Advice needed! a Clever Counter Proposal on Reverse SEO for my future client

[BlackArcher]

Hi Everyone,

I need your advice on setting up a clever counter proposal on the following case.

Scenario:
A company approached me to do a Reverse SEO to kick a blogspot site out of Top 10 of G.
The blogpot site is sitting on 2nd place in G.

This blogspot site is spreading malicious rumours about the company being a scam.
Naturally the company wants it out of Top 10.
(I'm not dwelling into who's wrong or right)

The keyword - only 1 - is the company's name - 5 stars (very easy in Traffic Travis) and no authority sites in the Top 10 listing.

I'm proposing a package of $3,000 to ensure the blogspot site gets kick out of Top 10 and ensure no new sites with bad press will show up.
The package includes getting 15-20 new websites/blogs/web 2.0 sites with good quality content + tonnes of backlinks to push the blogspot site out of Top 10, for a period of 12 months.
They will see results in 8-12 weeks of the blogspot site being kick out of Top 10.

The client came back to me with the following offer:
1) they will confirm the deal if I can lower the fee to $2,000
2) How much refund, if in case the blogspot site got up to the Top 10 during the 12 months of the Reverse SEO campaign.

Issue:
I do not want to lower my fee just as the client pleased because it will potrayed that:
1) I'm desperate for sales more than they want to protect their reputation
2) I overcharge
3) My service has no professional value as any client can just squeeze my fee to any amount

Problem:
Whether it is $2,000 or $3,000, my work will be the same - 15-20 websites, content, backlinks, the works, etc
But the profit margin is affected that much!!

Suggestion needed:

Suggestion #1 - Counter proposal of the 2 packages
a) $2,000
- it takes longer to see results - 16 weeks or more instead of 8 weeks (i'm taking my own sweet time)
- no guarantee of other new sites with bad press; we only focus solely on that blogspot site.
- no refund? (i'm still not sure on this)

b) $3,000
- as my earlier proposal
- ensure no new or old sites with bad press appears on Top 10 (excluding news site like CNN, Wiki etc)
- refund of 10% and will get the bad press sites out in 1 month's time

Suggestion #2 - Your Constructive Suggestions Welcome.

Suggestion #3 - Your Constructive Suggestions Welcome.

Many Thanks!

P.S. Let me know also if I should post this in a more appropriate sub-forum?

 

[Longover]

I wonder if reporting it to Google would do much.

If the content doesn't get the site, you might be able
to research his backlinks and see if he's done anything
that Google frowns upon.

A dick move, but it would be easy money.

PS:
I think that this has been posted here before.

I remember hearing a guy complaining
on here about a blogspot guy posting negative
reviews about his business and out ranking him.

 

[GooglesMostWanted]

Hi Everyone,

I need your advice on setting up a clever counter proposal on the following case.

Scenario:
A company approached me to do a Reverse SEO to kick a blogspot site out of Top 10 of G.
The blogpot site is sitting on 2nd place in G.

This blogspot site is spreading malicious rumours about the company being a scam.
Naturally the company wants it out of Top 10.
(I'm not dwelling into who's wrong or right)

The keyword - only 1 - is the company's name - 5 stars (very easy in Traffic Travis) and no authority sites in the Top 10 listing.

I'm proposing a package of $3,000 to ensure the blogspot site gets kick out of Top 10 and ensure no new sites with bad press will show up.
The package includes getting 15-20 new websites/blogs/web 2.0 sites with good quality content + tonnes of backlinks to push the blogspot site out of Top 10, for a period of 12 months.
They will see results in 8-12 weeks of the blogspot site being kick out of Top 10.

The client came back to me with the following offer:
1) they will confirm the deal if I can lower the fee to $2,000
2) How much refund, if in case the blogspot site got up to the Top 10 during the 12 months of the Reverse SEO campaign.

Issue:
I do not want to lower my fee just as the client pleased because it will potrayed that:
1) I'm desperate for sales more than they want to protect their reputation
2) I overcharge
3) My service has no professional value as any client can just squeeze my fee to any amount

Problem:
Whether it is $2,000 or $3,000, my work will be the same - 15-20 websites, content, backlinks, the works, etc
But the profit margin is affected that much!!

Suggestion needed:

Suggestion #1 - Counter proposal of the 2 packages
a) $2,000
- it takes longer to see results - 16 weeks or more instead of 8 weeks (i'm taking my own sweet time)
- no guarantee of other new sites with bad press; we only focus solely on that blogspot site.
- no refund? (i'm still not sure on this)

b) $3,000
- as my earlier proposal
- ensure no new or old sites with bad press appears on Top 10 (excluding news site like CNN, Wiki etc)
- refund of 10% and will get the bad press sites out in 1 month's time

Suggestion #2 - Your Constructive Suggestions Welcome.

Suggestion #3 - Your Constructive Suggestions Welcome.

Many Thanks!

P.S. Let me know also if I should post this in a more appropriate sub-forum?

Here's my suggestion to you.

You squeeze him, don't let him squeeze you.

He's the one with the problem. You have the solution. Stick firm with your price and if anything give him extras on the side.

Remember, he needs you more than you need him.

 

[BlackArcher]

I wonder if reporting it to Google would do much.

