The cost of Search Engine Optimization for highly competitive keyword phrases is estimated $50,000 – $100,000 a year to secure top ten Google placement.


Matt Hocken, of Interactive Marketing, Inc., estimates that one can expect to pay upwards of $50,000 – $100,000 a year to secure top ten Google placement for a highly competitive keyword phrase like ‘life insurance’ or ‘debt consolidation’. Small and medium sized businesses are finding it extremely difficult to meet these exenses.

Even the prices of less popular key words are going up.

Ron Scott, Fast Track SEOP’s senior publicist reports, “A Houston publicist recently paid $5,000 to get her website optimized for a small number of obscure keyword phrases that Overture reports are cumulatively generating fewer than 200 inquiries a month”.

The alternative suggested by Scott is press release. According to Scott, unlike traditional press releases, 98% of all internet press releases are read by consumers and B2B prospects. “A properly optimized and distributed press release will typically generate 50,000 to 100,000 actual reads the first week it goes on line”.

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