OT: Should one spend money on SEO? (was: Oh say can you SEO?)

[Sy Ali]

On 3/21/07, Jason Spiro <jasonspiro4-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> > [SEO is] as simple as having a web site with content people
> > actually want to see and hence link to.
>
> Hmm.  Interesting point.  But in the special case of online stores:
> Do you believe that if one wants one's own online store to be highly
> ranked by search engines, one should *not* try SEO and instead should
> just add useful content?
>
> If J. Random Entrepreneur has N dollars to spend, is it more
> profitable for him to spend it only on adding useful content, or
> should he spend some of it on SEO?

A website will often have to be gutted and reworked in various ways to
become more SEO-friendly.  In some markets, extremes may have to be
pursued to have any significant impact with search results.  These
extremes may be too much for some websites or some entrepreneurs or
some budgets.

In cases where a lesser amount of effort is needed to gain results
with SEO .. where the website is most of the way there, or what have
you .. then maybe it's a good idea.

Spending money usually involves a fair commitment up front and a
budget to be spent monthly.

If it's a new website being made, and the business is meant to rely on
the website .. then it's stupid not to factor SEO in early.  But the
fact remains that if a person baulks at the $2500 price tag for a
decent site, paying that again to do the beginnings of SEO, and a
hefty sum monthly (say, $500/mo), wouldn't be appealing.  Many people
skip the SEO "until later, when the business is profitable" but
somehow the logic doesn't hold if it needs SEO to get there in the
first place.

And of course, there are no guarantees.. which makes an SEO budget
even harder to allot.

Most people end up with "ok, I'll spend my budget on a good website
and I'll just use AdWords"
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