good information for leads

Most of the business owners I come across understand that 'being on the first page' is better than not being there.

But that doesn't mean they understand SEO. Once you start talking about keywords, search volume, linking, and optimization... you'll start to lose most people. Their eyes glaze over and you can literally feel them pulling away from the conversation. It's complicated, and people won't buy what they can't understand. Again, this is for the less-savvy business owners - not those who are specifically looking for SEO work.

I've had good success selling SEO without ever mentioning SEO.

I talk about optimizing for cities and locations instead of keywords.

I talk about building a network of referring sites instead of building links.

I talk about getting more people to the site instead of getting a higher search engine ranking. I also talk about tracking the success of the website through a tracking phone number and online contact form.

Sometimes I'll mention keyword volume... but keyword volume should not be your main selling point. It should complement and validate the work you're doing (ie. prove there's a market out there) but it should not be the focus of what you're offering. Once you start getting into specific numbers you're running down a slippery slope of guaranteeing things you reasonably can't and putting expectations in the business owners head that can't reasonably be met.

Numbers and statistics won't make the sale for you. You have to get the prospect to see that your solution (ie. more exposure for their website) will lead to their desired outcome (ie. more leads). To do this you'll need to explain the process... but not in a way that will confuse the prospect. Use language they are familiar with and can understand.

It also helps if you have other successes you can point to.