Optimizing Webpages for Keywords- Using Text Links to Distribute Internal Page Rank

[Kingalan1]

My Manhattan based commercial real estate firm hired an SEO firm. The company conducted a content audit, created a keyword matrix and suggested optimizing 51 pages for specific keywords. A specific price per page was quoted, which I understand and accept.

I was under thought that setting up internal text links to redistribute page rank and thereby improve ranking for competitive terms was included in the price. But this task was not included in their quote.

I really want to avoid getting nickeled and dimed to death. Should this cost be included, or legitimately is setting up the internal link structure something that is an additional expense? If this task is legitimately an extra, how labor intensive is it? A lit bit of extra time when re-writing pages or a completely different task that would be quite time consuming?

Also, I believe the flow of page rank within a site can have a big effect on ranking, so setting up internal links is critical. Are these assumptions correct?

For some background, www.nyc-officespace-leader.com gets 4,500 organic visits per month. Google Page Rank is 2 and the site was hit by Panda in 2012 but has partially recovered.

I would really appreciate some insight from the MOZ community. I do not want to pay too much or too little for these services. THANKS, Alan

[JaneCopland]

Hi there,

Echoing William about not wanting to step on another's business, but on-page content creation is virtually indistinguishable from the process of creating internal links, in my opinion as an SEO and as someone with a background in writing / publishing. They're generally worked into copy naturally, then site structure (which should have been covered in the site audit) would cover issues like navigational linking.

I worked in the sales section of my former agency for the last year I was there (former SEO consultant for them, now back to freelancing) and we certainly never broke anything down like this.

What I did find, however, was that larger clients (think corporate giants) want break-downs of everything cost-wise when proposing work. They want to know what the individual cost of writing pages, removing links, even the cost of a consultant's time to monitor tools on a monthly basis. However, adding invoices for things after the fact was clearly a big no-no. The retainer or full cost was stated up front (e.g. $10,000 per month) and then a breakdown was shown, rather than work beginning and then me saying, "Oh, so it's going to be another $2k for X, Y and Z."

I can see something like the cost of rewiring internal links being included in a breakdown like this, but if I were writing a quote for re-working the on-page elements of a website, it would certainly not come with an extra invoice for internal links.

$20,000 for an initial phase of work before link dev is understandable if you were on a monthly retainer of $10,000 and a massive amount of initial work was put into the campaign - this is the sort of fee I used to be working with when at an agency. But with that fee came a culture of all-inclusiveness. Everything from site audits to link audits and take-downs, social media audit, 12 - 24 month strategy, staff training, tool access, etc. came included.

Short version: I'd not be a fan of including these costs after work has started, rather than the company saying: "This is going to cost you $40,000 over six months" and showing the breakdown of where that money is spent. I also personally find the cost of placing internal links to be a natural part of both the site audit and copywriting, so am confused about why that's separate.

[alrockn]

Databases organize the records, which in your case is a "listing", in particular way which define what they are.  These are usually categories and sub-categories which are assigned discreet codes.  Viewers click on a category, which leads subsequent subcategory, all linking back to the category and your homepage.  You want to use these codes to create the navigation menu and subsequent sub-menus which in effect become the internal linking scheme.  You want to make sure this is done logically and intelligently because this is probably all you'll have to do.

[Kingalan1]

So to  map out the site and build internal text links that manipulate link equity is not that labor intensive after keywords have been selected for landing pages?

While I am am impressed by the provider's knowledge and service, somehow I find that costs always seem to  be increasing in an unanticipated way.

An initial SEO audit cost $4,995, Link removal $2,500, content audit to create keyword grid for 22 pages $2,500, Content Optimization Review $3,150. Now I am faced with optimization of 51 pages for about $6,200 plus development of internal link structure (whatever that costs!!!) plus local SEO at $1,500.

So I would have spent $20,000 before any link building even begins!!! Maybe they have a good strategy, without a high level of technical expertise it is hard for an amateur like myself to say. But I think you are 100% correct, they are breaking down each process to its smallest component and that maybe be resulting in inflated costs.

Thanks for your input!! Alan

[WilliamKammer]

I hate to step on another SEO's business modal, but for that price they should absolutely include the internal linking. I would be weary of an SEO that is trying to break down every single process into it's smallest parts in order to charge you for each one.

At an average reputable SEO company, that $7k would go a lot further, I feel.

This is just my opinion. When it comes to pricing a services, everyone does it differently and charges different things. So, in my opinion, you are getting nickeled and dimed.

[Kingalan1]

Sorry, I am not quite following you. These are text links that would be created among different pages of text. In what context are you using the term "database"?

I am already paying to have a page edited a manually so I don't see how tables and databases come into play? Sorry for my non technical question.

Alan

[alrockn]

Internal linking can be fairly straight forward depending on how your database is structured.  Records should be broken down by categories and sub-categories, so if your data is stored in tables like this, if should be fairly quick and easy.  However, if the SEO has to break everything down for you, and do it manually if will be very time consuming because every page will have to be edited individually.  You should ask questions regarding how they plan to proceed, then see if there's anything you can do in preparation to cut down the billable hours.

[Kingalan1]

Hi William:

Price point is $95.00 per page re-write.  Content exists but style is to be improved where necessary and keywords integrated into text. Tags to be re-written.

I have paid about $2,100 for keyword research and the creation of a keyword matrix in addition to the $95.00 per page. So my total exposure will be around $7,000 without internal linking.

In terms of the scope of work on each page, for example a page like: http://www.nyc-officespace-leader.com/neighborhoods/downtown-manhattan/financial-district will be re-written to incorporate the following three terms: wall street office space, financial district office space, financial district office space rent, downtown office space for lease, office space downtown, downtown office space for rent, downtown brooklyn office space. Stylistically this page is not too bad.

Some pages like the home page (www.nyc-officespace-leader.com) need editing must be re-written for conversion. Three terms to be optimized on the home page are Manhattan office space, new york office space, new york city office space, manhattan office space for rent, office space in manhattan, office space in new york, new york office space for rent, office space for rent manhattan, office rental manhattan, commercial property for rent, office for rent, office space for lease.

Do you think at the $95/page I can insist that the SEO firm provide internal linking?

Thanks! Alan

[WilliamKammer]

Charging on-page SEO at a per-page price is a bit out of the norm in my experience. Most SEO companies will charge a monthly fee and will then work on what they deem more important to the campaign.

Keeping that in mind, answering your question is difficult without the price points, but if it were me, internal linking would be part of the on-page service. If it's strictly a content company, they won't do this, but if it's an SEO company, internal linking is a given.

Once the content is complete, the internal linking that is involved is not a large undertaking in comparison. It takes some time and strategy, but a fraction of the content building efforts that hopefully took place.