Search Engine Optimization

Above all, SEO clients deserve to work with an SEO firm that treats them with respect. I believe that having good customer service is fundamental to running a business, and many companies (not just SEO firms) are lacking in that department. No one wants to work with a company that doesn’t value their business, and you shouldn’t accept the actions of an SEO firm that doesn’t value you!

Here are some other things you should expect as an SEO client:

Deadlines Should Be Met
Sometimes the unexpected happens and a report arrives a day late or a phone call has to get pushed back to next week, but things like that shouldn’t happen frequently. Your SEO firm shouldn’t be making excuses as to why they are falling behind on your blog writing or online PR. If they are having trouble meeting your deadlines (for whatever reason), they should come to you and rework the schedule.

Quick Replies
I firmly believe in good customer service. If a client reaches out to me with a question or a problem, I’m going to do everything I can to get back to them as soon as possible. We live in a world where everyone is connected at all times; you shouldn’t have to wait three days for an answer from your SEO partner. While there is nothing truly urgent in SEO, it is important that they get back to you within a reasonable time frame. If you find yourself having to chase your SEO firm to get a thorough answer, you’re getting the short end of the stick.

Feel Comfortable Asking Questions
You should really feel like your SEO partner is your partner. They aren’t just a hired hand, but an actual member of your marketing team. No question is too simple or basic that it doesn’t deserve to be asked. Your SEO firm should explain why they made certain recommendations, but if you don’t fully understand the reasoning don’t be afraid to ask! You’ve hired that company to handle your SEO, but that doesn’t mean you can’t know what is going on!

Open Lines of Communication
Be wary of any SEO firm that throws up smoke and mirrors when you ask about their process. There is no “magic solution” to SEO, so it’s not like they are going to be giving away any trade secrets by explaining their process to you. SEO is long term, so you’re going to be working with your SEO company for a long time (probably a year at least) so communication is key to keeping everyone on the same page!

I firmly believe that companies have to keep a clear line of communication open between themselves and their SEO partner. Bringing in a third party to handle your SEO is a great idea if none of your current in-house employees have the background or the time to handle implementing an SEO plan. But to create the most applicable SEO strategy, your outside SEO partner needs insider knowledge into your company. That’s why it is important you keep them well informed about what is going on with your company and brand, especially anything that deals with the marketing department.

That being said, I feel that sometimes clients go overboard for the sake of communication. I do want to know what is going on at your company, especially if you are thinking about launching a new website or are bringing in a new employee to the marketing department that I will be working with. These scenarios directly affect the job I am trying to do for you. Staying informed is how I know I am on the right track or if I need to change the plan up a bit. But that is what our scheduled meeting times are for!

I take customer service very seriously. When I try to contact someone I’ve hired to do something for me, even if it just a landscaping service, I expect them to get back to me within a reasonable amount of time. Because I expect that of those who I hire, I try to give the same consideration to those who hire me. I’ve responded to emails and voicemails on the weekends, in the middle of the night or incredibly early in the morning. I want my clients to know that I take their business very seriously.

But sometimes clients get a little over-zealous. I’ll get a bunch of emails from one client in one day, or have a quick phone call turn into a full-blown department conference call. I do appreciate the enthusiasm; it is much better than being blind sided with a big change. But in the world of SEO there is nothing so urgent that it can’t wait.

I say it again and again, SEO is a long-term process. It builds upon itself over time and you will rarely, if ever, see your actions have irreversible effects overnight. There are few crises in SEO that can only be solved in a limited time frame. So please, don’t fret over the small details and waste time worrying. There is nothing so pressing that it can’t wait until our next scheduled meeting.

It’s not unheard of for a client to come in with an idea (or full-blown plan) of what they want their SEO to do and how to go about doing it. And while I appreciate the enthusiasm, sometimes clients can get in their own way and actually hinder their the growth of their website.

Case Study One: Microsites
A client decided they wanted to launch several microsites. They truly believed the only way they could rank with keywords in the search engines was by purchasing and launching a keyword rich domain name. You’ve probably seen those before, where the Meta title tag is stuffed with keywords and ends in a … because the phrases go on and on. Creating microsites like this, ones designed solely rank and push visitors through to the main site, actually dilutes your brand. Why not skip the middle man and direct traffic directly to your main website? Having the extra click means losing visitors. Plus, what if your wish comes true and the microsite actually outranks your main website in the search engines?

Case Study Two: “I think that’s good enough”
I had another client who I was working with for a short-term “test” project. They had never done any SEO before and wanted to see how it would work. I had a few months to convince them. At the end of the “trial,” the results were better than I had hoped for. They were ranking incredibly well for their chosen keywords, sales had gone up and their company was getting a lot more attention. What did the client decide to do? Stop. They thought those few months of SEO were enough to carry them onward. The hardest thing to get clients to accept is that SEO is a long-term, ongoing process. Why cut the legs off what has proven to be a very successful SEO campaign?

Case Study Three: Once Bit, Twice Shy
One of the hardest things to do is work with a client who has already used another firm to handle some or all of their SEO and that company employed black hat SEO techniques, effectively scarring the client. Their lack of trust makes it hard to make changes without having a long line of approval to work it through.

