January 18th, 2008 by jerry
After a recent phone call with a potential client, I thought to contribute a short post regarding the role of expectations in the SEO agency/client relationship.
As a relatively new business, the SEO/SEM service set is not always clear in client’s minds, and this elevates the importance of getting clear about expectations.ÂÂ
It’s important to communicate about what services are offered – and what services are not, and the results to expect. Without clear communication, problems resulting from mismatched expectations can easily arise. The client will often think that the scope of services is much broader than the people at the SEO agency.  We have all heard about projects that quickly move into client expectations of total web site redesign…at no extra charge.
As the relationship starts, and we deliver the obvious advice, such as dropping the all-Flash home page, clients can think that all the work will be this obvious or clear cut. Upfront, we tell them it is not, and why.
Another area where expectations can diverge is the need for regular maintenance and tweaking. Upfront, I make it clear that well-executed SEO is not a quick fix.ÂÂ
Because each client is unique – different industries, different needs, different levels of technical sophistication – each time you set these expectations, it is a different challenge.
Tags: SEO agency
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January 21st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
You’re quite right–making who does what clear from the start is so important. It’s never a nice surprise to run into a series of hurdles mid-project.
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Yes, and straightening out these issues can be complicated if clients do not have a clear understanding of all the tools and techniques that an seo agency uses…I’m sure there are seo case studies that back this up.