![\"seo-audits\"](\"https:\/\/mysiteauditor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/seo-audits1.png\")
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First, start by creating a really good-looking audit.<\/strong> Make sure it\u2019s visual, clean, and easy to understand. There are hundreds of SEO factors your audit\u00a0could include, but here are 16 elements your client SEO audits\u00a0should start with:<\/p>\n In addition to the data itself, the visual layout of your audit\u00a0is very important to client comprehension. The last thing a client wants to see is a 12 page spreadsheet chock full of extensive URL’s and endless\u00a0numbers.<\/p>\n Here are a few important tricks for making your audits\u00a0more visual and readable:<\/p>\n Related Post: 8 Ways to Make Your Content More Visual<\/a><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to brand your audits\u00a0– proving your value to a client is important. Reinforcing your brand with a consistent branded header and thank you or summary page keeps you front and center in the client\u2019s mind and presents you as the solution.<\/p>\n Here are a few examples of ways\u00a0to more clearly explain your SEO audits\u00a0to your client in a way that it understandable, which instills confidence, and which provides actionable recommendations and next steps.<\/p>\n Connect to the bigger picture<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n You may understand and believe in your recommendations, but your client may need some convincing. It is, after all, their budget you’re using – so explain why each element matters and how it will impact them.<\/p>\n For example: You: Actually, meta descriptions matters quite a lot to both search engines and potential visitors because 1) it helps crawlers understand what your webpage is about and whether or not it\u2019s relevant to the search query, and 2) the way your meta description appears in search engine results plays a huge role in whether or not a user is convinced to click through to your page.<\/p>\n Here’s another example: You: Well, search engines are! Google\u2019s most recent algorithm update<\/a> focused exclusively on mobile-friendliness, and now websites that aren\u2019t optimized for mobile could be penalized and rank substantially lower in search results.<\/p>\n Related post: Google’s Mobile-Friendly Update: Everything You Need to Know<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Use a technical glossary<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Words like canonicalize and robots.txt are\u00a0familiar to SEO\u2019s and marketers, but most likely won\u2019t be to your clients. The last thing you want to do is make your clients feel dumb, or intimidate them with jargon. Similarly, industry-specific language such a mozscore or domain rank will likely need clarification.\u00a0Moz’s Complete Glossary of Essential SEO Jargon<\/a>\u00a0is a super helpful resource for\u00a0easily defining key technical terms to your clients.<\/p>\n Turn negatives into next steps<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n An audit with a low SEO score or a lot of glaring red errors is likely to be very discouraging to a client, but it places you as a marketer in a great position to step in and show your value. The key is clearly laying out a plan of attack that makes the task appear surmountable to your client. They may be feeling overwhelmed, so reassure them by providing a numbered list of the next steps which show 1) what issues to tackle first, second, third, and so on, and 2) what your solutions are. Allow your client time to ask questions or raise concerns, and be prepared to stand strong on your recommendations.<\/p>\n Use supplementary visuals<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This awesome infographic<\/a> from Backlinko helps visualize onpage SEO elements like H1 tags, url structure, and content. Don’t include resources such as this\u00a0within your SEO audit, but use them (or create your own) in tandem with the data. When you’re meeting with your client to present the audit data, a supplementary visual may be the item that helps a concept or recommendation click for them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Know where to start<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Clients often feel overwhelmed with too much data, especially if their website needs a lot of work to be properly optimized for SEO. It\u2019s your job to help them prioritize, understand clear next steps, and take action. Use your audits\u00a0to talk through a starting point with your client, and be strategic about what to tackle first. Think about you client’s bandwidth to help – if you provide them a sample meta description and title tag, do they have an internal team member who can draft them to expedite the process? Balance tasks that are easy to complete in a timely way with those that will have the most impact.<\/p>\n Using SEO audits\u00a0as a way to pitch a new client can be extremely successful. This proactive approach is extremely impressive to clients because it showcases your expertise upfront and provides them real value<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to pitch a prospective client using an SEO audit:<\/p>\n 1. Analyze your prospect\u2019s website and find their home page, service page, or a product page they are trying to rank for.<\/p>\n 2. Determine a keyword or phrase they might want to rank for, and search the term to find one of their competitors who ranks higher on the same targeted keyword or phrase.<\/p>\n 3. Conduct an SEO audit<\/a> of a specific landing page on your prospect\u2019s site, and an audit of a competitor\u2019s landing page that is ranking much higher for the same targeted keyword or phrase.<\/p>\n 4. Set up a meeting or call with your prospect to run through both audits item by item, line by line. Show them what their competitor is doing differently, and how these differences are allowing their competitor to rank higher.<\/p>\n 5. Pitch your expertise and services based on the areas of improvement identified in the audit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For many marketers, search engine optimization is a key strategy to helping clients meet their online goals, but it can be a huge challenge to present SEO data and recommendations to clients in a way that is understandable and actionable. This post will walk you through how to develop, explain, and leverage\u00a0SEO audits\u00a0for your clients. 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![\"seo-reports-example\"](\"https:\/\/mysiteauditor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/screen-shot-2015-07-16-at-5.41.21-pm.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Explaining SEO audits\u00a0to your clients<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nClient: Why does a meta description matter, anyway? Seems like a minor detail.<\/p>\n![\"meta](\"https:\/\/mysiteauditor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/meta-description.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nClient: We don\u2019t really get a lot of mobile traffic anyway – I\u2019m not concerned with mobile friendliness.<\/p>\n![\"onpage](\"https:\/\/mysiteauditor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/screen-shot-2015-07-17-at-9.36.52-am.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nUsing SEO audits\u00a0as a sales tool<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Try our SEO Audit Tool
\n![\"seo](\"https:\/\/mysiteauditor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/screen-shot-2015-07-17-at-9.56.13-am.png\")
<\/a><\/h3>\nHow to Help Clients Understand SEO Audits<\/a><\/blockquote>