Selling SEO: Good analogies for simple folks

boatBurner

boatBurner

shutup, crime!
Feb 24, 2012
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Looking to get some ideas of good analogies to use when describing the process of SEO and its impact on ROI to non-tech savvy business owners.

One that has worked for me when explaining good vs. noisy keywords and traffic is explaining it like a physical storefront location (which many of my clients have). If you were to open a storefront on an incredibly busy residential street, you wouldn't get nearly as many customers as you would had you built your store on a commercial street with lower traffic.

Share your analogy.
 


oh man, you should talk to my top sales rep, he is always like - "if you're out swimming in the middile of hte ocean at night.............and that's why $5000 a month on SEO makes SENSE" LOL
 
boatBurner said:
Share your analogy.
Click to expand...

Why not share some actual facts and data that show results? I know it sounds pretty far off base but have you tried treating successful business owners with respect for their ability to digest marketing opportunities and predict ROI instead of trying to bullshit them into buying something that you yourself seem unable to understand or describe?

Being tech-savvy has nothing to do with it. "Spend this money, get this process/action/etc., obtain these results" is about as straightforward as it gets. If a business owner doesn't have a grasp of this process, it's unlikely they will be in business very long.

Edit: also, this quote...

One that has worked for me when explaining good vs. noisy keywords and traffic is explaining it like a physical storefront location (which many of my clients have). If you were to open a storefront on an incredibly busy residential street, you wouldn't get nearly as many customers as you would had you built your store on a commercial street with lower traffic.
Click to expand...

"explaining good vs. noisy keywords" - wouldn't even bother attempting this with someone who doesn't understand it. Just like how I don't need to be told about the polymer composition of the bristles in my toothbrush. Who cares? Results and ROI are the only thing that matter - PROVE ROI and you're good to go.

"If you were to open a storefront on an incredibly busy residential street, you wouldn't get nearly as many customers" - impossible to predict without knowing the nature of the business. Are you saying a business that sells pet food/supplies and provides pet walking/watching services would do better in a low-foot-traffic commercial area than a busy residential one?
 
Tangy: Using previous client results is a very effective way to show what you're capable of and prove you're not just bull shitting. The fact that you're oblivious to the idea that anologies are needed during the selling process to educate prospects says that you don't sell SEO as a service. Why don't you see yourself out of a thread that will offer no value to you, and certainly stop posting in it.
 
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I heard a good line a while ago that can be used to sell SEO:

"Your website is worthless if no one sees it."
 
On a more serious note, the best way to sell SEO is not to sell SEO.

Sell sales leads and revenue increases. Sell content marketing in general, then if you throw in some SEO magic on top to make it work, great. There's tons of great data out there on how blogging and so on generates an excellent ROI, and they don't get phone calls and emails from india every day selling them content marketing services.

Totally disagree with Tangy on the analogy front though. Analogies are an extremely effective way to make someone understand the use of something. Saying that a business owner should understand SEO to be successful in business is pretty impertinent.
 
mituozo said:
On a more serious note, the best way to sell SEO is not to sell SEO.

Sell sales leads and revenue increases. Sell content marketing in general, then if you throw in some SEO magic on top to make it work, great. There's tons of great data out there on how blogging and so on generates an excellent ROI, and they don't get phone calls and emails from india every day selling them content marketing services.

Totally disagree with Tangy on the analogy front though. Analogies are an extremely effective way to make someone understand the use of something. Saying that a business owner should understand SEO to be successful in business is pretty impertinent.
Click to expand...

QFT. Don't sell them on SEO, sell them on how you're going to improve their exposure/business online.
 
Start by asking them the monetary customer lifetime value (help them calculate it if they don't know). Then, based on keyword volume, tell them how many additional customers you can bring them per month with your SEO services. At that point it's an easy sell. "I can get you $5k worth of additional revenue per month and my fee is only $800."
 
tangy said:
Why not share some actual facts and data that show results? I know it sounds pretty far off base but have you tried treating successful business owners with respect for their ability to digest marketing opportunities and predict ROI instead of trying to bullshit them into buying something that you yourself seem unable to understand or describe?

Being tech-savvy has nothing to do with it. "Spend this money, get this process/action/etc., obtain these results" is about as straightforward as it gets. If a business owner doesn't have a grasp of this process, it's unlikely they will be in business very long.

Edit: also, this quote...



"explaining good vs. noisy keywords" - wouldn't even bother attempting this with someone who doesn't understand it. Just like how I don't need to be told about the polymer composition of the bristles in my toothbrush. Who cares? Results and ROI are the only thing that matter - PROVE ROI and you're good to go.

"If you were to open a storefront on an incredibly busy residential street, you wouldn't get nearly as many customers" - impossible to predict without knowing the nature of the business. Are you saying a business that sells pet food/supplies and provides pet walking/watching services would do better in a low-foot-traffic commercial area than a busy residential one?
Click to expand...
Just because you can install double glazing, doesn't mean you can sell it.
 
tangy said:
Why not share some actual facts and data that show results? I know it sounds pretty far off base but have you tried treating successful business owners with respect for their ability to digest marketing opportunities and predict ROI instead of trying to bullshit them into buying something that you yourself seem unable to understand or describe?

