Your company has just acquired a new client who intends to let you build their website. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the most important services offered, but the new customer completely ignores what it is. There are several ways to explain the topic: this article will show you how.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Explain the Essentials
Step 1. Find out what your customer knows about the Internet
Before starting to talk about SEO, it is good to evaluate his skills regarding the Internet. Having an idea will allow you to establish the tactics to use to more easily reach the goal. We must avoid confusing it with abstruse terms or offending it with overly trivial explanations. Eg:
- Consider similarities and comparisons if you are unfamiliar with the Internet, websites, search engines, blogs, links, and so on. Words like "search results" and "links" could really make him lose his train of thought.
- The customer, on the other hand, could understand a little about the Internet and already have an idea of how searching through networks works. In this case, expressions such as the previous ones will probably be understandable and you will be able to explain the arguments more directly and with fewer analogies and comparisons.
- Finally, a simple definition could be all that is needed to make him understand SEO if he has a thorough understanding of the Internet and how it works.
Step 2. Try to determine the method by which the customer learns most easily
Everyone has their own way of learning, and you may need to employ different techniques to make yourself understood. The three main learning styles are verbal, visual and practical. You may need to use a combination of these to explain SEO to your client.
- Some learn new concepts more easily through verbal discussion, whether over the phone or in person. If the customer has this attitude, consider organizing a meeting with him to talk about the topic.
- Others learn best through visual input. This may require simple solutions, an email with the definition of SEO for example, or complex solutions, including providing graphs and diagrams.
- Still others learn through practical demonstration of concepts. Consider the use of drawings, in this case, and indicate the different elements as you explain. You could also show these types of customers how SEO practically works using a computer.
Step 3. Analyze the concepts of which SEO is the acronym
If these are entirely new to the customer, they may have never heard of them before and may not know what they mean. In this case you will simply have to say: "SEO stands for search engine optimization".
Step 4. Explain what SEO does in simple sentences
The customer may not understand the importance of "optimizing search engines" if you do not first clarify its function; this involves explaining to him what he does. For example, you could say that SEO:
- "help your site appear on the first pages of search results".
- "helps your site appear faster when someone searches …" (here you can list the terms that could be used to find your customer's business).
- "makes it easier to find your company or site".
Step 5. Familiarize yourself with the customer's website
Knowing your business and the contents of your company's website can come in handy when you need to use analogies, make comparisons or describe scenarios. For similarities, comparisons, or scenarios, consider some variant of the customer's name, website, or industry.
Method 2 of 5: Break SEO into Two Parts
Step 1. Break the SEO into two parts
One of the simplest ways to explain the topic is to group the concepts into two distinct themes: optimization and authority. This method includes several technical terms and is best suited for those who already have some knowledge of the Internet and how it works, however you can make it easier.
Step 2. Explain how "optimization" is related to SEO
The customer must be able to understand that optimization allows the most reliable search engines to read his site and evaluate it. You can try like this:
Optimization allows a search engine to read the content of your site. The search engine, therefore, will display it in the results when someone searches for the keywords it contains
Step 3. Explain "authority" and how this relates to SEO
The customer must also understand that having authority implies that the search engine rates their site better than others. For example, you might say:
The more authority your site has, the higher it will appear in search results. Having it at the top of others indicates that the search engine considers it better than others on a specific topic
Step 4. Now summarize
After you've split SEO into "optimization" and "authority", you should repeat what you said in a more concise form. Basically: "SEO does two things: it allows search engines to view your site when people search for it and causes them to rank before others in the results."
Method 3 of 5: Using the Library Analogy
Step 1. Use the library analogy
A great way to illustrate a certain concept is to use analogies. Library is one of the best known for explaining SEO. Most people know how a library works; children and adolescents often use them to obtain sources and information for school work and to write reports.
Step 2. Consider the customer and their site
Placing them in the library analogy could help him make useful links to understand. It also helps keep him busy.
Step 3. Assemble the customer site to a book
Compare the website to a book that deals with a common topic - better if it has some connection to the site. Try using a variation of the site name as the book title and a variation of the customer's name as the author. For instance:
- If the client's name is Aldo Bianchi and “Aldo's Windows Cleaning” is the name of his site, use Aldo Finestra's “Pulire le Finestre” as the title and author of the imaginary book. Cleaning the windows is something that concerns him and that will help keep him busy.
- As you describe the scenario, assimilate the contestants' sites to other books on the same theme in the library. Thus the site "Le Finestre di Lucia" could become a book entitled "Le Finestre Lucenti" by Lucia Meraviglia.
Step 4. Compare the search for a site to that for a book in the library
The site can be found by typing the URL directly into the address bar or by typing keywords in the appropriate box of a reliable search engine. Similarly, a book can be found by going directly to the library shelf or by typing keywords into the computer. For instance:
- Aldo Bianchi specializes in cleaning windows on multi-storey buildings. To find your site, you could go to a reputable search engine and type in words like "clean" and "multi-storey" and the city or neighborhood where you do business.
- “Pulire le Finestre” by Aldo Finestra has an entire chapter on cleaning windows in multi-storey buildings. You could find the book on a library computer by looking in the catalog for terms such as "window cleaning", "multistory" or "skyscrapers".
Step 5. Compare the site to a missing book
If this is not classified correctly in the library catalog, no one will be able to find it. Similarly, no one will be able to find a website if it doesn't contain the keywords that would likely be typed into a search engine in an attempt to search for it.
