When you’re dealing with an engine like Google, it imperative for a Search Engine Optimization Company to explain how the Google Algorithm works, even though there may not be a single person in Google with full knowledge of the factors involved. (If there is such a person in Google, we invite them to prove it by emailing us a copy of the algorithm!) Therefore, some of the best ethical SEO salespeople use analogies to explain why optimization techniques are important.

The average new SEO prospect comes to Web.com Search Agency knowing that they aren’t where they want to be on Google (once in a while, people still say Yahoo) even though their competitors are right there in the top 10. Our salespeople take a great deal of time to explain on-page optimization and link popularity in ways that relate them to known situations. For instance, we usually explain link popularity or PageRank as a “high school popularity contest,” with the caveat that votes (links) from popular people like the homecoming queen (the New York Times) count for more than votes from most other students (unknown bloggers). One of the best ways to explain link popularity that we have found is the smiley face image which even works with executives who might not even use search engines themselves.

In many cases, the top challenges to an SEO sale come from the executive level. Many brick-and-mortar companies with websites are run by people who managed to succeed in a world that existed before the internet came along. The person in charge of the company website often has a very good idea that a site needs to be optimized, but does not have the experience or tools necessary to do the job. Getting budgetary approval from management is often the top challenge involved in the sale. Once again, the salesperson’s involvement and skill comes into play, not with examples or analogies, but with comparisons. Many of the best executives are quite competitive, and when you can show them that the “other guys” have top search engine positions, and that these positions are partially related to the number of links they have from other sites, a light goes on. We can usually add to the insight by showing that a few good links might be worth hundreds of competitor links, so it isn’t necessary to duplicate quantity to get the best results.

Explaining search engine optimization to experienced SEO customers can also be time consuming, but is usually very worthwhile when done properly. We have quite a few clients who got “burned” by cheap and expensive optimization projects that went wrong or just didn’t produce results. Normally we can point out the obvious challenges (like robots tags, canonicalization issues, and keyword blurring) and even show these prospects what we would do differently. Our conversion rate on people who have experienced “other” SEO is fairly high, and in almost every case it is because we explain our service in terms that people can relate to.

Selling Search Engine Optimization services (and upgrades) can be the biggest thing that defines the success of an SEO company. The playing field for White Hat SEO is fairly level, and the knowledge base is “open to the public.” The advantage of an agency like ours is that we have proprietary tools and cost saving relationships that make optimization less expensive and more efficient. By delivering clear information about ever-changing search engine algorithms, and using explanations that make sense to new customers, the value of SEO can be brought forward to an ever increasing audience of individuals and companies who need better exposure.

One of the goals for the search marketing industry should be to more clearly define SEO to the general public, so more people in business will consider search engine optimization to be an integral part of website development. By making “SEO” into a tangible industry buzzword, and explaining its components as concisely as possible, the entire world of SEO can mature into an indispensable component of online business.