Businesses are recognizing the importance of SEO and digital marketing in general for their online success. Since SEO can be quite technical and intimidating, it’s not surprising that those who venture into SEO for the first time have a lot of questions.
In this article, let’s enumerate the most common questions potential SEO clients ask and how you, as the SEO provider, can answer them effectively.
Table of contents
- How exactly does SEO help my business?
- How long until I see results?
- Can I get first-page rankings?
- What SEO techniques do you use?
- What about local SEO?
- What SEO tools do you use?
- How do you report progress?
- How do we communicate?
- What happens if I stop getting SEO services?
- Can you adapt to my changing business goals?
1. How exactly does SEO help my business?
It’s easy to say that search engine optimization is about ranking higher in search engines. But when potential SEO clients ask such a question, you should emphasize the transformative power of SEO in increasing online visibility and organic traffic – and how this can lead to business growth and success.
This way, you can position SEO as an important part of their business strategy. When they see SEO as such, they are more likely to see its value and finally employ your SEO services.
Also, explain how SEO is also about building credibility and trust for their brand, enhancing user experience with a fast and intuitive website, and targeting the right audience who are truly interested in their products and services. And to top it all off, everything is also measurable with advanced analytics and reporting tools for continuous improvement and monitoring.
In essence, SEO is a marketing strategy for the online world. It positions their business for long-term success in the online landscape, not just for quick wins such as virality in content. With the right approach, SEO doesn’t just drive traffic. It also boosts authority and builds connections that can turn prospects into loyal customers.
2. How long until I see results?
Some potential SEO clients may think that simply hiring an SEO agency or contractor will immediately put them on the first page of search results in Google. It’s not their fault for thinking this way, especially because some SEO agencies do market themselves as professionals who can do such a thing – and in a short timeframe.
But this is unrealistic. Right from the very beginning, you should set realistic expectations. Explain that SEO is not an instantaneous solution but a continuous journey with cumulative benefits. Results may vary depending on their current situation, including the current optimization of their website and the general competitiveness of the industry they are in. But you can say that, generally speaking, significant improvements can be seen even in the first months.
Give them a general idea of the SEO timeline – from auditing their current situation and making a strategy to executing the strategy and reporting results. Also mention uncontrollable factors that may affect timelines, such as search engine algorithm updates and changes in their industry.
3. Can I get first-page rankings?
This is a very common question potential SEO clients ask. This is because many businesses see SEO as simply about ranking on the first page of search results. But this kind of thinking can only lead to disappointment.
Educate your potential SEO clients about ranking dynamics, including factors such as website authority and structure, content quality, competition, and ongoing SEO efforts. Yes, getting to the first page is great. But you can shift the focus from getting generic rankings to attracting relevant traffic. After all, if you are on the first page but you are not getting high-quality leads, your first page rankings will be kind of useless.
SEO is a long-term strategy, and the main goal is to sustain online visibility and build organic growth. It also involves continuous effort, especially because of search engine algorithm updates, changes in the competitive landscape, and nuances in user behavior and trends.
4. What SEO techniques do you use?
When potential SEO clients ask this question, it’s easy to assume that you should just enumerate your SEO products and services. Sure, this is one way of answering the question. But instead of simply explaining the SEO techniques to them, focus on a value that they can understand even if they don’t know much about SEO.
For example, if you have content creation and optimization services, explain how these involve not just stuffing keywords into content but also providing real value to their audience in various formats, such as blog posts and videos. If you have on-page optimization services, emphasize the focus on content relevance and user experience when you dive into SEO-friendly URLs, intelligent site structure, responsive design, and other aspects of the services.
Also emphasize that you only do ethical SEO practices and you steer away from black-hat SEO techniques that can lead to penalties. If you also have an SEO portfolio you can show them, the better. This will give them a better view of your SEO techniques in action.
5. What about local SEO?
When potential SEO clients ask about local SEO, it’s likely that they are already somewhat familiar with the concepts, maybe even with the available techniques out there. This is where enumerating your SEO products and services will be a good idea. This way, they know the scope of your local SEO offerings. But as mentioned earlier, it’s also important to focus on the value each product or service provides.
NAP consistency, Google Business Profile optimization, online reviews management, local keyword research, local content creation and link building, and local SEO analytics and reporting are the biggest products and services you should enumerate and try to sell to your potential SEO clients.
Explain the value of each product or service. And then emphasize how they all work together to create a solid local presence. You can also use this opportunity to create and modify packages that wrap together multiple local SEO offerings. Make them flexible and tiered, so they can accommodate the unique needs and budget concerns of your local SEO prospects. Packages are also a great way to cross-sell your SEO offerings.
6. What SEO tools do you use?
Some potential SEO clients are curious about the SEO tools you use, so they ask about them. There are many SEO tools out there for all your SEO processes, from doing comprehensive keyword research to automating reporting. There are also full suites that can accommodate all your SEO needs.
