You have a limited budget of $2,000 (US). Do you buy links or create / seed content?

[NoisyLittleMonkey]

We have a client who is being told by their incumbent supplier that they should renew their annual contract to buy links on 4 domains by their incumbent SEO agency. It will cost approximately $2,000.

We are recommending they produce decent content, like a video, an infographic based on data that is exclusively theirs and seed this with bloggers / real world publications / trade press / etc.

The client is struggling to make a decision because he's caught between two SEO's with different approaches. He doesn't have the budget for both. He's scared of losing his position in the SERPs.

So, I said I'd get some votes from other SEO's. Which would you recommend?

Option 1

• 1,000's of links
• on 4 domains

Option 2

• Create link bait
• Seed using social media

GO!

[MeanGiant]

If you're not providing at least some of both of those services for your potential client you will be doing ineffective SEO and somewhat of a disservice to them.  The link building efforts should support quality content.  It will help with the dissemination.  To me spending all your money on content would be like buying a car but not spending any money on gas.

[EatSleepDream-SEO]

No. 2

Produce Great content - I would suggest... take a topic - a crucial one - on which ur target audience really needs help.

Make a full strategy around producing 4 pieces of content to comprehensively cover the topic so that everyone really understands it.

Hire a pro - a professor, doctor etc who really knows the topic and is actually well known for it.

The 4 content items are

1. An article (SEO optimization is best on articles)

2. White-paper

3. Video - this could be Q&A interview with the same expert who has produced the content OR it could be a teaching video for the topic

4. Infographic

Finally.. once you got it all... ensure you market the whole package and seed it every where as a whole package.

And now... just spend $200 (out of the initial $2000 budget) to ask and get 3-4 top bloggers with the biggest and most relevant following to write a post on the content package OR give 2 anchor text links to the page where u will host the content.

Hope this has been helpful.

Regards,

Talha

[coremediadesign]

Absolutely - Content - that's what the whole idea of having the site should be in the first place - you have something that attracts others.

If it's the E-commerce site - articles about specific products, if it's a Blog - you know already what you want it to contain. Links generated this way will last longer and will be constantly expanding - meaning every so often someone will place a link to your article somewhere else. Have a look at how many links you can find in the threads posted in this forum - most of them to the Google resources, but still - if it was a forum about something else you'd find a different ones.

I've never spent a penny on links and I do have really good results by just posting new articles of interest and tutorials.

What you could also do is to create the RSS feed for all these articles and submit them to the RSS directories - that is if you want to generate some links. Every time the RSS feed is updated (either dynamically from the database or manually) the RSS directory displays the new link automatically.

I hope this helps.

[NoisyLittleMonkey]

Good idea to keep some budget back for Stumble Upon ads... Not really got a great deal of experience here, but they should be useful to get the social sharing started.

[NoisyLittleMonkey]

Need a button for 'two thumbs up' EGOL!

That's a more comprehensive answer than we'd have hoped for.

To answer the questions, the client is keen to generate the content. We've had some ideas that we think will get knocked for six (if you don't mind me changing your baseball to a cricket ball) and we're looking to help them identify the audience that will share it.

But, seeing it set out so simply, it's a great reminder that we really need to do ALL THREE wonderfully, to get it right.

Brilliant EGOL, thanks so much.

[activitysuper]

I would do the same as EGOL.

If I did go the infographic route I would keep some money back for stumble upon ads and adwords to try and get the social signals going.

[Keszi]

Just like Egol said, it is all about engaging your audience:

1. You can create the content that is good for SEO, but will it drive traffic?

2. Is you audience more opened to video or articles? Or maybe webinars, infographics, etc. etc.

First of all, I would check for what my audience is looking for, what is that really makes them take action and then try to work out with the budget part and plan the creations strategy.

Gr.,

Istvan

[EGOL]

If I had the $2000 I would spend all of it on content... and if I had a steady stream of $2000 / month I would spend ALL of it that way.

Would I do it if I were your client?  I don't know.  It depends on three things....

1. Who will be making this content?  Most people can't make successful content.  At least, that's my opinion.

2. Do you have content ideas that will hit a homerun?

3. Do you have an audience who will engage with that content? (share it widely)

Do you have ALL THREE of these?  If you fail in any one  of them then you wasted $2000.

To be fair, you need certain things in place for paid links to succeed.  Those things vary by niche but are mainly based upon what is on your site and how effective it is at converting visitors into money.  Much more complex, in my opinion, but easier to pull off.

[activitysuper]

Number 2 if done correctly.

And if your client still doesn't see sense - email them this: http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=66736

[Keszi]

Well,once again I come up with the same issue: please forget about SEO companies who tell buying thousands of incompetent link in order to rank higher.

Instead I would go on your idea, create something that is really helpful for their possible clients, their visitors. Go try to create some video series, start blogging, be there on social networks and respond to their inquiries.

In long term the results will pay out.

I hope you can convince your clients.

Good luck!

Istvan