3 Key Responsibilities of SEO Clients

Categorized in: SEO

For many businesses, especially of the small to medium sized variety, it makes the most sense to outsource SEO work to an SEO company, rather than hire in-house SEO specialists (too expensive) or assign the work to an already overstretched current employee (the work won’t get done). However, just because you’re outsourcing the work, it doesn’t mean that you can disappear from the process. SEO clients need to be involved throughout the duration of the campaign. Here are 3 key responsibilities of SEO clients:

Finding the best SEO company to work with

Right from the start, the work begins for an SEO client when they decide to look for a firm. An educated SEO client not only makes the best SEO client to work with, but will also make the best decision in hiring a firm. A prospective SEO client needs to spend some time doing research about the SEO industry first, in order to have a basic understanding of what they should be looking for. This Google guide to hiring an SEO professional is a great place to start. Yes, it will take some time but hiring an SEO firm isn’t a decision to make lightly. You’re placing a lot of power in their hands and you don’t want to hire a firm that’s going to negatively impact your online presence. Unfortunately, there still are some shady SEO firms out there. If you’re armed with SEO knowledge, you’ll be able to steer clear of them. Once you narrow down your selection, it also comes down to a comfort level. Is the firm easy to work with and do they provide good customer service? These are important considerations.

Being responsive to the SEO company

Once you find a good fit and hire an SEO company, don’t think that your end of the bargain is complete. Even though you’re outsourcing the work, you still need to take part in the process as it moves along. The SEO firm might be an expert at SEO, but they aren’t an expert in your industry. As they conduct keyword research, look for link building opportunities, and write new content, they are going to need your input and approvals along the way. They’ll be handling the bulk of the work, but you should still set time aside each week to respond to SEO related emails and check in on items that need to be approved. A trustworthy SEO firm isn’t going to make any website changes or publish any new content without your approval. And if things end up sitting in limbo, the campaign can’t do its job.

Staying organized

Be sure to keep track of everything the SEO firm sends your way, including reports and log in information. Client/SEO firm relationships evolve over time and sometimes they part ways. You always want to have this information on hand for future endeavors.

As an SEO client, you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by the work that you need to put in. After all, it’s time well spent to ensure that an SEO campaign is as successful as it can be. As you become more comfortable with your SEO firm and they become more knowledgeable about your industry, the work should begin to scale back.