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  Prefer to watch this show? Subscribe to the YouTube Channel!     Setting the context – the agency where I found my feet Working with Client Services Working on BIG clients Our agency was NOT a commodity   The problem – we see it all the time through SEOHive. Clients identify with what they can see and understand easily – that's why content retainers sell so well.   What doesn't sell so easily is the technical SEO and link outreach programs. That's because these items are far more unseen, so clients don't "get" them.   Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Some of what we do is technical, and some (maybe most?) clients won't want to know or care how something works. BUT this devalues so much of whats involved in SEO. Unseen Actions can include: Keyword Research On Page Optimisations Link Outreach Internal Link Building Hierarchy Optimisation Schema ... How to communicate these things in a way that is easy for the client to understand. Including a learning curve in your marketing Communicate regularly – especially wins where they are unseen Drive your wins into firm results for the clients (sales, enquiries, etc). Don't use too much jargon Provide Reports to clients ahead of meetings so they can raise questions Meet regularly (monthly) Provide summaries of key data Send snippets of wins through each week   Join the Facebook Group

Main talking points include:   Prefer to watch this show? Subscribe to the YouTube Channel!   The challenge: We're all exceptionally busy – and if doesn't matter if we're an agency of 1 or 100, we all need to make sure that items of work aren't forgotten, deadlines are hit, our company is marketed, the booked an payroll are done, invoices are sent and that we have some time for ourselves and our family.   The solution: Whilst it may sound exceptionally boring, establishing effective routines means you can become more efficient and think about the output rather than the process. This also seriously helps with delegating if some of these routines include catch-ups.   Here's my predicament: I run 2 businesses – that's two lots of staff, two lots of project management, two lots of sales and support, and two lots of everything! That also means everything is held in two places – we have separate project management systems.   Here are my techniques: Regular (weekly) catch-up meetings with core team members Weekly planning of my week (generally on a Friday) Start up and shut down processes Startup: review the day, and what needs to be done first Shut down: check the day (what got done vs what didn't) and confirm the plan for tomorrow Do, Delegate, Delete <- as much as possible... this is for far more than email Only check email a few times a day Have a separate communication channel for staff, but even then manage the notifications Plan your social time/activities in if they encroach on your "normal working day" Have a "normal working day" (or days). Mine are: Monday: 9-5 Tuesday 10-6:30 Wednesday: 9-5 Thursday: Either 9-5 or 10-4 + 8-10 (late call every other Thursday) Friday 10-3 (including no meetings) Calendar Blocking where necessary Have SOPs for EVERYTHING.   Software to help with this: Project Management is in ClickUp for both companies I run "personal" management through ToDoist iCal for Calendar Trialling Sunsama that is bringing everything task and date based together from across all three sources (agency, SEOHive and Personal) Newton for EMail Slack for Internal Comms   Join the Facebook Group

Main talking points include:   Prefer to watch this show? Subscribe to the YouTube Channel!  Understanding Customer Experience in a Digital Agency Context: Explanation of customer experience (CX) and why it's important in the digital agency business. This includes marketing to new clients, servicing clients professionally and retaining / maintaining a lasting relationship with them.  The Five Strategies to Improve CX and Client Retention: Strategy 1: Improve Communication Clear and regular communication is vital for any effective relationship Practical tips to enhance communication with clients today   Strategy 2: Deliver On Promises Always on promises and meet client expectations – this is not negotiable Share tips on how to ensure consistency in delivery   Strategy 3: Don't confuse clients (aka Simplify Technical Jargon) Explain why simplifying technical jargon is essential for better CX Offer tips on how to simplify complex digital terms and concepts   Strategy 4: Regular Client Feedback Discuss the importance of client feedback Practical tips for setting up a feedback system   Strategy 5: Stay in touch! Just because a client isn't on a retainer with doesn't mean they won't ever need your services again. Find ways to stay in touch with your past clients to remain top of mind and provide the easy opportunities to work together again. Share strategies for tailoring your approach to individual clients  Previous Episodes Generating Leads with the 1/9 Rule What to do with a Lead once you have one   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include:   Prefer to watch this show? Subscribe to the YouTube Channel!  