When onboarding a new SEO client, it’s essential to ask critical questions to fully understand their business and set up a successful, tailored strategy. Whether you’re working with clients in medical, education, construction, eCommerce, or fashion, the foundation remains the same: aligning SEO strategies with business goals.
Below are key questions you should ask to ensure a solid start to any new SEO relationship.
1. How Does Your Business Make Money?
The core of any SEO strategy should align with the client’s revenue-generating activities. This question helps you pinpoint which products, services, or goals to prioritize.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Are patients your primary source of revenue, or do you offer subscription-based health services or medical products?
- Education: Are you focused on enrolling students, offering certifications, or promoting online courses?
- Construction: Is most of your income project-based, or do you offer consultations and ongoing maintenance services?
- eCommerce: Which products generate the highest margins, and are there seasonal or trend-driven items?
- Fashion: Do you focus on high-end luxury pieces, or are you competing in a fast-fashion space where volume sales are key?
2. Who is Your Ideal Target Audience?
Different industries target different demographics, and understanding this is critical for your SEO efforts. Tailoring content and keywords to speak directly to the right audience can make or break your strategy.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Are you targeting local patients, specialized medical professionals, or a broader telemedicine audience?
- Education: Is your audience composed of young students, professionals seeking certifications, or parents of school-aged children?
- Construction: Do you work mainly with homeowners, commercial clients, or government contracts?
- eCommerce: Is your audience tech-savvy millennials, bargain hunters, or specific interest groups (e.g., outdoor enthusiasts)?
- Fashion: Are you targeting trend-conscious young adults, eco-friendly shoppers, or luxury consumers?
3. What are Your Main Competitors, and What Sets You Apart?
This question provides insight into how the client sees their market position and competitive landscape. Knowing this helps craft an SEO strategy that not only competes but differentiates.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: How do you differ from other clinics or medical services in terms of specialization or patient care?
- Education: What makes your courses or programs more desirable than those from larger institutions or online learning platforms?
- Construction: How do your services or craftsmanship differ from local competitors, and do you offer exclusive materials or designs?
- eCommerce: Is it your pricing, shipping speed, customer service, or unique products that set you apart?
- Fashion: Are you known for quality, sustainability, or cutting-edge designs?
4. What are Your SEO Goals?
Clients can have various goals, such as increasing organic traffic, improving local visibility, or boosting product sales. Understanding these goals will allow you to define clear, measurable KPIs.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Are you trying to increase local patient visits or promote specific services like cosmetic procedures or physical therapy?
- Education: Do you want to increase applications, drive attendance at events, or promote your research?
- Construction: Are you focusing on ranking for specific services, like kitchen renovations or home additions, in your local area?
- eCommerce: Are you aiming for higher conversion rates on your site, or increasing brand awareness and organic traffic?
- Fashion: Is your goal to drive direct sales, build brand awareness, or grow your social media following?
5. What SEO Challenges Have You Faced?
By understanding the challenges clients have encountered, you can identify gaps in their previous SEO efforts and refine your strategy to avoid past mistakes.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Has content creation around sensitive health topics been challenging due to compliance regulations like HIPAA?
- Education: Are you struggling with long sales cycles (from awareness to enrollment) or ranking for highly competitive educational keywords?
- Construction: Do you face issues with location-based SEO, or have you struggled with project showcase optimization?
- eCommerce: Are there issues with product indexing, duplicate content, or thin category pages that lead to poor rankings?
- Fashion: Are fast trends making it difficult to maintain evergreen content, or are there issues with image-heavy sites loading slowly?
6. What are Your Expectations for SEO?
Managing expectations early helps avoid misunderstandings down the line. Some clients may expect overnight results, while others may have a longer-term view.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Do you expect an increase in patient bookings within a few months, or are you looking to establish long-term authority in the field?
- Education: Are you seeking immediate growth in enrollment numbers, or are you focused on positioning yourself as an expert in the field over time?
- Construction: Do you expect a surge in local leads, or are you looking to build long-term brand awareness and credibility in your region?
- eCommerce: Are you focusing on boosting seasonal sales or building consistent year-round traffic and conversions?
- Fashion: Are you aiming for rapid growth in sales, or are you more concerned with building brand authority and a loyal audience?
7. What are Your Operational Constraints?
Understanding the internal workings of the client’s business is crucial for setting realistic timelines and avoiding bottlenecks.
Industry-specific approach:
- Medical: Are there any legal or compliance constraints affecting content creation or marketing?
- Education: How long does it take for curriculum changes or approvals, which could impact SEO content updates?
- Construction: Do you have long waiting periods for project sign-offs or approvals that could slow down project visibility?
- eCommerce: Are there shipping delays, stock shortages, or fulfillment issues that could impact the SEO strategy?
- Fashion: How quickly can new product launches or fashion lines be promoted, and are there frequent shifts in marketing focus?
Launch Your Next SEO Campaign with Premiere Creative
Asking the right questions when onboarding a new SEO client is key to delivering a customized strategy that meets their unique business needs. Whether you’re working with a medical practice, school, construction company, online retailer, or fashion brand, these critical questions will ensure a clear path to success. Understanding the nuances of each industry will allow you to tailor SEO tactics that align with their specific goals, challenges, and market realities.
Need help planning an SEO strategy devised by industry experts? Dial (973) 346-8100 to connect with the Premiere Creative team to discuss how we can boost your appearance on search engines.
