SEO Factors Archives - Page 19 of 21 by Mark Murnahan

Contingency SEO Contracts

I recently wrote about SEO Hourly Rates, and I received a lot of attention to the topic of SEO pricing methods. Now I would like to address one of the other popular SEO pricing methods, contingency SEO.

Contingency contracts have long been used by attorneys when a client either wishes to mitigate their investment risk in legal fees or cannot afford to pay for all of the legal cost upfront. Contingency contracts can also be leveraged properly for your search engine optimization (SEO). When the risk and the reward is equitably shared between the SEO professional and the client, a contingency SEO contract often makes sense. After all, it is easy to see why a professional will often do their best work when their income is dependent on winning.

Contingency SEO: The Client Perspective

Most companies understand paying a reasonable percentage of their profit to a sales representative, and contingency SEO is not so different in some ways. When the sales representative provides you with business, you provide them with remuneration.

Viewing your SEO provider as another sales representative is a simplified look at contingency SEO, but it is also important to give consideration to legal matters and preserving your company reputation. Ideally, you and the SEO company will have a unified long-term goal of success. Like sales reps, there are good and bad search engine optimizers, so it is important to have a similar approach to that of hiring a new sales representative, or more appropriately, taking on a new business partner.

Since proper SEO work requires a sizeable investment of time, you should be prepared to provide the SEO an upfront payment so that you are, indeed, sharing the cost equitably. Securing a contract with a quality SEO company would be too simple if not for an upfront cost. Clearly, all of your competitors would have done it by now if it was that easy.

Contingency SEO: The SEO Perspective

If I only had a nickel for every opportunity to provide my work upfront and receive a percentage of the profits, I would not offer hourly pricing for SEO services. Like the example of an attorney working for contingency, the SEO provider must be comfortable with the arrangement, and see good potential for gain. The SEO must consider the marketability of the product or service, how to measure the SEO results (gross profit, net profit, market share gain, etcetera), and accountability. There are a lot more ways for the SEO company to come out cheated in the end, so clear contracts and trust become important factors.

Because of the risks for the SEO professional, some ways that contingency SEO can be accounted for include full access to the client’s records, Website scripting to account for the traffic and report it to the SEO, or a separate Website owned by the SEO to measure the traffic and send it to the client. There are many other methods of accountability, but this is simply to say that accountability is often one of the greatest concerns for the SEO professional.

The Contingency SEO Contract

When approached with the opportunity for a proper and equitable SEO contingency contract, I take it very seriously, and I expect my client to do the same. After all, we should be in it together for mutual benefit. Just to be sure both parties understand the relationship, it is very important to spell it out in a contract. A well defined contract for contingency SEO will require much consideration of both parties’ interests, and will take some work for the contracting SEO provider. The client should expect to pay for this time, and for a careful review of the existing Website assets or liabilities. Without a thorough review and assessment of the client’s needs, expectations, and current market position, the SEO professional and client will not have all of the necessary facts to work with. The client should be reminded that if they are engaging the SEO, it is like calling the attorney of choice. It is best to call a great attorney rather than just the first one willing to take on your project. Similarly, the upfront retainer cost to review the case, as well as the depth of the assessment will vary.

Contingency SEO Bloodsuckers

Attorneys have often been referred to as bloodsuckers, and it may be the contingency contract that has caused their reputation. Attorneys are persecuted for receiving huge amounts of money for what looks like an easy job. To their credit, we must remember that there is always a reason the client asks for them to take the case on contingency. The risk is shared, and so must be the reward. Like the attorney, if the contingency SEO does not meet the expectations, neither party benefits. That means the professional has spent their time on the client’s behalf, with the only reward being lost time. The responsibility of maintaining a marketable product or service offering lies outside of the SEO professional’s control. This exposure to potential loss on the part of the SEO must be carefully considered.

Ethicon Sutures: Endo Surgical Sutures

Ethicon sutures are widely used sutures in surgical procedures ranging from an episiotomy to orthopaedic surgery. Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has been the world leader in the manufacture of surgical sutures and wound closures since before World War II, and has since increased in market share to over 80% in the USA. Ethicon’s famously popular Prolene nonabsorbable polypropylene sutures, Monocryl absorbable sutures, and Vicryl (polyglactin 910) absorbable braided sutures have propelled Ethicon to lead the surgical suture market in a fashion not unlike Google’s capture of the search engine market.

Ethicon and SEO?

For most of us, Ethicon braided synthetic absorbable sutures are certainly not in the top 100 things we think to search for when we visit Google, but the term posed an important question in a recent conference call I had with a surgical supply company.

