{"id":144224,"date":"2022-10-13T14:36:42","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T14:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=144224"},"modified":"2022-10-13T14:36:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T14:36:42","slug":"how-to-manage-seo-clients-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2022\/10\/13\/how-to-manage-seo-clients-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage SEO clients&#8217; expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"well\">\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-144226\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations-1024x273.png\" alt=\"How to manage SEO clients' expectations\" width=\"640\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations-1024x273.png 1024w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations-768x205.png 768w, https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>30-second summary:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO is expensive, yet offers no tangible guarantees in terms of rankings or traffic. No wonder so many business owners are confused<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All SEO clients are different. It is important to understand their prior experience in SEO before developing your relationship management strategy with each of them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting to know a new lead and their decision-makers will help you position your service in a more useful and easy-to-understand way<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educating clients is often necessary for them to know what to expect from an SEO service<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO is an often misunderstood industry. I\u2019ve seen quite a few business owners who assume that an SEO consultant has some sort of magic button that can boost the site\u2019s organic search visibility within a certain amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While a decade ago that may have been the case, the SEO industry has evolved far beyond manipulative tactics that (to be quite frank) used to work like a charm in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today\u2019s SEO is about making websites better, on all possible levels, from content value to usability. It\u2019s doing everything better and faster. There\u2019s no single element that needs to be improved that is sure to boost organic positions. It\u2019s working on a website as a whole consistently to hopefully see gradual growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To make things worse, most SEO clients come with a long history of SEO work that has been performed on their site. And that work may have resulted in gradual loss of rankings and organic search visibility. Figuring those out is important because those red flags can prevent those businesses from seeing any progress even if they keep investing into the long-term SEO strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So how to properly manage your SEO clients\u2019 expectations without scaring them off?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Understand your SEO client<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may sound extremely cynical but the best SEO client is the one who has already been burnt by overpromising and under-delivering of those promises. These clients come with a better understanding of why SEO results cannot be guaranteed and why they need to invest into longer-term results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But those clients have other challenges to fight. Their sites are often penalized or filtered and their budgets are often suffering from months of poor organic traffic. These businesses are often willing to agree to anything that would allow them to fall back into Google\u2019s graces but it is tough for them to erase years of link building efforts and start from scratch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other type of an SEO client is a restless one. These businesses may have used other SEO agencies in the past, saw no results and are quite impatient by this point. They are weary of making yet another long-term investment because they feel they have invested enough by this point.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to carefully investigate what has been done for these sites so far and explain why it didn\u2019t work and what you are going to do differently, while still insisting on why you cannot guarantee any results in any definitive timeframe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, there are clueless clients who don\u2019t care what you do but need to know when they are going to rank within top 5 for their important keywords. These clients require a full-scale education, scary examples of businesses losing all their rankings within a day and case studies showing gradual growth of organic visibility that starts with long-tail strategy, link building research and building a tailored outreach strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Investigate your decision-maker unit (DMU) carefully<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many cases, even when it comes to small businesses, there will be more than one person deciding whether you or your agency is someone they will work with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the B2B world, a DMU is a decision making unit, in other words it is a group of people which will determine whether a business will work with you. This group may consist of the company owner or CEO, a marketing manager, head of the dev team, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lots of businesses have internal SEO teams that need outside help. This SEO team will most likely be part of that company\u2019s DMU. Avoid criticizing their work to the management. Don\u2019t make them feel like your agency can replace the internal team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, find out what that team is doing and how you can complement their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From experience, most in-house SEO teams will gladly outsource things like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkio.com\/link-prospecting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">link prospecting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/08\/31\/seven-simple-rules-for-effective-email-communication-and-outreach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">outreach<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and, more recently, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/01\/13\/core-web-vitals-report-28-ways-to-supercharge-your-site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Core Web Vitals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> optimization (the latter is too new, so not many SEOs are keeping up). On-going tasks like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/visualping.io\/blog\/track-seo-changes-on-website\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">competitor tracking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2021\/05\/24\/using-seo-data-analytics-to-identify-business-gaps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keyword gap analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2013\/05\/30\/backlink-monitoring-keeping-track-of-your-existing-links\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">backlink profile monitoring<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are often missing from many in-house SEO strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to know those gaps to position your service better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best approach is to identify your DMU and how exactly your agency can help at the lead generation form. Make sure your service request form includes questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have an in-house SEO team or person?