The Fundamentals of SEO [Malaysia Version]

I’ve been having a hard time over the years explaining to people about SEO…

I’m sure most of you are involved in digital marketing and going through the same pain. It’s not that SEO is complicated…

It’s just that it is extremely hard to justify the long-term benefits any business can gain with SEO.

I’m not here to tell you what SEO is all about. If you’re curious about SEO, just Google it. I don’t want to waste my time explaining SEO from scratch.

If you don’t have the time to search for it, check out the following resources:

So what you should know about SEO in Malaysia?

How most SEO agencies in Malaysia are strategizing and implementing SEO?

There are hundreds of questions about the SEO services provided by agencies in Malaysia.

I’m not here to condemn any SEO agencies. I’m just sharing my personal experience.

Ok. Let’s get started…

80% of SEO agencies in Malaysia = Snake Oil Sellers

I don’t want to go deep into snake oil. You can check out what snake oil really means and why it is associated with scams:

Snake Oil

The main reason for me to claim 80% of SEO agencies in Malaysia are snake oil traders is because they make unrealistic promises only to close deals. And the best part is they offer a 100% money-back guarantee if there are no results. Well when you get such offers, you will be more than happy to sign a contract.

Let me ask you something. How many of you actually got your money back when there are no results?

You need to understand that SEO is an ongoing process. As the technology is growing, search engines like Google are consistently changing their algorithms to provide the best search experience for their users. There are no agencies that can guarantee the #1 ranking on Google for your preferred keywords.

These are the common feedback from some of the business owners I’ve worked with

“Absolutely…there’s so much snake oil in this business I didn’t know where to look for the best agency.”
“I’ve already been ripped off twice…I’m just trying to find someone legit”
“I’m sure you’re right…I’ve worked with a couple of SEO agencies in Malaysia, and never really got much for my money.”

Well, I’m not blaming these SEO agencies because some businesses are more than happy to go with a cheap price.

Come on, guys. Do you think you can get SEO services for RM 500 or RM600?

What kind of results they can offer you for such pricing?

The right SEO service that can produce results will have a price range from RM3,000 to RM10,000 depending on the type of business and competition.

As you can see, this is a screenshot of one of the SEO service providers in Malaysia. The basic SEO package is acceptable as it does not guarantee any Google 1st page results and it is a one-off service. However, the Advanced SEO Packages are priced at RM500/month and the maximum optimization period is 20 weeks (4 months). So, the total cost will be RM 2,000 (US$500)

I can easily challenge this agency that they will fail to produce results for their client (most probably rank for keywords people are not searching for). If the keyword difficulty is low, it is possible but not for such a price.

If we break down the cost involved in ranking websites on search engines, RM500 will not be sufficient unless you’re buying blackhat/spammy SEO packages from Fiverr.

When you search for “SEO services” on Fiverr, there are a few thousand results. I can’t deny the fact there are high-quality services on Fiverr. But, there are too many black hat SEO offers.

Malaysia SEO service providers with low monthly pricing often hire someone from Fiverr to get the SEO work done for the clients. Such services will only show short-term success and you will start kicked back on search results over the long run.

90% of SEO agencies in Malaysia Are Web Design Companies

I’m not sure whether you’re aware of this. 9 out of 10 companies offering SEO services are actually website design companies. These companies often outsource their SEO services to companies from India and the Philippines while focusing on their core service of developing websites.

I understand that they want to get hold of their clients by offering add-on services apart from website design.

But, how can you provide a top-notch service when you don’t have expertise in it?

Full-fledged digital marketing agencies will provide website designing and development services as well, but it is focused on revamping the sites to adhere to the SEO guidelines and o make the site easier to optimize for the search engines.

A website development agency can only develop SEO-friendly sites with little on-page SEO in place. They often fail to perform SEO tasks like how a full-stack SEO agency does.

The sad truth is that Malaysia is overloaded with thousands of web development companies that offer non-performing SEO service.

The above screenshot is from a well-known web design company in Malaysia. They are also providing a variety of digital marketing services.

When you search on “Google.com.my” for the keywords of the clients they have mentioned.

Most of them are not ranking for the mentioned keywords anymore. If they are engaging with new clients with SEO services, they should have updated them with the latest results. As a website design company, they are focused fully on their core services only.

The right SEO is not cheap

Lately, I’ve had a hard time explaining to business owners in Malaysia why SEO is not cheap. It was easy to explain to the ones abroad as they have basic SEO knowledge and understand the importance of SEO for their business growth. Pricing of SEO services in Malaysia is still crucial when it comes to hiring SEO agencies.

With the lack of knowledge in SEO, business owners tend to go with the cheaper ones and regret their actions.

I will certainly debunk the psychology of cheap SEO services.

You see, my SEO services are not cheap. That’s one of the reasons I have very few clients (working long-term). You’ve probably needed to take a look at my pricing for SEO Consultation. You will definitely think ” What a Rip-Off“.

So why is my SEO Consultation price higher than other Malaysian SEO service providers?

The answer is simple. I provide result-driven SEO consultations for my clients. That’s the reason I don’t have generic SEO packages to offer. I understand that digital agencies want to give clients the ability to choose their own SEO packages.

What if the client is not sure which package to choose?
What if they don’t know the best SEO solution for their business website?

This is where my SEO Consultation comes in. To provide the right solution for their business.

Most SEO agencies in Malaysia just get the basics done and that’s why they can charge the client so low.

I want to keep this article short. Though I can still go on revealing the truth of SEO in Malaysia, these are the top truth that you should know.

If you want to launch a successful SEO campaign, make sure to research and choose the right SEO agency in Malaysia. Every penny matters. Don’t spend on low-quality SEO service providers and regret it later. Think of SEO as a long-term marketing effort that’s going to improve your business not only in terms of revenue but also in brand awareness.

I’m pretty sure there will be a lot of SEO service providers who get offended by my article. I’m least bothered about it…

Businesses in Malaysia deserve to get the best digital marketing solutions. We just got to weed out all these Snake Oil sellers and move towards a successful digital nation.

Are there any other Fundamental truths of SEO in Malaysia that you feel should be added to this article, please feel free to comment below.