A Searh Engine Land article article by Stoney deGeyter lays out the age old question (in internet time); Is SEO affordable for small businesses?
Stoney sujests three main componets to finding an efficient balance:
Investment in Time
Investment in Budget
Investment in Neccessities
I agree with Stoney that,” As long as your marketing campaign is returning a positve ROI, then the true cost of SEO is affordable.” Still, it can be difficult to convince a client to spend more money even though they are making more. You run into a mental road block. The client has a budget number in mind and has difficulty approving anything past that number.
However, if you can prove to your client through data analysis that his ROI is worth the investment, your client may very well up the ante. Easier said than done, I am well aware. That is why we offer our local directory service (shameless plug). If you can’t afford SEO for your site, there are affordable opportunities out there. Educate yourself and be patient before stepping in.