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SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION) PRICES
Keyword Research
It is essential to pay serious attention to search volumes when deciding what search terms (keywords) to target for high ranking - otherwise success with ranking will not result in a significant number of website visits. Similarly it is critical to gauge the current ranking strengths of your site in relation to the current top ranking pages for targeted keywords - ranking is totally competitive.
Therefore beginning any SEO work, Living Streams will research what search terms are being used, establishes relevant search volumes and shares these with clients during the keyword selection process.
Prices for the Search Engine Optimisation itself
Most SEO providers have fixed charges for a defined programme of work - with no guarantee of resultant ranking. To build the necessary trust and confidence, such suppliers provide testimonials / case studies of what they have done in the past: But past performance is not necessarily going to be repeated or even be repeatable now and for your company.
Living Streams understands that this situation causes business owners to feel very wary of undertaking an SEO programme. We therefore offer two SEO payment by results options (see table below), in addition to our per hour service. We believe that our payment by results options are unique for the UK SME market .
N.B. Living Streams only uses 'white hat' SEO techniques, i.e. accepted by search engines.
PAYMENT BY RESULTS |
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OPTION 1 – Payment for Google ranking
With this option, Living Streams quotes a cost value (for each keyword separately) for achieving the desired ranking (range). Payment terms may be as agreed staged payments as higher ranking is progressively achieved or a one-off when the final target ranking is achieved (depending on the strength of competition to achieve the final target ranking). Once high ranking has been achieved, the cost per month for retaining this ranking is 5% of the cost of achieving the ranking in the first place. Payments are based on position when an automated ranking report is run by Living Streams at the end of each month. EXAMPLES (for illustrative purposes only): (1): A keyword is very competitive, its search frequency is 20,000 per month and the client does not currently have a page ranked in the top 200 for the keyword. Living streams might quote: £2,000 for a ranking of 1-5, £500 for a ranking of 6-10, £250 for a ranking of 11-20 and £150 for a ranking of 21-30. (2) A keyword is moderately competitive, its search frequency is 1,500 per month and the client currently has a web-page ranked 175. Living Streams might quote £400 for a ranking of 1-5, £150 for a ranking of 6-10 and £50 for a ranking of 11-20. (3) A keyword is not very competitive, its search frequency is 300 per month and the client currently has a web-page ranked 145. Living Streams might quote £100 for a ranking of 1-5 and £50 for a ranking of 6-10. |
OPTION 2 – Payment for website visits
This is the most direct payment for results’ system, because a fixed price is charged for each relevant website visit arising from natural (unpaid) search (as measured by analytics). Results can however be more ambiguous because SEO driven website visits occur for the terms related to the targeted keywords as well as the keywords themselves. The pre-requisite for taking this option is to run PPC (pay per click) advertising to establish the 'market rate' for website visits from
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It must be a scam
Google says that any company supplying search engine optimisation services which ‘guarantees’ high ranking for natural search should be avoided. This warning is because (1) such companies usually target low search frequency keywords - of virtually no value, (2) it is impossible to say what your competition may be doing in terms of enhanced SEO, (3) search engines can change their ranking algorithm without warning.
But equally most companies are wary of buying a service with no guarantee of results.
Living Streams’ Pricing
Living Streams is one of those very rare companies which offers charges for its SEO services purely by results – subject to an agreed target list of at least 5 search phrases (keywords). Results cannot be guaranteed but this payment system leaves Living Streams with all of the financial risk.
There are also no upfront payments, no fixed payments and only a one month cancellation period – after the initial minimum period.
Whichever of the two pricing options (detailed below) is chosen, invoicing is at the end of each month for the pervious month’s achievement and payment is on a 30 day basis. Hence clients have plenty of time to generate extra revenue from extra website visits before paying Living Streams – dependent on the benefits and competitive merits of the client’s products / services.
The cost of any directory entry, article creation/submission and extra web-page creation needed to achieve the targeted ranking is:
(1) paid by the client with the hoursly priced option
(2) paid by Living Streams with either of the payment by results options
Pre-Requisites
Clients chose the target keywords from (separately chargeable) keyword research carried out separately by Living Streams. This research will indicate which keywords, Living Streams considers to be viable for SEO – given the current content / structure of the relevant website.
The same keyword research is valuable in guiding clients on extra pages to be produced for their website and as input for the building of internet advertising (PPC) campaigns.
Additional Costs
If the external production of extra web-pages and/or payment for external links (e.g. in online directories) is needed to achieve targeted ranking, this will be paid by Living Streams with no further charges to the client.
Minimum Contract Period
To be most effective, website optimisation should occur at a rate which search engines see as natural, i.e. not all in a very short period. In addition, it is not unusual for search engines to revisit individual website pages every 30 days or even less often.
Therefore, to allow time for an effective optimisation programme to be implemented and for results to be seen, Living Steams terms and conditions are that clients can only give the one month cancellation notice after a minimum SEO contact period. Without this protection, Living Streams could carry out optimisation work which subsequently resulted in high ranking, without being paid for it. Payments are however only due during the minimum period if and when targeted results have been achieved.
The minimum contract period for this option is 4 months.