Your SEO agency’s online reputation is crucial to its success. Many businesses do their homework before employing an SEO agency. They gauge your competence and reputation, and some of the things they look at are your online reviews.
Negative reviews offer a substantial challenge to your reputation. But they also present valuable opportunities to show your professionalism, improve your SEO products and services, and convince leads of your reliability. Here are the most effective ways to handle the negative reviews for your SEO agency.
Table of contents
- Respond promptly and professionally
- Learn from the negative feedback
- Acknowledge and apologize
- Offer a solution
- Take the conversation elsewhere
- Seek legal advice when necessary
- Avoid negative reviews with effective communication
1. Respond promptly and professionally
Demonstrate your commitment to client satisfaction by responding as soon as possible. Also, make sure you have a professional tone, not an immature and defensive one. This approach helps mitigate the immediate impact of negative feedback and shows readers that you value and respect the insights of others.
- Respond as quickly as you can. Swift responses help de-escalate a potentially volatile situation and prevent further dissatisfaction. For example, if a client leaves a negative review because of a sudden drop in website traffic, respond within 24 hours. By addressing their concern immediately, you demonstrate that their problem is your priority. Even if you don’t have a solution to their problem yet, you can still respond by simply acknowledging that you have received their feedback.
- Maintain a calm and respectful tone. Some SEO agency negative reviews may be too harsh and unfair. But you should remain calm and respectful and try to turn the negative experience into a constructive dialogue. For instance, if a client accuses you of using blackhat SEO tactics, explain your ethical SEO practices without being too defensive. This diffuses tension and showcases your agency’s integrity.
- Present a clear plan. An effective response to negative reviews includes not just acknowledgment of the problem but also a solution to it. For example, if a client complains about poor communication, validate their concern, and then mention how you will assign a dedicated account manager to improve communication efforts. Show your commitment to continuous improvement by addressing the problem head-on and offering a clear-cut solution.
2. Learn from the negative feedback
Negative reviews, while often challenging to receive, can be a valuable source of insight for your SEO agency. Use the negative feedback to identify areas of improvement, enhance your SEO products and services, and ultimately, build a stronger SEO agency brand.
- Analyze the criticism. Don’t be immediately defensive when you receive negative feedback. Understand where it is coming from and analyze it. It may even lead the way to understanding underlying issues in your SEO agency. For example, if multiple clients mention that you lack transparency in your reports, maybe it’s time to improve your reporting. There are many SEO reporting tools out there to make your reports more comprehensive, visually appealing, and timely.
- Implement the necessary changes. Once you see patterns in the negative reviews and realize that changes really need to be made, implement the changes and enforce their implementation through SOP updates. Your standard operating procedures are the backbone of your operations. Update them with new protocols as a response to negative reviews.
- Monitor the impact of your new implementations. You need to know if your implementations are positively addressing the issues. For example, you can ask clients via surveys, questionnaires, and video calls regarding your new reporting system. If your SEO clients mention positive changes, you are on the right track. If not, continue to refine your reporting approach.
3. Acknowledge and apologize
Yes, your SEO agency operations can become more effective and efficient by learning from negative reviews. But don’t forget that your SEO clients are part of the equation. Don’t just scramble to improve your own business. Sympathize with your unsatisfied clients by sincerely acknowledging their negative feedback and apologizing for the damages and dissatisfaction. Having such a positive approach is the first step to rebuilding trust and improving relationships.
- Recognize SEO client concerns. Validate their feelings to de-escalate the situation. For example, if an SEO client leaves a negative review on your Google Business Profile because of a sudden drop in traffic, acknowledge their frustration with a quick reply. This sets a positive tone for the entire conversation and shows your commitment to change.
- Offer a sincere apology. An apology doesn’t necessarily mean that you are guilty of the negative things happening to your client. In fact, there are times when negative reviews are based on uncontrollable and unpredictable factors, such as algorithm changes. But you should still reply to the negative reviews with an apology, mentioning that this is not the level of service you strive for and you are looking at the issue.
- Take responsibility and set the stage for resolution. Make your SEO agency accountable. You are managing their SEO, so it’s only natural to blame you if something negative happens to their SEO, even if it is something unpredictable. In your reply, acknowledge your responsibility and propose a next step. This proactive approach shows your commitment to SEO client success.
4. Offer a solution
At Marketer’s Center, we are committed to educating our SEO clients and making them feel comfortable. This is why we have an accessible Ask a Question tab on our website. Your SEO agency should show the same level of dedication, especially when you get negative feedback from your clients.
- Identify the core issue. Of course, before offering a solution, you have to know the issue first. See if the negative reviews have a basis and investigate. For example, if a client is unhappy with the slow progress of their SEO campaign, identify where this frustration is coming from. Did it come from unrealistic expectations because you didn’t onboard them properly? Did it come from a bad SEO strategy that doesn’t produce results?
