Following up the previous post about SEO reporting to clients, another major part of over-delivering to clients is how you communicate with them. Every time you send something to a client, you need to be crystal clear on the following two points…

First, you need to tell them what you are sending them and why. This should go without saying, however, all too often someone new to the business of working with clients will send out a document to a client without being clear about what it is. If you are sending a keyword universe to show the client some early research and you are not clear about what this is, they will be confused. Confused clients are a bad thing; they get cranky quickly. 😉 Be clear; explain what you are sending and why you sent it.

Secondly, summarize each document’s major takeaway. Many deliverables and reports can read like a foreign language to the non tech-savvy. To avoid this, be sure to explain the significance of each report and technical document. You can send a client a well-written thousand page report on their SEO, but if you do not sum up the main points succinctly, your recipient will likely miss them. Never assume that a client will understand or even read what you send them. Most of the time you are working with managers who see their company at a very high level. All they really want to know is that you’re getting the job done and that the traffic and money are flowing. It is your job to convince them of that.