Explaining SEO Opportunities to small businesses

Personally, Anthony, I wouldn't waste my time. Don't try to sell ice cubes to eskimos (even if they need them). If they are open to it, that's a different story. In that case, its really not difficult to explain. Someone searches for a product/service, if your site is setup correctly, you site shows up at the top of the results, the sites at the top get all the business. Otherwise give them a free report or book, etc. if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.

Hi Anthony

You could do it a couple of ways.

1) Set up a site that mirrors the industry that they are in and show them what you did and then rent the site to them
2) Ask a couple of the businesses if you can do some work fro FREE in return for testimonials and using the results to encourage other businesses to take up your services. (make sure that they have a good network of people too so that you can send out info on what you have done for them)

A ton of other ways but those two might help.

Regards

Bronwyn and Keith

Also I think its about turning it in to business speak - tell them the benefits. e.g. you don't buy a drill, you buy a hole in the wall. Tell the business what they can expect in terms of ROI - increased sales, leads, exposure and how you will achieve this. Then once they are interested you can go in to some of the technical aspects if needed.

I've always found it pretty effective to show them a competitors site that is ranking above theirs.
Give them rough traffic details
i.e. your competitor is ranking 2 for xxxx keyword and this means xxxx visitors a month.
you are ranked 17 for the same keyword and are getting xx visitors.

if you are both converting at the same percentage then then they are doing x times the business.

Bottom line - your competition is crushing you - - - this is a concept that most of them can grasp.

I don't even bother telling them what SEO is or how I will do it, just what it means to their bottom line.

You have to explain to them how they are going to make their money back and profit from the service. They need to understand how this is going to happen. It can be tough sometimes, because you have to speak in their language.

On the other hand, I wouldn't waste too much time trying to convince a business that is not interested enough.

If you get in contact with enough businesses about your services, you'll find ones that are interested and open to the idea of using your services. I'd put the time and energy into finding those gems instead.

I have found it very effective to show them what a search looks like for their industry and then ask them "do you know any of these people that show up?" Usually it will be their nearest and dearest competitors. Then I ask, "how do you expect to have someone find you in/as "X industry" on the internet?" If they aren't interested to some degree at that point I walk away. If they do perk interest (95% of the time) then I say how would you like to be on the front page? Do you think it would make a difference if people search for "x" and find you instead of only "x competitor they mentioned they know" every time someone looks online? Do you think you would get any more business than you are right now, which is ZERO?

I usually plan a follow up and close the deal right then or on the next contact. Hope that helps.

PS, they don't need a website for you to do that either. Many of my clients don't. I get their GP listing to the front page. There are many business types that either don't have (50%) or cannot have due to their franchise agreements or other. Let me know if I can be of any help

It's all about leads and the method of comparing them to businesses above them in Google is solid. Especially when they are on Page 2 and beyond. Do a little research and determine the value of a new customer to that market segment. The math then follows along.

All benefits ultimately relate to money and time, and money is time so they're all about money. Raise revenues with more leads, reduce expenses by cutting out expensive Yellow Page ads (or coupons, or PPC and so on). That is a formula for success for many small businesses in hundreds of segments.

this is the what I find the most challenging aspect of my job, explaining to clients that are not familiar with online marketing or SEO