In my last post, I ended by saying that I would be trying to help the Search Marketing Industry grow by giving some options that potential SEO buyers and sellers could choose from in the process of both buyer and seller trying to achieve the goal of a "Win-Win" situation for the long term. Of course, any "Win-Win" situation starts off with "O'HUG" Communication (Open, Honest, Upfront, and Good = clear, conspicuous, comprehensive, and completely comprehended). These keywords, if taken seriously by both SEO buyer and seller, will greatly help avoid many possible misunderstandings in the consultative relationship process!
OK, I mentioned, previous to this post, a Search Engine Watch Post that analogized the type of compensation of an SEO to the "Lawyer game". Again, I'm not judging what was said, as much as I am looking to enlighten the SEO buyer and seller. Actually, I think "Lawyer" is closer to reality than the Doctor or Stock Broker analogies, as Lawyers do, many times, work on a "contingency fee" depending on the kind of law practiced. This same poster also says: "To me there are two business models worth pursuing, charge for traffic and charge for knowledge." I agree, with the clarification of "traffic" meaning "Traffic Of Good Intent" (somewhere in the "buying cycle"), and "knowledge" being split into "hourly compensation", "pricing package", and "Pay For Some Kind Of Performance" compensation. For this post, I will focus on "charge for knowledge", and deal with the compensation issue in the next.
For SEO sellers, it is time consuming work keeping their knowledge up to date with all the changes in the algorithms of the primary search engines and the industry. For SEO buyers, the deeper their knowledge of basic SEO, the more they can compare "apples to apples" when reviewing different SEO proposals. Plus they can understand distinctions in the kinds of link development strategies that can be done, and have in mind exactly the kind they want. Deep SEO buyer knowledge can also help them avoid problems, and enable them to know when to be realistically satisfied with the work done. However, "satisfaction" should mean only one thing, in my opinion; Return On Investment. The SEO buyer should at least be knowledgeable enough to know which part of that ROI formula is his responsibility, and which is the SEO seller's. But, again, this ALL TAKES TIME!
The "charge for knowledge" factor comes out in information on finding the "right" or "good" SEO company. This SEW Forum Post says: "Call lots of companies and have good questions about SEO strategy to ask them." I like his personal favorite of "Ask for referrals from folks with top rankings." Another article by an "Internet marketing specialist" interested me, because it says "Make Sure You Constantly Know What They’re Doing." Now, he is mainly talking about an "in-house" SEO, and you can certainly require periodic reports reviewed over the phone from consultants located far away, but I have never understood how SEO buyers could fork over thousands of dollars to SEO sellers they've never met in person.
Even if the "right" SEO seller is in another state or country, my opinion is that potential long term consultant relationships in business should have at least one "face to face" meeting before "No Guarantee" (except "best effort") or (possible) "Twisted" Guarantee contracts are signed! That's why I feel it is better to first try to find that "right" SEO seller in your own state. Maybe you could then drive to his place of business, and meet all the people you will be in close contact with, that should be part of "your team".
I use the phrase "your team" because of this article by David Wallace entitled "The Nightmares of a SEO" that uses a football team analogy to show the need for a "team spirit", and cooperation between SEO buyer and seller. I will go into my thoughts on true "partnering" which I feel is a step above a true "team" in my next post. I'll end this post now with a quote from Stoney deGeyter's article entitled "Determining the Value of Your SEO Service". He says: "..just because someone charges huge fees does not mean they'll do you well either. This is a symptom of many very large SEO companies. Do your homework and find the company that will treat you as their only client."
This is a tall order when any SEO seller of any size or price can potentially get busy with larger clients, and not be able to "treat you as their only client". Plus, finding and adding competent SEO support help these days is getting harder and harder. Of course, the better SEO seller's will start turning away most new business that isn't a potential big new account. The best SEO seller's will turn away even these tempting choice accounts, in lieu of overextending their capabilities, or terminating the contracts of smaller accounts. But, how is an SEO buyer to know for sure who will do what under which circumstance?
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