- Present a tailored action plan. Once you have identified the issue, present a plan to demonstrate your SEO agency’s proactiveness and responsiveness. For instance, if you know that your clients have difficult expectations, educate them about SEO, telling them about its complex and long-term nature. You can lead them to your educational SEO blog, host SEO seminars, or do live SEO training sessions.
- Ensure ongoing communication. Monitor the effectiveness of the solution with continuous communication. Create a feedback loop to discuss progress and address concerns. For instance, you can schedule bi-weekly meetings with your SEO clients to educate them about SEO, form realistic expectations and milestones, and create an SEO strategy to meet these expectations and milestones with ease.
5. Take the conversation elsewhere
When dealing with your SEO agency’s negative reviews, one of the most effective strategies is taking the conversation to another channel. After replying politely to the negative feedback, be proactive and reach out to the commenter. Move the discussion away from the public eye. This won’t just minimize the damage to your SEO agency’s reputation. It also shows your hands-on approach and commitment to solving the issue.
- Suggest a private channel for a more detailed discussion. This channel can be anything. It can be online, such as a private chat on Facebook or a video call via Zoom. It can also be offline, such as a live meeting in your SEO agency office. By inviting the unsatisfied client to a private discussion, you can delve deeper into their concerns without the pressure of the public eye. There may also be sensitive information in the mix, so conversing in the review section of your Facebook Page may not be a good idea.
- Maintain professionalism during the private conversation. During the private conversation, you can address your client’s concerns more deeply. For example, if they have a negative review about their SEO performance, you can show reports, key performance indicators, and explanations of why things are as they are. At Marketer’s Center, our client dashboard has a comment system, making these conversations easier.
- Follow up after the private conversation. After talking to your unhappy SEO client, send them a follow-up email immediately, summarizing the key points you have covered, such as the agreed-upon changes. This reinforces your commitment and dedication to SEO client satisfaction. In your follow-up message, don’t forget to assure your client that they can always reach out if they have further concerns.
6. Seek legal advice when necessary
Most negative reviews can be managed with effective and professional communication. But some reviews cross lines they shouldn’t. Reviews that fall under defamation, harassment, and false claims can seriously damage your SEO agency’s reputation and your employees’ well-being. Know when to protect your business from blackmail and unwarranted damage.
- Identify defamatory and false reviews. Look for reviews that are just flat-out false, especially those that seem to damage your reputation deliberately. For example, if an unsatisfied client accuses you of using unethical SEO practices, it can be considered defamatory, especially when they don’t have solid evidence. In such cases, it’s a good idea to seek legal advice. Your lawyer can send a cease-and-desist letter and pursue more legal actions.
- Understand the legal framework. Yes, working with a law firm or lawyer is wise. But you should also understand the legal framework of your case. In the example above, you should understand the legalities regarding defamation. By understanding the legal framework and knowing your rights, you can ensure you are taking the correct steps to protect your business and your SEO team.
- Act, but don’t escalate unnecessarily. Getting legal advice doesn’t mean you are going to an all-out war in court. There are many ways to protect your digital marketing business, and your lawyer knows the options. Why would you pursue further legal action when a formal takedown request is enough? Focus on resolving the issue and avoiding making it a public spectacle.
7. Avoid negative reviews with effective communication
Managing negative reviews effectively is great, but avoiding them altogether is even better. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is effective communication. At Marketer’s Center, we have a wide communication network that guarantees SEO client satisfaction. Our white label SEO clients can reach us through our order dashboard, email, phone, and even Facebook Page and Skype. With effective communication, we can educate clients, manage expectations, and address concerns quickly.
- Set clear expectations from the beginning. When making your SEO pitch or onboarding a new client, clearly explain that SEO is a long game. There may be quick wins here and there, but a consistent SEO execution is more sustainable. Provide a realistic timeline for when they can see significant improvements. Outline specific milestones you can reach along the way. By managing expectations, you avoid misunderstandings that can lead to client frustration and negative reviews.
- Maintain regular and transparent communication. Make your SEO clients feel involved to reduce the risk of surprises. For example, you can share the bad news of dropping rankings immediately when you notice them. Don’t wait for your clients to reach out asking for an update. With this proactive and transparent approach, you can reassure your clients that you are keeping an eye on their campaigns.
- Address concerns as quickly as possible. Even when you manage expectations and regularly communicate, concerns can still arise. For instance, your clients may feel like there is no progress in their SEO even though you are reporting regularly. You can acknowledge their concern, show them numbers, and explain the details to guarantee that progress is being made. By clarifying and ensuring results, you reduce the risk of your clients leaving negative reviews for your SEO agency.
Turn negative reviews into a positive experience
Every review is a testament to your SEO agency’s commitment to transparency and responsiveness. How you publicly handle reviews, especially the negative ones, can open many possibilities. You can refine your standard operating procedures, strengthen client relationships, and even attract more clients with your grace and professionalism.
Handle negative reviews well, and they can become a positive force that propels your SEO agency to new heights.