Why Local SEO: 46% of all searches on Google include local intent 24.4% of all clicks go to the first result of local business searches “Near me” mobile searches grew increased by 136% in 2022 56% of businesses haven't yet claimed their Google Business Profile The average timeframe to see ROI-positive results from Local SEO is 4.76 months SEOHive's New Local SEO Service Phase 1: Local SEO Audits Phase 2: Local SEO Optimisations (Month 1) Including a full Local SEO Optimisation Checklist Phase 3: Ongoing Local SEO Delivery (Month 2 Onwards) GBP Content Creation Citation Submissions Review Monitoring 👉 Check out SEOHive's New Local SEO Plan Use code retainfm for $50 off for 3 months!   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include:   Prefer to watch this show? Subscribe to the YouTube Channel!  Part 1: Understanding Scope Creep Definition of scope creep Scope creep in digital agency work refers to the phenomenon where a project's scope of work expands beyond the originally agreed-upon goals, tasks, and deliverables, without a corresponding increase in budget, timeline, or other project parameters. Essentially, it occurs when additional work is added to a project without properly managing or communicating the change in scope to the client. Scope creep can happen in many different ways in digital agency work, such as when a client requests additional features or changes to the project scope, or when a project team adds extra work or features without consulting the client. The end result of scope creep is that the project becomes more complex and takes longer to complete than originally planned, often resulting in frustration for both the client and the agency. Common causes of scope creep Clients moving the goal posts – "I forgot to mention" or "I thought that would be included!" Stakeholders – people not necessarily involved in the procurement process, but make decisions at project level Gold plating – providing additional work or deliverables that are beyond the scope of the original project agreement but NOT at the request of the client (aka – making life harder for yourself!) Examples of how scope creep can negatively impact a project Overrunning the budget – or "losing your profit" Unsatisfied customers – every customer has the potential to be an advocate for you, don't lose it Sub-optimal final product  Part 2: Avoiding Scope Creep Setting clear goals and objectives with clients Building a strong scope of work and project plan Communicating effectively with clients throughout the project Proactively managing change requests Managing client expectations and educating them about the impact of scope creep  Part 3: Dealing with Scope Creep When it Does Occur Identify the Cause Assess the Impact Communicate with the Client Revisit the Web Design Brief Document Changes Reprioritise Requirements   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include:   This is part 2 of a two-part show. Check out Part 1 of this podcast – Generating Leads through the 1/9 Rule   In this episode, I share a comprehensive process that digital agency owners can follow when they receive a lead or enquiry. Tune in to learn how to convert more leads into clients by following these steps: Initial Lead Capture: Streamline your lead capture process with CRM systems or lead capture forms and consider automation to save time. Prompt Response and Communication: Respond quickly to leads and maintain consistency using email and phone call templates. Personalize your communication for better engagement. Qualifying the Lead: Assess if the lead is a good fit by determining their budget, timeline, and project scope through targeted questions. Setting Up an Initial Consultation: Schedule a meeting or call with a clear agenda and relevant information to establish rapport and trust. Proposal Development and Presentation: Create tailored, compelling proposals that showcase your agency's expertise and value proposition. Addressing Objections and Negotiation: Learn strategies to overcome common objections, negotiate effectively, and recognize when it's best to walk away from a prospect. Closing the Deal: Secure a signed agreement, set clear expectations, initiate the onboarding process, and focus on maintaining long-term client relationships.   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include:   Reasons Digital Agencies complain about leads: They "don't have any" They "don't know where to find them" The "don't have the time"   ... All excuses...   What I've actually found is that all the digital agencies I've coached have easy access to leads, they just don't (really) know what to do when they've got one... so they pass on it or don't even class it as a "lead".   The 1/9th Rule Firstly, you need to understand your customer. Is this: Industry Specific Business Type Specific Location Specific   Create of grid of 9 squares and fill it with how your service (or services) directly help that customer. Examples: Help them sell products reliably online Help them rank in the search engines Take the pain out of unreliable web hosting Help them integrate their website, product management and CRM systems through seamless integrations ...   When you have your 9 blocks... ONE of them will become your marketing tool. This one needs to be: Something that is a specific need of your client Something the client COULD do on their own – it might be convoluted, but they CAN do it if they really want to Something that will make a real-world difference to them today Something that you can create a marketing hook for A lead into the other products and services you offer   Create a resource that helps the client with that ONE thing. This NEEDS to work and be accessible to them PDF Video Podcast ...   