I had to giggle - SEO quotes

[quikshop]

I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience...

I recently contacted several of the page 1 and 2 UK SEO companies from Google to get quotes on some SEO work for my web site.

The general concensous is that they don't get out of bed for less than 1k's worth of work, and I had one side-splittingly funny quote of £65,000 to optimise for one primary keyword!! I think the guy took offence when I laughed, couldn't help it :redface:

Another just sent an email with a break down of prices totalling 1.5k without any explanation of what they would do.

Putting aside the mind-melting arrogance of nearly all those that responded, I wonder what the forum community SEO bods think to this. Was I justified to laugh? Does good SEO work really cost thousands?

Interestingly about half thought that Page Rank was vitally important, and the other half dismissed it completely. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Chris Jones]

Hi Dave,
I would have to agree that good SEO is not cheap, but i would say that as our prices are generally 1-3k per month but unlike one of the qoutes you got any proposal includes a full breakdown of all the activities we would carry out over a 6 month period.
I relation to page rank, my opinion is that it is important but is only one small part of the algorithms used to determine where a site will appear on the SERP's.
Best regards,
P.S Would you like a quote? Ha ha

 

[PeteYoung]

Agree to a certain extent with what Chris says, tbh, have a fair idea who the 65K figure would have come from as well.

You can get SEO for £250, but I would suggest its a bit like cheap PR, cheap advertising etc ... namely cheap.

Thats not to say spend a fortune on SEO - just if you spend a little more you tend to get a specialist rather than a bedroom operation. We like Chris would tend to charge you significantly less than the 65K figure you have been quoted, with a full 12 month overview of work to be undertaken.

As regards Page Rank, imo more to be used for reference purposes rather than reliant on.

Feel free to drop us a line, if you wish to discuss further

PS. Chris say hi to Simon for us

 

[RayB]

I think honestly those raking highly for "SEO" are paying for links to get there in the first place, thus filtering down into their prices frankly!

I also think the SEO industry is the new "Gold Rush" - lots of Cowboys and wild prices.

Also, if an SEO Company gives a quote without looking at any "technical" barriers that might be holding back a site in terms of SE friendliness I would be worried!

FWIW - I have done my own SEO, and recently retained an "SEO Guru" to underpin my activities (I will not say who as this has been requested and honoured).

Of course there are only 18,000 printing companies in the UK - so my SERPS are meaningless as it is not very competitive

 

[PeteYoung]

Personally, I am one of those that has nothing against the use of paid linkage - which I know is a contentious point within the search industry. If you are willing to pay for the linkage - then fair do go ahead - there are still ways for other people to do it without employing such tactics - word of mouth/social media/linkbaiting etc.

Personally I think your comment = "I also think the SEO industry is the new "Gold Rush" - lots of Cowboys and wild prices." is slightly off kilter. I have my guesses who the company is, and I would suggest the price suggested is not indicative of their true pricing, merely they consider it is 'too small' for them, and thus an inflated price may just deter further unnecessary work - however if the client goes for it - well quids in.

The above comment merely shows there is still some work to be done to advise the general public of SEO and how it works/benefits etc. Yes , Jo Blogs can do his own SEO, however Jo blogs can also do his own PR. THe difference is a professional can (probably better use) should do a better job.

At the end of the day, you get your cowboys in anything. Its the job of an SEO to advise and manage expectations from the start

 

[creospace]

I think there is 2 distinct variants of SEO but they both come under the SEO banner and have very different prices but often they are confused for one and the same.

One is the sexing up of code soup websites.

The other is the lengthily process of managing the SEO, getting quality inbound links, getting relevant articles out there etc. This is the one that takes the time and money.

But in both instances the individual should tell you what they intend doing. Sadly the second still carries an element of suck it and see and mystery and people can be blinded by science.

We will offer both services on our new site but the latter will be undertaken by an outsourced SEO expert, we have proven ourselves in the former + all new sites come SEO ready

Not sure if that was of any help but might push the discussion on a little.

 

[RayB]

The above comment merely shows there is still some work to be done to advise the general public of SEO and how it works/benefits etc. Yes , Jo Blogs can do his own SEO, however Jo blogs can also do his own PR. THe difference is a professional can (probably better use) should do a better job.

Fair enough, but unfortunately much of the "advise the general public" goes on here - to the detriment of the SEO industry.

And sorry, it is full of sharks and con men (the industry, not this Forum) - so we all have to pick the bones out of that as potential customers.

Finally, SEO is generally put across as some kind of "dark art" - well it is not IMO

 

Have to agree with Ray

SEO is very logical process and really quite simple.

