I have seen a bit of an increase in the amount of leads in my inbox recently.  At first I wanted to take all the credit, but I think the economy deserves most of it.

The economy.  The skittish, peckish, fickle economy.  Businesses realize that during a down economy, they need to focus on not only what works, but also on what they can hold accountable.

Company in need of tracking ROI efficiently, meet Internet marketing.  Internet Marketing, this guy needs help.

The emails I have been receiving usually say, “We want some SEO.”  Well, not that exactly, but you get the idea.  With this influx of leads (I’m not complaining), I wanted to share 3 tips when you contact an SEO:

#1.  Give some phrases for which you’d like to rank in the search engines.

This will give us a head start to begin research before we follow up with you.  By having this research, we can provide more value during the meeting or phone call.  It just takes a few phrases to get us rolling on cranking out in-depth info.  We’ll be able to share with you the competitiveness of a phrase and how difficult it might be to rank well.  On the flip side, we can also show you the opportunity that exists and what it will “feel” like to be on the first page of Google.

Also, go ahead and throw in a couple competitors; we can reverse-engineer their sites and show what they are doing right and wrong.

#2.  What results you may expect if you invest in SEO.

Most of the time companies are looking for higher rankings because they know that translates into more clicks.  Some SEOs, however (SageRock included), offer usability testing which can increase the overall conversion on your site.  It’s usually not the quantity of visitors you get, but instead the quality of visitors and what they ultimately do on your site.

#3.  Provide insight on past online marketing endeavors and whether or not these were successful.

Also, be sure to add the reason for your inquiry.  Was it because the owner of the company can’t stand seeing a competitor higher than them in the SERPs?  Or maybe you’re not really sure: you’re just checking to see how an SEO might help you accomplish goals.

Bonus Tip: Try to give them an idea about your budget; it can be ball park.

I know I’m only adding this to make my job easier, but most SEOs have a wide range of services, with costs determined by level of aggression.  With a budget in mind, it makes it a bit easier and better for you when we design your campaign.

SEOs want to provide value to our clients.  The concept of SEO may be rather new to you and your company, so when you inquire, keeping these simple tips in mind will help us start off the relationship with a bang.  And you’ll receive a lot of valuable information right from the start.

Finally, are you interested in hearing about other opportunities in online marketing, such as paid search advertising or email marketing?  They offer a complete set of benefits beyond those afforded by SEO.