27. August 2012
When I tell people I do SEO in Cardiff. Many of them don't have a clue what SEO is. And even after I give a step-by-step detailed explanation, they still seem confused and have no idea. Nevertheless, I sometimes have good SEO discussions with people who are familiar with it. But many have a negative view to Search Engine Optimisation and think it’s a waste of money. There's no doubt that SEO includes a bad reputation.
Some of this comes from the black hat SEO practices that have been and still are used by some unethical businesses. There are also the businesses that just don't understand what they are doing and struggle to produce satisfying results for clients.
But the main reasons SEO has such a bad reputation is down to the clients and their misperception of SEO and online marketing. Here are the two mistaken ideas that clients think of SEO giving it an awful reputation…
SEO is too expensive - People join SEO plans and invest more money than expected. They maybe begin with a small amount and realize that isn’t enough. The truth is that SEO can be expensive, but the result is more than worth it.
No instant gratification - I'm always taken back by clients need for instant gratification. Surprisingly getting to the top of the search engines can’t be completed in a week. SEO and online marketing, generally speaking, takes some time. With online marketing, you'll need to build credibility and a critical mass, before expecting prominent placement in Google search engine results.
I don’t think there's an easy and quick means to rid SEO of its bad reputation. In my experience, it seems the best way to fix its rep is just a case of making SEO more transparent and clear training about what SEO really is for clients. That’s how to change people's attitudes.
What do you think? How can SEO’s bad reputation be fixed?