You then go 110% into that ONE block: Create content about it Engage on Social Media about it Search for people looking for help with X Run Ads about it (if you do this, people could even submit their details through the ad) Make it your topic of choice on guest podcasts Speak from stages about it Become the number 1 person known to help with it in that niche   And et voila... you have leads.   The REALLY daft thing about all of this – this is all advice you'd give to your clients, but Agencies are notorious at not taking advice for themselves.   Part 2 – coming next week – what to do when you have a lead!   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As with everything you need to apply the 80:20 rule – AI can get you 80% of the way there, but you still need to do the other 20% (thanks Bob Gentle for the inspiration here). Internally Marketing Social media Meeting summaries Externally / with clients Keyword clustering Content ideas & briefs Content Structures Social Media Ideas / Posts Content Summaries Meta Descriptions Meta Titles Custom imagery AI tools we're using: KeywordInsights.AI SurferSEO ChatGPT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are many different models of pricing recurring (and non-recurring) services... ... but all of them rely on you building profit into your pricing structure.  In this episode, we walk through how to rice a recurring service to make sure you're making money EVERY TIME (including a base price calculator for you to use) and discuss why profit is so vital to every business.  The Base Price Calculator is available in a bundle with the Recurring Service Planner (see episode 150!)   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you sell anything, it's your responsibility to make sure it works! In this episode we break down a recurring service into its constituant parts, and then provide a Recurring Service Planner (which comes bundled with a base price calculator) for you to plan your own service!   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Knowing what your capacity is and deciding how to delegate to grow is key to any form of agency growth. (This is applicable to you, your business and your staff!) Main talking points include: The differences between business priorities and delegation How to map out your likes and dislikes in your working life and making those decisions How a framework can help build your business life and that of your team members A framework built on a quadrant chart (screenshot available in shownotes). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: In this episode, we cover: What is a Value Ladder? How to Create a Value Ladder Benefits of a Value Ladder Common Mistakes to Avoid Why a value ladder is good for a Digital Agency   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: In this episode, we cover: Signs that a Client isn't a Good Fit Why it's Important to Say No How to Say "No" to a client (and some alternatives)   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: When was the last time you took a step back, looked at the whole picture and asked "OK – is this as good as it can be?" In today's show, we uncover why sometimes asking the most obvious questions, can be the key to delivering in your business and for your clients.   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main Talk Points Include: There's an inherent cost to ranking in the search engines... You either pay a direct advertising cost through Ad Spend, or you pay through the time and effort to rank organically. By employing an SEO professional you also incur the cost to rank organically, just faster than you would on your own. Understanding how Google makes money can really help you to fast-track your organic SEO objectives... Google makes money by running ads. It can charge a premium for those ads by ensuring the 10 organic results displayed on page 1 are the best, most relevant pages on the internet that will help the user – otherwise, why would anyone bother to pay to be above them? Understanding the terms and, crucially, the intent behind the terms, that people are paying for means that you can be way more focussed on your keyword research and content creation process. "But Google doesn't use keywords anymore?" I hear you cry. Well, not exactly. Google has moved to show results far more based on users' intent than purely on a keyword basis, but you can't get away from the fact that it all starts with what a user types (or says) into the search bar. Types of user intent: Commercial intent This intent signifies a drive by the user to act. Searchers are most likely to commit to purchasing or enquiring as a result of these types of searches Informational intent The user is willing to find out more about the subject matter. It’s probably not a good idea to try selling anything to them outright, but these could be good for developing “gated” content and capturing email addresses Transactional intent Transactional intent lies somewhere between commercial and informational intent. Essentially, these queries can represent both the purpose to buy or read more about the subject