Clients using our SEO while at the same time paying for "Large Advertising Packages"

[belocally]

We have a handful of clients that we are working with who also contract with some of those "big name" advertisers for large sums of money each month. Some of these advertisers use tracking numbers and "nongenuine" websites so that can account for their performance. We belief that this is not only a waste of resources, but that that they actually harm rankings over time.  Some of the advertisers even say they are doing SEO. What are your thoughts on the wisdom of clients who spread their limited resources among a variety of advertisers, pretty much falling for sales pitches that undermine and/or duplicate our efforts.  We can get them a link without a cost to them  from these same advertisers! Finally, are you aware of any articles on this issue? Thank you.

[jws8118]

It sounds like you are being tested against another service provider for performance.  I would recommend that you define a real test with the client so that each of you can perform work on different keyword targets and measure over 90 days who has the most impact.  I think that makes sense as long as all parties are using white hat methods.  If not then I recommend dropping whomever is involved in black hat seo.

[belocally]

Actually, I am talking about clients who place ads with Yellow Pages, Dex, etc.  It seems they think that by spreading their money around they will cover all the bases when actually, I would say we are working at cross purposes with these large advertisers (since the functions are uncoordinated), duplicating efforts (if one really believes they do SEO), etc. at the very least.  So I am talking about the "big guns" with high PRs, not your typical SEO company competitor.

[EGOL]

I don't know who your clients are or who these big name advertisers are... but here is my reaction to what you described.

We have a handful of clients that we are working with who also contract with some of those "big name" advertisers for large sums of money each month.

If I was your client and I was running ads on CNN or in YellowPages or somewhere else and you  said something to me, my response would be.   Can you give me exposure to these same readers?  If you can't then MYOB.

Some of these advertisers use tracking numbers and "nongenuine" websites so that can account for their performance.

Tracking is a really smart thing to do.  If they were not tracking they would be not very smart.

Are you tracking your performance as well as these other services?

We belief that this is not only a waste of resources, but that that they actually harm rankings over time.  Some of the advertisers even say they are doing SEO.

Maybe you are very right.... but you could also be very wrong.

What are your thoughts on the wisdom of clients who spread their limited resources among a variety of advertisers...

Smart Smart Smart....  as long as they are tracking and doing things the Google way.

We can get them a link without a cost to them from these same advertisers!

OK... this seems to be a solution if you can regularly pull it off... without any cost to them.

[belocally]

Wow, I am a bit surprised about your reference to tracking numbers being a positive.  Tracking phone numbers that are not the genuine phone number to the business and used on their genuine website can mess up the client's NAP which is their very identity online.  So I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

We do track our services but through other proven, white hat methods that protect our clients' online reputations now and long-term.

Finally, many of our clients are small local business with very limited advertising resources. Many do not even understand the value of having quality content on their own websites. I guess I just would just rather see them invest in content rather than duplicate links.

[EGOL]

Your original post said that there were tracking numbers.  There was no mention of "phone" numbers.   I assumed that they were parameters on the URL of referred traffic for the purpose of attributing sales.

I guess I just would just rather see them invest in content rather than duplicate links.

I agree with the value of content.  Most of my investments are going there.