Managing clients is just as important as nailing those SEO strategies.
SEO can take a long time to deliver results. It’s also pretty technical.
So it’s no surprise that many clients won’t understand the ins and outs of what you do.
That’s where client management comes in.
It helps clients see the value you bring and be confident that you are helping them achieve their goals.
Maintaining positive relationships with your clients is how you keep your agency thriving.
In this guide, we’re going to reveal the essentials of managing clients in an SEO agency.
We’ll cover:
- What client management is
- Best practices for managing SEO agency clients
- Types of client management software and tools
What Is Client Management?
Client management is the practice of building and maintaining positive relationships with clients. It’s about understanding client goals and concerns and ensuring they get the best possible service from your agency.
SEO clients want more than reports and rankings. They want a partner they can trust to help them grow their business.
$50K month agency in a nutshell
-Bulletproof fulfillment and client management system
-An owner that is ONLY focused on sales
-Constant lead flowThat’s it.
— Pierre de Preux (@Pierre_dePreux) July 10, 2022
SEO is a bit of a black box for clients. They know it’s important but might not know how it works.
As an SEO agency, part of your job is to make SEO understandable. Your clients don’t need to know the intricacies of technical SEO, but they do need to know why you perform specific actions and the expected outcomes.
Client management is about making sure your clients feel valued and clued in.
Client Management Starts During The Onboarding Process
Positive client relationships are built on a solid onboarding process. This is especially important as you scale your agency and end up managing multiple clients.
The onboarding process is when you set client expectations, establish communication channels, and outline the services you will provide. It should give you and the client a clear understanding of the goals and strategies you will implement to achieve them.
A good onboarding process reduces the risk of misunderstandings later and helps establish trust at the start of the working relationship.
First impressions matter.
You can instill confidence in your new clients by demonstrating expertise and professionalism from the get-go. Client onboarding is the foundation for a successful partnership.
If you need some help establishing an onboarding process at your agency, check out our guide on how to onboard new SEO clients effectively.
Best Practices For Managing SEO Agency Clients
Client relationship management is about delivering an experience that keeps your clients satisfied and gets them to stay with your agency.
Here’s how to manage your agency clients:
Regular and Responsive Communication
Communication is one of the things that clients value most when working with an agency. It’s about more than just updating clients on the progress of their SEO campaigns.
You should schedule regular check-ins to update clients and share reports. But you also need to be there for your clients when they reach out.
In a recent Ascend2 survey, responsiveness was ranked as the second most desired attribute by agency clients:
You can also schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress, address concerns, and plan for the future.
The more you know, the more you can adapt your strategies and services to meet the client’s needs.
Set Clear Expectations
This should be a priority through the onboarding process and beyond.
Be clear about what SEO can do for the client and the expected timelines.
There are some quick SEO wins you can achieve for your clients. But you can’t achieve significant results overnight.
When you outline your initial strategy or make changes later, explain the process and expected outcomes. This helps to manage client expectations and build trust.
Be Transparent with Your Process
Telling clients how you will execute your strategy shows the work and expertise involved. It highlights the value you bring.
You don’t have to go into the intricate details of keyword research or link building. However, giving clients a high-level overview can help to build trust and confidence in your services.
That can have a big impact on client satisfaction.
In a recent survey, marketing agencies ranked effective communication and transparency as the most influential factor in client retention:
When you share monthly progress reports, go beyond the impact on rankings and organic traffic. Detail the specific actions you have taken during the month and why.
Tailor Your Approach
Every SEO client is unique.
You might use the same SOPs or tactics for similar clients, but you still need to tailor your strategy based on the unique needs and goals of the business. SEO clients don’t want a cookie-cutter approach.
A recent survey found that clients value understanding their business as one of the most important factors when working with a marketing agency:
Clients will also have different levels of understanding and interest in SEO. That should be reflected in your communication.
For example, a local business is more likely to prefer high-level summaries. A national retailer will likely have an internal marketing team that would appreciate more insights.
Ask for Feedback
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Asking for feedback should be a regular part of your working process, not just something you do at the end of a contract.
You can use questionnaires or a more informal chat at the end of progress calls to gather feedback. This can reveal areas you might have overlooked and things you can do to improve your client management system.
It also shows that you value your clients and are committed to improving your service.
Deliver Results for Your Clients
Delivering results is one of the most important aspects of managing client relationships.
When a client signs up with your agency, they place their trust in your expertise. Achieving tangible results for your clients validates that trust. It also justifies the financial investment they have made in hiring you.
That can lead to extended contracts, additional projects, and referrals to other potential clients.
Celebrate Wins Together
When you hit a milestone, celebrate the achievement. That could be hitting a target in organic traffic, achieving a top ranking in search results, or gaining significant press coverage from your digital PR efforts.
You can send a personalized email or even a small gift for major milestones. This highlights the value of your work and can go a long way to strengthen your relationship with the client.
Types Of Client Management Tools
Client management is much easier when you use the right tools. Here are the types of tools you can use to enhance the experience of working with your agency.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software
CRM systems store all your client information in a single platform. That includes everything from contract details to past client communications.
It streamlines client communication so that nothing gets overlooked. You can keep track of emails and meetings, so you’re always on top of things.
A Resco survey revealed that improved relationship management and interaction management were two of the areas where A CRM delivered the most benefit:
You can also use a CRM to enhance your internal agency communication. Every team member can access the information they need on client goals, project updates, and more.
I put off using a CRM for a long time.
Then I’d use one for a couple of weeks and sack it off – even for clients.
It’s a bad decision. Don’t make the same mistake.
— Tom Megretton (@ToMegretton) August 12, 2022
Project Management Software
Project management software provides a centralized platform for your SEO projects. You can assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress.
Instead of daily meetings and endless email updates, your team can update the progress of tasks in the project management tool. It gives you an overview of which tasks are being worked on, what’s falling behind, and what’s already done.
Project management software helps you stay organized and focused. That can translate into better results and increased client satisfaction.
Check out our SEO project management guide for a more detailed breakdown of how to manage client projects.
Online Collaboration Tools
These tools provide a virtual workspace where your agency team can work together in real time on different tasks. You can share files, make decisions, and edit projects together without waiting for someone to check their email.
Increasing collaboration at your agency can have a big impact on the success of your projects and client satisfaction. In a recent Zippia study, increased workplace collaboration boosted customer satisfaction ratings by 41%:
In some cases, you might involve your client in the use of collaboration tools. That way, they can share feedback and make decisions faster than by email or phone.
Customer Service Software
If you’re a larger agency, you might want to look at customer service software. These tools provide a hub for client support. It’s where all the questions, issues, and feedback from clients land.
With everything in one place, keeping track of client requests is much easier. You can see what needs to be addressed and who is taking care of it.
Many of these tools also provide automation capabilities. If you receive common simple questions from clients, you can set up automated replies to streamline client management.
Even if you don’t use automation, customer service software can help you keep track of requests and respond faster.
Build Lasting Relationships With Your SEO Clients
We’ve covered the tools and tactics you can use to manage your SEO agency clients.
But here’s the thing.
Effective client management is about building lasting relationships. That comes when you foster trust, prioritize communication, and really understand your clients and what they want to achieve.
Then, you can deliver the rankings and traffic and become a partner in your client’s success.
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