Being tech-savvy has nothing to do with it. "Spend this money, get this process/action/etc., obtain these results" is about as straightforward as it gets. If a business owner doesn't have a grasp of this process, it's unlikely they will be in business very long.

Edit: also, this quote...



"explaining good vs. noisy keywords" - wouldn't even bother attempting this with someone who doesn't understand it. Just like how I don't need to be told about the polymer composition of the bristles in my toothbrush. Who cares? Results and ROI are the only thing that matter - PROVE ROI and you're good to go.

"If you were to open a storefront on an incredibly busy residential street, you wouldn't get nearly as many customers" - impossible to predict without knowing the nature of the business. Are you saying a business that sells pet food/supplies and provides pet walking/watching services would do better in a low-foot-traffic commercial area than a busy residential one?
Click to expand...
I think you missed the mark.

It looks like a request for methods of easier communication, not a gimmick to sell on. I use analogies in almost every business meeting I have and I'm an anti-bullshitter that is repeatedly called out for being overly honest to prospects.

JoseArmando said:
I heard a good line a while ago that can be used to sell SEO:

"Your website is worthless if no one sees it."
Click to expand...
I use variations of this one quite often.

I also like to draw similarities between their in-person sales process and their website showing how SEO is a form of a referral.
 
grandma always used to say "using an analogy is like taking a plastic fuckdoll out to dinner".
 
When I think it's appropriate I give them some free education. I wrote 4 different short SEO books for this purpose, that way I can avoid answering the same questions all the time. The books are colorful and full of pictures and diagrams. There are some overlapping chapters from book to book but basically it's this:

1) A book for business owners that are not yet my clients (but will be after they read the book ;) )
2) A book for new clients explaining basic SEO concepts, what we are going to be doing and what we need from them (how they can help)
3) A book especially for web designers, whether they be my new employees or the clients own designer on accounts where the client does their own onsite.
4) A longer book that I share only with higher level employees and trusted associates. This one is the most in depth. Very occasionally I have gifted this one to long time clients in the maintenance phase.

I am a softie for anyone who is truly interested in IM so if they ask I'll answer. For the most part though SEO is like sausage.. most people enjoy it but very few would care to know how it's made.
 
tangy said:
Why not share some actual facts and data that show results? I know it sounds pretty far off base but have you tried treating successful business owners with respect for their ability to digest marketing opportunities and predict ROI instead of trying to bullshit them into buying something that you yourself seem unable to understand or describe?

Being tech-savvy has nothing to do with it. "Spend this money, get this process/action/etc., obtain these results" is about as straightforward as it gets. If a business owner doesn't have a grasp of this process, it's unlikely they will be in business very long.
Click to expand...

Facts are important yes but you still need to explain what SEO is. No bright business owner is going to buy something they don't understand. That being said, analogies are horrible in this situation. You're better off just explaining it to him in a simplified fashion because yes, you do need to respect the person.

boatBurner, I would explain it like this. Google delivers very high quality customers because searching for certain things via Google shows that this person is interested (ie. high intent).

SEO is a way to ensure that when customers search a certain phrase related to your business, your company comes up on top (ie. high visibility). It's important to be as high on this list as possible because it's implied that whoever is on the top of the Google search list, is the best match.

At this point ask, "any questions thus far?"

Then explain how certain keywords deliver more exposure because they're more popular.. ask them a rhetorical question, For example, "Which word "Pepsi" or "Barqs" (or whatever less popular soda)" is going to get searched more? So naturally, Pepsi will deliver more exposure than Barqs.. but it will cost more for the word Pepsi because lots of people want a slice of that pie.

At this point ask, "any questions thus far?"

So by delivering more high-intent customers to your page, is how we're going to improve your bottom line. This is when you show data like tangy suggested. This is what I want to achieve with your business and all it costs is $_____ to get started. What are your thoughts?

Keep in mind the sale starts after you hear the first no. And once they're committed to the idea, is when you can upsell them for better LP's and whatever you want to upsell them to.
 
You know when your lost in the ghetto and its 2 am , you put your last $20 in the gas tank, your cell phone is almost dead so you shut it off, your half drunk and if you dont find your way real quick you know you will end up in a heap of shit?

seo is like that.

Dont let your website end up in the ghetto looking for a dime bag at 2 am.
 
I hate to pile on Tangy, but...

Most people that know what SEO is, don't understand how it works. Most people that work at ad agencies don't understand how it works. Shit, I've even met people that get paid specifically to do SEO that don't understand how it works.

So yes, by all means - don't be afraid to use analogies to explain it to prospects.
 
I may be able to advise, because I recently wrote a major sales page for a client who's an SEO specialist. My task was to explain SEO in layman's terms and sell it to business owners. What I did was to eliminate the geek speak and state very plainly the purpose of SEO:

You sell XXX
Potential customers are looking for XXX
SEO helps you find each other.

Effective and economical SEO focuses on ranking for the search terms your customers use to find what you sell. For example, if you sell light bulbs, ranking for useful keywords like "LED light bulbs" will bring the right customers to your site.

Smart SEO eliminates traffic for useless terms like "spring planting bulbs."

SEO helps your customers see your site before your competition's. You will need to rank at the top of the search results to receive the most traffic. SEO helps get you to the top, and hopefully stay there.

Does this help?
 
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