Guest post by Farah Abidi
If you are an SEO professional, you must have faced a catch-22 situation at some point of your career.
At times, you have an idea that certain practices are spammy, outdated, or even worse, they are on the hit list of Google, but for some reasons, your boss or the client seems adamant to employ these tactics, mainly because some of their highly ranked competitors seem to be using those methods.
Even if you keep quiet and continue to employ those practices, Google will catch up sooner than later and the website will be penalized. Ironically, in that case the first expense these businesses will be looking to cut will be the SEO expense. You will either lose your job or client. It’s more like, damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Problem is, you cannot simply tell the clients that patience is a virtue when it comes to Search Engine Optimization, and going slow but steady is a far better strategy than going berserk and falling flat, because they will consider it an excuse for the lack of results. To make a long story short, many SEO professionals continue to use spammy methods knowingly just because they aren’t able to convey their reservations to their clients without risking to loss the order.
Following are some tips to help you with this predicament …
Be Firm in Your Stance
To start with, don’t compromise on your work ethics just for the sake of roping in a client. It’s your duty to stop or at least warn them about a risky tactic, unless they are looking for short gains (i.e. someone looking to earn from affiliate sales and the likes) and not really looking for a long term business. It is actually the fear of upsetting your clients, manager, or boss that stops you from talking your heart out.
But frankly, you should better be communicating in clear words, what you think is the right thing to do and what’s not. Once you’ve shared the consequences of employing a particular strategy, it is up to your clients to decide, if they still want to take the risk, at least you can say “see I told you” later on.
Show Examples
At times, your client or boss wouldn’t be taking you seriously. However, if you can present some examples of websites getting penalized for using the same methods, it will really help your case. Internet is full of such horror stories, especially after the string of Google updates. There are sites that lost more than 70% of their rankings and traffic because they were involved in spammy tactics in one way or another. Getting it straight from the horse’s mouth will convince them that you are not getting paranoid for nothing.
Charge Less in the Beginning
If you are a freelancer or a small SEO agency, and you some fairly new business gets in touch with you for SE Optimization, you should try to charge less in the start and increase your rates gradually as the traffic and sales start coming in (you can have them sign a contract with these terms). Doing so will keep your clients from putting the pressure on you for results right from the word go. Once they start seeing some results, they will be more than happy to increase the fees.
Give Them the Alternatives
Instead of using black-hat techniques to rank high for competitive keywords and getting some traffic in next to no time, you can give them other options. For example you can use Google Adwords to get some quick results while gradually building your website to compete for organic rankings. Or you can convince them to go for long tail keywords, which will be easier and quicker to rank for.
That’s all I can think of right now, but there must be other tactics or approaches employed by different professionals. Please share exactly how do you convince your clients to have patience?
About the author:
Farah writes about client relationships and Internet marketing topics.Digital Third Coast is an SEO and Search Marketing company based in Chicago.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: nilaeslit
November 21, 2012 at 9:08 pm
You are right. I have experienced having a client who doesn’t seem to understand the importance of holding onto White Hat SEO. I am actually on the verge of giving up. Thank you for your tips. I will apply them.
Nila recently posted..Eco-Tourism in Siquijor Island
Twitter: tlmarketing_net
November 23, 2012 at 10:52 am
Hi Nila! White hat SEO is the only way to go if you want lasting results.Clients often want instant results, but it does not work that way online.Everything takes time.
Twitter: jalantikus
November 22, 2012 at 12:06 am
true, sometimes the word ‘patience’ just not working for clients.
therefore, you need new strategy to be able to reach your goal.
Google is constantly update their method, so you also need to updated your marketing strategy.
Nice share and I learn some facts about convincing clients in a long term SEO strategies. By the way, this really helps me a lot thanks a lot for sharing this!
Shane Curtis recently posted..Safety Tips for Home Renovators
Long term strategy is the best for all website but no client agree with them. They want quick result that’s why cause of spamming and your website does not reach in weight age and google recognise how it is possible?? smooth and longering process makes perfect.
Twitter: tlmarketing_net
November 23, 2012 at 10:51 am
Hi Roger! Everyone wants quick results that last forever, unfortunately it cannot be done.Search engines index sites according to their algorithms.Adding fresh content and building links is the only way to go and it takes time.Choosing the right keywords will help, less competition will help you get a better ranking.
I totally agree with you Farah, while I was reading your post, it was like I have been through this situation. This predicament is faced by many and convincing the clients is one of the toughest thing to do. Your tips are certainly helpful in getting positive results in this to an extent after all we have to try it whatsoever, cannot just let the clients on their own.
welll, let see… I am at the begining of my website, and i really want to get ranking fast:) What is the best strategy of growth longterm?