Navigational intent These people are just trying to get around the internet with the least path of resistance. They know where they want to be and just don't want to type it into a search bar You can get all of this information through keyword research tools, along with the values people are paying to appear on page 1. So what do you do with this information when you have it? You can make decisions on which keywords to attempt to rank for and which not to bother with. You can create versions of content for different types of intent, especially once you understand your client's sales funnel You can laser focus on what will move the bottom line for your client the fastest and show an ROI – from an agency perspective we also have to win clients, demonstrate results and value and win the trust of our clients too... an added pressure that making good decisions quickly can help you with. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include:   Where to start for a client that has NO SEO budget.   Here's the formula: 1/ Write about your main product or service in full from start to finish. Make sure you have sub-sections to your content (ideally 6-8 sections) Don't go into granular depth in any of your sub-section Make sure this has the main title in the URL, meta title and description Ideally 2000-3000 words 2/ For each of your sub-sections, write another blog post – this time going into FULL detail about each section, and writing it in the words you would explain it to a customer. At least 1000 words, but these can be as long as you like. Include internal links (at least two, no more than four) back to the main service page you wrote in point 1 on the keyword you optimised for in point 1. Go and update that service page with links back to your topic posts, again linking on keywords 3/ Make sure every page has a mechanism for people to enquire, get in touch, sign up or buy 4/ Share each post/page on social media – you can share more than once on some social platforms too! 5/ Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each service you run – starting with the most profitable, then working your way down.   Book – They Ask You Answer – Marcus Sheridan   Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: Many of us become slaves to our inboxes – when a client emails we down tools on what we're doing and jump right onto their requests. As the day goes by the inbox seems to get worse, and the end never seems to be in sight. But what if there was another way? In this episode, I speak with James Murgatroyd, an agency owner who has mastered the process to manage his inbox, so that it doesn't manage him. We outline James' email system, and talk about Agency Productivity in general – so once you have all that time back you are super efficient with it. In short, the system comprises of: Taking on an "Unsubscribe Campaign" – if you can get the information elsewhere, get it out of your inbox Adopting a Folder System: Personal Accounting A folder for each client To do Action In Progress Pending Reply Waiting for Reply Incoming (going to remove) - enquiries Read at some point (typically get emptied about once a month) To Pay In addition, we also cover: Pomodoro Sessions Go High Level ClickUp Jasper.ai  Shoutouts Troy Dean – Agency Mavericks and Mavcon Kyle Van Deusen – The Admin Bar Noah Britton – Agency X-Ray  Bio: James Murgatroyd is the Chief Everything office at Holler Digital, a web, and marketing agency in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. He's been building websites and digital strategies since the late 90s and is passionate about user experience. Twitter: @hollrt     Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: In this episode, Jeff Patch and I set the mics rolling following one of our weekly SEOHive meetings. We reminisce a little about how we got started, unpack where we are now, and chat about why we get so much out of running SEOHive.     Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: In this epsiode I walk you through the method we use to calculate the base price for the services in our agency. We follow the process of Itemising Costs Building In Profit Allowing for Taxes As mentioned in the episode – I have a template for a service planner and cost calculator for you – you can get them here!     Join our Facebook Group! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main talking points include: Lee is the founder of Agency Transformation Live – an in person summit for Digital Agency Owners to come together, build relationships and build lasting change into their businesses. Launching in 2019 with a phenomenal inaugural event, Lee had to transform the event through 2020 as a result of the COVID pandemic. In this epsiode we discuss the journey of Agency Transformation Live, and Lee reveals whats in store for the 2022 event that is taking place in November.  About Lee Lee teaches thousands of agency owners across the world how to build a business and lifestyle that they love. The host of Trailblazer FM, Cloudways Maverick on YouTube and Co-Founder of Event Engine™. Focused on teaching agency owners the principles of transformation he hosts the yearly Agency Transformation Live conference. Website: https://agencytransformation.live/ Twitter: @trailblazerfm Join our Facebook Group!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.