It's hard to find a client who wouldn't want their website's SEO service to be at a professional level. When the internet provides access to basic SEO information, along with (somewhat better than others) tips on how to implement it yourself, a specialist must offer something more. So what is this unique PRO element that makes it worth entrusting your website to experts and paying for this service? What does professional SEO mean in practice?
Professional website positioning operates on several levels. It's not a concept rigidly assigned to SEO agencies or freelancers. In reality, regardless of the collaboration model you choose, you'll either get the right one or the wrong one. What does "get the right one" mean in this context? What distinguishes professional website positioning?
First of all… experience and professional website positioning!
An experienced SEO specialist has seen many websites. As a result, it's easier for them to spot errors, assess their impact and significance for SEO effectiveness, and develop a strategy. This isn't about misunderstood routine and using a single, established template when creating an SEO strategy , which doesn't take into account the specifics of a given website, individual arrangements with the client, their expectations, limitations related to website modification, etc. Experience here involves knowledge of the specifics of various CMSs and e-commerce engines, their strengths and weaknesses, and limitations in modification and optimization. This experience, resulting from working with numerous websites – "years of practice" – increases the likelihood of a professional and mutually satisfying collaboration.
Secondly… the ability to say no
A professional SEO specialist isn't afraid to say "no." Information from clients regarding their expectations, experiences with Google SEO services, and key elements of the offer is crucial and will be useful to the SEO specialist. Good communication increases the likelihood of client satisfaction. However, what should you do if the client's idea or expectations regarding the service are unrealistic, impossible to implement, exceed the budget, or are (even potentially) detrimental to the website? A professional won't be afraid to inform the client. Apparent agreement in such troublesome areas is usually a harbinger of future problems, which will be much more difficult to resolve in the future. It's also worth remembering that the best agencies and freelancers aren't on a drip and won't simply tackle topics that are hopeless for various reasons just to squeeze as much money as possible out of them without achieving results.
(The rest of the article can be found below the form)
Thirdly… realism in action and assessment
This point is indirectly related to the characteristics of an SEO professional presented in the previous sections. By knowing the client's expectations, budget, and potential willingness to increase it from the outset, they can propose actions and solutions that take these elements into account and will also produce a satisfactory result. The reaction of a client who is told from the outset that achieving their desired goal will take an estimated minimum of six months, based on specific assumptions (this can include information on the pace of approval of changes or content development on the website), is different from that resulting from overly optimistic messages like "you'll be satisfied after just one month."
Fourthly… cooperates with other people involved in the project
It's not uncommon for an SEO specialist to demonstrate excellent communication and collaboration skills with individuals who aren't necessarily familiar with the specifics of the SEO services they provide. In short, they don't speak SEO. Common situations in which such contact occurs include implementing programming changes to a website, providing recommendations on how to prepare a new website for SEO, creating valuable content to support the SEO process, and so on. Depending on the situation, an SEO specialist must be able to convey their message to programmers, new website creators, a member of the marketing department, or the "boss of all bosses" at the client's company. The real art in such situations is finding common ground, communicating their point of view eloquently, and persuading others.
Fifthly… he is not afraid of a conscious and educated customer
SEO knowledge and awareness of how it works – a growing trend is visible in this area. We make no secret of the fact that at Verseo, we are contributing to this trend, which deserves the most positive evaluation. Our 40 SEO lessons, guides, and blog posts are the Verseo Team's contribution to SEO – a torch of education. We know that this resonates with our clients and familiarizes them with the specifics of Google SEO services. Of course, SEO services are not the same as SEO courses, but our experience shows that a client with even a basic understanding, equipped with actual knowledge rather than a collection of SEO myths, is a valuable resource for a specialist dedicated to achieving high website rankings. Professional website SEO also means ensuring the client's knowledge.
