Offline SEO - Guarantees

[hommi_16]

Hey everyone,

I'm seriously contemplating getting into the offline SEO business but have one major concern.

What kind of guarantee do you offer?

Now we all know that Google can be cruel! Having said that what kind of guarantees do you offer you offline businesses? Let's say you are doing some backlinking for them and their website gets dropped from the SEPS... what do you do then?

[ASM Marketing]

Have it clearly written in your contracts and terms that you cannot hold any responsibility for the actions taken by third party services (such as search engines).

You have to be very careful to make sure that doesn't happen, and offer a refund if it does - you do not want to ruin your reputation, and word can spread quickly.

Alex

[Fernando Veloso]

No guarantees whatsoever. If you're for real into this business you can't offer guarantees. Otherwise you will look bad doing promises you can't keep.

[FlightGuy]

Unfortunately, this business model does not rest solely upon your skills as a marketer or SEO consultant. At any moment, Google (or any other search engine) can "slap" us again and there's nothing we can do about it. Although it's unlikely, it's a possibility and therefore you cannot make any guarantee to keep them placed high.

One thing I suggest, is to offer a no strings way of doing business with clients. Rather than promising results in the SERPS, you can explain that if at any time they wish to cancel your SEO services, they can do so. Explain to them that you make this offer because you are highly confidant that your services will help them make more money.

Before you go saying that, though - make sure you are competent enough in this realm to actually help them make more money.

Kindly,
John Dennis

[hommi_16]

Originally Posted by ASM Marketing

Have it clearly written in your contracts and terms that you cannot hold any responsibility for the actions taken by third party services (such as search engines).

You have to be very careful to make sure that doesn't happen, and offer a refund if it does - you do not want to ruin your reputation, and word can spread quickly.

Alex

Has this every happened to anyone? And when you say "offer a refund" do you mean a full refund.

The way I look at it: If I target businesses that are already buried deep in the SERPs and cannot get them to move up then a refund sounds good. However, let's assume I'm able to move them to the top of the SERP's and suddenly one day they disppear and don't come back, then I really didn't leave them in a worse position then when we started. They might have even made some profit from the time they were up in the SERPS.

What do you think?

[JohnMcCabe]

1. Never guarantee anything you can't control.

2. If you do want to offer some sort of risk reversal, tie it to achieving a given ranking. Once you achieve that ranking, you've fulfilled your commitment and the guarantee no longer applies.

3. See #1...

[simonLC]

Do not ever offer a "We will get you ranked to the #1 spot in google" guarantee. Nobody can make those claims, and any firm that does; is flat out lying to you.

Just be completely honest with the client, take time to educate them on the process; and the quirks of this business. Honesty pays, period.

[hommi_16]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

1. Never guarantee anything you can't control.

2. If you do want to offer some sort of risk reversal, tie it to achieving a given ranking. Once you achieve that ranking, you've fulfilled your commitment and the guarantee no longer applies.

3. See #1...

Thank you for the support. Now when you say tie it to achieving a given ranking, what happens if they lose that ranking which could very well happen?

Don't get me wrong guys, I do intend on doing this but not without testing it first. I'm actually going to pick a website that is very deep in the serps and try to increase their ranking for local listings.

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by hommi_16

Thank you for the support. Now when you say tie it to achieving a given ranking, what happens if they lose that ranking which could very well happen?

It goes something like this...

"I believe I can get you a top-3 ranking for [your important keyword], and I'm so confident that if I can't get that ranking within [your time frame], I'll return your money.

Now once I achieve that ranking, I can't guarantee you'll keep it continuously or forever. Sometimes search engines shake things up. Once we get beyond [your time frame], all I can promise is my best efforts."

Framing the offer this way does two things. It makes the offer very specific (and therefore measurable) and it limits your risk.

For example (just to keep the numbers simple), suppose you say you think you can get your client a top-3 ranking for local widgets within a month. And you'll do the SEO for $100 per month.

If you achieve the #3 spot or better for local widgets within 30 days, you've fulfilled your promise and the money is yours. If you fail, and the client asks for a refund, your exposure is $100.

From previous posts, I believe you already understand your responsibility to make sure the keyword you decide to target is commercially viable. Or to say it more simply, the keyword is likely to lead to a profit for the client.

Does that help?

[UBotBuddy]

Now I'm not saying I do this but I have heard it being done.

Play into the SERP drops. Give your client monthly reports. Report to them what they can do to improve their site (if they were initially resistant). Keep your eyes and ears open to new potential backlinks.

[Texjd]

I've been doing local websites for years and what is now called "Offline SEO". The challange isn't so much getting results from the search engines, you can almost always do that since many have never even heard of SEO and their websites are invisible.

The real hammer comes when they achieve number one and don't convert for whatever reason. Especially when you piss off an attorney =8~). Some businesses are very hard to get onboard for the conversion process. No matter how hard you try, they can screw it up.

It gets real fun, real quick. And you better have your dancing shoes on.