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01.14.10 Understanding SEO’s Value Proposition 
By Patrick HareIt is very difficult to oversimplify the value proposition of Search Engine Optimization, since it is based on the following 2 premises: 1. People use search engines to find things. 2. If people can't find you in the search results, you don't have a shot at their business. Everything else in the world of SEO, from coding to link building, goes back to getting found in the search results, and usually at the top of those results. Every day, thousands of site owners seek out SEO solutions on their own initiative because they wonder why that can't find their website on a Google search. (People also want to be found in Bing, Yahoo, AOLsearch, Ask, and everywhere else, but they almost always say "Google.") Anyone who can articulate the end goal of SEO, and has a working knowledge of the main principles, should have no problem selling it to a customer. Building a realistic set of expectations about SEO is usually the more complex part of the equation. In a world of instant results, people don't always want to hear that it takes time, effort, and money to create a profitable outcome. The answer to the question "Can you get me on to the front page?" is usually answered with "Yes, but it will cost you." The mechanics of SEO get more complex depending on the competitive nature of your business sector, but the basics of SEO are the same whether you're selling shoes or Geiger counters. An SEO agency doesn't need any experience in your line of business to create good results, although your input and industry knowledge can definitely help you get the kind of site visitors you want to see. In fact, the most important consideration for SEO customers should be that the agency will "do no harm" to a site's credibility in the search engines, and deliver sustainable results. An agency with a diverse group of customers and an experienced staff will be able to handle some of the odd challenges that only show up once in a while, regardless of the keyword focus of the site itself. Plenty of SEO scam artists have turned the value proposition of search engine optimization on its head. They promise instant results for a few hundred dollars, but all you usually get is a submission to search engines, which is free if you do it yourself. We even have plenty of clients who forward us unsolicited emails and ask for an analysis its claims, and it doesn't take too much time to deconstruct the wild promises, which sometimes involve placing ads on browsers that have been compromised with spyware. Unfortunately, deceptive SEO practices tarnish the industry, since nobody wants to find out that the true cost of optimization is more than $500, and it takes a lot more time. Oddly enough, people who have gotten bad results from one SEO agency still value optimization enough to seek out people who can get the job done right. Usually, the selling process for SEO begins with giving customers a general overview of how the results are delivered. Briefly stated, an SEO consulting firm like Web.com Search Agency will indicate that modifications will be made to on-page code, content will be added, and links from outside sites will be acquired. After the sale, the educational process for the customer continues, with reporting, analysis, and adjustments for search algorithm tweaks. There is usually some input given regarding site conversion issues, and advice is given on fixing calls to action or reducing friction in the online sales process. For any reputable SEO company, this level of service would be part of a standard operating procedure. Understanding SEO's value proposition is also the key to customer satisfaction and expectation management. Most of the online chatter in the SEO world relates to processes, the effectiveness of certain techniques, or whether a certain tactic will result in search engine penalties. However, when contract renewal time rolls around, most customers are going to want to know about where they are on the search engines, and what it is going to take to get better positions. A customer who is getting strong traffic from good rankings is likely to pay more for better rankings or a bigger keyword footprint. It isn't hard to get bogged down in the minutiae of SEO, and sometimes a customer has to be reminded that a delay in implementation translates into a lost opportunity. By framing all of the parts of the optimization equation around the customer's original goal, all of the complex processes along the way can be sketched out in a way that merges confidence in your firm's capabilities with a realistic expectation. Comments About the author: Patrick Hare has been managing online and offline marketing projects since 1999. From 2005 to present, he has been with Scottsdale Arizona's Web.com Search Agency (formerly Submitawebsite). Patrick provides Search Engine Optimization and Marketing advice to in-house customers and Web.com Jacksonville’s web design group. |
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