Explaining the concept of SEO to a client can be difficult. Over on Globital TV, project manager, Waseem Ansari, shares helpful information for digital agencies looking to help their clients understand SEO.

Why Do Clients Need To Understand SEO?

Without a good understanding of SEO as a concept, your clients will not be able to perceive the value your digital agency’s SEO services offer them. Your sales team needs to understand SEO just as well as your technical team for them to answer questions potential SEO clients may have. A good understanding will help your team sell more SEO services to new clients and help existing clients continue investing in your digital agency. 

Steps To Explain SEO To Your Clients

With these five strategies, explaining SEO to your clients is simple: 

1. Assess your client’s current understanding of SEO before attempting to explain the concept to avoid overwhelming them or repeating information they already know.
2. Have a standard definition ready to go that explains the goal of SEO, how it works and the impact of Google rankings and algorithms. 
3. Focus your explanation on the key touchpoints of optimisation and authority, specifically, the relationship SEO has with them.
4. Help establish clear expectations for what your clients can expect from SEO services. 
5. Keep SEO an accessible topic by focusing on the human aspect rather than bots and algorithms – explain how SEO improves the customer experience for real-life humans. 

Avoid Using Industry Jargon 

If you get overly technical and use industry jargon when trying to explain SEO, it’s likely the other party is going to get overwhelmed and be unable to understand the concept. Use clear, simple language to explain the basics of SEO to avoid making the client feel confused, alienated or like they just want to leave the conversation before signing up for your digital agency’s SEO services.

Explain SEO Using Easy-To-Understand Analogies

Analogies can be helpful when explaining SEO as an overall concept, as well as the details and components that SEO is made up of. A great SEO analogy is the library analogy: 

The client’s website is like a book (preferably one on a familiar subject related to their website). The website’s name is the title of the book, and your client is the author. The library is filled with other books on the subject, with readers trying to find the best book available to them. Finding a website is like finding a book, using keywords on the library’s computer to find the best suggestions. If the book isn’t categorised properly, readers won’t be able to find it when searching. Like categorising the book correctly, SEO helps more people find the client’s website by ensuring all the right information is in place, establishing it as the best source of information on the subject. 

Prepare To Answer Questions

Even with your best explanation, your client may have further questions. Don’t be frustrated or feel your explanation wasn’t good – questions are a good sign. Questions could indicate that your client is interested in SEO services, wants to know more, and is engaged in the conversation and not just looking for a way to end it.

Understand Clients May Not Quite Understand SEO Without Clear Examples

Clear examples of SEO can be given by showing a client what steps are taken as well as the results that can be achieved. Detailed SEO plans and reports showing the positive results and growth can demonstrate the value of SEO services more than definitions and analogies alone. The better SEO results your agency achieves, the more convincing these examples will be. Outsourcing SEO to a white label SEO service provider like us can allow your digital agency to achieve outstanding results for your clients, giving you the proof you need to show new clients how valuable SEO services can be.

For more interesting videos to help you grow your digital agency, visit our YouTube channel, Globital TV, where we share weekly videos.