A Common Example of Unrealistic SEO Expectations

Please do yourself a favor and stop working for a second. Here is a common scenario I hear all the time regarding entry-level SEO (Search Engine Optimization) project. The way the project is presented clearly points out how unreasonable business owners can be when they lay out the web strategy for potential online success. Yes, I am talking to you and potentially a lot of people you know. I seriously don’t want you to lose your business and I really want to help you but please listen to me carefully. This information is free and can save you thousands.

Business owners come up to me and say: here is my site (in a very competitive market).
I am a small entrepreneur with no (or very small) budget. What can you do? How much would it cost so that I can rank higher up in search results? (at the top if possible) I am guessing they expect me to say, for $2,000 I can bring you to the top. I know that for $2,000, it will only scratch the surface and it won’t meet their expectations. Since $2,000 seems too much for them sometimes, what are the options?

What strikes me at first is that people start an online business without knowing the kind of forces they are up against. They count on me to explain the force and magnitude of the obstacles on their path and the likelihood they can succeed online. Some people call it market research. And please don’t shoot the messenger. They don’t seem to have a good understanding of their online competition and how much their competitors might have been investing to deserve the position they currently uphold at the top of search results. There are so many sites on the Internet, what makes you think that YOU deserve the right to be #1? If you think I am crazy, wait until you read about my vision for developing an online presence. In a nutshell, there are so many sites out there that it needs more and more resources to accomplish what used to be easier, years ago. Or if you prefer, what used to require $1,000 to get a decent position in search results, now needs more like $10,000. The intensity of the players is increasing. And, there are only 5 spots that matter in SERPs (Search Engine Results page) according to the latest study on the Golden Triangle. Do the math: thousands of competitors, 5 spots. Be serious.

Therefore, if you don’t have the funds to invest to earn your way to the top in your very competitive category, here are your options as far as I see them:

* Refocus your business on a very niche market (and niche search terms) within the global market
* Team up with your competitors (coopetition)
* Go for the top: invest heavily in your web strategy, site content, design and search marketing (organic, paid, link building) or
* Abandon your site! (and do something else)

I am saying all this because there is request that came to me today in the Ringtones business. I once promoted ringtonesusa.com from a previous job so I know first hand how difficult it is to promote a site in this category. You compete with giant carriers with behemoth budgets. There are thousands of players worldwide. There are thousands of entrepreneurs with more money to invest than you which would also be more knowledgeable on how to build an online business. Can you match that?

The bottom line is, since we do market research before you start a brick-and-mortar business, you also need to do market research before you commit your hard-earned money in an online business. Traffic is the crack-cocaine for an entrepreneur in the web world and it needs (way) more than $2,000 to get to the top. If you can’t match (or exceed!) the level of investment of your online competitors, team up with them or do something else.

Permalink /// Comments (39)

Comments

1. Great points. I really think that people need to be educated that SEO is not like math or chemistry where every result is calculated. It really bothers me when people do a quick search on seo and start throwing prices and goals to seo companies without even realizing what kind of work it involves.

   Posted by SEO Pricing on 12/28 at 07:52 PM

2. I agree completely, ive been working on SEO things and i try and keep my goals and expectations very leveled and realistic, this way if they succeed the personal success is much greater. The real tip is persistance.

   Posted by inetiatic on 02/20 at 11:26 PM

3. man if you could break into the serpsfor ‘ringtones’ you’d be set for life!

   Posted by Domainholics on 02/22 at 05:19 AM

4. I agree! some people have no respect for how hard it is to make it up the serps!

   Posted by Gothic Clothing on 02/22 at 05:22 AM

5. I remember when I first SEO my client site, budget was tide and they want something in first. I quote them it will takes about 6 months but the client think I do nothing and giving no respect. I’ve failed to optimize the key words that he want but I got much better good keywords that targeted to his site and generate good traffic. But still, he was be jerk and refuse to pay some of the others money.  So sad and so bad.

   Posted by SEO Services Runner on 02/24 at 03:57 PM

6. Thanks for your comments. I am always surprised to hear those stories and how little respect is still given to the SEO profession. Managing clients expectations is key and remember: choose your client carefully! Sometimes saying no is saying yes to yourself. If you have some more bad SEO stories and client relationships, feel free to post them here. Thanks guys!

