I spend a lot of my time talking about SEO with clients. Well, at least I thought I did. I have just done some analysis on the transcripts from last week’s meetings, and I think the bits that interest me, and hopefully my clients, have absolutely nothing to do with search engines at all.
I am posting this because it is an eternal battle trying to explain what it is actually like to work with an SEO consultant, especially if you have never done it before. I think this is a good reflection of what the job really entails.
Winning With the Tech Team
The first thing I pulled out of the transcripts was a conversation about the best way to collaborate with highly technical people. My notes show that I recommended approaching an overseas technical team with empathy rather than demands, choosing to be polite and collaborative.
People in tech departments can spend every day facing a long queue of grumpy colleagues yelling that things are broken. If you show up with a genuine understanding of that pressure, you might just find your support ticket magically jumps to the front of the line.
Facts vs. Feelings in Marketing Copy
Another point I made, more than once last week, regarded the language used in marketing copy. I was in a discussion with someone who wanted to include lots of regulatory facts right at the start. I pushed back, explaining that it was the wrong point in the sales journey for that.
Good marketing copy should feel like a salesperson gently supporting you; talking about heavy compliance feels like something you should save for the contractual stage of signing up a new client.
Passing the ‘So What?’ Test
The third thing that comes up many times every week is the rule that all content must pass the ‘so what?’ test in the first three seconds, whether it is an article, a video, or anything else.
I described it to a client in these terms: we were always taught at school to write the English language by building up to a climax. Now, we have to start with the climax and then maintain the tension. In the case of a video on YouTube, you need to insert something compelling as often as every 10 to 30 seconds.
The Platinum Rule of Relationships
The last thing I want to share from last week is another topic that keeps popping up in my world: the fact that you cannot treat every client the same way.
I was at a Toastmasters meeting recently and listened to a fascinating speech. The speaker argued that despite being raised to treat people how we would expect to be treated, that approach is a fundamental misunderstanding of human relationships. I completely agree. The speaker went on to say it is far better to speak to people as they would like to be spoken to.
This is a vital part of the ethos here at Yeseo. I go to great lengths to understand our clients, our associates, our colleagues, and every single person I come into contact with. I want to meet people where they are, rather than enforcing my own standards on them.
If you look back through all of the content I create, humanity is always at the core of it. I am pleased that last week’s conversations backed that up. If you have not worked with an SEO agency before and you are worried about how technical the meetings will be, hopefully this article brings a bit of clarity.
Last Updated on May 18, 2026