I reckon I could teach anyone with a command of the english language SEO to a reasonable standard in a week or less.

so i guess the guys who are quoting 65k are looking for very wealthy business's,who would possible gain a lot more from SEO in there profits or profile.

any of the large banks or financial institutes out there can PM me

Earl

 

[directmarketingadvice]

I wonder what the forum community SEO bods think to this.

My opinion: it's a free country and people are entitled to price their services at any level they want to.

Steve

 

[mattk]

I think that largely you get what you pay for. You can get SEO for £150 a month, but for that you are likely to get five hours (assuming £30ph) of one persons time per month. Of course, there is alot you can do in five hours. At the other end of the scale for £10000 a month you could get several very experienced people working on your site full time, with a wealth of knowledge from an established company behind them.

What's better, spending £150 a month on SEO and generating £300 of new business, or spending £10000 a month to generate £5000 of new business?

 

[RayB]

I think the point is that the SEO industry is flawed, a downfall of it's own making.

I hear quotes of £150 per month through to £10,000 per month.

For what exactly?

An what happens when the algo is changed?

SEO is a corrupt industry - and I feel sorry for the honest SEO's who are trying their best

 

I think the point is that the SEO industry is flawed, a downfall of it's own making.

I hear quotes of £150 per month through to £10,000 per month.

For what exactly?

An what happens when the algo is changed?

SEO is a corrupt industry - and I feel sorry for the honest SEO's who are trying their best

oooooha as Steve says its a free country ( well in theory ) and one can charge what you like and if someone is willing to pay ,there's no corruption.

advertising agencies charge a fortune,barristers,and many other proffesions come to mind,so why are SEO's different?:|

Earl

 

[Tin]

I'd like to pick up on Earl's comments.

Seo "is logical" but often only after someone shows you the light so to speak. Like playing golf, it looks so easy until you find you've just hit the ball through some pub window.

To me. it's all about words because that's all that matters to every major search engine. It's not a black art and I accept, that's what some would like you to believe but it is more about genuine words which form the topic or theme of a page and then those themes then go on to re-inforce the overall theme of the site concerned. There's no point in trying to trick the engines if you're in it for the long term, understanding what they're seeking is one of the real routes to your success and playing it down the line will make sure you're there in the long term.

For sure, there's cheap options available and that's fine if you want cheap returns but like everything else we've come to expect in life, paying a fair price for a fair day's work will benefit you in the end.

Just thought I'd get that off my chest and also say that Earl and I have more in common than he may think, except that I teach seo in 2 days whereas he takes a week.

Ray

 

Just thought I'd get that off my chest and also say that Earl and I have more in common than he may think, except that I teach seo in 2 days whereas he takes a week.

well Tin I have always thought we had a bit in common as it seems we have both had a tadge of success at this SEO malarky,so one would assume we both go down similar avenues I did say" competent in the english language "

As fo 2 days don't exaggerate we both know a few hours will do

I just did not want to say that in case it caused an uproar

But it did take us a good few years of study to get to the stage where we can teach it.

If anyone wants to come to my one on one seminar the price is £10,000 per hour.and that will be the biggest bargain you will get in this life

Earl

 

[Tin]

I'm in Earl, that's a steal at the price

 

[RayB]

The last 2 or 3 posts are exceptional - thank you Earl and Tin.

I'm saying no more

 

[DotNetWebs]

...,barristers,and many other proffesions come to mind,so why are SEO's different?:|

Earl

I think the difference is that the true professions have recognisable qualifications, licenses to practice and are regulated by governing bodies.

With the greatest respect to anyone here, anyone can call themselves an SEO and they are not accountable to anybody (except the customer who may have a difficult time proving any breach of contract etc.)

It's very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff (especially in terms of return on investment)

Regards

Dotty

 

I think the difference is that the true professions have recognisable qualifications, licenses to practice and are regulated by governing bodies.

But the more important point is does that make them an honest and honourable person ?

There is as yet no formal qualification in SEO so us poor old souls are a bit stuck on that one.

as for measuring the return on investment good SEO produces from probably a few thousand to millions dependant on what level and type of business you are dealing with


Earl

 

[sandpetra]

"one side-splittingly funny quote of £65,000 to optimise for one primary keyword!!"

I take it your products not retailing at £100,000, then

 

[sandpetra]

"I think the point is that the SEO industry is flawed, a downfall of it's own making.

I hear quotes of £150 per month through to £10,000 per month."

