Ethical SEO Consulting: Providing Clear & Transparent Data
When it comes to SEO consulting, I consider myself an evangelist of ethics. Because I believe that serving the best interests of your clients to the best of your abilities is what sets apart the hack SEO consultants from the great ones. The ones who will drive long-term sustained and massive success for their clients. Which should be every ethical SEO consultant’s main goal.
But considering that only about 30% of clients would recommend their current SEO provider to a friend or colleague, SEOs have a long way to go when it comes to driving true client satisfaction. The dissatisfaction is even worse when it comes to the broader marketing agency environment. According to MarketingWeek, just 8% of brands are very satisfied with their agency partners.
Communicating with clients transparently and honestly is one of the most important facets of being an ethical SEO consultant. And to drive client satisfaction. Clear communication is especially crucial when discussing things like strategies, timelines, and potential deliverables. But one of the most important areas where an ethical SEO consultant needs to be rigorously and ruthlessly transparent and honest is when it comes to data and reporting.
Representing data and reporting accurately and transparently means presenting the real truth of the situation without embellishments, exaggerations, or omissions. It also means being clear about both the methodologies used in the analytics as well as the sources of your data. There are several guidelines consultants can use to provide accurate data with honesty and integrity to help their clients make the best possible decisions.
But using clear and understandable language is not just about effective communication; it's also about building a transparent, trustworthy, and mutually beneficial relationship with clients over the long-term of the consultant-client relationship. This approach leads to better collaboration, more informed decisions, and ultimately, more successful SEO outcomes.
Why Clearly Communicating Data Matters
Using clear and understandable language when conveying data to SEO consulting clients is crucial to honesty and transparency for several reasons. For starters, it will help your SEO clients understand what is going on with their SEO program. Most clients may not have a deep technical background in SEO and only a superficial knowledge of the process, strategies, and tactics employed.
Using clear and simple language when communicating data and analytics helps clients understand complex SEO concepts, data, and strategies with greater ease. Being able to understand the data you’re presenting to your clients without sacrificing the content of the message you are delivering, in plain English, is vital for clients to make informed decisions about their SEO campaigns and business strategies.
Building Trust in Your SEO Abilities
It also helps your clients to trust your advice and the process. When clients feel that the information presented to them is straightforward and comprehensible, they are more likely to trust the consultant. And when they truly understand the data you are providing them, they can feel more confident in the services provided.
Empowering Your Clients to Make Informed Decisions
Another reason clear communication of data is beneficial is that it helps clients grasp the implications of the reporting and strategies being discussed. This clarity allows them to make better decisions about their business and marketing efforts. When clients understand what the consultant is talking about, they are more likely to engage in the conversation, ask relevant questions, and provide useful feedback. This engagement is essential for a collaborative and effective working relationship.
Decreasing the Risk of Damaging Misunderstandings
Finally, the use of simple language minimizes the risk of misunderstandings, which can lead to incorrect assumptions, client dissatisfaction, or misaligned strategies. Clear communication ensures that both parties are on the same page, which is a cornerstone of successful long-term business relationships. When clients feel informed and supported in a way that they can easily understand, they are more likely to continue the partnership.
How to Communicate SEO Data & Reporting Clearly
Communicating with clients in a way that is clear, transparent, easy to understand, and jargon-free involves several key strategies. First, you should use layman’s terms in your verbal and written communications. Avoid industry jargon or technical terms that the client may not understand. Instead, use everyday language to explain concepts.
For example, instead of saying "SERP", you can say "search engine results page" which is a much more descriptive phrase and helps the client understand what exactly you are referring to. You can go above and beyond this by actually displaying a SERP visually when you speak about it.
You should also use analogies and metaphors that relate to common experiences to explain complex SEO concepts. For example, comparing a website to a physical storefront can help in explaining the importance of user-friendly design and SEO in driving 'foot traffic' (site traffic).
In addition to merely speaking and showing text on slides, use charts, graphs, and infographics to visually represent data and concepts. Visual aids can make complex information more accessible and easier to grasp.
How to Be Clear in Your Reporting Presentations
One thing to keep in mind when presenting a report is to tailor your communication to your client's level of SEO knowledge. You don’t want to be speaking calculus to them when they are still learning how to add and subtract. When you get to know your client, you should get a feel for how much they understand about search engine optimization. And this understanding of your client’s expertise should deepen over time, or you probably aren’t listening to them well. If they are new to SEO, provide more basic explanations; for more experienced clients, you can use more detailed language and be less afraid of using technical terms
You should also provide your client with regular updates on their SEO progress to limit the amount of information and complexity they need to take in each time. Provide these regular updates in a simplified format. Overly complex, crowded, and confusing reporting is often used by bad agencies to overwhelm clients and distract them from focusing on poor or mediocre performance. Trust me, I’ve seen this done plenty. Break down your reports into key highlights and actionable insights, avoiding overwhelming details the client doesn’t need. You can always provide more detail and context if your client asks for it.
When meeting with your clients, also make it clear that questions are welcome. Encouraging questions not only helps clear up any confusion but also engages the client more deeply in the SEO process. This leads to more productive dialogues and a better chance you will both be aligned for your client’s success. You can use storytelling to make your answers more relatable—who can resist a great narrative?—or even share case studies or examples to illustrate the success of various SEO strategies.
The best politicians and marketers (I’m not naming names though) know that repetition is key for delivering a message. Repeat and summarize your key points when presenting data. At the end of meetings or reports, you can provide a summary of key points discussed to help reinforce them and ingrain them into your client’s head. After verbal communications, you should follow up with a written summary or documentation that the client can refer to later. This helps reinforce understanding and provides a reference for future discussions. You can establish a feedback loop where you ask clients if they understood the information and encourage them to express if they need more clarity on any point.
Finally, it is essential to show empathy towards the client's concerns or lack of specialized knowledge. This helps in building a more comfortable and trusting relationship. By incorporating these strategies, you can ensure that your communication is effective, client-friendly, and conducive to a transparent and trusting relationship.
An SEO Consultant You Can Understand and Trust
The ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms is a hallmark of true expertise. It shows that the SEO consultant not only understands the subject deeply but can also translate it into practical, actionable advice. Educating clients about SEO processes and strategies is part of the consultant's role. Using clear language when communicating data and reporting aids in this educational process. It empowers clients with knowledge about how SEO works and its importance for their business.
Explaining concepts and reporting data in a simple, easy-to-understand way with minimal industry jargon is one of the cornerstones of my business communications strategy. It’s one of the reasons why my clients find me so easy to talk to and work with. And they know I am approachable whenever they have questions or concerns about their data or reporting.
If you’re interested in working with an SEO consultant who provides easy-to-understand data and reporting, I’d love to work with you too. Send me an inquiry through my contact form or just reach out to brian@reiserseo.com. I’d love to chat!