- A person who searches for "Pulire le Finestre" by Aldo Finestra will not find the book if it is not encoded in the library catalog.
- A person looking for someone to clean windows in a multi-storey house will not be able to find Aldo Bianchi's website if it does not contain keywords such as "cleaning" and "multi-storey".
Step 6. Compare the links to the reviews of a good book
A reason for choosing one book over another can be a good review. A book with a good review could also be displayed in the front section of the library titled "Good Reads" or "Top in Reviews". Likewise, the more websites that link to the customer's site, the more likely the search engine is to trust it, placing it at the top of the results. Understanding this is essential for your client. For instance:
- Aldo Finestra writes really well and his book has garnered excellent reviews. So good that the bookshop has placed it at the front of the room, on the shelf reserved for the books with the best reviews. It is located in the non-fiction section of the shelf.
- Aldo Bianchi needs to convince the search engine that his site is good to make it more visible (ie it is displayed on the first page of the search results). Having many links will cause the search engine to position the site at the top of the results, a bit like good reviews lead to placing a book in a more visible position.
Method 4 of 5: Using the Fishing Metaphor
Step 1. Consider explaining SEO with the fishing metaphor
Most people understand how fishing works even if they may never have practiced it, and this facilitates the use of this metaphor. Compare some aspects of EES to some of fishing.
Step 2. Compare the contents to the bait and the people to the fish
If the customer wants to attract a lot of people to the site, he needs a lot of content. Likewise, if a fisherman wants to catch a lot of fish, he needs a lot of bait. If he doesn't have a lot of bait, he won't catch a lot of fish. Contents include:
- Headings, paragraphs, descriptions of products or services, summarized - in practice, of the text.
- Images, photos, videos and any other multimedia content.
- Links and multiple pages.
Step 3. Compare the keywords to the quality of the bait
The better the content, the more visitors who will access the site. Similarly, the better the bait, the more fish a fisherman will be able to catch.
Step 4. Compare the recipients of the client's services to specific fish
When you go fishing, the type of fish to catch will determine where to fish and which bait to use. For example, a fisherman who wants to fish for tuna will not go to a river or lake, he will choose the ocean. Likewise, your customer needs to know where to find recipients for their services and advertise there. For instance:
If the customer is an auto repairer who specializes in classic cars, they won't gain much traffic with sites focused on beauty treatments for women. It would be better to advertise in a local newspaper or on sites that sell vintage cars
Step 5. Compare where to advertise for fishing spots
Experienced anglers know where to cast their line, and your client should know where to advertise their site. A fisherman cannot fish without physically being near the lake, river or ocean. Once there, he cannot catch a fish at the opposite end of the river or on the other side of the lake. Fishing rods have a limited range, and trying to increase this would tangle the line. Similarly, the customer should try to reach out to local customers. For instance:
Many people specialize in house painting. If the customer tries to reach out to a general audience, the site will get lost in a flood of other sites. Instead, he must try to offer himself to customers in his city or neighborhood
Step 6. Compare the audience the client wants to target with the fish a fisherman would like
One who wants tuna does not try to catch other fish. He only fishes tuna and has a specific fishing rod, large boat and suitable bait to catch many of them. Likewise, the customer needs to know his audience and create a site that is suitable for that type of audience. For instance:
If the site is aimed at teenagers, use more colors and images. In addition, the language to be used must be considered: short, cheerful and catchy sentences are more likely to attract the attention of a young person than long texts, with many digressions, full of complex and too descriptive sentences
Method 5 of 5: Using Scenarios, Illustrations, and Other Examples
Step 1. Use familiar arguments to make comparisons
A good way to convey new information is to compare it to something one is familiar with. Find out what the client is doing or their interests and compare them to SEO. For instance:
If the client is the manager of a lakeside hotel, relate SEO to the hotel industry. In this case you can compare the positive reviews with the good links (authority) and things the hotel has to offer, such as the sauna and a lake view, to the keywords and content of a site
Step 2. Consider using illustrations as you explain SEO
Some people learn more easily through visual teaching tools and may need some illustration (such as a graph or diagram) to help them understand things. For example, to explain the different aspects of SEO, you could draw them as circles on a piece of paper and add a label on each. Then, you can help yourself by pointing to the circles with your pen, pencil or finger as you talk about them.
You could also use a cartoon drawing where Person A asks Person B how SEO works and Person B provides the answers
Step 3. It is best to use practical examples
If you have a meeting with the client, open a search engine and type in any terms that could be used to find their site. For example, if the client is a city planner who specializes in exterior design, type the words "exterior design architect," followed by the name of the city. If your site doesn't appear on the front page while your competitor's appears, you may understand the importance of SEO.
Advice
- If the customer starts staring at you with a confused look, stop and try something else. Use another technique, allow him to ask questions, or suggest a 5-minute break.
- Give practical examples. Instead of giving the dictionary definition, show the client what SEO does through illustrations and analogies.
- Also take some data and numbers into consideration in your explanation. Shows how many visits a non-optimized and an SEO-optimized site receives.
- There is no need for a conference. It is important that you understand enough to realize the benefits of the service and agree to buy it. You don't need to really learn how to optimize your site, because that's your job.
Warnings
- Being able to successfully explain SEO to your client does not imply that he has to use it.
- You may need to try several methods before you find the one that works for him. If you try one and it doesn't work, don't get frustrated and don't give up. Try another one or try something completely different. If verbally explaining something didn't work, try giving him a written explanation. If that still can't be done, explain SEO using graphs, diagrams, and / or cartoons.