• House Prices Vary
• Plumbers Costs Vary
• Car Prices Vary
• Dog prices Vary
• ladies Of The Night Costs Vary

..... seo companies' prices vary. That's life.

 

"one side-splittingly funny quote of £65,000 to optimise for one primary keyword!!"

I take it your products not retailing at £100,000, then

£100,000 come on Shaun lets get serious you cheapskate


http://www.studdsey.fsnet.co.uk/house.htm

Earl

 

[sandpetra]

Nice to see you've not croaked it old man

 

At the other end of the scale for £10000 a month you could get several very experienced people working on your site full time, with a wealth of knowledge from an established company behind them. ?

Bet you dont.

If it is anything like most of the other professions - the day you pay a retainer - you get one knowledgeable person or partner looking over the shoulders of a couple straight out of college who have little more idea than you do, and the company dog booking hours to your account too!

My advice is: NEVER pay per month for anything. Pay for tangible and specific work done proposed and detailed in advance - and veriified by specific activity time bookings. It is called accountability and the only way to avoid getting totally fleeced

 

[Mark-UK]

I have been doing a lot of quotes recently for seo and ppc services I provide. One guy kept asking for more info, and then more, and then more, I sent a few emails back a week later but no reply, so I called him and he said my prices for seo and ppc were "ridiculously" expensive", I charge £95 per day!

So I told him to get out of the career he is in if he thinks thats expensive and that he needs to think about what he wants, he basically told me it was a joke and after spending hours putting together info for his every request im sorry but I get insulted if he can't be bothered to send back a simple email.

 

[RayB]

so I called him and he said my prices for seo and ppc were "ridiculously" expensive", I charge £95 per day!

Unfortunately Mark you get this in business - Jokers like this do not understand about "investing" in their business!

 

[Mark-UK]

Well to be honest his websites weren't that great and in the markets they were in that's half the battle, it would have taken a lot of seo to get them high up.

I also think im too honest, I work as a freelancer so it's me doing the work I don't pass the buck on to someone else and I spend ages answering all questions asked. Maybe the client then goes off and tries it themselves.

I do know I've had a lot of wasted enquiries recently all expecting something for nothing and I really have nothing better to do then sit here answering 50 questions to be then told they will think about it.

 

[PeteYoung]

I think the point is that the SEO industry is flawed, a downfall of it's own making.

I hear quotes of £150 per month through to £10,000 per month.

For what exactly?

An what happens when the algo is changed?

SEO is a corrupt industry - and I feel sorry for the honest SEO's who are trying their best

I think thats a very sweeping an ultimately incorrect perception of SEO as a whole.

Like SirEarl (Morning Earl) has said, you pay lots of money for barristers and offline advertising so why not online, and as regards your point on the algo change. Good SEO should be based on a number of different facets, not purely focussed on one particular tactic (which as you say can and probably will leave you at the whim of the algo.

At the end of the day, if you go down the route of advertising/virals/pr etc, you get nothing guaranteed. Why does SEO come in for this.

At the end of the day, the MAJORITY of SEO's do a good job, and an honest job, and go far beyond merely optimsing your website.

 

[RayB]

I think thats a very sweeping an ultimately incorrect perception of SEO as a whole.

It is a fact that there are many good reputable SEO's it is also a fact there are unfortunately many black hats too - plus a heady mix of "smoke and mirrors" and BS banded about the industry - so I stand by my sweeping statement.

I feel sorry for businesses who inadvertantly hire a black hat and see their sites trashed in the long run

Like SirEarl (Morning Earl) has said, you pay lots of money for barristers .

The big difference here is that barristers and most professions are regulated in some way.

 

[PeteYoung]

It is a fact that there are many good reputable SEO's it is also a fact there are unfortunately many black hats too - plus a heady mix of "smoke and mirrors" and BS banded about the industry - so I stand by my sweeping statement.

I feel sorry for businesses who inadvertantly hire a black hat and see their sites trashed in the long run



The big difference here is that barristers and most professions are regulated in some way.

At the end of the day Ray, it is worth bearing in mind. Legal Services in some capacity have been around since year dot, and are far more established.

Search Marketing is in its infancy in comparison and evolving at breaknet speed. Regarding regulation, we are moving in that direction (referance to the recent IAB search marketing charter), however people like yourself have to remember, search marketing has had all of about ten years to evolve and thus we as an industry arent quite as far 'evolved' as other sectors, but we are getting tehre.

Less of the corrupt type comments would help mind you.

