How to Keep Your SEO Clients For As Long As Possible
If you are running an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) company, then your business is currently becoming harder. Google have been both lauded and criticized for slowly pushing SEO companies out of business.Search engine optimization is slowly becoming more and more organic, which means there is less room for honest search engine manipulation, such as what is done by SEO companies. One of the most prominent aspects of this is that SEO is taking longer.
It now takes even longer for a new website to rise up to the first page of the Google search results. This has made retaining SEO clients even harder, as clients tend to want instant results for their money. Here are a few ways you can help retain some of your SEO clients.
Explain that honest SEO takes time
Tell your client that he or she will have to temper his or her expectations. Tell your client that an honest SEO campaign requires sustained effort over a long period of time. Explain that getting quick results is something that only phony SEO companies can offer. Try using analogies such as how a slow and carefully built SEO campaign is similar to the solid foundation under a building, and, how phony SEO companies are only offering a house of cards.As you know, as good SEO campaign is one that attracts very targeted traffic to a website. Tell them that it is very easy to get to the first page of Google if you optimize for a very unpopular (or made up) keyword. But that your service is offering to direct targeted traffic to their website. That the keywords you choose are the ones that their target consumer is going to type into Google.
Try to explain your process from the very beginning
This is a very difficult task, and is probably going to require a lot of charm from yourself. The problem is that many people do not understand SEO, so if you try to explain it to them, then they are going to furrow their brow and go away to “think” about it; which is code for, go find a company that they do not feel embarrassed to ask questions with. |
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However, these are not the worst type of SEO client. The worst type of SEO client is the one who “knows” about SEO, and “knows” what can be done. This is a client that is going to tell you that he knows it is possible to get on the first page of Google, and is going to ask you for very specific traffic numbers for the price he/she pays.
Your effort to explain that traffic is hard to predict, and that traffic does not constitute good value on its own will fall on deaf ears. What is worse is that if you go into details about your SEO techniques, your client will tell you that you are wrong.
Try to explain your process with general but strong statements
Whether you are dealing with someone who knows nothing about SEO, or thinks that he/she knows lots about SEO, you need to explain your process in a general way, but with strong statements.
For example, do not say, “We send 100 backlinks to your website, from 85 domains, all of which are suitable for your site.” Instead say, “We direct high quality links towards you site that will both raise your site up the Google search results, and send you direct traffic too.”
Temper the expectations of your clients
Try to set very clear expectations for your service. Do not promise specific traffic numbers, but do not avoid the issue if you are questioned directly. For example, you can tell your client how you explained to the last person how they should see good traffic numbers within 6 months and that in that case they occurred within 2 months. You may then go on to explain how you predicted good traffic numbers within 6 months for one client, but that it took 8 months.Try to set your client up with realistic traffic predictions. Do not try to overestimate in order to gain new business because you will only lose the business when your predictions do not match the results.
John KravzAbout the Author:
John Kravz is a representative of Vpn-guru.com. Read more about cyberghost.