Benefits of Working with an SEO Consultant 1-on-1
One of the benefits for dealing with a smaller private firm is having more direct contact with the principals of the company. At LinkScience we do most of the contracted work ourselves, and some things we outsource as projects for the sake of efficient time management. In either case, you only have to interface with one consultant who handles all the details for you account. This creates a smoother workflow and prevents miscommunication on vital project details.
One-on-one consultations are intended to familiarize the consultant with the client’s project, market, and goals… and at the same time help the client to understand the challenges that need to be overcome in order to meet those goals.
There are many SEO-related businesses out there. Most of them employ large sale teams to scan the internet looking for potential clients. Even if one of those sales people succeeds in winning your business, you still face the unknown elements of “who” is doing the actual work and “if” they know what they are doing or not. Of course you have no way of really knowing because you are probably not versed in SEO lingo well enough to know whether you are being sold a fresh bag of hot air or not.
We prefer to work with our clients and help them to become knowledgeable so they can make better choices for their needs. It’s important to know the logic and understand the long term values associated with internet-related work, particularly in a heavily competitive market niche.
Our initial one-on-one consultation process is very fluid. Both sides should ask enough questions to get a good feel for the project and the persons involved in the client/consultant relationship. Many times the initial consultation is no more than an hour, which is enough time for any competent to be able to assess the needs and address the concerns of the client.
Subsequent consultations are very project or topic-focused. It’s both parties’ jobs to make sure the session stays on track in order to make the best use of time… especially since consultants bill by the hour. It is for the sake of efficiency and budget stewarding that short, laser-focused meetings are the preferred mode of practice.
