Educating Clients about SEO

As professionals in the field of digital and web marketing, we are familiar with the lingo that surrounds the world of search engine optimization and digital marketing processes. So it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in what we can do for our clients without actually explaining to them what it is we actually do.

Some would argue that, as long as the client sees results by way of positive metrics, the client doesn’t have to know what we’re doing. In fact, some talk like what we do is subject to scrutiny only by those who are a part of the old boys club that run the campaigns and digital marketing initiatives.

I believe that giving clients knowledge and empowering them to discover things on their own is a very positive thing. Giving clients the information and the knowledge to approach their projects as full partners is empowering. Teaching a customer something new is fabulous.

To the people in my business that approach it as if it were a secret language, I say shame on you. If you are so hard up for clients that you can’t explain what you’re doing in plain English, then you shouldn’t be in the business of helping people.

Mind you, that’s not to say that you have to be a teacher. I have worked with many people who have put their  “hands to God” and said take it away without so much as a boo or hiss about what it is I’m actually doing, besides getting results.

But educating your client can help you too. Too many times I’ve had chats with people who assumed that, because they were paying me, they would be on the top of the Google listings within days of starting their project. To that I say “Whoa Nelly!” and I explain that, although my efforts are absolutely essential to the life of the client’s website, I am not a magic maker.

So what Is the ideal space, the higher ground for SEO specialists to take? I say that our job is to relate, persevere and educate. Client’ s can snub their  noses at our efforts to let them in on the big SEO secret. Maybe, with our help they’ll realize there really isn’t one after all.

What's In A Domain Name?

As a new hire Business Consultant at a well known web development company in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I see it all.

Domain names that are short and sweet, and domain names that stretch way past the logical point of naming conventions into the absurd.

Since the gold rush days of the available dot.com extensions has arguably been over for quite some time, people have taken to calling their domains basically whatever they like. I am the first person to challenge any move to limit choice, but there needs to be some logic injected when making the right one for your company's "web estate".

Generally, short names rule. They're easy to work with, easy to remember and even better if worked into some kind of intelligent or kitchy acronym. It's always a delight to see a domain name that has been intelligently conjured by its' owner; and the owners are generally quite delighted to tell me the story behind their domain name if I show interest. Showing interest is my job.

Getting caught up in the dot com name game is easy enough. Rescuing a website from a rogue domain name isn't. For example, let's say your domain name is "abc.com". The branding methods the site designers use will tell you what "abc" is all about with images and text and all of the nice things that go into branding and marketing a website. The fact that the domain name is only three letters long is a long term bonus and will inevitably work to the benefit of the site when considering search engine optimization.

Now let's consider the domain with "abcdefghijklmnopqrstwxyz.com". Don't think they're out there? Watch carefully and you will see. People are picking dot com for the wrong reason due to a basic misunderstanding of what domain names actually do. Just because your site is a dot com doesn't make it any easier to find; in fact, it may be harder simply due to the irregularity of the name provided. If your site is about soup, call it soup, not "vegetableandcarrotsoupstore".

There has been a plethora of new name extensions released in the last twelve months, and there's sure to be more to come in the very near future. The dream of having a dot com might be over, but the dream of having a dot info, dot dance, dot wiki, dot futbol, dot ink are not.

Extensions come into popularity and take hold in a flash, which is why it's so important to keep abreast of what's happening at your registrar's house. Go there. Become familiar with registrar sights and pay some real attention to your new domain name and what it actually means to your business.

Sometimes when I ask for their domain names, people hesitate - even they have a hard time with the long naming convention. Generally, your registrar is there to help. Ask them what they think of your name before you marry it because as we all know, divorce sure can get messy.

SOME REGISTRARS FOR YOU TO BOOKMARK:

networksolutions.com
register.com
godaddy.com
sibername.com

My Last Post

Halifax, NS, 17/07/16 - It's been nearly six months since my last post, thus breaking Google's cardinal rule, keep the copy fresh!

Myself and Scream Media have gone through somewhat of a metamorphosis over the last six months with a change in location from Toronto to Halifax and a new consulting position in Halifax's downtown core. I am from Halifax so returning here wasn't that taxing, but getting use to the speed that everyone operates on is.

My consulting career with my new client has gotten off to a good start, but I still feel that, deep down in my soul, that I am suppose to be doing something different, more creative. That seems to be the pitch though, everyone is looking for the perfect spot to be in, but few can find them due to a poor economy or lack of training opportunities.

I'm not sure how long my tenure will last with my current client, but I have already learned so much in such a very short period of time I feel like my brain is going to pop open and be nude for all to see. That my friend would be scary.

If you've been visiting my blog looking for something new, I apologize. There really is no excuse except that life kind of took over the driver's seat for a while and made me unavailable. But I'm back on the road again and will continue to persevere.

The people in Halifax are great. The city is great. And I'm closer to my family now than I have ever been, which is something that I value a lot. I hope that the man upstairs sees me and my efforts and looks favorably down on me and you. Here's to the next six months and a whole hell of a lot of posts, content and interaction with you.

Sincerely,

Darren.