When most people come to Web.com Search Agency looking for SEO consulting, they’re already close to the middle of the buying cycle for our services. We know this because there is a “natural” funneling process that leads people to the conclusion that they need better search engine rankings. By the time many of our customers make contact with us, (either by phone, online chat, or through a form,) they are in a comparison shopping mode, having already tried our SEO tools and read many of our site pages. Lots of these customers have even tried some DIY SEO tricks, with varying degrees of success.
The funneling process that drives people to SEO usually starts with a website. For people who had no prior knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, there may have been the old “if you build it, they will come” notion that comes with having a new website. There are still quite a few people who believe that a site which launches on Monday will be at the top of Google on Tuesday. The online public is generally aware that search engine rankings drive traffic, and traffic drives sales, so to achieve any kind of ROI on your site, you have to be found.
When people don’t find themselves in the search engines, then they start trying to find out why. They will often call their webmasters, ask friends with websites, and do online searches. Since the phrase “search engine optimization” is not intuitive, we know that our potential clients who have come to us by way of this term have already gotten their wake-up call and are moving toward the “action” phase of the customer relationship. Therefore, we can help our customers understand more about the mechanics of SEO, the timeline for getting found in search engines, and what expectations are reasonable from any SEO company. In some cases we can also address concerns related to quotes that potential clients have gotten from other “optimization” companies, and whether the information the client received was reliable. We even offer visibility packages like PPC for people who need to get found right away, along with an explanation that paid search marketing, like SEO, is a process of its own.
Customers who invest in SEO come at it from all levels. There are people who want to sell local services in a small area, and we have local SEO and directory (like Google and Bing Map listings) packages which are usually more affordable than other plans. We have customers who want to be found nationally and internationally for a wide range of consumer products, and we let them know that more competitive exposure naturally costs more. While the main goal is still to be found in good positions on search engines for relevant keywords, the number of other people jockeying for the #1 spot on Google can reach into the thousands. (Even though there are always millions of results, they aren’t all actively trying to compete for a particular keyword.) Our job as an SEO agency is to craft a winning optimization strategy that will deliver good rankings and traffic, and then help the customer channel that traffic into sales.
Does an SEO company need to understand your product or service in order to get you good rankings? In many ways, the answer to that question is “No.” Obviously, an experienced SEO agency should have experience with a line of business that is similar to yours, but what’s really important are the keywords that will drive the most qualified traffic to your site. People who are new to websites and online marketing may not understand how their clients search for products online, and what words they have in their minds when they’re looking. They may even use phrases that are technically inaccurate, or which have negative connotations. For instance, someone looking for “cheap furniture” isn’t looking for something shoddy, but expects low prices. An SEO consultant often has to spend some time convincing a client that the use of the word “cheap” on a site is necessary to attract a fair amount of high-converting traffic. In a lot of ways, your SEO contact may not have to know anything about your business (that’s your job) but should be able to work with you on finding the best keywords that drive traffic and increase sales.
Some of the best SEO clients aren’t just investing in SEO, but they’re also getting an education in how search engine optimization works from the inside out. Part of our process involves educating customers in optimization tactics so they can understand how search engines rate sites. Clients like these are also invaluable because they can better explain SEO trends to their superiors, and outline the need for advanced tactics to executives or decision makers. We also help clients understand reporting and conversions, which makes it possible to demonstrate the success of a particular campaign. As a top rated search agency, we occasionally assist other marketing agencies with projects that may require more bandwidth or efficiency, and we can help those agencies sell SEO to more of their own clients who are seeking better rankings. In this way, we not only complete the buying cycle with potential clients, but we also increase the general knowledge level about SEO so more people can build optimization into the website development phase where it can get better results faster.
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