As part of my career in internet marketing primarily focused on SEO, I have had the opportunity to interact with several small and mid-size firm owners and marketing managers. Most of the time I have seen that the customers know to a certain extent as to why they need SEO (even though it is mostly restricted to rankings on search engines) but what they do not know is how SEO actually works.

SEO is fiercely competitive field with lot of firms (good and bad) battling it out. In a situation like this it is highly important that customers understand SEO, know what realistic goals are.  

My approach is always to ensure that customers understand the nitty-gritty’s of search engine optimization (at least even at a very basic level) when they talk to us. This helps them appreciate the work which goes behind a successful SEO campaign and allows them to make a better judgment when it comes choosing an SEO agency.  

There are mainly four types of customers in this world:

1.       Ones who know a lot about SEO

2.       Ones who think they know a lot

3.       Ones who do not know but are interested and willing to listen to what you have to say

4.       Ones who are not willing to listen and understand

It is extremely easy to talk to Type 1 customers as they understand SEO well and are looking for specific things in a vendor to whom they can hand over the SEO work.

Type 2 customers are the most difficult ones as most of the time they tend to portray that they know a lot about SEO. These projects are difficult to convert and even when you convert, it is difficult to manage these. Be ready for some tough times and hope they mend their ways when they see the value in your work.

You can easily work with Type 3 clients and make them understand SEO. You can explain to them why you are proposing something and how will it work. They ask relevant questions and in the end are satisfied with the answers.

On the other hand Type 4 clients are difficult to get to as they are either very busy or feel it is something they do not want to know. It becomes difficult to make them realize the value of your work. The end result is that these clients often make their decisions based on price factor, or false promises made to them by some SEO vendors, who promise the Sun, Moon and Stars to them.

Would love to know about your experiences with customers? Any interesting case you would like to share?