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Many times, we will take on new clients where they are completely lost in the world of SEO and online marketing. All they can understand is their bottom line: rankings, traffic, and conversion = more money. As a marketer, you’ve already done a good job selling yourself and your services, however, it is possible that clients will hire you without any background knowledge of how SEO works. It is to both of your advantages that you educate your client on this process.

This article provides 5 hand-picked resources that you should give to your clients who are completely new to online marketing.

1. Webmaster Academy: How Search Works

In this video on the Google and Your Business Blog, Matt Cutts shows how Google’s search engine works at the very core. Spiders, crawling, indexing, and SERP results and calcluation are clearly lined out for a beginner. Cutts also shows the difference between

Link: How Search Works Video by Matt Cutts

2. SEOmoz: The Beginner’s Guide to SEO

SEOmoz recently updated their Beginner’s Guide to SEO with today’s best practices. This guide goes in-depth with 10 chapters from the basics of search engines all the way to measuring and tracking success. One notable chapter 9 covers myths and misconceptions of search engines.

Link: The Beginner’s Guide to SEO

3. Portent: How to Hire an SEO Company

Ian Lurie wrote a very good post specifically for those wanting to hire an SEO company. This one might be tricky to give your clients up front (because they might think you cheated and memorized the answers), but if you can sneak it in (through a third party or some other way), you can get them to ask you these questions. With the right answers, you’ll get major brownie points. They will also learn which aspects of an online marketing campaign will be the most important.

PRO Tip: Let this questionnaire and point system be a standard for you as an SEO or agency. If you’re answering these questions incorrectly, you might want to go back to the drawing board on your SEO strategy.

Link: How to Hire an SEO Company

4. GetListed: Local Search Ecosystem

For local SEO clients with Google+ Local accounts, give them this resource so that they can understand the importance of local citations. If you are creating citations for them on their behalf, use this PDF to show them how in-depth the process can be. Also, be sure to teach your SEO clients the importance of NAP consistency.

Link: Local Search Ecosystem (PDF)

5. Search Engine Land: Search Engine Violations and Penalties

There is nothing worse than watching your client’s ranking drop due to their own actions. Search Engine Land’s infamous Period Table of SEO offers a great section on Spam and Violations. Go through this section with your client to ensure that they understand a site can be penalized by using shady / black-hat tactics.

Link: Search Violations and Search Engine Spam Penalties

Educating Should Be Collaborative

Don’t just throw these SEO resources into your client’s’ lap and say “Read up”. As a knowledgeable service provider, cover the basics of each at the pace of your client. Always be willing to answer questions for them. If you put in the hours up front, there will be less time needed down the road in case a client unintentionally messes something up!

Do you know of any resources you think should be listed here? Do you have any tips for educating your clients in the world of SEO? Please share them in the comments below.

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Ian Rogers

Ian Rogers is the President / CEO of Mvestor Media. Ian has brought success to companies through SEO, inbound marketing, and social for many companies. Read More.

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