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SEO on a Budget; Trading Time and Money

By Michael Small

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Published: 20Jan2009
Word count: 781
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SEO on a Budget; Trading Time and Money

SEO is like anything else in the world. You can trade time, money and effort to accomplish anything. The trick is in picking the best option for your needs at the moment. This article will show you how to save all three.

The good news is that SEO is not rocket science. Just about anyone can do it if given enough time and training. The better news is that it can be done for very little money. Here's how...

1.) Trade Time for Money:

If you have six months or more to start seeing good results, try an SEO Book. Just don't buy anything that is more than a year old.

A quick trip to http://www.Amazon.com with a search for "SEO" in the Books category will bring up dozens of contenders. You can pick up a used SEO book for $15 so it's not so much about money as it is time. That said; to get the most out of your reading time, here are a few guidelines to consider before you purchase.

A.) Check the copyright page or back cover for the publication date and make sure it was published within the past year.

B.) Make sure it has at least a dozen reviews and that it scores 4.5 "stars" or better.

C.) Read the reviews and see if the other readers' goals align with yours.

D.) Look for books that offer, "code snippets," either in print or on a companion CD.

E.) If it comes down to a toss up between a couple books, give a little more weight to the one from a well known publishing house or well known series like "For Dummies." Those that get picked up by the big publishers tend to be the best in the game, or at least the best at explaining and teaching their craft.

An SEO book is not the quickest way to become proficient but it is one of the best ways on a budget.

2.) Trade Money for Time:

If you need to see results in two months or less, consider investing in an SEO Software Package (Average Cost $150 to $450.)

There are tons of them out there. Some are very good. Others are junk. And don't be fooled by prices. Some of the junky ones are more expensive than the great ones. Take your time and read what actual users have to say about the products.

Like most SEO consultants I own more than SEO tools than I need. But my business model is a bit different than most only help people get started in SEO. Once I get them to the top of their proffered search engines I help them find the best SEO tool to keep them going and show them how to use it to launch new sites. A little crazy I know but you wouldn't believe how much business comes in word of mouth because of this.

There are only two types that I recommend; mentoring tools and task masters. And they both have to work well on all of the big three (Google, MSN and Yahoo.)

SEO Mentoring Tool:

A mentoring tool tends to make you learn about the ins and outs of optimization. A Website analysis tool is a good example. It will check your pages from the inside out, compare exactly what you have to your top competitors and give you detailed instructions on how to beat the competition. This is the type of software that works great over the long haul and teaches you more about SEO as you go.

There are plenty to choose from. The one I most often recommend can be found at http://www.iBusinessPR0M0TER.com. They've been around a long time and are used by the big companies like eBay who rely on top ranking for their very existence.

At about $250 it's in the middle of the cost scale and offers a "Top 10 raking or your money back" guarantee, so they have some incentive to get you results.

Task Master SEO Tool:

A task master is less about mentoring and more about having you repeat a set process to get required results. A good example of this type of tool can be found at http://www.seoeliteweb.com.

At about $170 it's at the lower end of the cost spectrum.

So whether you trade time for money or money for time, SEO is fully within your grasp. The experts don't just wake up knowing this stuff and you can be your own SEO expert easier than you ever dreamed. All it takes is that first step to get you going.

Mike Small started the free SEO Blog, SEO Partner, in 2002. Seven years later the blog is stronger than ever and has helped thousands. Among other major search engines he has had thousands of top rankings to his credit on Google, MSN and Yahoo.

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