How do you explain SEO to a client?

How do you explain SEO to a client?

Ever felt like you’re lost in a forest of tech jargon, trying to grasp the idea of how do you explain SEO to a client? Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands? You’re not alone. The maze-like world of Search Engine Optimization can be complex and daunting.

The key is understanding that SEO isn’t just about stuffing keywords or magic algorithms. It’s more like growing an organic garden where nurturing each page plays its part in enhancing visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). Imagine being able to reach potential customers, boost brand awareness, and position yourself as an authority figure within your niche – all through smart SEO strategies!

Our goal here is to simplify these tricky bits, making SEO feel less like cracking a secret code and more like having a friendly chat over coffee! So, let’s jump right in.

What is SEO?

Picture your business as a book in a giant library, the internet. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) works like the librarian who helps people find that specific book they need.

The main goal of SEO? To make sure search engines like Google and Bing show your website when someone searches for products or services you offer. So if your website isn’t optimized, it’s like having an amazing store hidden in an alley nobody knows about.

In simple terms, SEO uses keywords relevant to what you offer on your site to help search engines understand what your pages are all about.

How Does It Work?

If your clients ask how does SEO work, don’t make the mistake of explaining what SEO is and how does it work. Be sure that they understand the high-level reasons why SEO marketing matters.

Why SEO is the Digital Heartbeat of Modern Business

For most businesses today, having an online presence is non-negotiable. And this is where you need to stand, when your clients ask to explain SEO marketing.

They also need to be educated about how having a website isn’t enough. Brands need to be visible and discoverable to connect with their audience. This is where SEO comes in.

When clients come to our SEO Agency, we start by asking about their goals.

Here’s a list of questions that can help in this exploration:

1. How would you define SEO in your own words?

2. Have you ever worked with an SEO agency or professional before?

3. What do you believe are the primary benefits of SEO for your business?

4. Are you familiar with the difference between organic search results and paid search results?

5. How do you think search engines like Google determine the ranking of websites on their results pages?

6. Have you ever heard of keywords or keyword research? If so, how would you describe their importance in SEO?

7. Are you aware of the concept of branding? What role do you think it plays in SEO?

8. How do you currently measure the success of your website? Are you familiar with tools like Google Search Console?

9. Have you ever seen the keywords of your website?

10. Do you know if your website content was written with SEO in mind?

11. Who do you think is your competitor?

12. How do you feel about the speed and mobile-friendliness of your website? Do you think these factors impact SEO?

13. How do you feel about the way that people find you?

14. Are you aware of the concept of “local SEO”? How do you think it might be relevant to your business?

15. How do you perceive the relationship between SEO and other digital marketing strategies like PPC, social media, or email marketing?

The SEO Marketing Funnel

Since your client wants to know how will SEO grow their business, you want to discuss the concept of the SEO marketing funnel.

SEO and marketing workflows go hand-in-hand to attract, nurture, and convert website visitors into customers. Understanding the SEO marketing funnel provides a strategic framework to optimize efforts at each stage.

Awareness Stage

The first part of the funnel focuses on discovery – getting your brand and content found by relevant audiences. Core SEO activities at this stage include:

  • On-page optimization with target keywords
  • Link building to boost domain authority
  • Local SEO for geo-targeted visibility
  • Content creation to attract search traffic

The goal is increased visibility in search engines and recognition in the minds of prospective customers.

Consideration Stage

Once searchers discover your brand, SEO and marketing should focus on nurturing leads by establishing credibility and trust. Tactics include:

  • High-quality content targeting searcher intents
  • Distinct brand messaging and visual identity
  • Prominent social media presence with engagement
  • Monitoring reviews and reputation management

This stage moves visitors closer towards your products/services.

Conversion Stage

Now that prospects are aware and considering you, SEO helps drive conversions by making desired actions accessible. Best practices include:

  • Seamless website navigation and intuitive UX
  • Prominent calls-to-action for email signup, free trials etc.
  • Optimized landing pages aligned to ad and campaign traffic
  • Quality score tracking for leads and sales

The ultimate goal is efficiently moving prospects down the funnel to become customers. SEO works hand-in-hand with broader marketing at every phase, from discovery through conversion.

The real task of the SEO team is to monitor the stages of the SEO funnel and find opportunities to improve it. This is what is called Conversion Rate Optimization. Unfortunately, attribution can be challenging, since not every business has a well-tracked online presence. In fact, most of them don’t track their online activities at all.

SEO and Brand Marketing

SEO and brand marketing work hand in hand.

