SEO Advise

[monaghan]

I need help with advise for a client who wants to buy a service (not from me though), I understand the basics of SEO, but have not put much time and effort into it, so a theoretical scenario...

I run SEO Company XYZ, I specialise in SEO for Widget ABC sellers.

My clients are all local businesses selling ABC Widgets.

Client A is in Town A
Client B is in Town B not geographically near Town A

I can use my PBN, spun articles and other techniques to promote both Client A & B as there's no overlap

Client C comes along also in Town B, how can I get Client C on an equal footing to Client B?

Factor the numbers up a little and I have clients in many towns and therefore have a huge potential overlap in clients and towns, many clients would of course want to target their local town and the nearby towns which also are served by some of my other clients.

Is there any way I can equally promote ALL my extended client base or am I simply asking the impossible or making money unethically by overlapping so much?

 

[accelerator]

Why are you worried about this? Surely you just have to do your best for every client? If the client isn't satisfied, they may walk, just do your best for each one.

 

[Edwin]

If my entire client base was people selling ABC Widgets then I'd try and secure ABCWidgets.com or .co.uk and build a directory site, as comprehensive and as useful as possible, and grow that, then use that to provide as many links as need be to get different clients to rank.

It's a long-term strategy not a quick fix, but it cements your expertise as THE ABC Widgets guy.

 

[spiderspider]

Personally, I wouldn't want to use a service, unless I was unique to them.

Say I'm a Plumber, and my town is townville.
If I pay for SEO, and find out that the SEO company is also promoting bobs plumbing who is a direct competitor of mine, and lives just on the other side of town, I'd tell the SEO company to either drop him, or sling their hook.

Look at it this way, you get in their first, as a general plumber. SEO company do all the research and keywords and articles etc for you, in your town, and charge you for it. Then, along comes Bob the plumber, from 2 streets away. SEO company rubs hands together, charges him the same, but uses all the same keywords and articles etc.

Unethical IMHO.

 

[Adam H]

Depends on what value these services are that are being offered, if its a good figure monthly contract that you value then id void any direct crossovers. Providing the same service to two companies looking to achieve the same thing is shady imo. As a service provider there has to be some form of ethical exclusiveness, unless your an agency that can afford to lose decent clients.

At decent monthly values I think its more important to have a moral compass and have a good relationship with a client.

If you need to even consider taking on a client targeting the exact same positions then your not charging enough to offer that exclusive right to each client in my opinion.

That would almost be like promoting a client site, seeing what they are earning and thinking "coor , ill have me some of that" and then competing against them with all their analyitcs and split testing info to roll with.

 

[monaghan]

Thanks guys, that more or less confirms what I was thinking and the feedback I gave my guy.

 

[martin-s]

IMHO, you can't ethically sell SEO and PPC management services for the same industry and town to more than one business.

There is an immediate conflict of interest.

 

[zehrila]

Conflict of interest, but if you feel morally okay go ahead, however, be transparent to your clients, do tell client C that you are already catering for client B in your niche.

 

[monaghan]

IMHO, you can't ethically sell SEO and PPC management services for the same industry and town to more than one business.

There is an immediate conflict of interest.

Agreed, mentioned this to my customer, not sure what they are going to do