   Posted by Alex Brabant on 02/25 at 10:35 AM

7. Not a problem Alex. SEO is still a kind of new industry to many people. Clients definitely need some education. That is the responsibility of sales and marketing.

   Posted by SEO Services Auckland on 02/25 at 07:31 PM

8. I completely agree.  So many people out there expect to get the world for next to nothing.  They think that someone else will do all of the legwork for basically free to get their business going.  This is not how it works offline nor online.

   Posted by AHUDDY on 05/19 at 07:23 AM

9. Great point! Simply say no to these clients who have unrealistic SEO expectations. I am lucky as I haven’t meet these kind of clients so far.

   Posted by A+ SEO Services on 05/23 at 02:48 AM

10. Nice Article! I too face some clients who thoughts we did no hard work for SEO and just asking for high price.

    Posted by SEO Company India on 06/16 at 09:56 PM

11. Hi Alex, I’m a reasonable guy. i just want to rank #1 for trade show displays on google. Now I know these things take time, so I’m sure I can wait a week for you to get me there, and I know these things cost money, so I’m sure $49.95 will cover it…
    Seriously though, I understand your rant. We’re in a completely different field (we sell trade show displays if you hadn’t guessed), but we have people call us on a regular basis that basically want “something for nothing”. It’s even more frustrating because we keep our prices as low as possible (while still being profitable) and we think we offer some of the best value out there… still, there will always be those that don’t understand what it takes, and think it can happen instantly for next to nothing.
    I like your suggestion on ranking in a competitive field. Pay what it takes, or target a niche, or go home! Good article. ~ Steve, a guy interested in trade show displays and other such stuff

    Posted by trade show displays on 06/23 at 01:43 PM

12. Keep up this great resource

    Posted by Tassos on 07/03 at 03:43 AM

13. Yup, a great example right out of life.

    Posted by Warhammer Online on 07/07 at 02:03 PM

14. As a web developer I often get asked about SEO by my clients and trying to explain to them the complexities involved with not only obtaining a good ranking but also keeping it, well it’s hard to say the least. Just wanted to say great read and I will certainly be referencing this in the future.

    Posted by Proxy on 07/20 at 06:53 AM

15. At least I can get a high PR when I write in a niche market. thank you for this great info.

    Posted by Busby SEO Challenge on 07/31 at 08:40 AM

16. I completely agree with your point that seo is not just based on calculations and results are infront rather it is a tough job to rank the website at the top.

    Posted by seo master indore on 08/06 at 10:02 AM

17. that was a great article pal. the internet now were already filled with best SEO marketers and gurus. competing with them is not just an easy task. i think online business owners should think more of it.

    Posted by Cebu Seo Contest on 08/15 at 06:13 AM

18. Thanks for these great tips!

    Posted by 1st Class Websites on 08/24 at 12:15 PM

19. Is it Fine written. Positive certainly comes short, but read on one breathing. Tnx

    Posted by Joan on 08/25 at 06:54 PM

20. Thank you for post. I first has once got since search on your site and has found it very cognitive. Has Added itself in bookmarks

    Posted by warez free on 08/27 at 12:16 PM

21. I completely agree with your point that seo is not just based on calculations and results are in front rather it is a tough job to rank the website at the top. This is a great post. Will be back to read more!
    

    Posted by warhammer leveling guide on 10/07 at 04:57 PM

22. i really appriciate the way you expressed..

    thank you sir..

    Posted by SEO on 10/29 at 12:11 PM

23. I entirely agree with your point. Good Article.

    I will be back to read more…

    Posted by Hire SEO Expert on 10/31 at 09:26 PM

24. very good article. it is very true that $2000 would barely even put a dent into the market, even $10,000 may not even cut as seo is an on going basis and depending on the market it may cost even more. it takes more than just a seo to rank, the nature and quality of site itself will even create a huge factor.

    Posted by warhammer online wiki on 11/04 at 03:07 PM

25. Great post. these days there are so many seo companies online, how to know which one is good and which one to avoid? Its really tough to judge.

    Posted by seo sydney on 11/11 at 09:22 AM

26. Search engine optimization is looked on as being a simple way to make money online! This idea was created by all of the SEO Gurus that would like to sell their products, consultation, or services!

