SEO consulting demands a balance between give and take. The client gives information to the consultant to devise viable SEO strategies, and takes their directions to implement those strategies effectively. A reliable expert consultant in the search engine marketing Dubai industry would recommend a team effort from the beginning itself – the client is essentially mentored and guided to practicing effective SEO techniques. 

Though the entire process is quite straightforward, there exists some roadblocks to SEO consulting projects. They are quite common too. 

Let’s examine the three most common roadblocks that threaten the success of an SEO consulting project. 

Expectations that aren’t aligned

This is one of the major reasons why SEO consulting often fails from the beginning. There would be common scenarios like scope issues and client satisfaction problems. Clients who know their way around search engine optimization may demand full control of the SEO project, which might make the in-house SEO team think they can do a better job than the SEO consultant as they most likely already have strategies in place. 

This may lead to conflicts between the consultant and the in-house team which would further complicate the project. This is also where the SEO consultant faces one of its major challenges – providing effective recommendations that can deliver results while aligning with the client’s expectations. 

The client’s SEO team on the other hand should be more receptive to the recommendations, or at least willing to discuss with the consultant and agree on feasible recommendations. Good, candid communication between both parties can solve this issue should it arise. 

Budget constraints

Every expert in the search engine optimization Dubai sector would agree to the fact that SEO doesn’t give desired results overnight. It may take months to get substantial results. When that’s the case, some clients may not be keen on spending money on something with an uncertain outcome. The key is to have trust in the consultant and believe that the new SEO strategy would eventually pay off. 

Clients may miss the big picture if they scrutinize the cost and ROI of every single recommended task. The consultants know that SEO is a long-term game, while most companies that seek consultancies do not. They simplify it as just another monthly investment, and tries to quantify the results.

A clear, concise SEO plan by consultants should make the big picture visible to the clients. Each step and its value should be clearly conveyed to the client. The client, meanwhile, should understand that even present day data analytics cannot accurately track customer journeys. Each digital marketing touch points require different strategies that may or may not deliver results. It’s still a leap of faith, but with the right consultant, investments can actually return results.

Time constraints

Because many companies do not exactly understand how SEO works at an advanced level, they tend to derive faster results by implementing only those recommended tasks that can be done quickly. For example, if the consultant recommends editing meta tags which can certainly take time, the client may consider it too trivial to invest time in. They’d neglect it due to time constraints and opt to do something else that’s faster and easier to do.

Those who do have some knowledge about SEO knows that optimizing meta-descriptions and title tags improves SEO results. It is up to the consultant to make sure that their recommendations are optimal and feasible to clients with time constraints. The recommendations should justify the resources the client can spend. 

In such scenarios, the consultants can reassure clients by, for instance, proposing a proof-of-concept that assures them of the validity of recommendations or cite credible sources that validate the recommendations. Ultimately, the client should know clearly what they can get and how much they can get with their time constraints. 

Conclusion

The success of the SEO consulting project depends on team work. The roadblocks mentioned above impacts the team work and the relationship between the consultant and the client. Nevertheless, there are capable consultants in the online marketing Dubai industry that can identify the roadblocks early in the project and steer clear of it. Both parties involved should reach an understanding and work hand in hand to increase the likelihood of the project’s success.