Ethicon Sutures: Surgical Supply SEO Study

While meeting with the team of executives from a leading endo surgical supply company specializing in sutures and wound closure supplies to hospitals and surgical centers, my prospective client brought up a concern of being at the top of search engine results for the search term “sutures”. In fact, one of the company leaders indicated a strong opinion that the only useful term for the company to focus on with their SEO campaign was simply “sutures”, and that other lateral keywords would not be valuable to their company. He made the analogy of an automotive supply company who only sold tires, and that if they only sold tires, the term “tires” would be the only value to the company. My response to this was to ask if this hypothetical tire company sold truck tires, tractor tires, z rated tires, h rated tires, Bridgestone tires, light truck tires, SUV tires, valve stems, tire rotation, or whether the company could potentially benefit from having tire care tips on their Website to provide useful information or warranty information to their customers.

As a clear leader in his industry, I give this gentleman much credit as the top of his field, and a genuine American success story. If you need sutures, this is the man to know. If you need SEO services, he is still working on it, and with my help, he will hopefully be a great resource in the subject matter as well. I certainly would never mean to offend this gentleman, but I tried to present these points in very matter-of-fact terms. I wish I was better at sugar-coating the facts, but my job as a search engine optimization (SEO) consultant and practitioner, is largely that of research and mathematics. There is not always an easy way to tell others that their estimation of their potential industry reach is not as they expected. This is especially true of those who have enjoyed great success as the leader in their field.

Sutures vs. Ethicon Vicryl Sutures

Our discussions led us to the topic of one word searches versus two and three keyword phrases. I tried to suggest that a wide range of industry related keyword phrases such as Ethicon sutures, Ethicon Vicryl sutures, polyglactin 910 braided sutures, and others would produce far more results and be more targeted to his desired audience. My explanation was that estimates show roughly only 10% of searches are for a single word, whereas two and three word phrases comprise well over half of keyword searches. The actual numbers are a moving target, and may vary slightly by industry, but suffice it to say that single keyword searches like “sutures” are statistically insignificant in terms of actually reaching their target market. These single keyword searches may make nice bragging points, but in actual use and in conversion rates, they are not very useful. An example of this I have found is that in a Google blog search, I have often found this very blog in the number one position for the search keyword “SEO”. Just as the term “SEO” will mostly attract other SEO companies checking out their competition, the keyword “sutures” produces many results for consumers while this client needs to reach hospital administrators. The lesson here is that if your keyword phrases of choice do not reach the desired audience, they are useless.

In Google search results, single word searches, especially the competitive ones, are very commonly accompanied by a selection of suggestions to refine the search. Google does not make a lot of mistakes, and these are included because the more refined searches are better suited to the search engine users’ needs and expectations. Most users will define their search without prompting, but in cases where the user does not, search engines will often provide a prompting to help the user on their way.

Buy Ethicon Sutures Online

When you seek to buy sutures online, it is my research experience backed with statistical data that tells me you will be vastly more likely to search for a more specific phrase reflecting the type of sutures you need, and perhaps even referencing the type of surgical procedure you intend to perform. A simple test of this fact is that by searching Google for sutures, you will find mixed results including how to tie a suture knot, caring for sutures, facial sutures, and many things unrelated to your need to buy sutures or seek the best suture option for your surgical needs. This brings me to a point I have made many times before that if you select effective keywords and use a lateral keyword approach, it will provide for a much greater return on investment and SEO value.

SEO Matt Cutts’ Way

Search engine optimization (SEO) comes in many forms, but SEO the Matt Cutts way is the one that matters. I cannot speak for Matt Cutts, and he has not personally approved my blog post, but I can tell you where his blog is (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog), and you can read it straight from him.

Who is Matt Cutts?

If you have not heard this name before, it could be a good thing, because you probably are not too worried about spamming search engines with useless or unethical content. Matt Cutts is the lead man responsible for keeping useless or dishonest results out of Google’s response pages when you perform a search. In a very real way, he could be considered the ultimate SEO guy. He will not make your Website show up in more searches or rank higher in the ways that other SEOs do, but what he does is to be sure that the bad results do not clutter your way.

Tricking Matt Cutts

Trying to trick your way to the top of search engine results is a clear example of “what not to do”. Reading all of the SEO blogs and forums on the latest means to trick your way around providing high quality content in a useful format will not trick Matt Cutts’ Webspam team at Google. The mystical Google algorythm that people keep trying to figure out should not be your concern. What should be your concern is that you are providing your Website users with a good and useful experience and providing what they want.

I have been providing SEO services for over a decade, and I have watched all of the latest SEO fads. There have been too many tricks to name, but here are a few throwbacks: doorway pages, cloaking, hidden text, repeated keywords. SEO fads come and go, but if you will follow the basic principles outlined in the Webmaster Guidelines at Google, you will never have to re-work your site to be “in compliance” with search engines.

Search Engine Compliance

I have seen many SEOs claim that they constantly study all of the changes of Google and other search engines and will provide ongoing support to assure that your site will always be in compliance with the latest changes. Sadly, I think there must be a lot of people who really buy into this. The thing you should know about this is that if your Website is well-written and has the most relevant content to the search engine user’s query, there is nothing to change. Sure, the competition may change, but the compliance does not. If you have doubts about what is in compliance or not, it is time for you to read what Google says about SEO.

