How To Deal With SEO Clients Who Do Not Listen?

[misterkailo]

Do any of you SEO people have problems dealing with SEO clients? I have a few of them that just don't listen to anything I say. They want service, but at the same time, they believe that they know more than I do.

For example, I want this one guy to change his title tag to A B C because he wanted to rank for A B C, but instead, this person keeps his title tag as X Y Z because he believes it is the best for his website.

Also, when he does change something that I told him to do, he would change it right back the very next day because he didn't see any boost in the SERPs for ONE DAY.

This is really frustrating...

[HunterSnake]

"He that won't be counsell'd, can't be help'd." ~ Poor Richard's Almanack, 1747

You can't do anything about it. If they won't listen, then the cause is lost. If you're a doctor and you tell your patient to take their medication once a day and they decide to take it ten times a day and die, is it your fault? No.

Be polite and respectful but if you have to simply resign as their SEO instructor and if they ask why, just tell the truth but do it with dignity and good manners. Always be professional. There's nothing wrong with dismissing clients. Best Buy will throw somebody out who comes in with incredible filth on them and is mucking up the display laptop keyboards, for example.

[Daniel Brock]

I think you are undervaluing your service.

Only $20/m?

How much trust would you put into someone to run your online marketing for $20/m?

I don't think you are charging enough to make your customer accept the fact that you are the authority on the matter.

Really, SEO is a very valuable service and you should charge accordingly.

You could very well end up making this guy thousands of dollars a month, and you should make him aware of that....by charging more.

[sdkWriter]

Locate some POV or whitepaper, even video, that supports your position and forward those to your client. One of the most important, yet subtle things consultants must do is to continually educate the client. It's all part of managing the client, and once you've done that, they will get in line much quicker.

Having said that, some clients can't be helped, because they refuse to be helped, or perhaps it may take much, much longer and tons more convincing to get them onboard. You will need to decide if those types of clients are worth the effort.

[Jacob Martus]

Originally Posted by misterkailo

Do any of you SEO people have problems dealing with SEO clients? I have a few of them that just don't listen to anything I say. They want service, but at the same time, they believe that they know more than I do.

For example, I want this one guy to change his title tag to A B C because he wanted to rank for A B C, but instead, this person keeps his title tag as X Y Z because he believes it is the best for his website.

Also, when he does change something that I told him to do, he would change it right back the very next day because he didn't see any boost in the SERPs for ONE DAY.

This is really frustrating...

At the end of the day he's still paying you. Document what actions you recommended and what actions he took. If he doesn't end up where he wanted to be and blames you for it...then pull out the documentation.

[jazbo]

If someone is paying you just $20 a month then they dont have much incentive to listen to you do they!

[CliveG]

Originally Posted by Jacob Martus

At the end of the day he's still paying you. Document what actions you recommended and what actions he took. If he doesn't end up where he wanted to be and blames you for it...then pull out the documentation.

The only thing that I would add to this is to make sure that the service that you are supposed to be supplying is documented. You are supplying advice that the customer has the final decision whether to accept or not and make sure that you provide no guarantees whatsoever (whether he takes the advice or not).

[mithil]

Why don't you listen to him for a month and see the results.

If the results are positive, then probably there is some flaws in your work and he knows better than you...But if it is adversely affecting the current results then you might show him that and prove your point.

[rankinghero]

Originally Posted by jazbo

If someone is paying you just $20 a month then they dont have much incentive to listen to you do they!

100% spot on mate.

When I client pays you 1K per month.... TRUST ME, they will listen.

[cpa-money]

you cant change people. if they are messed up - its their problem. dont fight him let him swim in his own mud. if he doing it to you he doing it to other people as well and he will not succeed in anything. let him fail himself.

and if we are talking about 20$ a month it`s not that big lost for you. infact i would pay more than 20$ just not to meet those kinds of people. invest in sielence is a good investment

[ShowBiz]

Sounds like you are dealing way too casually with your clients. Go all professinal on their apps. While they are still charmed by the presentation you have made to entice them, casually drop a written contract into the mix. That contract should promise as much of the moon as you know you can give them, but include this little tickler: "Pay me and let me do it; but if you contract me and you still want to do it, then do it all - but pay me" (The language should be your attorney's, and properly obscure).

Nothing curbs a know-it-all like having to pay for showing off. After all, he hired you because life had already rained on his creative firecrackers.

[JoeVincent]

Agree with those that said you are undervaluing your service...
From there, sometimes you need be willing to fire your client.

One of the main aspects of having your own business is that you no longer have to take unnecessary crap from anyone.
If it were your service that was causing problems, then of course you'd need to listen.

But as the expert, your client should be listening to you....or find someone else to do the service.

[debra]

I've been tought that there are 3 things in life that you can not change.

1. You can't fix stupid
2. You can't win an arguement with an idiot
3. People are going to do what people are going to do

[OrganicSeoGuru]

Originally Posted by misterkailo

Do any of you SEO people have problems dealing with SEO clients? I have a few of them that just don't listen to anything I say. They want service, but at the same time, they believe that they know more than I do.

For example, I want this one guy to change his title tag to A B C because he wanted to rank for A B C, but instead, this person keeps his title tag as X Y Z because he believes it is the best for his website.

Also, when he does change something that I told him to do, he would change it right back the very next day because he didn't see any boost in the SERPs for ONE DAY.

This is really frustrating...

I either fire them or double my rates, as I tell them babysitting costs extra...

Either way I get what I need and what out of it, more revenue to make the BS worth it or toss them as clients and watch their sites burn...

It can be amazing how receptive their competitors can be to various opportunities...