If the content doesn't get the site, you might be able
to research his backlinks and see if he's done anything
that Google frowns upon.

A dick move, but it would be easy money.

PS:
I think that this has been posted here before.

I remember hearing a guy complaining
on here about a blogspot guy posting negative
reviews about his business and out ranking him.

Thanks for your input. I checked the blospot backlinks and they look alright.

How do I propose in my counter proposal to make it worth my while?

 

[BlackArcher]

Here's my suggestion to you.

You squeeze him, don't let him squeeze you.

He's the one with the problem. You have the solution. Stick firm with your price and if anything give him extras on the side.

Remember, he needs you more than you need him.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Do you think Suggestion #1 is a good enough counter proposal?

How do I show that Big Service Gap of what I'm proposing ($3K) with what they are asking for ($2K)? For example for $3K you get all of this, $2K you don't get this or this or this...

Have to think in terms of the client's ROI or something similar...Hmmm...

 

[GooglesMostWanted]

Thanks for the encouragement!

Do you think Suggestion #1 is a good enough counter proposal?

How do I show that Big Service Gap of what I'm proposing ($3K) with what they are asking for ($2K)? For example for $3K you get all of this, $2K you don't get this or this or this...

Have to think in terms of the client's ROI or something similar...Hmmm...

I would stick to my guns. This is my price because that's how much work It's going to take. If they are trying to low ball them let them know that what they are asking to do is pretty hard. I have done SEO reputation management for myself ( Don't ask... sometimes you can get pretty wild with a keyboard ) and I know how vulnerable the person can become when negative stuff is being said about the company/person.

Go with Suggestion #1 B.

If you don't want to stick to your price, tell him $2k is fine but do less work.

Tell him that you will only guarantee rankings for 8 months instead of 12.

Give him the same price and show him all the work you will be doing. On top of that add a few perks here and there.

 

[BlackArcher]

I would stick to my guns. This is my price because that's how much work It's going to take. If they are trying to low ball them let them know that what they are asking to do is pretty hard. I have done SEO reputation management for myself ( Don't ask... sometimes you can get pretty wild with a keyboard ) and I know how vulnerable the person can become when negative stuff is being said about the company/person.

Go with Suggestion #1 B.

If you don't want to stick to your price, tell him $2k is fine but do less work.

Tell him that you will only guarantee rankings for 8 months instead of 12.

Give him the same price and show him all the work you will be doing. On top of that add a few perks here and there.

Thanks again for your input. Great Stuff!!

I can give a slight discount but not that much.

They already knew about my portfolio. I showed them in my initial proposal.

I like the 8 months out of 12 months clause - "You pay less so you get less"

Initially i was worried about with all the SEO effort put in, the 15-20 sites will ranked well even without any SEO work afterwards, so even after the 8th month, the sites will still be ranking well.

So they get free ranking without having to pay me afterward Not good.

Then I got an idea - all the 15-20 sites shall belong to me. No negotiation on this.
After the 8th month if they do not renew the contract, I'll remove the keywords and the related articles from my 15-20 sites so that the next month when G cache the 15-20 sites, they are no longer ranked for the company's keyword. Therefore the bad press site might just come up again.
Hope this works.

 

[GooglesMostWanted]

Thanks again for your input. Great Stuff!!

I can give a slight discount but not that much.

They already knew about my portfolio. I showed them in my initial proposal.

I like the 8 months out of 12 months clause - "You pay less so you get less"

Initially i was worried about with all the SEO effort put in, the 15-20 sites will ranked well even without any SEO work afterwards, so even after the 8th month, the sites will still be ranking well.

So they get free ranking without having to pay me afterward Not good.

Then I got an idea - all the 15-20 sites shall belong to me. No negotiation on this.
After the 8th month if they do not renew the contract, I'll remove the keywords and the related articles from my 15-20 sites so that the next month when G cache the 15-20 sites, they are no longer ranked for the company's keyword. Therefore the bad press site might just come up again.
Hope this works.

It will. Like I said, you are in control when it comes to SEO reputation management.

 

[TheTRUTH]

Lets be real....If its a low competition keyword(such as a very specific company name) the effort required wont be too much at all..IMO you are doing very good to even get $2k.

Lets assume you want to take over all 9 spots(using 9 web 2.0 sites)
9 unique articles x $10(this is exagerated, most offer articls for much cheaper)
xRumer blast or manual high pr links($200--which assume you are order the very top service.

Take the $2k and call it a day.

 

[socialmediaking]

sometimes it's not so easy, but it's still easier than getting a tough keyword to rank. I've charged 5k for one of these jobs before.

 

[pr250]

Im sure this has already been dealt with now, but if the blog isnt dedicated to the clients business, and is a general non personal blog, a few hundred dollars buying out the blog would be well worth it.

 

[albaniax]

I have an exact same client Reverse SEO
Want's to push the bad articles out.

Will tell you my negotiation with them, still discussing.

 

[viroid]

Well, at least you learned something, right? In the future, for similar projects, ask for $4,000 and then let them low ball you to $3,000.

 

[ahiddenman]

Yeah i agree. If they are so desperate to do this try and push them for as much as possible.

So it will fill your pocket for a while