Sixthly… it takes a holistic look at the website promotion process
Google positioning is often one piece of the larger puzzle of promoting a website online. It's relatively rare for a website to be promoted in just one way. Therefore, it's worth discussing with your client their promotional ideas in more detail, what they use, and what results they're getting. For example, if we're proposing a category redesign for an online store, it's worth considering how the Google Ads campaign is run . The proposed 404 page should address not only SEO issues but also serve as an incentive to stay within the website and search for something else from the current and available offerings.
Seventh… it solves problems instead of multiplying them
Let's be honest: perfect websites don't exist for SEO. The vast majority of websites we later need to rank in Google require SEO-specific adjustments and changes from the start – minor or major, depending on the specific situation. The bottom line is simple: websites aren't created solely for the highest possible Google rankings, but rather for presenting their offerings, increasing customer numbers, and so on. These goals sometimes conflict, so it's important to find a compromise that all parties agree on. A client who likes their one-page website may find it easier to accept the suggestion of placing new subpages in a menu at the bottom of the page. A similar situation arises when dealing with a website devoid of category descriptions, as the client primarily wants to highlight products within that category and won't accept the idea of placing a content block at the top of the page. While this is the preferred place for content publishing for SEO specialists, given the client's refusal to accept this location or a compromise placement at the bottom of the page, the choice becomes simple. Similarly, the "read more" button may not excite SEO specialists, but it's a better solution than completely abandoning content. The SEO specialist's role is sometimes to propose a compromise if the best option can't be implemented due to a lack of acceptance. Of course, there are situations where it's impossible to find an SEO-friendly solution that reconciles both perspectives. It's worth informing the client about this dead end. After all, they're not SEO experts and don't need to know the consequences of their decisions on the success of the Google SEO process . Perhaps a simple and honest explanation will convince them to change their mind.
Eighth… he does not give in to pressure
If you're looking for a method to promote your website that will deliver immediate results and count on SEO to deliver them, you might be disappointed. Of course, there are cases where meta tag optimization alone was enough to achieve a top 10 ranking. However, such rapid ascents are rare. When this path begins to drag on and test the client's endurance, using the evergreen slogan "add more links," it can be tempting to follow this path to keep the client happy, or at least to gain some temporary peace of mind. But is this the best solution? Everyone should answer this question for themselves.
The SEO specialist (or team of specialists) is responsible for the strategy and plans activities based on its likely outcomes. It's not unusual for the strategy to change during the contract period, resulting in intensified efforts for selected keywords—for example, those not yet in the top 10. This approach makes sense, unlike changes implemented for the sake of peace and quiet. Patience pays off— website SEO is the most cost-effective long-term method for acquiring new customers.
Ninth… he ends his collaboration with the class
Not every SEO contract is renewed – that's a fact. There can be many reasons behind such a decision . However, it's worth ensuring that the client doesn't feel bad after the breakup. Having your website de-indexed from search results, damaging it, placing links to other sites, exposing it to a manual penalty from Google… there are plenty of potential low-hanging fruit in the SEO world.
It also happens that a client, unfamiliar with the specifics of SEO, expects certain activities to continue after the contract ends, and their failure to do so infuriates them. An example is the links acquired for them by the SEO specialist during the contract period. Sometimes, the client believes they will remain with him permanently. To avoid such unpleasant situations, it's worth determining from the outset what will happen to the optimization, content added to the website, and acquired links—whether they will be removed or remain as a permanent consequence of the SEO contract for a given website. Clear agreements in this regard will help avoid unpleasant situations and negative reviews from a disgruntled or simply angry client. Professional website SEO is therefore also about the art of saying goodbye.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- why experience in SEO activities is so important,
- how does an SEO specialist evaluate the client's ideas in terms of feasibility of implementation, profitability and security of activities for the website,
- planning SEO activities based on the client's goals,
- the ability to find a common language with people with different competences,
- how the client's basic knowledge facilitates implementation and supports the positioning process,
- analysis of the client's promotional activities and their effects,
- finding compromises between positioning requirements and business goals and website appearance,
- avoiding hasty decisions under client pressure,
- clear agreements at the beginning of the cooperation regarding what happens after its completion with optimization, content and acquired links.