They don’t mean to be a bad SEO client they just are. If you have been in the SEO industry for quite some time you know the red flags to watch out for. Most of the time you can spot them within the first 2 minutes over the phone and often times you can get the sense in the lead form by reading the message and just looking at the website. The search engine optimization industry is a very wild wild west type of industry and until we get some regulation and order in place we are going to have really frantic clients from time to time.

Let’s take a look at some of the red flags that could start waving early in the process that could cause you to drop the hammer on a client.

Bad SEO Client Trait#1 – Being Burned In The Past
You know those clients, the ones that have been burned over and over in the past by other SEO companies promising all the gold in Fort Knox if they sign up for their $59 dollar plan? When you acquire a client that has been burned numerous times in the past and they have decided to drop the hammer on you right from the very start you are going to have a not so fun time on your hands. They have decided to finally stop being ripped off and automatically play the police roll with you. Don’t take it personally they are just sick of losing their money.


Bad SEO Client Trait#2 – They try to teach you about SEO
This one is the best because sometimes I bump into potential clients or newly acquired clients who have never approached an SEO campaign but all of a sudden they’re the professional telling you what is right and what is wrong? Just because you read The Dummies Guide To Search Engine Optimization does not mean that all of a sudden you are the expert. You contacted us for help not the other way around. SEO is a craft and a skill that sharpens with time and experience.

Bad SEO Client Trait#3 – Lack of education on the service
I know this contradicts a little with the paragraph above but every client looking to purchase search engine optimization services should educate themselves a little bit on the process of how it is conducted and the truths about the industry. Just because someone told you they can get you rankings in a week, doesn’t mean that is the norm of the industry.

Bad SEO Client Trait#4 – Unrealistic Expectations
This can often times be a nightmare as well. Unrealistic expectations are something that usually requires lots of time explaining on how things really happen in the SEO industry. Realistic expectations are all about understanding that SEO is a long term process and things take time. Unrealistic expectations are getting irate that you are not number 1 in the search results after one month of marketing your business online.

Bad SEO Client Trait#5 – Lack of communication
When it becomes virtually impossible to get a hold of your client that could cause a nightmare as well. Sometimes the nightmare doesn’t come up until tax season when accountants are going through the numbers. When your clients signs up and disappears for three months that is a red flag that nothing good can happen. For search engine marketing to work how it is supposed to there has to be a constant communication every single month because there are marketing efforts required to be executed every single month.

Bad SEO Client Trait#6 – Denial is strong
This can come in many different flavors. The first is when a client thinks their competitors are nothing compared to them and that things will happen quickly because “our website is better”, it doesn’t work that way. On the other side of the spectrum a client shows up with a hot mess of a website but they think it is the cat’s bag which is also an indicator that there could be a problem down the road. A website needs to be positioned correctly to convert.

Bad SEO Client Trait#7 – Depending on SEO for complete business survival
SEO should be one component of a business’s revenue model. When a client comes aboard and they have nothing else in place and put all the weight of their survival on your SEO that is when disaster happens. Search engine optimization and marketing takes time to really start working and a website just getting started should have other forms of revenue coming in.

Don’t get me wrong it is important to spend the time with every potential client and educate them away from some of these thoughts in order to have a long lasting business relationship, but the SEO client has to have an open mind about learning how SEO is done the right way. Are you ready to become a good SEO client?

Being a good SEO client will ensure a smooth and effective relationship with your search engine marketing company. Not to bash anybody but there are some things that a client should understand when they get involved with either a freelancer or an SEO company.

You Are Not Our Only SEO Client
You have to understand that you are probably not the only client your company or person is handling. If you need to get ahold of someone try pushing scheduled calls. If you call over and over during the day and you don’t get someone on the phone it is ok, they might be out of the office or have other engagements that particular day. Even though, you are not the only SEO client, at my SEO company, I always make sure every client feels like they are the only client. Meaning, we respond to every client phone call, email, question within hours. But, I always recommend that don’t take advantage of this.

Don’t Be Hyper!
SEO is not a fast moving advertising medium. Things take time to move around in the search results so if you don’t see things happening right away it is ok. If you are just starting off and you plan on relying on your search engine optimization for business things might take a little while especially if you are in a competitive space. At the same time, I always make sure to give realistic expectations for improvements for our SEO clients.

We Are A Team
If you go with a reputable SEO firm you need to realize that they are on your side. Search engine optimization companies want to keep clients for the long haul and they do not get anything out of having clients leave early except short bursts of revenue which are not very stable for growing a business. Realize that we are here to help you grow your business and we are in no way against you. We are all one big team.

Trust Us
This is important because you have to be able to trust us. You have come to us for help and you realize that you need assistance to market your business. You can’t question and argue every little step that we take or propose because it will be a long uphill battle to get anything done.

When you hire an SEO firm or freelancer you are going to want to have a fun and smooth process. Take the time to understand what goes into search marketing and the various steps needed to really be successful before you bark up a storm.