SEO professionals are supposed to have a solid understanding of their area of expertise and also be able to communicate that wisdom clearly and professionally to their clients. However, a few more criteria would go a long way in benefits for an already amazing industry, that help in building greater trust and better service for clients.Bring no harm to the clients
When it comes to search engine optimization, algorithms are constantly changing. Some tactics that were acceptable a few years ago could get one penalized today. Marketing requires a constant evaluation of risk vs. reward, and it goes beyond changing algorithms.
White-hat SEO creates a concrete foundation for success, rather than the hit and run approach that characterizes black-hat SEO. But often, clients themselves will insist on adopting tactics that will be detrimental in the long run. In a few cases, it might be that there is little to lose and much to gain; while in other cases, it may be because of simple misinformation. In both cases, it’s our professional responsibility to not ever intentionally put the clients at risk through our actions, and also to make them aware so that they don’t resort to doing something stupid on their own.
Absolute transparency in everything
Be aware that there is no such thing as “proprietary SEO techniques.” The days of tricking the search engines are dead and gone. There are three components to modern SEO:
- Original and quality content.
- On-site SEO (Technical SEO).
- Editorial links from external websites.
We are executing work that will have a long-lasting impact on our client’s websites, so it’s only proper that they know exactly what is being done on their behalf. If you fear of losing business by disclosing too much, then you might not be providing enough value to them.
Clients approach us for several reasons, the foremost being our ability to get certain things done. Once they are made aware of all that which go into a proper SEO campaign, they will come to realize that they don’t have the time or ability to do it properly themselves.
Transparency is also a two way street in that you need to ensure that the client owns their content, properties, and data. Content development and link building are tasks that require a lot of work which has to be executed at a high level of quality. Most clients are too busy involved with their businesses to develop content or send outreach emails, and that’s the reason they come to us.
Ownership of Resources
A huge problem in this industry is that digital marketing agencies and web designers set up digital assets in their accounts rather than their clients’. Such assets can include:
- Domain Registrations
- Hosting Accounts
- Social media Profiles
- PPC Accounts
Needless to say, this can be potentially a huge risk for clients. If a particular web company goes out of business or misplaces data, then the clients will have to start their digital brands over from scratch. This practice should be avoided at all costs.
Ensure that any accounts you set up on behalf of your client should be in their name, and they should always possess full access. You can always add additional users for your own purposes or use the client credentials with their permission.
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