Is it smart to reveal your clients and projects in the Q&A forum? What about on your own SEO blog?
-
On one hand it seems like having my cake and eating it too: blogging about SEO using my clients as case studies in order to give them a couple backlinks. On the other hand it seems like asking for it from Google or from competitors. Got any advice?
And what of mentioning actual domains and brand names when asking questions here in the forum? One one hand it seems like I'd get more specific advice, on the other hand, once again, it seems like it comes with some amount of risk. Any advice?
Thanks!
-
So anyone out there disagree with the consensus and think it doesn't matter or else is particularly advantageous to be forthcoming with client specifics?
-
Right, sure. Yeah all of this is helpful.
-
Some clients might not want to find out that their 'SEO Expert' is on here asking questions of other SEO's...they may think they should have employed the SEO Experts answering the questions.
Also some companies may not want their competitors to find out that they are using SEO services as if their competitor then hires an SEO the amount of competitive advantage is potentially reduced.
I would use example.com, company.com./product etc to get any points across. If it looks like you can only get the help you need by revealing more details then it may be best to PM the people who offer to help.
-
Thanks Vinnie.
-
Right, that makes sense.
-
Hey Louis,
I can understand both sides of the argument, but land on the side of don't post them. Like David said, you would never want to post clients sites without their permission. Even with their permission I would be hesitant to post specific phrases or results. I don't even want to tell other clients who my other clients are most of the time. Protecting niches is very important in this industry. If you want to discuss past successes you have had I suggest speaking in generalities and give broader examples of marketing or link building ideas without pointing out specific sites.
Personally I don't even post my own sites on any SEO or webmaster forums if I can avoid it.
As far as your Google concerns go, as long as you aren't cheating or link farming or anything that would take away from Google's reputation I doubt they would penalize you or your clients sites for posting SEO case studies.
I look forward to seeing other opinions on this issue.
Cheers,
Vinnie
-
I do not keep an SEO blog. Our company blog is just for generic info that we use to bring in new clients and also for existing clients to see us sharing information openly about the best practices and tips. Honestly, since we redid our website, we have one or two blog posts and never blog and didnt even finish our website, we are too busy with client work. Speaking of that... we need to finish our site lol.
The benefit a SEO blog would bring is fresh content (Google loves it), attract new clientele, share information to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, city, and client list!
-
Thanks David; that makes sense. Do you keep an SEO or other company blog? What benefit do you get out of it?
-
I think the only way to do it properly is with your clients full permission and knowing that they understand the full ramifications. Honestly, my clients would never go for it. The last thing they want is their strategy or their secret weapon (my company) to be known to their competitors. The link juice is minimal unless you have an exceptional blog.
My rule is to never expose a clients name, URL, or strategy unless it's completely anonymous and literally no chance of it getting back. However, you may find some clients okay with it, in that case... GO FOR IT
I'd love to post some of my best work but my clients are pretty strict on me releasing that information, so for now I'll have to keep my trap shut.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Best Site or Place to Hire Mid Level SEO Specialists
Hello Mozzers, Our digital agency has been continuously growing which is a good thing BUT recruiting for Junior or Mid Level SEO Specialists is getting harder in our area (we are in Orlando Florida). We post on Indeed.com but the level of knowledge and also the amount of candidates is not a lot. Do you know any other site that only pertains to our industry? Any suggestions? In fact, its been hard , we are even thinking of developing a job board site just for our niche. Your recommendation and thoughts?
Industry News | | ChatterBuzzMedia0 -
International pages - SEO - which metatags to use?
I'm trying to get my International pages set up correctly for SEO
Industry News | | MikeSEOTruven
Can you tell me which of the following meta-tags are the ones to use on the pages?
I've heard that some might be obsolete, so will it hurt if I throw on all 3 or just choose 1? Example: Italian language page0 -
What Keeps In-House SEOs Up @ Night
We are writing a research summary piece on in-house seo strategies. We're not trying to solve the worlds problems - we simply want to know what problems you face and how you try and solve them. We've broken our research into three key areas (training, value, and measurement). We would greatly appreciate your insights, thoughts, and recommendations. We will share our final paper (with sources) when completed. Here are the questions we're asking: How do you train and support your seo team? How do you show SEO value in the wake of Google algo changes including (keyword not provided)? How can SEO show value to other parts of the organization including market research, product managers, channel managers, etc? What should you be measuring and who should reports go to? James Loomstein Digital Space Consulting
Industry News | | Jloomstein0 -
Direct is taking over my SEO traffic in Mobile iOS and Android Devices
WIth all the buzz of mobile has anyone taken a look to dig into the SEO traffic by device (desktop vs mobile). Well I did and surprising my desktop trend was not even close to mobile traffic. Surprising to know that due to the security updates in iSO and Android organic traffic (traffic with out tracking codes) is getting bucket into Direct. (Yes we all know Direct traffic is dirty dirty label traffic that analytics platforms can identify.)http://www.rimmkaufman.com/blog/estimating-google-organic-search-visits-hidden-by-ios-6/17122012/http://www.definemg.com/recover-your-android-4-and-ios-search-traffic/ Feels like SEO is receiving no love... didn't we have enough with Google encryption, we didn't get the keyword but at least got the referral! Have you notice in your traffic and what are you doing about it?
Industry News | | LNEseo0 -
SearchDex for SEO consultation? Price feedback?
I know the JCPenny story from 2011 and read their CEO response to that. I've been pleased with my conversations with them so far and was given a reference that checked out well. Now us. We are a small business and our expertise is in print manufacturing and fulfillment. A portion of our business is running a network of retail websites related to the print business and that network generates six figure revenue, but we rely entirely on our affiliates to promote and drive traffic. I've been learning SEO for about 9 months - primarily just so that I can be informed while managing our direct to consumer initiative. But we don't have the internal expertise to pull off a campaign that is not heavily outsourced so that is why I'm open to talking with SearchDex. Does anyone have any feelings about them one way or another? Does anyone have a recommendation for me to talk to that might be an even better fit for what we want to do?
Industry News | | rickpeyton0 -
What SEO topics would you cover if teaching a College webdesign class?
Later this month I am guest teaching a class on best SEO practices for web designers at a local College. I wanted to see what topics others would include if you were doing an overview.
Industry News | | BCutrer1 -
Best way to recruit quality SEO staff?
We are in a nice position in that we are growing everyday. As the result, we need more staff, but do not have the time to bring along someone without any real SEO background. I have used just about every source over the years to hire people with good and bad result.
Industry News | | RobertFisher
For an SEO, with experience in some or all of the process: Link building, Keyword Analysis Site evaluation, eCommerce, Analytics... where do you go to find someone good? What about to find them yesterday? 😉 Obviously, they do not have to be expert at all, but they need to be familiar with all and have experience in at least two or three.1 -
How do you hire an SEOmoz-savvy SEO consultant?
I'd like to find an SEO free-lancer to review WikiTree.com and give me ongoing advice. My first instinct would be to go through oDesk, but I know I want someone who is tuned-in to this community and uses SEOmoz's tools. Advice or recommendations? Thanks!
Industry News | | Interesting.com0