If you have an unlimited SEO budget, what would you do?

[andrep]

Here's a bit of background information: I've achieved the targets and is now being offered what is essentially an unlimited budget. I have a nice list of ideas but thought I would the brilliant people here at the SEOMOZ community what they would do.

So as to promote as much response as possible, I'm going to keep my list to myself for now.

And by "SEO", I mean I can do things like content strategy, blogging, infographics, etc.

Shoot away!

[altecdesign]

Buy Google and tell the engineers to place my site number one for every relevant query : )

Honestly create a content strategy, you could hire X number of experts who's sole job is to create great content/ useful features and tools for your site. If you have unlimited budget there is no reason not to keep your strategy squeaky clean in my opinion.

[andrep]

Squeaky clean it is. The issue is ROI. It's very difficult to forecast the return of "great content", especially on your blog. I have no problem spending a good amount of money on say a high quality guest post because I know what I will get back.

That said, any recommendations for a great content strategist?

[jjgonza]

First of all I would put together a detailed and comprehensive audit of the site. This would give me a basis for putting together a priority based project schedule. Second since I do not have an SEO Team I would consider outsourcing portions of the project so that I may achieve timely results for my client. (since your client has deep pockets and is willing to pay I'll assume he will  want  to see timely results). Once I have have a handle on correcting most of the issues found in the site audit I would then put together a schedule for blogging, link building, routine seo, etc..

I have worked with a few SEO's and even though they are talented I see most of then struggle when it comes to project management.

[toddmumford]

Absolutely agree - content marketing, on top of authority accreditation links and other layers of diverse links built on trust.

[SeattleOrganicSEO]

I don't know the link to it, but there's a quick video clip of Distilled's Tom Critchlow pointing out that "it's not about building links, but building relationships."  I'd have to agree to a significant degree.

I'm not talking about buying relationships, but I'm talking about doing everything you can to get to know everyone and everybody in the SEO community who's good.  Go to all the conferences where they "hang" and spend time going to all the "Link Love", "Search Love" and all the other SEO Love type of fests.

Also, find ways to build up "relationships" with everyone in your niche by either spending time where they spend time and get to know their needs.  Cozy up to bloggers that blog in your vertical.  Send them nice presents.  Remember their birthdays.  Build relationships!

With an unlimited budget, I would seriously spend a lot of it building relationships for your client.

[EGOL]

Unlimited budget?

The first thing that I would do is get a big piece of framed canvas and a bucket of red paint... then paint on that canvas "Don't Blow the Money".  Hang on office wall.

Next get another piece of framed canvas and draw a big line down the left side and a big line along the bottom.  These will be two axes of your chart.  Label the left axis "profitable"... label the bottom axis "linkable".  Hang that on office wall.

Now, every idea that I get for improving the website, write it on a card and pin it on the chart , positioning it along those axes according to its potential profitability and potential linkability.  Work on those ideas that plot with the highest total potential - focus on projects that plot farthest to the right in the early stages then move north.

[MassivePrime]

By achieving target you mean you've already gotten your client to the first page, number 1 spot for his primary keywords? If yes and I were in your position I would track the conversions he is getting at the moment and then focus on related long tail keywords.

The one thing I would do if i were asked to deliver results ASAP with this budget though is to set up a PPC campaign. If your client is already ranking under keywords that are generating business, why not double that presence with sponsored links? (This is one of our most basic strategies and it works beautifully for us)