Truth: Half the leads I get in my inbox turn out to be dead ends.
Not because they’re those spammy SEO ones, but because the person who has contacted me hasn’t got their SEO ducks lined up.
And that’s not always their fault! You only know what you know, which is why I’ve written this blog post as a way to check that you’ve got these things in place before contacting me.
Because there’s nothing more awkward for me than saying no to you, and there’s nothing more awkward for you than saying no to me (had to re-read that to check it makes sense!).
7 reasons I won’t work with you
1.You’re a brand new business with minimal cashflow
Without cashflow, your business is screwed. I know, because I’ve been there!
If cashflow is an issue, then your number one priority is to focus on activities that will give you a better rate of return in the fastest way possible.
Most newish businesses need cash asap.
SEO isn’t going to do that for you. It’s a huge outlay and can sometimes take a couple of years to get the investment back.
This isn’t a problem for established businesses but for those who are just starting out, the quickest way to get more leads and cash is via word of mouth. Social media posting is also another good way to start building a profile, while social media ads can also be effective if you’re getting help from an expert.
To give you an idea of what SEO will cost you- anywhere from $1000-$20,000 depending on the amount of work being done and whether you’re locked into a monthly contract or not.
My keyword research prices start from $650 for a very basic, small website. E-commerce websites are usually at least $1000.
2. Your website lacks copy
It’s one of the things that makes my heart sink: I visit a website and see very little copy.
A lack of copy (words) on your website means it’s difficult to add SEO keywords without it looking unnatural.
A lack of copy also makes it difficult for Google’s bots to understand what your website page is about and makes it impossible for you to be painted as an expert.
All of this leads to not ranking highly in Google, when what we want is the opposite.
If you’re working with a copywriter who’s rewriting your website copy and content, then fantastic! My keyword research services will help them write copy that’s optimised for Google.
If you haven’t locked in a copywriter but are interested, let me know and I’ll connect you with a few good copywriters I’ve personally worked with.
3. You have a one-page website
While it might seem like a good idea to put all of your business information on the one page, a one-page website isn’t a great user experience nor does it help you with SEO.
See, people rarely scroll through a one-page website all the way to the end. Which means that they leave your website before having read some of the information that might’ve otherwise turned them into a lead.
And throwing all your services onto the one page doesn’t help you look like an authority in any one topic or service.
If you come to me with what you call a “finished website” that’s a one-pager, I’m going to have to turn you down. I won’t work with a one-page website.
But if you come to me with a plan to have your website rebuilt in the very near future, I can certainly help you with keywords. When doing keyword research, I share advice about potential website page structures going by what I uncover during my research. This will come in handy when you talk to your web designer.
4. Your business is local focused, such as a restaurant, beauty salon
Think about the way you use Google when you’re ordering a pizza.
You type in something like:
“Pizza near me”
“Pizza + {insert suburb/town”
Google then shows you the Google map and the top 3 results in your immediate area/desired area.
This is part of local SEO. As a local business attracting local customers, your best bet is focusing on strategies such as claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) rather than worrying about your website.
While it’s ok to optimise your website for organic SEO too, I still recommend focusing on GBP first and then worrying about organic SEO because GBP is going to get you more customers than organic SEO.
5. You don’t have a marketing strategy
I once had someone contact me about keyword research. I asked what their marketing strategy was, so that I could figure out how SEO was going to fit into their strategy. What marketing activities would they be doing to support their website?
I never heard from them again.
Once the on-page SEO stuff is done, the work continues with off-page SEO, which is the PR and outreach marketing you do to attract backlinks to your website.
If you’re not planning on doing any of that, then my keyword research services are a waste of time and money.
6. You expect quick results
If you’re thinking that once I’ve done your keyword research and added the keywords to your website, you’re going to be ranking in Google, I hate to burst your bubble but nope, you won’t be.
It can often take at least a year for a new website to rank in Google. Most website pages ranking on page 1 took at least 18 months to get to the top spot. It takes even longer if you’re in a competitive industry.
If I know a potential client is expecting fast results, I won’t work with them.
7. Your website isn’t built on WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify or Wix.
While most websites are built on these platforms, some are built using other platforms and coding done by a developer. I don’t work on these types of sites, and unfortunately most web developers build such websites so that the owner has to come back to them whenever they want changes made.
I can still do keyword research for your website but you’ll need to get your web developer to add the keywords to your copy and website backend.
Not quite ready to work with me but still want to stay in touch and learn more about SEO? Sign up to my weekly SEO email list.
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