Trying to cheat a search engine is the path of most resistence. I have written about this for years, and it still holds true. My way, and the Matt-Cutts-friendly way, is to produce quality Website content that people want. Do not try to trick anybody. If you will simply play by the rules, you will spend a lot less time and money trying to keep all of the SEO balls in the air.

SEO Lateral Keywords

Lateral keywords can bring surprising results in your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Most good SEO professionals recognize the high importance of lateral keyword targeting, but they also want to sell you what you want to buy. In all of your excitement to reach the top of search engine results for your obvious top keywords, be sure that you do not forget about all of the many lateral keyword phrases that also apply to your industry.

What Are Lateral Keywords?

Lateral keywords are the keywords that branch out laterally from your assumed SEO target audience. These are the related keywords and keyword phrases that your competition often overlooks, and can provide great opportunities to reach your customers. An example would be that if you are trying to reach people for the keyword phrase “fishing rods”, it is simple to see why you would want to be returned in searches for “fishing lures” and a long list of other related fishing keywords. Where a lot of SEOs will stop is when it comes to other far-reaching lateral terms like “camping supplies”. This is a very sensible example, but it can be taken much further than that. These are also known as “long tail keywords”, and can cumulatively account for far more valuable Website traffic than the keyword phrases your competitors inundate.

Lateral Keywords Require Lateral Thinking

“Thinking outside of the box” is a very 1980s term, but that is what I mean by lateral thinking. In order to think laterally as it applies to your SEO, you must start by thinking like your customers. We all know this is step one in defining your market, but it is always a good reminder. If you think like your customers for just a moment, you can probably come up with a dozen good lateral keyword phrases in the time it takes to finish reading this paragraph. Another quick way to research your long tail market is to review your Website statistics. Sometimes the keyword phrases where only a few Website visits were generated can be a good start. They may be great keywords, but you are just so far down the search results list that you only have a few visitors.

Top Ranking for Lateral Keywords

Ranking on the top of search engine results for your lateral keywords is extremely valuable. In fact, I will take 20 good listings for lateral keywords than one or two listings for the “important” phrases. The good news is that it is often far easier to achieve a good ranking for these keywords. It may not seem as exciting, but you will often find that you will receive a very valuable target audience that you have been overlooking.

SEO and Web Development Hourly Rates

Hourly rates for SEO (search engine optimization) and Web development are confusing. As a Web developer and SEO, I am very often asked to produce a Website development quote, without the client giving all of the facts. The most important thing to remember is that there is no apples-to-apples comparison.

Website Development Hourly Rates

When you compare the hourly rates of two different Website developers or SEOs, you are really only looking at a fraction of the picture. If “Web Developer A” charges $85 per hour, and “Web Developer B” charges $150 per hour, which one is a better deal? There is a missing variable in how much and how well either of them can produce the results. If “Web Developer B” has a decade of experience and can finish the same task in half of the time, “Web Developer A’s” hourly rate just became $170 per hour ($85*2).

Another strong factor is that although there are standards for Web programming, there are many “correct” ways to produce a project, and usually the “correctness” will come in different degrees. This requires a question of how correct you want it. Two Web developers will likely never produce the exact same results. Thus, the comparison of hourly rates is already flawed.

SEO Hourly Rates

When it comes to SEO, many of the tasks are even less defined than Web development. Determining the best SEO between “SEO A” and “SEO B” it is like comparing two brains, which stumps even the most brilliant Neurosurgeons. There are many skills that we share, but there are also many varying opinions on the best practices. There is only one number one position in each search engine for a given keyword or keyword phrase. That is the goal of the SEO, but the methods used to get there often vary greatly between SEOs.

Reduce Hourly Rate Confusion

Perhaps the most challenging and confusing thing about shopping for Website development or SEO is how much a Website should cost. As I have strongly suggested before, it is best to set a budget. Here is a clip from another of my blog posts:

“Hiding your expected budget is like going to a realtor and saying that you want to buy a house and hiding your budget. If they do not know your budget, they can show you homes all day but you will both be spinning your wheels and never get anywhere.”

When a Web developer or SEO provides a proposal based on only a portion of the client’s objectives, they will always be wrong. I can appreciate the notion of “shopping around”, but to shop without a budget serves nobody at all, and may land you with “Web Developer A” who can potentially cost you more. When it comes to shopping for SEO services, the largest cost is often in the cost of lost opportunities.

Getting the Right Cost Quote

I have produced quotes to shoppers who simply refused to give me the whole picture, only to have them compliment me greatly but say that they believe I am “out of their league”. The fact is that I write quotes ranging from a few thousand dollars on up to many tens of thousands of dollars. It is always based on the information I am given. No two companies place the same importance on Internet marketing, thus, their needs and expectations of both performance and cost will always be different. Without clarifying the needs and expectations for both parties, nobody wins.