No, you didn’t read that wrong.
This post is going to describe how to go about hiring the perfect SEO Client.
If you’re an SEO consultant, you may find yourself in the position of hiring clients who are serious about growing their business online. However, it’s essential to manage client expectations and approach the hiring process with a clear understanding of the client’s needs and goals.
But first, a nice graphic to explain the value proposition we are talking about:
This graph kind of tells the story but it’s probably a bit convoluted for the uninitiated. Just think about it like this:
SEO is expensive but imagine how expensive not getting new customers can be. Remmeber that when you are providing your services as an SEO.
You need to realize that SEO is a process which takes at minimum six months to achieve any meaningful results.
Most clients have specific ideas in mind about how long it should take. There are some SEOs who will promise instant results. They are either lying or practicing risky blackhat techniques, buyer beware!
Consider the following tips and ask yourself, is the SEO you are speaking to now thinking with these ideas in mind when they perform triage on your online business?
Helpful Tips for “Hiring” an SEO Client
Here are some tips on how to choose the right SEO client and manage expectations:
Don’t Give Away Too Much for Free: While it’s essential to demonstrate value to prospective clients, it’s also crucial not to give away too much for free. This will help weed out tire-kickers and allow you to devote more time to those who are serious about growing their business online.
Provide Clear Examples: In the initial consultation, provide clear examples that demonstrate where the client’s top two competitors are performing better. This will help the client understand the value proposition of SEO and how it can increase their business online.
Charge for Valuable Services: Even if a client is not yet at your full capabilities, it’s okay to charge for valuable services at the outset. This will help establish trust and value with the client and prevent them from walking over you with promises of further business down the line. Remember that a roadmap for their business is worth as much as any link you build or any 404 you fix.
Important interview questions to “Hiring” an SEO Client
1.What is your budget for this project?
Often times clients have no idea what they are willing to spend. Require at least this much reflection before proceeding with them. If they want to start by negotiating rather than discussing their needs, it might be a warning sign that they are not ready yet to work with an SEO consultant.
2. When are you ready to start this project?
This will create a sense of purpose for both you and the prospective client. When is this going to happen and how long will it take? Only good things can come from asking this.
3. Are you the one who decides about these types of things at your company?
Obviously, if you are speaking to the owner, it’s the wrong question to ask. Maybe, “Is there anyone else involved in deciding how to hire an SEO consultant?” You’ll get a sense if they are fully committed to hiring someone or looking to pass the buck in order to give a polite, “No” to your offer.
4. What is the lifetime value of a new customer?
Some clients might find this a too direct question and will be taken aback but a serious client who understands your value will see it as an opportunity to imagine how much more they can make if they had more customers on their website. Watch their behavior for the answer here, this is a key to determining who is an ideal long-term partner.
5. Why do they buy from you and not your competitors?
Perhaps a bit antagonistic but clients will need to understand the value proposition in their own business if you are going to be able to leverage their strengths and lessen the exposure of their weaknesses in searcher intent.
Other questions to bring to the table when interviewing your prospective client include:
- What do they buy next?
- What is the value difference between an organic search lead and an email marketing lead?
- Who is growing faster than you?
The obvious follow up to any of these questions is “why?”
With this mindset going into any meeting with a new client will demonstrate your professionalism and probably grant them unexpected value by exploring the most difficult questions in their business. They might not hire you but they will leave the meeting all the richer for it.
Don’t underestimate your value and make sure you are seeking the best SEO client for YOUR business. The highest paying isn’t always the best opportunity for your SEO business to grow. if you find you have a great client but their budget is beneath your time you can always seek out seo solutions which are done for you and still trust they will be at the standard you expect. We do a lot of subcontracting with boutique agencies such as yours. Inquire about possible cooperation.
Well done. Your article definitely addresses concerns a lot of new consultants face. I tend to believe that its better to qualify potential partners upfront than to have them disqualify themselves after you’ve started working together.
Completely agree. I wrote this a bit tongue in cheek but it’s important that clients are vetted properly. Any decent SEO will make an effort to communicate what can and can’t be achieved with the budget both sides have agreed to in advance. Having said that, it’s important to realize that results should be optimized. If something isn’t working, it needs to be refined until the desired results are seen.