Seeking Advice on Client SEO Strategy
Hi everyone, I’m currently working on SEO for businesses and have hit a bit of a roadblock. Please excuse my English; it’s not my first language, and my SEO experience is limited, especially compared to many of you here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts or advice based on my situation.
Our client approached us for SEO services but had a very tight budget. Initially, I focused on technical optimization and on-page SEO, using the keywords they provided. I suggested some low-competition keywords to help them rank better, but they preferred their existing high-competition keywords.
When it was time to start writing blogs, my client was unwilling to pay for quality content. I regret to admit that I resorted to using AI for blog writing. It’s not how I envisioned my work, but we can’t produce high-quality articles without appropriate compensation, especially given our other responsibilities. I use GPT for topic research, creating client profiles, and drafting articles, which I then edit to include a human touch, keywords, images, meta descriptions, etc.
While the articles may not be the best, we reported impressive results: a 1,500% increase in users and over 1,000% gains in other metrics. So far, everyone seems satisfied, though I did caution that relying on AI-generated content might lead to declining stats down the line.
Currently, my main challenge is link building. Our client has 500 of their own clients, and I proposed writing guest blogs for those businesses to earn valuable backlinks. They agreed and promised to provide a list of contacts but haven’t followed through. As I’m already stretched thin managing their blogs and monitoring SEO, I won’t reach out for backlinks until they increase their budget, which looks unlikely.
I’m also worried about our lack of backlinks, especially since the current articles won’t help us gain any. I’ve raised concerns about the self-sabotage of using AI-generated content, but it feels like I’m not being heard.
I don’t want to keep tracking and improving CTRs on these AI articles, and I’m feeling uncertain about the way forward for this client.
Statistically, things are looking good for them. However, my boss keeps asking for further improvements, and I’m at a loss for what to suggest besides backlinks. I reiterate that we need to invest more money to take this next step.
Am I missing something here? If I am, what can I do differently? If not, how can I improve this situation?
Thanks for your help!
One response to “About my client..”
It sounds like you’re in a tough position, balancing the client’s budget constraints with your desire to deliver quality SEO results. Here are a few suggestions that might help:
Set Realistic Expectations: It’s important to communicate with your client and your boss about the limitations of the current strategy. Explain that while the initial results are promising, long-term success, especially with competitive keywords, will require a more robust approach like quality backlinks and content.
Education and Advocacy: Sometimes clients don’t understand the long-term benefits of investing more in SEO. If possible, put together a brief presentation or report that outlines the importance of backlinks and high-quality content, along with potential consequences of relying solely on AI-generated articles. Use case studies or examples to illustrate these points.
Leverage Existing Clients: Since your client has 500 other clients, it may be worth exploring some low-effort ways to generate backlinks without needing extensive outreach. For example, consider suggesting guest blogging on their clients’ sites where they can showcase their services, or ask for a mentions or testimonials on their clients’ websites. This could be a starting point that doesn’t require them to make phone calls or heavy lifting.
Optimize Current Content: Since you have already produced AI-written articles, consider going back and optimizing those instead of producing new content. Spend some time enhancing the existing articles to make them more engaging, adding visuals, or creating internal links that help them rank better.
Focus on Local SEO: If your client caters to a local audience, invest efforts into local SEO strategies. This could involve optimizing their Google My Business profile, gathering and managing customer reviews, and creating local content, which might be less resource-intensive than traditional link-building.
Consider a Phased Approach: Propose a phased approach for SEO improvements. For instance, you could allocate a small budget for one or two high-quality backlinks per month, gradually scaling up as the client sees the return on their investment.
Document Progress: Keep thorough documentation of the success achieved so far, but also the potential drawbacks of relying solely on AI content. This will help you make a case for why additional resources are necessary moving forward.
Professional Development: Lastly, consider using free resources and communities to improve your own SEO skills. There are numerous webinars, guides, and forums that can offer new strategies, tools, or methods for outreach and content creation.
Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance between what the client wants and what can realistically drive better SEO outcomes. Keep communicating, educating, and advocating for what’s necessary to achieve long-term success. Good luck!