A new customer walks in and asks for your services. One of the services you have is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). However, the customer has no idea what that is and under these circumstances, doesn’t want to pay for any such service. Truth is that SEO is quite a complex domain, and it’s not an easy task to explain it all to someone who doesn’t know anything about it. Here are some tips for explaining the basics to the customers:
1.Explain the basics.
Try to assess how much your client knows about the Internet and what he is familiar with. Then, determine the learning style of your customer. Many people are visual learners, for example. Using terms that are familiar for him, explain what SEO stands for and why do people use it. Don’t go into too many details and use their own website as an example.
2.Break down the concept.
It would be easier if you would break the concept down into two parts: authority and optimization. Explain each of the terms separately and then bring all the information together. In this way, the client will process everything much easier and it will be helpful for him to put together all the puzzle pieces.
3.Use the library metaphor.
One of the easiest metaphor to use when explaining SEO is the library one. Start off by comparing the way in which SEO works to the organization of a library. Use their website as an example, show them exactly what you are talking about on the page, so that they can make connections. You can even compare the website to a book, since it has pages. Choose a topic for the book that is related to the client’s website so that he would understand it easier. You can even show him that there are lots of specialized companies that take care of this domain, such as seo chicago companies.
4.The fishing metaphor.
You can ask if your customer is familiar with fishing, and you can use this as an example for the explanation. People are fishes and the content is the bait. Keywords represent the quality of the bait, which will attract few or lots of customers. The target audience can become a fish species, one that your client wants to “catch” in particular. Advertising can become the fishing spot, and it is in his interest to find the best.
5.Use your creativity.
These are just suggestions, but feel free to be creative and to come up with scenarios, illustrations, graphics, diagrams and anything that you believe to be helpful. Respect the client’s learning pace and answer all his questions, so that in the end he will completely understand what this means.
