You’re skeptical because you already did SEO but didn’t get the results you expected! Well, you fell for another marketers’ trick didn’t you? E.g. “As low as $$$/month”, “100% money-back guarantee if you don’t appear on Google”, “Download this free SEO checklist for 2021, no credit card required”. You know what's the worst? Now every Tom, Dick and Harry can do SEO and sadly, every business owner is affected one way or another, so the only option is to go with the cheapest SEO offer. Right? Well, good luck getting the ROI.
You don’t consider SEO to be an essential component in your business growth. Of course, your budget would rather be spent on actual sales-driven activities and yes, why do you need SEO if you're servicing a small local market e.g. dental clinic, flower shop or car mechanic. It's hovering somewhere around ZERO if you were to invest into SEO especially if you do not have a website or already have a poorly designed one. You probably need to spend RM6,000+ to move the dial.