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you used SEO services before?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have any concerns we need to be aware of?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Have a report sample ready<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Develop a detailed SEO report sample to show prospective clients to ensure they know what to expect:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Month one report<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sample roadmap of further work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monthly reports detailing projects completed or underway, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based on different decision-making units you have come so far and the different services you provide, those reports may vary.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Be clear and transparent<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO is an ongoing and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redsearch.com.au\/resources\/can-i-stop-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">never-ending<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> process. The only way to build a long-term customer base is to build trust even prior to onboarding them. And nothing works better than being honest and transparent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is better to lose a demanding client than to face the consequences of improperly managed expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On your onboarding call, spend some time discussing who maintains their website, how their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpbeginner.com\/showcase\/how-to-easily-manage-multiple-wordpress-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">blog is managed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, what it takes to push updates live, who is creating, editing and approving content before it goes live, and whether the site is powered by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an existing platform<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or is it custom-built.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make it clear that you will need access to their data, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/12\/04\/content-performance-google-analytics-cant-measure\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">analytics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Search Console accounts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding these details will help you estimate the turnaround of your SEO recommendations to be implemented. If you foresee any slow-downs (for example, every update needs a tedious approval process or developers are the only people who can update the site and these teams tend to be busy and slow), make it clear that these roadblocks can slow down the process and discuss ways to overcome them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forget to explain the set-up process in much detail. Your agency needs time to research the site and its SEO history in much detail, and that takes time, and that time isn\u2019t free. Many businesses expect active work to start immediately when they sign a contract, so don\u2019t let it come as a surprise that SEO research is part of the setup process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, on your onboarding call, try to better understand the rest of the company as well. Mention that you will likely need help and input from other teams, like product development and customer support. The ultimate goal of an SEO strategy is to bring in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/seranking.com\/blog\/tie-seo-and-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more sales<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not just bring in organic traffic, and that\u2019s the whole company\u2019s initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask them for more info on their previous digital marketing efforts, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/03\/30\/nine-tactics-to-improve-ppc-campaign-performance-2020\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PPC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/optinmonster.com\/best-lead-generation-tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lead generation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/colorlib.com\/wp\/cat\/app-landing-page\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">landing page management<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2020\/11\/19\/email-marketing-in-2020-four-key-things-that-made-the-difference\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email marketing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The more you know about the company and its current conversion funnels, the better your SEO service will be positioned to compliment those.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search engine optimization may seem a very <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kiaoradigital.co.nz\/post\/search-engine-optimization-myths-vs-reality\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mysterious<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> process to business owners who feel like they are throwing money into thin air without being promised anything tangible in return. If you put yourself into those business owners\u2019 shoes, it is actually quite understandable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So don\u2019t feel bad when yet another prospective client is demanding some type of guarantee. Be patient but firm. Onboarding SEO clients often requires educating them on why SEO cannot have any guarantees but how it can be very rewarding in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Ann Smarty is the Founder of Viral Content Bee, Brand and Community manager at Internet Marketing Ninjas. She can be found on Twitter\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/seosmarty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@seosmarty<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Subscribe to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/#newsletter-modal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Watch newsletter<\/a>\u00a0for insights on SEO, the search landscape, search marketing, digital marketing, leadership, podcasts, and more.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Join the conversation with us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/61126\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sewatch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEO is a tough business, how do you balance between over-promising and not scaring away clients by being too vague?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1092,"featured_media":144226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[28183,28182,22,28181],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-144224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","category-seo","tag-account-management","tag-agency-strategy","tag-seo","tag-seo-client-management"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":"Independent","tad_content_format":"Infuencer commentary"},"post_info":{"name":"idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/How-to-manage-SEO-clients-expectations.png","category":"Industry","timeago":"3y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144224"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144224\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144224"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=144224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}