[mokothemonkey]

with most forums, bb code is allowed in sigs and links, and sometimes html

for bb code
Keyword X[/url ]
make sure to not have the spaces after your url or end tag, just put those in so the forums would show it

for html
[URL='your%20url']Keyword X
with images:


posting in related forums are best, but all links go towards page rank and help when using anchor text
Hope this helps!

 

[Mark Rhodus]

Here Is what I was told when asked what can be done for the search word "Funny T-Shirts"

We will work hard within the parameters of what would normally be a maintenance level of service. We are targeting a phrase, 'funny t-shirts' that is highly competitive and over the course of 6 months, I would be impressed if we reach the first page for that specific phrase. I am pretty sure we will reach the second page, and will definitely achieve first page rankings for other 3-word phrases that we will target as milestones to achieving our primary goal. I would then expect that we would be able to maintain or increase the level of service and start to make serious achievements in terms of first page and top 5 rankings in Google.

Our secondary goal in providing services is to demonstrate what it like for a web entrepreneur to have a trusting, professional relationship with a web solutions company, and to earn referral business from you.

It is very easy to determine if $250 a month is a good deal or not. Here is a chart showing the average click thru rates for search engines based on rank #.

And the exact search volumes for the keyword "funny t shirts" is 165,000 a month.

So at position 10 you should receive an estimated 4,785 visitors.

The average ecommerce conversion rate is 2%

4,785 visitors x 2% = 95.7 customers

Take 95.7 x the amount of profit you make on your average sale and now you know how much its worth to rank #10 on search engines.

So lets say you profit $10 on average from each sale you make.

95.7 x $10 = $957 in profit per month. Now that will go on as long as you are ranking in the top 10. I will pay $250 to make $957 all day long.

Now the real question remains is the SEO'er your hiring capable. $250 a month is extremely cheap for a keyword with this high of a search volume and amount of competition.

Other things to consider is the age of your domain and how long it been on topic. If you have a relatively new domain (newer than 1 year) ranking on the first page for such a competitive keyword would be very difficult.

My suggestion is to get a list of websites/keywords this client has done seo for and check for yourself. be sure that the keywords they are showing you have similar competition and search volume to the keywords that the company will be obtaining for you. If possible, ask if the company will let you call a couple customers to make sure that they aren't just supplying you with random websites/keywords that they didn't do.

I hope this helps...
Oh, one more thing, focus your time on social media as it is where future business will be initiated.

Thanks
Mark
Owner
http://www.buyembroiderysupplies.comBuy Embroidery Supplies

 

[jodyl2]

this does help. thank you very much. if only I can understand it. I am going through the same turmoil as the person that just wants to outsource seo. I have spoken to many companies and I just can't find one that I feel comfortable with or afford. also, I did not allow for the extra time that is needed...

although, I would love to do it myself..
And that's the short story...

two things:
please can you give me the order that I need to follow...step 1, step 2 etc.
please can you just give me the sites that I need to go to to get this started.

(for instance,, you referred to posting and included stuff that I need to put in post)

and 2. perhaps someone here can help me get started, I can pay modestly.

something else, I have a wordpress blog and I believe there are plugins that will do stuff for me for free. I have had all in one seo installed and now I need to get it started.

does anyone know a list of directories, blogs to submit my site to?

 

[shirtsthatgo]

Hi Jody,

You have to determine if SEO is something that you really want to do. I would read the free stuff available at www.seomoz.org and see what you think. It is quite a project to get the SEO piece done for your business. Also once you start it never ends. I am fairly technical and really enjoy it but I also outsource pieces that I am not strong with yet.

I can connect you up with my team that does the SEO work I outsource. They are based in India and are great to work with. You can peek at their various offerings at www.snvinfotech.com to see what you think.

At a high level SEO has two main components. First there is on page SEO which is the work you do on your website to optimize it for being found. Second there is off page SEO which is really about links to your site from other sites on the web.

As you work on SEO efforts you will also want to dial in your website so that when the traffic comes they are converted into customers.

Let me know thoughts. I am glad to explain further details etc. SEO is becoming a hobby that is almost as interesting as getting my own t-site spooled up.

 

[shirtsthatgo]

I agree with you KungFu. It is critical that you understand SEO before you hire it out. Depending upon how competitive your niche, and associated keywords, is you could see results within a few days after doing the on page optimization.

 

[jodyl2]

thanks for getting back to me. I have researched this for awhile, so I'm not totally in the dark. I just don't think I can trust someone in India, how much is the charges? kungfukitty, shirtsthatgo, maybe give the contact info? kungfukitty the link you provided for seo blog doesn't work?

 

[ShirtSays]

The best way to do SEO is in house but if you have to outsource then you SHOULD NOT talk to anyone who says "we will try to get on this page for this keyword". That isn't really the way it works and that is not REALISTIC at all.

What you should be looking for if you are going to Outsource is a list of what they will be doing. Will they be creating seo landing pages / content / getting backlinks / registering your site with directories / etc. AND yes, you should make a list with them of the terms you are looking for but set a realistic goal. Something that they will create whatever # of SEO Landing Pages for whatever # of search terms. That there GOAL is to reach the top of google with every single one.

But then there should be some other goals out there. Like I said, trying to get back links - trying to get your name out to blog, submitting your site to directories.

Most of the time anyone saying they are shooting for a # listing on good is full of it. You never know where your going to land until its done. Some pages take longer then others. And SOMETIMES google ranks you high at first then knocks you down OR the other way around. It is all a wait and see game. But that is why in-house is usually the best answer.

My advice would be if you are going to outsource is to really learn about what they are doing and get your feet wet a little bit with it yourself. That way you can learn from it and increase the amount of time and value you are getting.

 

[Robin R]

A lot of good info.

You could also learn a lot on SEO (and your competitors) with SEO Add ons (Firefox). you could check this thread: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/ecommerce-site-design/t101311.html

@ Mark; Just wondering, how/ where did you get that chart and other info (key word volume per month)?

Cheers,
Robin

 

[rightmad96]

It's understandable to feel hesitant about outsourcing SEO work, especially if you've had little success with it yourself. One way to determine if a company is legitimate is to research their reputation online. Look for customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies. You can also ask the company for references and speak with their past clients.
Additionally, you should have a clear understanding of the scope of work they will be providing for the $110/month fee. Seven hours of dedicated work per month is a relatively small amount of time, so it's important to ensure that the tasks they will be working on are prioritized and will have a significant impact on your SEO. It's also a good idea to set clear metrics and goals for the work, so that you can track progress and measure the success of their efforts.
Finally, it's important to establish clear lines of communication with the company and to make sure that you're able to stay updated on their work and progress. You should be able to ask questions and get answers easily and regularly.
Keep in mind that SEO is a long-term process and it may take several months to see significant results. You should be prepared to work with the company for a period of time and be open to making changes and adjustments to your strategy as needed.