WebProNews

Some firms may try to charge what we can only describe as overly generous margins on certain services.

WebProNews pop quiz - I'd like to charge you $3,000 to submit your website to 100 directories. Your response to this should be:

1. Handing me a check for the full 3 Gs, made out to my design firm, C. Ash
2. A hearty chuckle followed by a brisk run away
3. Several whacks with a tire iron

We can't advocate violence or other such punishments, richly deserved though they may be. The thoughts you entertain in privacy about such a deal may be as detailed as you like; go wild.

The maxyRO blog said they have seen this level of pricing for directory submission, a service they feel might be worth $50, based on charges for it by manual submission services. Nice work, if you can get someone to pay for it.

MaxyRO also criticized overpriced article writing and submissions ($100), rewriting and resubmitting that article to more sites ($50), and keyword ranking consulting ($300). Plus SEO consulting by phone; "I can imagine a call center with bored teens reading some script," said the blog.

Naturally, worthy SEO businesses exist. Word of mouth is one way to find a good one. Ask other businesses you trust what they did with SEO, then look for them via their expected niche keywords to see where they rank.

If they rank well in search, top 5 or better, the choice that business made could be the right one for you.