What To Do If Your The SEO Client Nobody Wants

Phoenix · #1 03-15-2006, 03:17 PM

Wrote an article today on some reasons why SEO companies may not accept a particular client. After dealing with several that just wouldn't quit I wrote a letter to the client. It was more a fun deal, but turned into a real article with advice for them.

Wanted to post in here to see if anyone has stories or experience working with not accepting a client, troubles getting an seo company to work with them, etc..

Link to article.

rustybrick · #2 03-15-2006, 03:51 PM

Had to be said, great detailed write up Ben.

randfish · #3 03-16-2006, 02:37 AM

Ben - I know exactly who you're talking about (at least one of the two recent ones). Have to feel sorry for the guy, but at the same time recognize that our businesses simply can't take him on as a client and be sucessful.

I laughed real hard at your article, though - brilliant stuff. If everyone and their dog hadn't already linked to it, I would have. Everyone in the office was staring at me for busting up while reading the story.

Gilad · #4 03-16-2006, 03:52 AM

Very good article Ben, both funny and sad.

From my point of view there are 2 points in the article that I'd like to comment about:

1.

Quote:

we are very helpful people, almost too much sometimes.

So stop, why don't post a "bad bad client black-list" so when they call you could see they actually got already 5000$ worth of consulting from industry leaders and politely say - "Sorry, I'm not really available right now"

2.

Quote:

5. Re-adjust your budget. You don't need the $10,000 min that most SEO's require, but you do need a least a moderate budget to start such as ($2000-$5000). This figure could be per month too.

agreed - 10,000$ minimum may work for some but not for all but the point is that when there is so much free advice it just gets under estimated. I believe most of the clients know how to appreciate a job they paid for it, low prices and free lunches hurt us all...

Moreover - some of the clients refer to SEO as "free advertising" because they don't have to pay the SE. Budget definition is a good and common way for clients to purchase advertising, as well as understanding what (the h$#@) we're doing:

1. on site optimisation as technical work or consulting
2. off-site/link building as media and content tasks
3. overall management, creative, consulting, development, analysis (someone got to do it) ...
4. goto 3

someone got to pay for that... and a clear budget should be specified in order to cope with expectations.

gabs · #5 03-16-2006, 10:32 AM

This guy/company took the p**s by the sound of things..

All my experiences of “don't want clients" have not been to bad as the quotes have been on the grand scale...

A good example was the other day, one of the biggest CMS companies in the UK which somehow thought it would cost £500 one time fee to be #1 for "content management"..

Lucky for us the "potential client" got the picture pretty quick and did not draw out to much "free advice" which I think all of us in this and other areas hate when it abused..

rustybrick · #6 03-16-2006, 11:58 AM

You know what would be funny.

If Ben and the "chain" got more phone calls from "pseudo clients" because of this article. i.e. the article becomes so popular that SEO prospects want to call Ben and the "chain" for advice.

gabs · #7 03-16-2006, 12:01 PM

"Free advice"

randfish · #8 03-16-2006, 07:29 PM

Luckily, Barry - I think it's only popular in the "inner circle" of SEO. I'd hate to have to deal with many more callers like that guy - he was very talented at keeping me on the phone, feeding him free advice. Partly my own weakness to helping people, but also a truly skilled individual in that respect.

Phoenix · #9 03-16-2006, 11:07 PM

Quote:

If Ben and the "chain" got more phone calls from "pseudo clients" because of this article. i.e. the article becomes so popular that SEO prospects want to call Ben and the "chain" for advice.

Too funny Barry. Please no!! Don't call, email me and let my spam filter get it.

Quote:

Ben - I know exactly who you're talking about (at least one of the two recent ones). Have to feel sorry for the guy, but at the same time recognize that our businesses simply can't take him on as a client and be sucessful.

Rand, glad you liked it. The article was a lot of fun actually. I was sitting in my office, thinking of all of us talking to this same guy, while making faces on the phone of pain and trying to come up ideas why we had to get off or couldn't accept him as a client. I could see Jim in his office shouting "you need links!!! Links damnit! Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth". LOL... I don't totally feel sorry for the guy, I know his ambition was strong and geniune to succeed, but at the same time I think he was over his head with much of that stuff. Plus I disliked the content was my main reason for turning it down.

Man, I have had to deal with so many clients like this over the years, its makes me dizzy. Had some really needy ones too. One guy that would call me every week for 6 months! He had no money, but I felt like i could help him. I did for free, and thats what kept him coming back for more. Tough lesson. I do respect all the people I talk to though, and encourage people to call. I will just point them to my new article before going much farther.