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Thanks for your help
[edited by: heini at 5:26 pm (utc) on Oct. 23, 2003]
[edit reason] please lets not name names, thanks! [/edit]
Some points: what exactly is your goal with the service you want to hire?
Do you want better ranking in free serps? If so do you target Google or Inktomi?
You said "site which I want to optimize does not convert very well", so that would only partially be an SEO problem. If you want a site to better convert it's most likely a problem of your copy, the usability, the site structure, perhaps colors...
A quick cheap SEO service won't be able to help you with that.
If you want to improve your ranking in Google, getting optimized html pages is not the best approach either. Or, it's only half or less of what you need. Most important here would be getting links.
Perhaps I just misread your post but to me it sounds as if you should define your goals much clearer. That in turn would help in trying to choose paid help.
Basically I have my content and links. All I really need is someone to look at my site and email me new code which I can use because I know little about SEO and do not have the time to research it properly. I want to concentrate on Inktomi because I need quick submissions.
Use your time and money on learning and then use the skills you have learned to PFI to directories and/or search engines.
Don't go for deals that look too good to be true - they usually don't work!
Leb_Ettex I agree with makemetop in that there is a lot you can do for yourself, £200 a month or £2,400 a year will buy you quite a few paid directory listings linking to your site and also a reasonable level of adwords for example on top of that assuming your sector is not too competitive on payment per click.
If you are prepared to invest your time to read around the basic information on this site you will soon see how to get started.
If you hire someone, whoever they are, then your promotion budget will start to reduce unless you can find more money to pay their costs with.
SEO is simply a matter of due diligence and a little knowledge of HTML code. The model for a successful SEO campaign is good keyword research, proper HTML coding of each of your site's pages, compiling lists of topical directories and portals that accept "free" url listings and which are specifically relevant to your business products and services, and manual site submission - in other words your site must be submitted to each search engine and directory by hand. Don't rely on automated site submission software services/programs offering to register your site to hundreds of search engines and directories for low monthly fees. Also, stay away from anyone who guarantees your site will receive top placement for any given keywords, because no one can effectively guarantee placement in the search engines.
Subscribe and read the SEO newsletters - there's plenty of free ones out there. Armed with a little knowledge you should be able to find someone within your budget or perhaps you will be fluent enough to handle it yourself. Good luck either way.
[edited by: agerhart at 6:23 pm (utc) on Oct. 24, 2003]
[edit reason] removed company info [/edit]
The proper SEO package requires monthly submission to the major search engine
Completely unnecessary in today's SE landscape.
and would first just like to say hello! :)
i'm a self taught web builder who is in the process of learning SEO.
i've achieved top google results through trial and error and luck! for a smaller search term and website.
i've now embarked on a larger project with high competion and have spent the last 3 days lurking here and reading till my eyes are popping out of my head!
well i'd just like to say thanks, because what i've read here in 3 days is what i've been searching for for quite a while.
it's great that the experienced and inexperienced are both here and able to learn and offer advice.
just a quick question i'd like to subscribe but am unsure of the paypal email address to use? sorry!
jo the lion UK
If you can't do anything in half an hour, then that half hour is not worth one dollar, and a full hour will not make things better. For some, say, "well connected" SEO firms, the full amount of workload during that whole year will be 10 minutes, and in todays SEO landscape they will be able to get good results.
As for an hourly rate of $400, then i'm sure this is the exception, and i'm not sure that exception is related to SEO work. If it is, then an industry with close to no entry barriers have a level of competition that is simply too low. Still, there are more Google results for "SEO" than for "car dealer", so:
Yes, of course you can get SEO for $200 a month, and of course you can pay more and perhaps even get better results. In any case, do ask the company exactly what they will do - if they have any problems with explaining this, or if some of the things they suggest are "bad practice" then choose another firm.
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The conversion of your pages is not a SEO issue. SEO's generally optimize for search engines, and these do not buy anything off your site.
You might need a remake of your site, or at least some revisions. It will cost you more than $200 but you should not have to pay more than once. Otoh, even half an hour of work should be able to improve things if you really have a problem - it's not always because of the shop that a product does not sell well. Anyway, that would be "initial advice" - it would not be writing code, as writing an email alone would be at least half an hour of work, and somebody will also need to spend time looking at your site.
/claus
In todays SEO landscape all you need is incoming links
A well written title and a sprinkling of keywords in your copy can help too ;)
I have developed a company and i wanted your advice on how i could achieve good rankings in google for competitive keywords. Ive searched alot..to find any one who can guarantee good rankings for that type of keyword. Help!
[edited by: agerhart at 4:17 pm (utc) on Oct. 30, 2003]
[edit reason] removed specifics [/edit]
This thread should give you some useful ideas ...
Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone
[webmasterworld.com]
Also, consider expanding your keyword list and building optimized pages for them...
Not every SEO charges $400 per hour... I whish I could do that...
[edited by: agerhart at 7:50 pm (utc) on Oct. 30, 2003]
[edit reason] removed URL [/edit]
