Last week, strategist Trond Lyngb wrote about SEO’s return on investment. He made a number of great points, but none may be more important than this: “Your aim as a business owner should be profit maximization, not cost cutting at the expense of lost sales and revenue.”
While this idea can be applied to any area of business, it is particularly true in the case of SEO. A business cannot possibly pursue effective SEO strategies or solutions without spending the resources needed to make it happen. Thousands of companies will promise you ‘cheap solutions,’ but you should ask yourself: Do I really want the cheapest option? Hopefully your answer to that question is a resounding ‘No!’
Here’s why:
- It’s an expertise. While nearly everyone with some knowledge of marketing and coding thinks they are an expert, nothing could be farther than the truth. SEO is a constantly evolving field with the need for deep insights and knowledge in a number of different areas and disciplines. Specialists should be entrenched in the intricacies of coding, web design, conversion optimization, consumer psychology, web analytics, search engine algorithms, and more.
- No cookie-cutter solutions. SEO service providers advertising package deals at standard prices are essentially waving a red flag. There are no cookie-cutter solutions in SEO, and any company offering such a deal is a waste of your money. Search engine optimization is situation-specific.
- It’s continually changing. Some services will offer one-time solutions for your company. That may sound enticing, but it isn’t quite that simple. SEO is constantly changing, and you have to keep up with the changes to remain effective. A good SEO will help you adapt to these changes as they present themselves.
How to Spot Cheap SEO
In order to make sure you are investing in profit maximizing SEO, and not cost-cutting SEO, you need to learn how to spot cheap SEO scams. Here are a couple of indicators to look out for:
- Guaranteed rankings. Any SEO service promising a number one Google ranking is misleading you. There is no way to guarantee a ranking, and you should avoid any company that tells you they can.
- Free trial services. You can greatly compromise your security by providing these companies with your hosting information (which they will receive when you grant them access for a free trial).
Quality SEO has no price tag. Savvy business owners should be focused less on cost cutting and more on profit maximization. It’s an investment that will pay off in the long run.