This question is a great way to show your proficiency and transparency. For example, if you are using a comprehensive SEO toolset, explain its capabilities and highlight its importance for various aspects of your SEO process, such as data analysis, keyword research, performance tracking, and monitoring. If you are using a very specific SEO tool, like Moz Local for example, if you are into local SEO, explain its advanced capabilities that go beyond what generic toolsets provide.
Having SEO tools at your disposal doesn’t just instill confidence in your potential SEO clients. It also helps in automating routine tasks and making your processes more scalable. These are particularly advantageous if you are an SEO agency or contractor in an upward trajectory.
7. How do you report progress?
When potential SEO clients ask this question, give them the juiciest details first – the frequency and format of the reporting, the key performance indicators you will be including, your insights and recommendations, and progress and goal trackers.
And then you can dive into the details. In reporting format and frequency, you can talk about your user-friendly client dashboard or system if you are using one and the agreed schedule of reports. For the key performance indicators, mention how SEO audits and business goals and objectives play a crucial role in determining them. For insights, recommendations, and trackers, emphasize your proactive approach to demonstrate your commitment to their success and your expertise in SEO campaigns and executions.
In the middle of all this, don’t forget to highlight the involvement of your potential SEO clients. They can have a say on crucial decisions and you are reaching out to them to build a collaborative partnership. SEO clients who are happy and engaged are often satisfied and more likely to continue paying for your SEO products and services. Their satisfaction can also lead to recommendations and referrals, resulting in more SEO leads for you.
8. How do we communicate?
Communication issues are common concerns of potential SEO clients. But you should actually be happy when they are asking about communication. It can only mean that they are interested in open and effective dialogue. When potential SEO clients ask about communication, here are things you should clarify: your communication channels, the frequency of your updates and reports, and your emergency protocols.
Communication channels are usually emails, phone calls, and video calls. Understand your potential SEO clients as well because they may have preferences dependent on their availability, business objectives, and even personalities. Know their preferred communication channels and stick to them. Don’t forget to include your communication tools too, like client portals, dashboards, and project management tools like Asana and Trello.
The frequency of updates depends on a variety of factors too, like the complexity of your SEO project and the personal preferences of your potential SEO clients. Weekly or bi-weekly are good places to start. Agree on a schedule and a mode of update. Modes can come in many forms, like automated reports, detailed emails, and scheduled meetings.
And emergency protocols are just how you deal with urgent issues. Establish rules to ensure quick communication and resolution when something important suddenly comes up.
9. What happens if I stop getting SEO services?
Unfortunately, many businesses think that SEO can be a one-and-done type of deal. They can optimize their website, business profiles like their Google Business Profile, and their social media profiles like their Facebook page and Twitter account one time and be done with it. That’s why many potential SEO clients ask if they can stop getting SEO services once you are done with your initial optimizations.
Use this as an opportunity to educate them. Differentiate between the boost from initial optimizations and the sustained growth with ongoing optimizations. Yes, initial improvements are noticeable, but continued SEO efforts are more crucial. And you can use the initial improvements to gain momentum in the online world and build on those gains.
There are also outside forces that can derail one-time optimizations. Search engine algorithm updates, for instance, can destroy those gains relatively quickly. Competition is another killer. It’s likely that their competitors are investing in SEO too. And there is also the issue of diminished online visibility because of the lack of activity.
Reinforce the idea of a long-term partnership. You are not just doing that to get long-term clients and have a consistent flow of cash into your digital marketing business. You are doing that because you know yourself that consistent SEO is better than one-time SEO efforts.
10. Can you adapt to my changing business goals?
If there are potential SEO clients looking for one-time deals, there are also others looking for long-term partnerships. When you meet such SEO leads, highlight your flexibility and your data-driven analytics and adaptability.
Highlight your flexibility by discussing how your SEO strategies and executions are agile and dynamic, not static and templated. Make sure you also have customizable solutions to fit different kinds of needs, from building brand awareness and getting leads to increasing conversions. Also address scalability concerns if there are any. Your SEO products and services should be ready to cater to growing client demands and needs.
Highlight your data-driven analytics and adaptability by explaining your expertise in analytics. After all, analytics is not just about reading values on a spreadsheet. It’s also about forming your own insights regarding the data you see and adjusting SEO strategies, campaigns, and executions accordingly.
It’s natural for potential SEO clients to have questions
Potential SEO clients have a lot of questions, often involving your agency’s capabilities and SEO technicalities. You should know how to craft compelling responses because these may be the ones you need to finally convert your SEO leads to real paying clients.
Ultimately, communication is a two-way street. SEO agencies like yours should showcase their client-centric approach, expertise, and transparency. You can even ask questions yourself. And businesses looking for SEO solutions should feel empowered to voice their aspirations, concerns, expectations, and inquiries. This two-way street is the foundation of an enduring SEO partnership.
