Search is something of a game. It’s a game that most want to win. There are as many theories and strategies on how to “win” the search game as there are players in that same game.
The first item of business should always be: define expectations! Put everything on the table upfront. I know, sometimes easier said than done. One of my clients initially told me that his goal for an SEO engagement was to “slowly increase traffic to my website.” Well, it has been four months and we’ve doubled his web site traffic. When I spoke with him last week, he wants more online sales. Did he want more sales in the first place? Of course! But he naturally assumed that more visits would equal more sales. He’s getting more traffic, and from the site statistics, I’d estimate that he’s getting very relevant interested traffic – but his industry is very affected by the economic climate. So, it’s important to find out your client’s expectations, ask some open ended questions to determine the unspoken expectations (this may not be an issue to those practicing north of the Mason-Dixon), uncover expectations that the client didn’t realize they had or those they didn’t know how to express and be prepared to offer your professional opinions and experience. Help the client get out of his or her own way.
Being realistic and understanding your client’s needs, fears, expectations, and business model will help build trust. Most clients will trust a calm, professional, in-charge demeanor as long as you can avoid sounding condescending.
So how does all this tie into your search? Search engine optimization is more than just a “follow the rules and you can’t lose” sort of business. Sure, following the rules and using best practices will improve your search engine rankings. In fact, there are some SEO Rules of Engagement on our web site. These are basics that many folks miss. Earlier in my career, I was a practicing chemical engineer working in a manufacturing facility’s waste treatment area. It was interesting and challenging work – always lots of problems to solve and processes to improve. My mentor was also my boss and any time I brought him a problem that was stumping me, he helped me solve it myself. Drew always told me to “go back to first principles”…so, start with the basics. If the foundation of your work isn’t sound, you’ll just have to start over when things crumble.
Thought for today: start simply…build things from there!