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Twitter: tlmarketing_net
November 23, 2012 at 10:47 am
Hi Andrei! The ranking will come with time, it all depends on the competition (how many other sites talk about the same things as you), page rank, links, the age of the domain and tons of other things.Your best option is to publish fresh content regularly and build links back to your site.I recommend guest posting.
Hi, Tom you said right the only thing that in white hat SEO to take more time comparison black hat SEO in ranking way.so this time to change your strategies in Google update 2012.just prefer guest blogging.
Nice share and I learn some facts about convincing clients in a long term SEO strategies. Absolutely, Long term strategy is the best for all website but no client agree with them By the way, this really helps me a lot thanks a lot for sharing this blog.
I make very clear with my clients exactly where they rank before they employ me. They are typically completely off the radar, many are even 30-40 pages deep into search results. It sure doesn’t take much effort or time to move them up a few pages and show immediate progress.
How this happens repeatedly to SEO’s is beyond me. I would laugh in a clients face if he told me how to work, I know he is not a computer programmer and barely knows how to send emails. I have talks about realistic expectations the client should have. A SEO should be able to make some good guesses after researching competition and keywords as to how long it would take to get some decent results.
Much of the consumer demands have to do with the wide spectrum of SEO prices he may pay. It is entirely possible that a client could have better results with a SEO firm that charges $300 monthly as opposed to $1500 monthly. Rational thought would tell you that $1500 monthly should move the needle much faster than $300 but both firms are limited in what they can do in a short time.
This doesn’t happen with SEO’s only, but this behavior of cutting corners or “black hat” is rampant throughout the world. I like your methods of avoiding this problem. I would say the most effective is to continue to point at both good and bad examples.
i really liked the tips which you have shared here one of the best source on white hat seo…No one want to understand the basic just want result in shorter frame of time which is not possible
If we try to convince a client with complete confidence and a positive attitude, he will surely get convinced. When we promise a client, we should keep that promise for the client to keep coming back, fake promises would not help. Over confidence is also dangerous. The communication skills matter a lot in such situations.
It is so true. Clients want instant result and they want it by hook or by crook. They don’t want to wait too long. It does become very difficult to make them see reason. Even if we try to make them understand and they don’t they may even switch over to some other company to gain it. But they will get the result ultimately for the actions.
The tips are really helpful in dealing with such clients.
Great post by the way. Keep it up!
I’ve been through a few seo companies, each seemed ok to get along with, I was a skeptic, definately, to be honest it felt like the modern day equivalent to being rain made.
I’ve come to the understanding that black hat techniques are like being rain made in a way, short term impact if any, and white hat methods are like growing a garden. Constant nurturing and development, requires minimal/moderate effort over a prolonged period of time.
I’d set some achievable goals first, for me when I saw my first facebook referrals in my site analytics reports was when I started understanding what seo is. I had read up a little on my own, plus what developers had told me, but it was still hard to really put an understandable definition of what it was. I remember first trying to explain to my sister what it was and I ended up confusing myself.
I also never go with any group that doesn’t provide me with a structure time time table of implementation of what the seo guys are doing in the quote/agreement.
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As a Newbie in SEO Marketing, I have faced this problem before. I kept on telling to my clients that’s SEO for their website is going slow at this time, and they need to wait for the results. It’s true, I lost many customers not only for saying that, but for not giving them anything for their money. I agree with your article. Thanks for sharing.
I agree. First, setting things right with the customer is essential. You can’t guarantee to each and every customer that their website will rank high but you can at least tell them about the risky tactics. Once they understand and agree, you are half way there.
Some clients doesn’t understand the fluctuations in the Blogosphere, all they just want is a very good higher rank, which is realistically not possible with every client. You have shared Very good post, I learn some facts about convincing clients in a long term SEO strategies. Thanks for sharing.
Twitter: getlinkspro
December 9, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@Farah: Your post touches a painful point and I am sure almost every SEO company or freelance consultant has faced this type of dilemma. I agree that clients that are looking to be in the business for a long term will understand the importance of doing the right thing when you show them examples. (a great point there).
Most people would hesitate to tell clients to use long-tail keywords or PPC to get the ball rolling but when you think about it, the recommendation makes so much sense.
Never know with the Google Algorithm, they keep on updating, so we need to keep on updating our stratergies, another sad part is the client doesn’t understand these things. Your tips are certainly helpful in getting positive results. Good post, thanks for sharing.
Never know with the Google Algorithm, they keep on updating, so we need to keep on updating our stratergies, and another sad part is the client doesn’t understand these things. Your tips are certainly helpful in getting positive results. Good post, thanks for sharig.
I really liked the tips which you have shared here one of the best source on white hat seo. The basic thing is that, we have to be organized, we should make realistic promises to the clients, and should be ready to update our marketing strategy consistently. Good post, thanks for sharing.