How much would u charge for this?

Lets say u had to get a very competitive keyword into the top 3 for google and yahoo and msn that was going for 10 bucks a click on the overture network and was searched over 250,000 times a month in overtures network. How much would u charge a client for this work considering teh site was no where even near these rankings before u start the work.
Sorry i cant be more specific.
Anyone help please?
wall

Anybody who answers this is shooting into the dark.

I would not base my answer on adwords bids or overture traffic. I would base it instead on who is in the top 3 today and what I need to do to beat their links and content depth/quality.

well EGOL I disagree with you... no shooting to the dark here:

Any potential client that only wishes a single word/phrase where to acheive that single word/phrase they would acquire 100's, even 1000's more that in totality against that single word/phrase put the value of that single word/phrase to shame...

Charge: $2 million 50% in advance.

Any SEO that even looks at doing this - isn't a SEO.

Fathom, why do u say that any seo that even look sinto it isnt an seo? Why cant we ever get a straight answer on these boards lol

"Any potential client that only wishes a single word/phrase where to acheive that single word/phrase they would acquire 100's, even 1000's more that in totality against that single word/phrase put the value of that single word/phrase to shame... "
did u mean that by getting that keyword into that ranking that all the other keywords in that site would also get a boost in rankings?

First - wasn't trying to be disrepectful [but I suppose it does come off that way]...

In practice [example only] if the targeted word was Computers and you acheived the objective - the fact that a website "isn't merely about that single word" but has things like:

Parts, New, Peripherals, Components, CDROM, Internal DVD, Monitors, Printers, possibly Used etc. are all likely subject matter on the website itself.

The strength of Computers [and stemmed Computer] would significantly enhance the ability to rank for significantly less competitive terms

Computers Parts
Computers New
Computers Peripherals
Computers Components
Computers CDROM
Computers Internal DVD
Computers Monitors
Computers Printers
Computers Used

[and reverse word order]

and stemmed

Computer Parts
Computer New
Computer Peripherals
Computer Components
Computer CDROM
Computer Internal DVD
Computer Monitors
Computer Printers
Computer Used

[and reverse word order] and many more.

and likely than not all of these would rank earlier than the term Computers [and at the same time]

... but none are considered 'valuable'? individually or collectively?

You get less than 100% specific answers because you ask less than 100% specific questions.

I would never bid on that project with the information you've given, at least not for a fixed fee, for a host of reasons:

1. Without more information, the effort involved is impossible to determine. Egol is exactly right. The only way to know what it will take to get into the top 3 is to evaluate the top 3. PPC bids won't tell you anything in this case. If the top 3 are all very well powered authority sites, you will have a much tougher time (and they may not be bidding up the PPC cost) than if they are just other well SEO'd sites.

2. I would never promise any specific position in Google for a popular term, under any conditions.

3. As Fathom points out, a good SEO would not just bid on what a client with no knowledge asks for. I would sell them a package designed to maximize their ROI. That would certainly involve more than optimizing for a single term and basing success or failure on that single term (which is a dumb idea for both the SEO and the client, IMHO).

In any case, if I was bidding on the project, I'd estimate the total number of hours required, multiply that by my rate and add any out of pocket expenses I would incur. That's what I would charge. Though, as I said, I would not fix fee bid it based on success. I would charge a retainer up front, and then bill monthly, and agreed upon amount for an agreed upon level of service. I would tell the client up front what I expected the results to be over time (i.e., how much improvement I'd expect every month or 2). And I'd let them end the contract any time they wish (though they would pay for each month's work in advance.)

So, If I thought I'd be spending 60 hours/month (a couple days a week) plus spending $3k per month on links, and I bill at $150/hr., than I've bill them $12K per month.

I agree with this... I would want a big pile of money up front... non refundable and no guarantees.

Another problem.... getting from scratch to top three in a heavy battle.... you don't know what kind of weapons they are going to pull out when they see you climbing the SERPs.

Anybody who holds topSERP for this type of term is not a dummy. And if the purse at stake is a big one then they will gladly spend a big load of dough to hold that turf. They will go for your throat as soon as they see you coming.

If you hire an SEO to take this type of job for you I think that it would be important to know that they already own similarly difficult turf - otherwise they don't know what they are in for.

All i gotta say is awesome answers guys. You have helped me alot. I know i didnt give much of a specified question but thanks for answering it as specifically as possible given the parameters and Fathom no disrespect intended. wall

never taken that way. I enjoy being helpful - many times my responses are more in frustration that I can't be overly helpful as brandall elegantly noted:



Kudos to a GREAT MOD!

There is one keyword that I always wanted to rank #1 for. Not because it is a money term, just because I wanted to own that turf..... so, I bought the #1 site. It cost a lot less than going to war - from scratch - against them.

Maybe you can buy a site on page 1 that already has some nice links that will remain in place after the transaction is done.

Earning #1 from scratch is a game of momentum. You must be building links at a rate that is faster than the guys at the top. It's very hard to do that when they are getting the great SERP traffic and the natural links that come with it.

This is thinking outside of the box. How can you save time, because time is money. I bet there is a site within the first 10 of the SERPs that might entertain being purchased.

To take on top ranked power houses from scratch in an attempt to displace one of them in the top three is hard with a long calendar attached to it. To move from #9 to #1, 2, or 3 is a lot easier than starting at #9,999 and your opportunity costs will likely be lower.