I'm in the process of selecting an SEO contractor for my company. The typical offer from most companies is a standard package priced at $1,000 for promoting approximately 35 keywords across 13 regions, with a monthly payment structure. I am looking to discuss how we can modify the terms of the contract effectively, introduce motivation, and establish payment incentives based on the fulfillment of conditions.
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What do you suggest for incentivizing performance and modifying the contract terms to align with our company's objectives? Additionally, in your professional opinion, do you believe that the proposed price for SEO services is reasonable within the context of the metal tiles and roofing industry?
To incentivize performance and modify the contract terms effectively, I propose the following strategies:
1. Performance-Based Payment: Instead of a standard monthly payment structure, consider introducing performance-based incentives where a certain percentage of the payment is tied to the achievement of specific key performance indicators (KPIs) such as organic traffic growth, keyword ranking improvements, or conversion rate increases.
2. Milestone Payments: Break down the project into milestones and associate payments with the successful completion of each milestone. This approach ensures that the contractor delivers measurable results before receiving full payment.
3. Results-Oriented Bonuses: Offer bonuses for exceeding targets. For example, if the contractor achieves a significant improvement in keyword rankings or organic traffic, provide a bonus as an extra incentive for exceptional performance.
4. Transparency and Reporting: Implement a transparent reporting system where the contractor provides detailed performance reports regularly. This allows you to track progress and ensures accountability on their part.
5. Contract Flexibility: Consider a flexible contract that allows for adjustments based on the evolving needs of your company and changes in the industry landscape.
Regarding the proposed price for SEO services within the metal tiles and roofing industry, it's essential to benchmark the pricing against industry standards and the level of service provided. Conduct a thorough market analysis to determine the average cost of SEO services in your specific industry and assess the competitiveness of the proposed price. Additionally, consider the complexity of promoting keywords across 13 regions and the potential impact on your company's online visibility and lead generation within those regions.
The reasonableness of the proposed price should be evaluated based on the value that the SEO contractor can deliver in terms of improving your company's online presence, driving targeted traffic, and generating qualified leads within the metal tiles and roofing industry.
I would like to discuss an "outdated" model of cooperation, where the main focus is on promoting the website using specific keywords, without much attention to improving the overall user experience. In this traditional approach, the agency or owner simply buys links, makes minor adjustments to the website, and stops there.
However, I believe that it is crucial to consider elements such as search result snippets, website content, and landing pages as essential components in attracting potential customers and encouraging them to make a purchase. It's not just about driving traffic to the site, but also about presenting the product or service in an appealing way.
On the other hand, there is a more transparent and results-driven model known as CPA (cost per action), where payment is based on specific actions such as making a phone call or clicking on buttons like "place an order" or "request a callback." This model is disliked by those who seek to take advantage without delivering results, but it ensures a fair and performance-based compensation.
When there is mutual understanding between the promoter and the client, it might be beneficial to treat organic search as an independent sales channel and compensate the promoter based on a percentage of the actual sales, similar to other sales managers. This approach aligns interests and motivates the promoter to dedicate time and effort to enhancing the website's performance and increasing conversions.
In this scenario, the SEO specialist becomes deeply involved in refining the user experience, constantly working to improve the website's conversion rate and addressing any obstacles that hinder sales, such as inadequately trained staff handling customer inquiries. This proactive involvement can truly contribute to the growth and success of the business.
The issue of ensuring results in this field is a significant concern, as no one can guarantee that Yandex or Google will not modify their algorithms or that competitors will not displace the desired position. We need to focus on the outcome.
The main idea I propose in response.
There are two charts: one depicts the relationship between the theoretically required effort for achieving the desired positions in Yandex over time, and the other shows the actual work carried out by the SEO specialist. There is a distinct characteristic in these charts: the specialist's work schedule can be plotted in real time, whereas we can only observe the search engines' reaction after some time.
It is important to consider this point when preparing the report, which should reflect the current work progress as well as changes in positions resulting from previous efforts.
An SEO contract is a legally binding dоcument outlining the terms and conditions of improving the SEO efforts of a project. This contract is between a client and a professional SEO service provider. An SEO contract establishes important details related to an SEO project and offers protection to both parties.