 

[lockie]

I feel your pain as in the past i've wasted a lot of time driving around measuring up and giving quotes to receive zilch.
By putting starting prices on my website i have cut out a lot of the timewasters or people who are unable to afford the products.
Its all about perception too, i actually increased the quality calls by putting "we are not the cheapest" but the product is excellent.

I notice you give prices for your ppc services but not the seo, so maybe it may help with some starting prices to weed out the ones who waste your time perhaps ?

I get loads of calls from people saying so and so can do it cheaper, well better use them then as obviously cheap is what you want is my first reaction but thankfully i dont say that. I explain its like buying a car some people are happy with a cheap run around where as others prefer something a bit better.You get what you pay for in most instances.

 

It is a fact that there are many good reputable SEO's it is also a fact there are unfortunately many black hats too - plus a heady mix of "smoke and mirrors" and BS banded about the industry - so I stand by my sweeping statement.

I feel sorry for businesses who inadvertantly hire a black hat and see their sites trashed in the long run



The big difference here is that barristers and most professions are regulated in some way.

I have to agree with you Ray There are thousands of SEO campanies out there trying to get there slice of the cake,and logic says there are only 10 top spots on most search engines so they can't all be that good:|

not sure my logic is correct on this ?

The problem of course is sorting the wheat from the chaff and I have every sympathy with business's trying to find good honest competent SEO companies.

It would be nice if SEO's could be regulated e.t.c but have no idea how this could be possible.:|

Earl

 

[RayB]

I agree with you Earl! Back to OT - given all the above I think than you can only base a decision on which SEO to work with based on personal reccomendations and proven track record.

Also, I think all SEO starts with solid on page techniques.

 

Also, I think all SEO starts with solid on page techniques.

Rubbish it starts with getting the Genie out of the bleeding bottle

Earl

 

[PeteYoung]

I agree with you Earl! Back to OT - given all the above I think than you can only base a decision on which SEO to work with based on personal reccomendations and proven track record.

Completely agree - but I would add its amazing how many people dont do this and base a decision purely on price etc, without fully doing their homework on the organisation doing the work

 

[RayB]

Completely agree - but I would add its amazing how many people dont do this and base a decision purely on price etc, without fully doing their homework on the organisation doing the work

Precisely - that I why I get so vociferous about SEO around here - in the hope that its disuades people from making the potential mistake of going with an unknown - which may prove to be great - or may prove to be a very expensive mistake

 

[directmarketingadvice]

It would be nice if SEO's could be regulated

Personally, I think the regulators would probably be loudmouthed jackasses who are good at lobbying, but not much good at SEO.

Then you'd have to jump through hoops to learn how to do SEO badly so you could pass their silly little exam.

It's a bit like google giving out Adwords "qualifications".

Google set up adwords campaigns for people (for a fee) and these campaigns are widely mocked by the "names" in the PPC world.

(Perry Marshall - "[my customers] know that Google can set it up for them and it'll suck money out of their wallet. If I coach them how to do it, it gets set up right.")

Yet, because their techheads designed the software, they're allowed to give out accreditiations for something which is, when you get down to it, just direct marketing.

So, while I agree it's hard to find a trustworthy SEO company, qualifications are only as good as those who invent them ... and I can't see a top SEO getting involved and giving away his secrets so they can be taught to the SEO industry at large.

Steve

 

Steve You mean like barristers,and all the other professions

It would seem that the chance to wield a little power always attracts the wrong type,hence why good government it a contradiction in terms

well I agree but thought it might give the public a bit of trust.

after all they do go to PC world to buy there computers

Earl

 

[RayB]

I agree, a regulatory body is a bit of a pipe dream and a qualification probably useless

The problem is, if you choose the wrong SEO unwittingly (a Dark Grey or Black Hat) they can do as much damage to your business as getting an embezzler to do your book keeping.

Choose wisely folks

 

[pay-on-performance-seo]

Interesting thread....

I know the company I work used one of the big SEO companies (dont want to say their name... offices in London and Brighton) before they got an inhouse SEO team and some of the things they say about them are not complimentry. Words such as lazy, expensive come to mind.

I personally would not go with one of the big SEO companies as they seen to spend more time keeping their site on page 1 of Google then working for their clients and their prices are very expensive.

 

I agree that many SEO companies have not a clue. But thats marketing in general.

I do not agree that a quote of £60,000 is excessive. It depends on results. You cant think small if you want to suceed big !

I have a client that has paid £90,000 for one single years SEO on one single site. Now that client gets several times that in new business so he is happy.

I doubt someone charging £250 a month would of come near getting the same results.