T for Technology – Find Yourself! Part 2
Previously I discussed some of the finer details of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and ways to keep yourself in-line, or at least, on the correct planet, when it comes to finding yourself on the internet. I highlighted some tools that are available and some guidelines to follow for DIY purposes.
A lot of DIY information is out there and is freely available in form of podcast and videos from true experts. It will take a lot of time, which most of us feel we don’t have, as we’re trying to run our existing businesses.
So, what if DIY is not an option for you? What if being number one is your heart’s desire? In your belief system, it’s all that stands between you and hordes of customers knocking on your door? How do you make sure you achieve the number one position?
Well… if you ditch the effort of doing it DIY, then you’ll need to get a master’s degree from a university, or…. find a lab partner that is willing, (for a fee), to do your thesis for you (now a criminal offense punishable by a jail term in many countries, so you can rule that one out!)
There are a few online universities that offer SEO courses. If thinking about it seems dumb remind yourself that it is never a bad thing to study or to learn a new skill. However, you will certainly need to have above average computer skills and know your way around HTML, PHP, LAMP and their friends. Weight the years of learning skills that will make you eligible to apply so that you can acquire the skills which in turn will equip you to place your website in the number one position. vs the cost of paying an expert (or the DIY option).
Let’s look at what the experts charge – the monetary value of the service that will put you in the number one position. There are several agencies that can be commissioned to get your search results where they need to be. My quick search found Starbright – one of the leading companies in South Africa offering SEO services. I’m saying leading because their name popped up first in a search for “SEO in South Africa”, so obviously they are good.
Looking at their packages, anything from R6,000 – R19,200 per month… “Eina”, you say, but remember, weigh this against your options (DIY or your own master’s degree) and maybe the service they offer doesn’t look that overpriced!
Starbright’s service looks all encompassing, start to finish (and everything in between) they kick off with the strategy go on to on-site optimisation and end with monthly reporting and monitoring services.
Why the different packages? As we know certain industries online are more competitive than others (Below is a list of industries that need to be quite tall …. (When standing on their wallets!) Businesses operating in one of the following niches will have to invest heavily in SEO to compete:
medical aid; insurance; real estate; pharmaceuticals; gambling; travel & tourism; financial services; gifts and baskets; jewellery: computers & electronics; used car sales and any international market outside South Africa. Side Note: Why does South Africa have so many Used Car Sales places?? I just find it bizarre…. but I’ll leave that for another day’s investigative research…..
Getting back to Starbright’s packages – they don’t offer their magic without adding a warning about the curse of the cheapskate SEO service providers that aren’t offering the full muti,(medicine), apparently. The warning signs to watch out for, according to Starbright, are:
A SEO package that does not include a Google Business Listing
A Google Business Listing is an absolute SEO basic and anyone that offers SEO services without including the setup, optimisation or claiming of your listing is a cause for concern. For local SEO in particular, the setup and optimisation of a Google Business Listing for your business is not negotiable and should be included from day one, no matter how much you are paying for your SEO.
One-size-fits-all Link Building
Link building is by far one of the most technical and advanced parts of SEO services. The exact type of link building that a website or business will require depends greatly on the niche, region and what competitors have been doing in terms of link building.
Be wary of any SEO packages that stipulates an exact number of links that will get built each month. These links will often include low quality directory links that offer no value to your SEO whatsoever. Link building is a time-consuming process of outreach, negotiation and management that can rack up hours of work faster than many other SEO services.
Basic On-Site Optimisation only in higher cost SEO Packages
On-site SEO optimisation includes a few very basic things that should always be included in on-site SEO optimisation. Seriously, these are non-negotiable for any on-site SEO optimisation and should be included in every single SEO package offered. Refer to Part 1 of this series in which I mention these basics.
To sum it all up, you have a problem (becoming number one) that you can throw money at to solve or follow my advice and get the best of both worlds – get yourself up-skilled before contracting an agency.
We live on the internet streets every day.
More advice from me – at least be able to understand the signs in the streets!