Hi Bill,
The better known firms are going to cost more. Top brand visibility
plus bigger marketing budgets, overhead and proprietary software
usually means a paying a premium.
The pros of a big firm include top notch resources and skillsets. The
con is that $150k is'nt that big of an account for a large agency, so
you may not get senior talent assigned to your account for the long
term.
The pros of a medium firm is that you may get top notch resources and
skillsets and work with senior talent. The con is that if they're any
good, they'll be swamped and may not be able to spend as much time on
your account as they should. The same goes for independent SEO
consultants. Watch for the ratio of staff to clients.
You might try reviewing Marketing Sherpa's Guide to Search Engine
Optimization Firms
http://sherpastore.com/store/page.cfm/1759
You can also post your project requirements at the Search Engine
Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO.org) site.
Other resources for researching SEO firms include:
http://www.seoconsultants.com
http://www.seopros.org
Of course if you know you want (organic search engine optimization),
then search Google for that and check out the top 5 SEO firns listed.
(sorry, I could not help some shameless self promotion :)
Otherwise, I am sure the good people on this list will provide you
with many specific recommendations.
Best Regards,
Lee Odden, President
TopRank Online Marketing
http://www.toprankresults.com
Online Marketing Blog
http://toprank.blogspot.com
Received on Mon Feb 21 2005 - 12:34:33 CST
