Marketers, entrepreneurs, and web developers are in agreement: SEO is one of the most profitable, stress-free, and effective forms of marketing. The last five years have seen some remarkable SEO success stories, from Markus Frind’s ultra-popular PlentyOfFish online dating website all the way to unique location-dependent auction websites and trading posts.
And yet, despite SEO’s immense value and potential for businesses, it is a remarkably hard sell for marketers and search consultants. Despite the prevalence of search engine optimization agencies and freelance SEOs, the service itself is quite a hard sell; of the hundreds-of-thousands of businesses pitches on SEO services annually, the vast majority just are not that interested.
It is a combination of fear and uncertainty, and it is one that is often counter-intuitive for business owners. As marketers, it is easy to see the immense power that SEO can hold for local entrepreneurs and online businesses; a single keyword can triple business, while a top-ten ranking can transform a company from a no-name storefront into one of the most important players in their industry.
Offering a service is one thing – explaining your service is the most essential part. These three tips will not help you get better at ranking websites, they will not help you improve your own revenues, and they are unlikely to generate more links for you. What they will do is help you demonstrate the value of SEO to others – business owners, offline marketers, and struggling entrepreneurs.
Pitch results, not SEO services.
Few business owners are interested in the internet. Even fewer are interested in search engine placements. What business owners are interested in is improving their revenue, boosting their profits, and building a marketing mechanism that generates clients and sales without costing them hundreds of hours every month.
SEO is all of that, but it is useless when pitched as what it is. Pitch the results of your service to potential clients and you will gain interest, questions, and long-term contracts; offer nothing but technical details and you will end up confusing and alienating potential business partners.
Lose now, gain later.
Pitching results is not enough – you need to demonstrate results in order to win long-term business. The vast majority of business owners live in fear of risk, especially when it is mysterious and difficult to understand. Pitch them results and technical details and you will end up with an interested client, albeit one with slight reservations to spending money straight away.
Sometimes, it is best to build your rankings first, optimize your websites, and then pitch to your prospective clients. The difference between a failed contract and a long-term partnership is almost always in the risk; prove that your service is already worthwhile and you will gain instant business, while avoiding the dull development period that can plague from-scratch projects.
Acquire professional overhead.
Despite being skilled, successful, and attentive, the vast majority of SEOs lack the corporate structure to gain a meeting with large businesses. Many search experts work from home, rent a small office space, or even work remotely while they travel.
While these situations have obvious lifestyle benefits, they are often difficult to explain to major clients and potential business partners. The difference between a gained contract and a missed opportunity is often in the presentation; prove that you are big enough to get things done and you will end up gaining more clients, handling significantly more accounts, and generating more day-to-day revenue.