13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
13 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Ethics Question...

by TopLevelGeek
11 replies
Hi everyone,
I thank you in advance for helping me out with this simple, but maybe not so simple question:

In my day job, ethics are very important, so much so that entire classes are devoted to it in graduate school, and a good portion of my continuing education hours every year involve ethical practice.

The best idea is to specialize for a certain group of local clients, specifically the ones who have money. Makes sense. Also, one of the most needed services is SEO. It becomes easier to find long tail keywords if you're dealing with a local market. However, if I am working with five local chiropractors:

1. Aren't they all competing for the same keywords? (sure I could give them different keywords, but someone is getting short changed!)

2. If they are reasonably close in proximity, they could even be competing for the same clients!

3. What happens when they realize that my name is at the bottom of not only their competitors website, but someone ranking higher in Google for the same keyword they are paying my monthly fee to rank for!

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with this?

Thank you,

Tyler
#ethics #offline #question #seo
  • Profile picture of the author Vagabond 007
    I don't really deal with SEO work. However, having 5 clients in the same industry in the same area is, imo, not good.

    Best case scenario...you get all 5 ranked on the first page in the #1-5 spots. But there is obviously a problem even with the best case scenario. You have 4 clients who won't be happy/not in the #1 spot.

    By definition, there can only be one in the #1 spot in Google for the targeted keywords.

    So I would never do something like that.

    Since you don't have these 5 clients yet, why are you even worrying about something that shouldn't even happen. Just get one in your area, then go to another area and get one. Rinse and repeat with more areas.

    No need to clutter your mind with an issue that hasn't even come up. You've just created it in your mind. Let it go and focus on getting the first client.
    Signature
    The Ultimate Sales & Marketing Mind Map (Just updated - now twice as big!) - scott_krech - "Quite possibly one of the BEST WSO's ever."

    www.UltimateMindMap.com


    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4702758].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TopLevelGeek
    I appreciate your message, I have had a handful of offline clients with some positive results, but I haven't been organized. As I poise to invest some cash into offering more services, it's important to know in advance how I am going to handle SEO spots.

    I agree with you, something is not adding up about how I have been advised to do it.
    Signature
    Tyler Horn, LCSW
    I am a child and family therapist, and internet marketer who specializes in small targeted internet presences for people in the helping professions. If your mission is to enhance the lives of the people around you PM me
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4702956].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    Hi Tyler.

    Doesnt it depend how targetted their prospects are?

    OK lets use 5 accountants, they may all do tax returns, offer advice, do company formations etc but theyd all likely have some specialities that theyd really like to rank for , specific types of clients theyd like to attract meaning theres a fair chance theyll be a number of differing key phrases amongst the 5 potential clients.

    If you focus on that angle of attack first up, then upsell to the highest bidder or whatever way you want to go about it for the more across the board keywords/ phrases

    Mike
    Signature

    Mike

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4703377].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author BradleyC
      Here's our business practice on this matter.

      First, we do not "lead in" with SEO. We sell it as a back-end product.

      We'll target a niche. With products like email capture, email marketing, fan pages and mobile marketing to name a few, if we got 5 chiro's we'd sell them all the services. No problem.

      However, once it comes to SEO and Google Places, we will ONLY work with 1 chiro! We do not want to compete against ourselves. Plus, if one chiro sees another chiro's website above them and knows we're also working with their competition, I'm telling you, that's got "ugly" written all over it. We just don't care to deal with that.

      In our marketing to these chiro's they know that SEO/Google Places is one of the things we'll be putting in place for them, after we handle the upfront stuff first. We emphasize that with this one particular service we will ONLY work with 1 chiro. Not only is this good for the chiro, it's good for us also because it creates urgency and scarcity. After all, once a chiro has gone under contract with us for this service, this service is no longer available to the others.

      Anyway, this is our practice and how we handle it.

      Bradley
      Signature
      ~ 25 Exciting Years of Marketing To Local Businesses ~
      << Learn NEVER BEFORE REVEALED strategies: MarketingToLocalBusinesses.com>>
      << Biggest Lead Generation Mistakes That Are COSTING YOU DEARLY!>>
      Agency Management Systems
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4703470].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author fasteasysuccess
    Exactly Bradley. That's how I do it, one niche or field per area for seo. However I offer my other services to others in field or area, but by offering one exclusive offer for seo, it creates the urgency and scarcity to take me up on my offer.

    If you want to attack the same niches and same area, then like spoke about above, you can optimize the specialty of that person versus general niche. This not only will allow you to show your being fair to others, it also shows you care about them achieving best possible results.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4703512].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author TopLevelGeek
      Thank you Bradley,
      I figured the policy has to be something like this, but it begs the question, how much do you charge for this service? I imagine exclusivity comes with quite the monthly price tag?
      Signature
      Tyler Horn, LCSW
      I am a child and family therapist, and internet marketer who specializes in small targeted internet presences for people in the helping professions. If your mission is to enhance the lives of the people around you PM me
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4703613].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    so do you guys keep your SEO generic? Not every chiro is going to have the same keyphrases, theyre going to have different specialities, different target markets, different 'most profitable/best selling service/product' , they can be in or focus on different areas of the town/ city .

    There are plenty of options to have more than one SEO client in a location, morals and ethics neednt come into it, laser focused specifically targetted marketing is what would come into it
    Signature

    Mike

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4706402].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TopLevelGeek
    Agreed, but for their money, the client wants the most return, meaning they want to rank for the phrases that will deliver the most uniques in their target market. I don't think the client cares if the search term was "phoenix area chiropractor" or " "chiropractor for slipped disc in phoenix." -- both will get client's in the door, but ranking for the first is a whole lot more lucrative `
    Signature
    Tyler Horn, LCSW
    I am a child and family therapist, and internet marketer who specializes in small targeted internet presences for people in the helping professions. If your mission is to enhance the lives of the people around you PM me
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4707506].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    ahh but is it more lucrative?

    It may have more searches , however...

    ....... people searching for the term "Phoenix area chiropractor" may not have a need to use them right now and may just be checking on the whereabouts and general availability, maybe a longer term prospect to keep warm but may never become a fee paying client.

    Whereas someone searching for "chiropractor for slipped disc in phoenix" is far more likely to be in some serious discomfort and will happily pay, maybe even over the odds, for a quick relatively painless solution, = instant paying client and if treatment is successful also an instant referee for said business
    Signature

    Mike

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4707595].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author RobBritt
    I would have to duck out of four of those clients. Unless they were catering to totally different crowds. Sports Chiro vs. Geriatric Chiro, not a whole lot of overlap there.. when I've done seo work, I've tried to have one of a particular client in each county, so there wouldn't be the competition between my own folks...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4708257].message }}

Trending Topics