The experience of dealing with SEOs who overpromise and overcharge can leave more than a bad taste in the mouths of local business owners and marketers, but that doesn’t mean you should leave them to turn tail and charge forth with an agency-free, Google-only strategy, leaving SEO in their wake.

No, when confronted with a prospect who says they’re “done with SEO,” you have an opportunity – nay, a responsibility (okay, I’ll get off my high horse now) – to rebuild their trust in SEO and deliver the kind of service they should have received in the first place.

If you’re staring at a huge gulf between yourself and your client, wondering how to broach the topic of SEO with someone who’s been burned by a former SEO agency, this guide is here to help. (Fair warning: we’ll be talking a lot about relationships and I’m going to be doing my best to prevent this from sounding like a dating advice column – wish me luck!)