SEO 2.0 Services 3.5$/h
I'm furious! That's surprising as it's difficult to annoy me these days. I turned 35 this year and I'm a web professional for 10 years now so many things don't bother me anymore. Still there are things that get me raging. It's the first time that a tweet managed to get me that angry though.
I monitor mentions of "SEO 2.0" on Twitter and most of them are not really relevant or intriguing. I ignore most unless Lee Odden, one of the original industry leaders who propagated the term SEO 2.0 himself mentions the term or something similar happens.
Now yesterday I read a tweet from 3 different sources announcing a job offer, or rather a wage slavery offer for SEO 2.0 services
It said:
#blog #writing #job: SEO 2.0 Researcher/Linkbuilder to drive traffic to
www.reside
... ($3.5/hr) -
It contained two broken links. One of them truncated, the other was down yesterday. I could access it today. Let's cite:
SEO 2.0 Researcher/Linkbuilder to drive traffic to www.residentialcleaningexperts.net
I am looking for someone to help me build a webpresence for www.residentialcleaningexperts.net specifically for the chicago, Illinois area Your duties will consist of posting ads on cl, posting premade post on blogs as well as finding relevant content on the web to post to blog, Must be very proficient in using as well as possibly making pages on the blog, This will be an ongoing position so please be dedicated and hardworking. Keywords: Web Research, Data, Entry, WordPress, SEO, linkbuilding, freelancer
Reward $4/hr
I changed the URL in order not to advertise for this website. The actual address sounds similar to the one shown above. What's wrong with that?
There are several things wrong with this "offer". Even for a low paid job like writing for the Web or blogging this is a really badly paid job. I assume that the "residential cleaning experts" actually earn more than that. Nobody who is able to write for the Web or to blog needs such a job no matter how desperate you are:
You can earn more money by setting up a blog and writing for yourself, especially if you sell the right affiliate products.
You can sell anything. Affiliate programs like those by Amazon or Shopping.com cover almost every product conceivable.
Besides the ludicrous amount of money offered here I take offense with the use of the term SEO 2.0 to describe low value services like that.
In SEO 2.0 you don't build links, you get links.
Also even a SEO 1.0 "linkbuilder" paid only 4$ per hour will never be able build quality links. He'll spam. The SEO industry is still booming despite the ongoing crisis. It's one of the future industries that will strive for a long time, especially after struggling old media like print or TV will go bankrupt in many cases.
What is SEO & link building worth? It's more like 40 - 400$ an hour. Just read the SEOMoz article about SEO pricing. Also Gab Goldenberg makes it very clear why 1h of his SEO consultation costs 200$. In case that's to expensive you might try an offer like the one from Agent 89 for an SEO audit for 225$. This one is really affordable and I can imagine that it's mostly automated. A consultant using SEO software to assess your site and get the keyword combinations. Anyways: Quality SEO pays for itself.
Building links for yourself will make you much more than 4$ an hour. Don't even think about doing for someone else for that money. If you can build links you can set up a website for yourself and build them for your own business. Now when you are bright enough to do even basic SEO you should at least charge double digits per hour. Everything else does not make sense. I repeat: You can earn more by optimizing your own projects. When in doubt how much you should charge just charge more. No joke. The more you charge the more people value you. If you charge a too low price they will assume that your products or services are of low quality.
Try to make a name for yourself. Don't work as a nameless underground SEO drone. The better your name the more you can charge. In case you live in the US I suggest you join the Freelancers Union to prevent getting ripped off.
OK. Enough said? No, not yet. Let's take a look at what requirements there are to get the "SEO 2.0 job":
- "posting ads on cl" (Craigslist). When I started doing SEO in 2004 full time a German Craigslist clone was a good way to get links easily and rank in Google. I haven't done it ever since. So it does make some sense, like the ancient "meta tag optimization". It's certainly not SEO 2.0
- "posting premade post on blogs"? Sounds like posting the same comment "Thanks, nice post" all over the place for link building it seems. Spam, not SEO.
- "finding relevant content on the web to post to blog". Every content thief does that if I get it right. This is crime not SEO.
- "proficient in using as well as possibly making pages on the blog". Sounds like hacking blogs to create "pages" there. Otherwise it's nonsense.
- "dedicated and hardworking" - In case you are, skip such offers. You'll be better off self-employed. Working hard on your own blogs will pay more.
This is more of SEO 0.2 if at all. You won't get SEO 2.0 services for 3.5$/h not even SEO services for 4$. You get crap or spam instead.
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I think for 3-4 dollars, they are hiring part time students.
This is the second time I found some anger in your post Tad. First one was with SEO ethics. You are getting older indeed. ;)
You can’t imagine how many proposals I receive like that, and I completely understand you. They are giving the profession a bad rep.
Thank you for this post! As someone just starting out as a social media and SEO support professional based outside of the US, I often get these types of “slavery” proposals. Thanks for affirming that you can charge the fair price for quality work and that “quality SEO pays for itself.”
Stuff like that used to make me angry all the time. Now I ignore it. I’m a freelance writer and you should see what’s posted out there for writing blogs. I recently saw one posting that they wanted 1,200 words for $5.00. Yeah, right.
Hi Tad
Your furious… I don’t think you should be!
Relish the fact you’re so successful you should never have to succumb to such poorly paid offers; or as dumb – as the originator of the ad – to imagine such things will help his/her business.
http://www.grahamjones.co.uk/blog/internet-psychology/assume-your-website-readers-are-smiling.html
Welcome to the age of outsourcing. As I’m sure that’s what this offer was. Most likely some individual in India or the likes in a Internet Cafe. I had one that offered his services and was including his brothers, sisters and mom and pop to perform SEO work. Sad indeed. But this is what we are all facing now days. Jobs are being lost everyday to people like this, even truck driving jobs here in the US from south of our border. Sad indeed. Just keep up the out standing job your doing and if you change your mind and really need that 3.5 hour job let me know, LOL – Joking!
I understand your frustration, Tad – this kind of behavior gives a bad name to the industry and undermines the efforts of people like you… They make SEOs appear like something frugal, without value…
But my impression is that SEOs in India would consider US$4/hour a good pay. USD$640 is a good salary there. I don’t really see a problem with the amount, but like you, a problem with the approach and what they think SEO and link building mean.
I totally understand your fury. Noone right in his mind would react differently I think!
If people insist on using SEOs that goes for 4$ an hour, they should expect to get booted for Spam. On the other hand, they might learn their lesson and hire someone professional for their new site.
Yes, but what we really pay for is for sources (sites) where we can build/leave a link. And nobody will sell good sources for 3.5 $
Thank you so much for this post – I too share your outrage.
I have to disagree here.
While I agree with your general sentiment that SEO 2.0 services are more intensive than what could be expected for $3.50/hr, the appropriate wage for a job is the cross point at which the amount an employer is willing to pay and the amount at which an employee is willing to accept meet.
You never know what someone is willing to work for unless you ask. You keep working up the pay scale until you get a qualified taker. It’s general economics.
Maybe I should move to India where 3.5 dollars an hour is a fortune
$3.5 p/hour? that’s 3x more of what I get paid!!
If you calculate the number of insane hours I normally put in.
It hurts to be the best :( .. NO wonder I am poor .. and my clients very rich & successful! But that alone makes me happy :)