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How do SEO firms make it?
I’m here at the OMMA conference in L.A. and I’m having a good time. I just got done making the rounds in the exhibit hall. I’m shocked at the number of SEM/SEO companies that are exhibiting here. I had similar reaction when I attended the Utah Valley Big Business Expo a couple of weeks back. I could not believe how many SEO companies were exhibiting at that small local business expo.
It seems like everybody is getting into the SEO game. Have you noticed how many people claim to be experts in search engine optimization? Its laughable! No wonder there are so many companies in this space.
I was looking over the pricing of one of the companies that was exhibiting at the business expo in Utah Valley. Two thoughts came to mind: 1) either they don’t make any money or 2) they don’t spend any time on your account, which means they are wasting your money. It appears to me that a lot of people get into this game because they managed SEO at XYZ company and decided they could make it on their own. That’s the way a lot of businesses get started and that is also the way a lot of businesses fail.
I learned an important lesson from Josh Stemile at MWI on hiring SEO companies. Last year, he called out his competition and showed where they rank on search engine results for keywords in the Utah SEO market. Josh’s firm, MWI, had a good showing while a lot of other big name agencies didn’t. If you want to hire an SEO company what better way to know if they are any good than to look at their own search engine rankings?
What else should a potential SEO customer look for? Price, current customers, analytics, cool office space???
Here’s another question: Is the SEO industry just a bunch of BS or is it a legitimate professional service?
(Note: since some of you have a hard time reading and love to try to interpret my possible opinion from the questions I ask, please note that I did not say that SEO is BS or that SEO firms are BS. I asked if you think its BS. I’m soliciting my readers opinion.)
Please weigh in…
What’s OMMA and who are these SEO’s trying to sell to? I’d use the services of a good SEO but you won’t find me at OMMA (especially since I don’t know what it is). Are these guys showing at a venue that will help grow their business?
Left by Headwaters Bamboo on 03/19/2007Here’s another question: Is the SEO industry just a bunch of BS or is it a legitimate professional service?
Like many industries, I find it to be chock full of fluff, overhead, and inflated “features”. Basically it’s a way to overcharge people who don’t understand web technologies and think that SEO is a complicated beast that requires lots of trained experience and honed skill.
My 2¢. Let the flame war begin!
Left by Connor on 03/19/2007Nobody thinks SEO is BS when it adds a few million dollars to a website’s bottom line.
It’s an industry like many others, alhough a bit more immature. There are excellent companies and substandard companies, and everything in between.
If you pick a good SEO company, it can really help your website. That said, you can also DIY if you’re willing to learn.
Left by Darren McLaughlin on 03/20/2007I’d say 80% of SEO companies rip people off after the first few months of work (depending on how they define SEO, or course).
Left by Blake Snow on 03/20/2007I’m with Darren on the idea that the SEO industry is still immature. As far as pricing goes, I believe traditional SEO pricing is going to drop rapidly. The industry has become extremely saturated and more people have a an understanding of SEO principles. I also think it’s possible for quality SEO work to be performed for lower rates than most are currently charging - $xx,xxx/$xxx,xxx. Internet marketers will be forced to work smarter instead of using industry ignorance against their clients. Obviously, keyword difficulty has to be considered in a pricing discussion, but some SEO companies are going after different niches rather than the clients with the highest possible spends.
Left by Alex McArthur on 03/20/2007A vote for BS here. Anyone with a good product who can read can figure out how to get a good page rank, or else you can just pay Google to put you in the sponsored links.
I’d rather pay Google for good placement in the sponsored link section and work on the organic stuff myself than pay someone who may or may not know what they’re doing.
Left by hotdogman on 03/20/2007SEO as a science isn’t BS, but I would say 90% of the “SEO firms” are. In my 8 years of marketing online, and being pitched by hundreds of “experts” I can honestly say I’ve met less than five who would really be worth hiring when it comes to SEO. Sad.
In fact, I’ve been tooting this horm for quite a while…check out my June 2005 article in Electronic Retailer magazine:
http://xr.com/searchenginenirvana
Left by Marty Fahncke on 03/21/2007