This is an area where you can educate your future clients.

When they rank for branded keywords, it reinforces their messaging and identity. And strong branding earns more clicks and trust in search results. Together, they amplify the brand’s digital footprint.

SEO and brand marketing complement each other in numerous ways. Here’s a list of examples showcasing the synergy between SEO and brand marketing:

1. Branded Keywords:

  • SEO: Optimizing your website to rank for branded keywords related to your company or products.
  • Brand Marketing: Creating memorable taglines or product names that users are likely to search for.

2. Content Creation:

  • SEO: Producing high-quality, keyword-optimized content that answers user queries.
  • Brand Marketing: Ensuring that the content aligns with the brand’s voice, values, and messaging.

3. Backlink Building:

  • SEO: Earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to improve domain authority.
  • Brand Marketing: Collaborating with influencers or industry leaders who resonate with your brand for guest posts or partnerships.

4. User Experience (UX):

  • SEO: Enhancing website speed, mobile-friendliness, and navigational structure for better search rankings.
  • Brand Marketing: Designing a website that reflects the brand’s aesthetics and provides a seamless experience for visitors.

5. Social Media Presence:

  • SEO: Leveraging social media profiles to appear in search results and drive organic traffic.
  • Brand Marketing: Consistently using branded visuals, hashtags, and messaging across all social platforms.

6. Local SEO and Branding:

  • SEO: Optimizing for local search terms and maintaining consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) across directories.
  • Brand Marketing: Participating in local community events or sponsorships to boost brand recognition in the area.

7. Video Marketing:

  • SEO: Optimizing video titles, descriptions, and tags for search visibility on platforms like YouTube.
  • Brand Marketing: Producing branded videos that tell a story, showcase products, or share the company’s mission.

8. Reviews and Testimonials:

  • SEO: Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business.
  • Brand Marketing: Showcasing these testimonials in marketing materials to build brand trust and credibility.

9. Image Optimization:

  • SEO: Using alt tags, filenames, and image descriptions to improve image search visibility.
  • Brand Marketing: Ensuring all images, infographics, and visuals align with the brand’s style and messaging.

10. Featured Snippets:

  • SEO: Optimizing content to appear in Google’s featured snippets for specific queries.
  • Brand Marketing: Highlighting brand expertise and authority through these snippets, positioning the brand as an industry leader.

Together, SEO and brand marketing create a cohesive and powerful online presence, ensuring that a brand not only reaches its target audience but also resonates with them.

There is a good chance that your future client has a vague idea of what a brand is. For this reason, we highly recommend exploring this topic as well.

Here are five crucial questions to gauge a client’s understanding and awareness of brand marketing:

1. How would you define “brand marketing” in your own words, and how do you differentiate it from general marketing strategies?

2. Can you describe the core elements of your brand identity, such as your brand voice, values, and visual elements?

3. How do you currently ensure consistency in your brand messaging across different marketing channels and platforms?

4. Are you familiar with the concept of brand positioning? If so, how would you describe your brand’s current position in the market relative to your competitors?

5. How do you measure the success and impact of your brand marketing efforts? Are there specific metrics or feedback mechanisms you prioritize?

These questions can provide valuable insights into the client’s current understanding of brand marketing and guide further discussions or educational efforts.

How To Convince a Client for SEO?

You should not be in the business of convincing anyone. Do this instead:

Emphasize the Cost of Missed Opportunity

Highlight how much business they lose to competitors ranking higher in search results for shared keywords. The goal is framing SEO as unlocking untapped potential vs just another expense.

Set Proper Expectations

SEO takes time and consistency before yielding results. Be transparent about this. Offer a detailed roadmap of activities, milestones and a realistic timeline so clients know what to expect.

Convey Your Expertise and Capabilities

Assure them you have the technical SEO skills and marketing savvy to execute strategies that move the needle. Provide examples of past client success. Confidence in your expertise is key.

Offer Options for Getting Started

Propose SEO packages or a customized plan matching their budget and goals. Highlight the flexibility of your approach. Provide reporting dashboards to showcase the value delivered.

The reality is SEO is now non-negotiable for any serious business with a digital footprint. As their marketing expert, conveying these insights persuasively is key to getting buy-in.

For long-term SEO success, we always recommend partnering with experts that can take care of big projects, instead of trying to learn it all and make costly mistakes.

Let’s connect to explore our SEO at scale solutions!

Just book a quick call and we can discuss how can we partner up to grow your SEO agency! The first steps begin now!