When do you tell a client SEO isn't the right channel for them?

[sharifawan]

Had one a while back who needed customers in three weeks, not three months. I told them the honest timeline, they still wanted to sign, and I said no anyway. Paid ads would've done more for them that quarter than anything I could build.

Not every business is a good fit for this, and it took me longer than it should have to actually say that to a client, rather than just taking the money.

When do you know it's not the right fit, and do you actually tell them?

 

[fraduka]

Well if a client expects result in 3 weeks then he/she should be paying you minimum 5 digits per month for a small site to get clients. I would just be honest if not it will lead to complications in the end.

 

[RyanCrawls]

Yeah, seo is a long time game. If someone needs leads next month and expects SEO to do that, I rather be upfront than promise something unrealistic just to close the deal.

 

[SEO Sparton]

Yes, I do agree. If the client requires immediate results, SEO might not be the best option. Instead, I would prefer to be upfront regarding the time frame and recommend paid media whenever needed.

 

[Jakha]

timeline expectations are among the most important factors in case the client expects quick results and cannot afford to wait for the effects of seo to be accumulated i would advise the client about an alternative refusal will spare time and resources for both parties

 

[Street Fighter]

I usually say no when the client's timeline, budget or expectations don't match what seo can realistically deliver, if they need immediate results, paid ads or another channel may be a better fit, being hones upfront saves both sides time & avoids unrealistic expectations

 

[sharifawan]

Well if a client expects result in 3 weeks then he/she should be paying you minimum 5 digits per month for a small site to get clients. I would just be honest if not it will lead to complications in the end.

The money angle is one I hadn't thought about that way. Might be that some of these are budget problems wearing a timeline costume.

I usually say no when the client's timeline, budget or expectations don't match what seo can realistically deliver, if they need immediate results, paid ads or another channel may be a better fit, being hones upfront saves both sides time & avoids unrealistic expectations

Same, you put budget next to timeline, and I skipped past that in my post. The timeline one is easy to catch. Budget's harder because they can usually afford something, just not enough to get anywhere, and that one's easier to talk yourself into taking.

The ones I got wrong were mostly the second kind.

 

[Street Fighter]

Same, you put budget next to timeline, and I skipped past that in my post. The timeline one is easy to catch. Budget's harder because they can usually afford something, just not enough to get anywhere, and that one's easier to talk yourself into taking.

The ones I got wrong were mostly the second kind.

Yes that's the tougher one, if the budget is too limited to give seo a realistic chance, taking the project can create more frustration than results, I had rather set that expectation upfront or suggest a more suitable approach

 

[Surbiya]

Had one a while back who needed customers in three weeks, not three months. I told them the honest timeline, they still wanted to sign, and I said no anyway. Paid ads would've done more for them that quarter than anything I could build.

Not every business is a good fit for this, and it took me longer than it should have to actually say that to a client, rather than just taking the money.

When do you know it's not the right fit, and do you actually tell them?

but budget mismatch is normaly difficult to recognize since the client will always think that he or she is making the right investment . It took me some time before I noticed that there were certain project which should not be accepted.

 

[Nikolaos]

Had one a while back who needed customers in three weeks, not three months. I told them the honest timeline, they still wanted to sign, and I said no anyway. Paid ads would've done more for them that quarter than anything I could build.

Not every business is a good fit for this, and it took me longer than it should have to actually say that to a client, rather than just taking the money.

When do you know it's not the right fit, and do you actually tell them?

I always am honest to my clients. If they don't like it, then they go somewhere else. Also if one job is impossible in the time frame that they want my business to do it I also tell them straight and forward and I even suggest them to go to my competition.

 

[sharifawan]

but budget mismatch is normaly difficult to recognize since the client will always think that he or she is making the right investment . It took me some time before I noticed that there were certain project which should not be accepted.

That's what makes budget hard to call. Nobody walks in thinking their budget is too small. They think it's sensible. And they're not wrong about the number, they're wrong about what it buys.