet marketing book, Internet Marketing guide, learn internet marketing, online marketing, SEM, SEO, web marketing

17 Responses to “Why is SEO so Expensive? (and how to make it more affordable)”
By Ray on Jun 30, 2009 | Reply

I am new to internet business and realized that it can get pretty expensive.

Looking forward to your book and hope it will help!
By oldschool on Jul 1, 2009 | Reply

Thanks Ray. It will be a while before the book is in print which is why I am making it available for such a low price as an ebook currently. I will certainly post when it is completed, but publishing is quite a lengthy process.
By Franky on Jul 17, 2009 | Reply

Good article . Thanks for posting.

Im new in SEO , too. In my opinion you can decrease the price of SEO if working with freelancers from countries with lower standards like India.
By oldschool on Jul 28, 2009 | Reply

Franky, lower standards can also mean lower quality of work, which can results in sub-par results. That isn’t to say that their are not overseas companies that do quality work, but you have to be very cautious.
By Mitchell on Sep 16, 2009 | Reply

Some years back we could easily get top position in search engine rank by using a few simple tricks like keyword stuffing, invisible text and cloaking. If you will try any of these tricks today, its quite impossible to get top ranking.
With millions of new domains and web pages getting created everyday, it is almost impossible to get ranked on the top in major search engines, And no doubt that organic seo and web marketing are the most important ways to get top ranks in search engines. So day by day its going expensive due to more competition…

For your question, My answer is very simple -it isn’t. Search engine optimization is the most cost effective form of website advertising with a low cost-per-acquisition (CPA) and high return on investment (ROI).
Thanks a lot that you are going to publish a valuable book…
By freddy on Sep 18, 2009 | Reply

I am sorry Mitchell, but i do not agree! SEO might be a very costly source to those people who are not completely aware of the marketing techniques. I have done it a very reasonable cost and i would prefer you to use the services. I am sure that you will do a good job then.
By Zen on Sep 22, 2009 | Reply

Fabulous article really. I would be helpful to newbies to seo industry to know about SEO . I have book marked this in delicious. Thanks.
By seo marketing on Sep 25, 2009 | Reply

Quality seo will all way be pricey as its time consuming there is no such thing as cheap quality seo!
By oldschool on Sep 30, 2009 | Reply

Mitchell, the techniques you have mentioned (keyword stuffing, invisible text and cloaking) are actually considered black hat techniques and will most likely get your site banned by Google as they are in opposition to what they recommend in their webmaster guidelines.

There is always a way to outrank other sites in the major search engines. It is by having optimized pages on your site that have strong links to them. If two sites are coded the same, the site with the most (quality) links will get the top 10 spots – always, no questions. It is not rocket science, but it is a science.
By joel on Oct 19, 2009 | Reply

Very well written article. Good work. SEO is the best stand-alone technique that can help people to attain success in online business.
I don’t think it is costly because the leads, the potential customers and the brand value we obtain through SEO is great and it develops our business.
Looking forward for your book.
By SEO Company on Oct 28, 2009 | Reply

Thanks a lot for sharing this Incredibly useful article with us. These nuggets of knowledge can be used by SEO beginners and experts alike. Keep blogging. Looking forward to reading your next post.
By Internet Marketing on Nov 2, 2009 | Reply

I am happy to see that there are many firms offering NON EXPENSIVE SEO SERVICES but are the clients satisfied with the results which they are providing. I don’t say all are not capable of providing the good results. I suggest the clients to opt for good SEO Companies which is result oriented.
By seo singapore on Nov 2, 2009 | Reply

Is good tips for lookout lower cost in SEO. Actually SEO need time and effort, the only way to make it cheap in term of spend lesser money is you spend you own time to learn SEO. However you also need to justify the value of your time how much it worth than doing SEO yourself also.
By Link Building on Nov 5, 2009 | Reply

SEO can be expensive but the problem with SEO is there are companies out there that claim they will do something and simply don’t deliver. There is value out there but the best type of SEO company is one that is found on recommendations.
By Anonymous on Nov 28, 2009 | Reply

SEO is expensive because they provides their services to customer with good quality work.If you want to good quality work then it will take time and if time is more then naturally you have to spend more money.its all depend upon the customer satisfaction.
So now you have to decide whether you go for good quality work or for money purpose?
By anon on Jan 25, 2010 | Reply

With the world rolled into another year, the industry watchers have started to talk about the new internet marketing trends that are going to rule the market in 2010. Of all, e-mail marketing is receiving the maximum attention. The businesses across the industries and across the continents have only one goal in mind and that relates to maximizing their gains in the post-recession world. 2010 is going to be a very important year for the enterprises and so the businesses are expected to make lot of investment in the promotional campaigns.

This is where email marketing comes into picture. The savvy marketers are considering using e-mail messages as the trump card for their internet marketing successes. A number of surveys conducted last year have clearly shown their effectiveness in forging direct communication with the consumers. As for example, one survey relating to UK market had reveled that delivery rates in the country were as high as 95.3 per cent, and it was a straight 0.2 per cent jump on a year-on-year basis. At the same time, click-through rates were found to experience 6.1% fall in 2009 from 6.8% in the third quarter of 2008.
No wonder, many businesses declared that they would extend their internet marketing budget in the next year and email marketing is going to be the focal point in their marketing strategy.
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