Is Search Engine Optimization a Bad Investment?

Mar 27, 2008 - 10:06 am 7 by

Julie Joyce writes on the SEO Chicks blog talks about the American Express believes that SEO is a waste of money. The idea is that there are snake oil salesmen (not all SEOs do this, though), but it ends up affecting the industry as a whole. Just because someone promised "guaranteed top 10 rankings in 90 days" doesn't mean he's doing it right or ethically. The industry shouldn't take a hit for that, but unfortunately, they do.

Julie says that you shouldn't give out bad advice as it's extremely irresponsible.

Yes, there are examples of poor SEO but that’s absolutely no reason to advise all small business owners against employing the services of reputable people who happen to have the background and the knowledge to compete in the online arena.

And she ends the article with a bang: that bad advice isn't much better than bad SEO. So there, AMEX.

Forum discussion continues at Sphinn.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Google Search Volatility

More Details

Search Video Recaps

 
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: June 12, 2026

Jun 12, 2026 - 10:00 am
Google Search Engine Optimization

Google Search Console Link Report Finally Fixed & Updated

Jun 12, 2026 - 8:16 am
Search Video Recaps

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Post-Core Update Volatility, Zero Clicks Rising, Apple’s Siri AI & Google SEO Docs

Jun 12, 2026 - 8:01 am
Google Ads

Home Listings Come To Google Local Services Ads

Jun 12, 2026 - 7:51 am
Google Ads

Google Ads Extends Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) To AI Max Timeline

Jun 12, 2026 - 7:41 am
Google Search Engine Optimization

New Google Search Console Tool/Report: Platform Property Tooltips

Jun 12, 2026 - 7:31 am
 
Previous Story: How to Launch a New Website With (and Without) SEO in Mind