But the battle to win back trust is only just beginning. When going into detail on a strategy for a client who has seen little success with SEO in the past, it’s crucial that you manage expectations effectively.

Firstly, try to avoid making guarantees. With local SEO having so many moving parts that are specific to individual businesses, industries, and locations, there really isn’t a way of guaranteeing that coveted number one spot in Google. Plus, it’s entirely possible that this is the kind of approach your potential client previously fell foul of.

Be frank and honest about how much of an uphill struggle your potential client might be facing, but ensure them they’re in the best possible hands to make the climb. (This is a good time to provide testimonials and case studies, which we’ll come to more a little later.) If you think it’s going to take 16 months to get them to rank where they want to and stay there, you need to be upfront about it, and crucially, explain why it’s going to take that long and how any other approach will lead to very short-lived results.