    I sometimes have customers that pay and then 24hr later wonder why they are not #1 for all of their competitive keywords/phrases!

    The world of SEO is such a mystery to so many people that it saddens me and I believe that this excellent post may clear somethings up for people! So for what it’s worth, Good Job!

    Justin

    Posted by SEO Positions on 12/08 at 06:45 PM

27. Thanks bud. Nice comment!

    Posted by Vancouver eMarketing 101 on 12/08 at 06:55 PM

28. One of the biggest problems we face as an SEO company is a client having unrealistic expectations about what SEO can achieve. There are a lot of cases where it feels like clients seem to think SEOs have a direct line to Google and when they pay for work done we will get on the phone to Eric and Sergey and inform them we want X site ranking in X position.

    As much as we wish this was true it is unfortunately not the case. The reality of the situation is Google is trying to provide the most relevant results for specific searches and in theory as an SEO company we aim to try and make a website selling “Blue Widgets” be as relevant as possible for the term “Blue Widgets”.

    Posted by seoconsultant on 03/30 at 07:16 AM

29. Whether you are a web designer, SEO, or any other person in a service industry, each new client you acquire is going to have their own set of individual expectations. Many of these expectations will be standard, but varied, depending upon your industry. If you are a web designer, well your clients are going to want a great looking site. If you’re an SEO, well your clients are going to want results. If you’re a lawyer, your client wants to win and not end up owing you their left hand and right leg for the trouble.

    Posted by seo company on 03/30 at 07:59 AM

30. Hi,

    Every website is different and subsequently has different goals. ‘Getting traffic’ isn’t a goal. Attracting visitors who will purchase; creating a tool or article that will gain hundreds of links; building your online reputation so you appear far more authoritive/important than your competitors… those are examples of goals. Work-out what goal you have instead of just aiming for traffic, because traffic alone will not help you achieve much.

    Posted by web hosting companies on 04/10 at 01:37 AM

31. i also know tips that how a site can be rank up but some tips i didn’t know before but here now i also found more tips for raking of site. Thanks for sharing this nice info.

    Posted by SEO Company on 04/12 at 11:14 AM

32. Managing clients expectations is key and remember: choose your client carefully! Sometimes saying no is saying yes to yourself. If you have some more bad SEO stories and client relationships, feel free to post them here.

    Posted by Business card designs on 04/13 at 04:01 AM

33. Nice Article! I too face some clients who thoughts we did no hard work for SEO and just asking for high price. 

    Posted by domain web hosting on 04/24 at 02:57 AM

34. Discuss client expectations fully before working with any prospect. It sometimes scares prospects away when you ask them about a marketing plan, but It’s helped my business.

    Posted by Norm on 04/26 at 04:43 PM

35. I agree, if the client can’t match the outlay of the top 5 positions, then they are doomed to failure.

    I tell people they could hire a person full time on a big salary to JUST look at trying to maintain their current level, let alone try and improve it.

    It is a shifting and very difficult thing to do with a set small budget. For 2k they are better off spending it on something simple like a couple of well placed ads in their local paper or somewhere their niche market goes, rather than expect a small outlay on web SEO will fix everything.

    And most don’t understand that the cost is an ongoing one, as others will try and get the same top 5 position they want....

    Posted by Nick - Graphic Designer on 07/14 at 10:12 PM

36. Unrealistic SEO Expectations by Dolphin Promotions. Why ranking for highly competitive terms when you are not directly in that market can be unrealistic, and why focussing on increasing conversions is much more profitable Share and Enjoy:

    Posted by Annuity on 07/30 at 03:41 AM

37. Agreed, I have seen some ridiculous search job descriptions. Some folks have no clue how in demand the field is and the actual salary needed to land a veteran SEO expert.

    Posted by free online articles on 08/12 at 03:55 AM

38. I am guessing they expect me to say, for $2,000 I can bring you to the top. I know that for $2,000, it will only scratch the surface and it won’t meet their expectations. Since $2,000 seems too much for them sometimes, what are the options?

    Posted by chi straighteners on 05/26 at 10:24 PM

39. I personally believe that high quality work will always find its clients. The good news is that the things can only get better now. Really I agreed to it!!!

    Posted by Agenzie hostess torino on 07/08 at 09:21 PM