What would you do if you only had $500?

[Tigrou]

One aspect of SEO is getting paid inclusions. What would pay for if you were a normal niche-retailer who wanted to sell via the web -- if you had an inclusion budget of $100 or $500 or $1500?

This assumes you are relatively new on the web (so no grandfathering into paid directories). You are also typical in that you are fighting for 2 word keyphrase for the homepage (i.e. "translation services") but also have a bunch of 'product pages' that are good for a slew of 4-6 word keyphrases. ("website software translation services", "french english translations immediate").

I know this is asking 'how long is a piece of string' but I tried to make this question vague and therefore more useful for all the other newbies that come after me. Well at least for the next 3 months until everything is totally different :-)

[backus]

I think it depends how important your time is. If you have time on your hands, study everything here and try to promote the site yourself - Submitting to free engines and hoping the best. Alternatively, pump all your cash into PPC engines. Or find an SEO guy who will take pity on you and offer you their services for a small amount of money or a buy now, pay later scheme.

[EliteWeb]

I've found for every site I do I really don't need a budget to get it higher on the engines. The only thing I'd use the budget for would be a overture, google campaign to advertise a specific product for sale if yo uhad anything to sell :)

[topr8]

i like ink PFI ...

choose the key phrases carefully and now because of the LS thing you've got a chance of high placement on MSN.

ideal for specific products.

in time google could kick in for free

[okedokeseo]

Tigrou,

Here's how you should use your $500.

1) Submit your site to DMOZ.

2) Join ZEAL and become an editor and submit an informational page of your site to a noncommercial category.

3) Pay Yahoo! $299.

4) Free submit your site to AltaVista, CrossWalk, AllTheWeb, Google, HotBot, Lycos (by signing up as a member first), MSN, and wait patiently, updating all the pages on your site regularly.

5) Go buy $200 worth of video games.

[stcrim]

Depends on what your site is selling. $500 can buy a lot at Go-verture.

INK is for the experienced SEO'er - the return for most competitive terms is poor - very poor. INK works better where the terms are not popular. Local businesses would do well with INK because no one is competing with them.

-s-

[HyperGeek]

You can also think of an INK link as a very small step in the right direction towards raising your popularity.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as it's not a FFA listing - it's good to have your URL on as many influential engines as possible (and to link back to that listing somewhere on your site).

You never know when the time will come that some major force in the industry backs a lesser one that you got a free listing on a year beforehand... and now they charge $299 just to get reviewed.

Google/Teoma anyone?

STEVE