I have a love/hate relationship with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay Per Click). It's something you should consider doing but it can be a bit of scam, also. Wait, we offer basic SEO services, is what we're doing a scam? No, first of all our service is designed to bring YWD clients up to the minimum standard for SEO. We don't do any of those fake site website things. We provide best business practices and some advice as to how you might take it further, but that's it.

Companies that do SEO/PPC for a living have their own agendas. They promise a lot. They have to or why would you go with a company that won't put you on top of the Google rankings or give you the best pay per click position? But I know a lot of companies who didn't get the results promised or implied. (If you're one of those companies, drop me a note and tell me about your experience). And it can really cost a ton of money to do this right. You can't do this on the cheap.

The thing about SEO and PPC is that it reminds me of that accounting trick whereby you insist on getting paid in 30 days but don't pay your own bills for 90. There are some serious advantages to this, that is until everyone is doing the same thing and then it becomes a level playing field once more.

This seems to be what is happening to SEO and PPC. Not everyone can be number one or on the first page of Google searches. Someone has to be second, third, fourth, etc. This means that there must be companies either not doing SEO at all or doing it very badly for the successful to succeed. And then if you reach such lofty heights you have to stay there. At some point all your energies will end up being spent maintaining your PPC gambling habit at the expense of looking out for your clients.

Another example is the stock market. For people to make money, someone has to lose money. Luckily, there are way more people making bad stock choices than good. And so it goes with SEO and PPC. Let's just hope everyone doesn't smarten up all at once or there won't be any SEO business left.

Finally, if an SEO company approaches you for your business, Google them- "SEO-your city" and see if they show up on the first page. If they don't, how are they going to help you?

My advice for good SEO, have great, relevant content. It's the cheapest option and it works just fine.