Showcasing Your SEO ROI Like Crazy To Get Client Buy-In: A Conversation with Miracle Inameti-Archibong
Miracle Inameti-Archibong joins the SEO Rant to talk about SEO and ROI:
How SEO forecasting can create client buy-in
How to approach SEO forecasting honestly to build strong client relations
Why you should show your clients expected growth without them doing any SEO
Resources:
Creating SEO Buy-In By Using Forecasting: It's not Perfect but It's Effective
Sharing your ROI is not easy. That's especially true when you work agency-side. As Miracle Inameti-Archibong points out, when you don't work in-house it's not like you can walk down the hall and showcase your success or ask for developer buy-in. Rather, Miracle says she often relies on forecasting to show the potential ROI of making various SEO improvements. As Miracle points out, once you start talking "money" the chances of getting buy-in increase tenfold.
That's not to say forecasting is the perfect solution for showing potential ROI and getting that buy-in. For smaller projects, it can be really hard to forecast the SEO ROI. In those cases, Miracle prefers to show a more holistic forecast that puts small changes within the context of the larger site.
Show Your Clients What Growth Without SEO Would Look Like
Ironically, Miracle recommends showing the client a baseline of what will happen if they do nothing. Doing nothing can mean growth. A site can continue to grow without the efforts you advocate for. Miracle shows clients this baseline and shows them the model if they do nothing versus the potential if they "do something." This has the net effect of building trust with your clients.
Show Your ROI Off to ANYONE You Can
To that, Miracle recommends you share the ROI (or potential ROI) of your efforts with everyone. Share it with the developer you have to work with. Share it with anyone and everyone willing to listen so that you create the buy-in you will need to get things done.
That's what it really all comes down to... doing what is in the best interest of the client and the client's goals as a whole. And while we might be enticed by the times where being less than forthright seems to work, it's not a good long-term strategy.. and also it makes you kind of a jerk.