When a business owner hears “SEO,” the reaction is often polite confusion or subtle skepticism. To those outside the digital marketing world, search engine optimization might sound like jargon from a techy echo chamber, or worse, a vague service designed to drain their budget. But as those of us who understand SEO know, it's anything but vague. It’s a dynamic, essential part of digital visibility, a quiet engine working behind the scenes of every online success story.
Still, convincing a potential client of SEO’s value can be a challenge, especially if they’ve never encountered it before. The key lies not in overwhelming them with technical detail, but in telling a story that resonates with their goals and experiences. Here’s how to talk to your prospects about the value of SEO.
Start With the Problem They Already Know
Imagine you’re speaking with a local bakery owner. They bake the best sourdough in town, but foot traffic is down and they’re not seeing many online orders. Before diving into algorithms or backlinks, start where they are. Ask them how customers usually find their business. Is it word-of-mouth? A location search? A recommendation from Google? Once you help them realize that their ideal customer is searching online—likely typing “best sourdough near me” into their phone—you can explain that SEO is what helps their business show up in that exact moment. SEO is not an abstract add-on; it’s what connects them to real people actively looking for what they offer.
Make Google the Connector, Not the Gatekeeper
To many newcomers, Google might feel like an impersonal machine—a distant overlord deciding who gets noticed and who doesn’t. But it’s more helpful to reframe Google as a matchmaker. It’s trying to deliver the most relevant results to its users, and SEO is about making sure your business is clearly signaling that relevance.
In this sense, SEO becomes a communication tool. It ensures your website speaks the same language as both your customers and search engines. Just like clear signage on a storefront, SEO tells Google what your business does, where it is, who it serves, and why it's valuable. The better that message is conveyed, the more often and prominently your business appears.
Paint the Website as a Digital Storefront
One of the most effective metaphors is to compare a website to a physical store. You can explain that having a website without SEO is like opening a shop in the middle of the desert. It might be beautifully designed, stocked with amazing products, but if no one can find it, it won’t sell a thing.
SEO is what puts the digital storefront on a busy street. It’s the difference between sitting in obscurity and being part of the action when a customer is ready to buy. And unlike traditional advertising, which disappears when the budget runs dry, good SEO builds value over time. It’s an investment in visibility that continues to pay off month after month.
Make the Intangible Tangible With Real Scenarios
To make SEO feel less abstract, walk them through a simple scenario. Say someone is looking for a chiropractor in their town. They’ll likely search “chiropractor near me” or “chiropractor in [city].” If the client’s practice doesn’t appear on the first page, that customer will never know they exist.
Then contrast that with what happens when SEO is properly done. Their website appears in the map pack, complete with glowing reviews and a phone number ready to call. Suddenly, a potential patient becomes a scheduled appointment—all because their business was visible at the right time.
Now multiply that effect by dozens or hundreds of similar searches every month, and you begin to show them the compounding value of consistent SEO.
Show That SEO Is More Than Just Keywords
Some clients may have a vague idea that SEO is just about “stuffing in keywords.” This is your chance to elevate the conversation. Explain that modern SEO is multifaceted. It includes technical structure (so Google can crawl and index pages), mobile-friendliness (so users on phones have a great experience), page speed (because no one waits anymore), and content quality (because Google rewards businesses that actually help users).
Frame SEO as a Long-Term Growth Strategy
This is perhaps the most important point: SEO is not a quick fix. It’s a growth strategy that builds over time, just like relationships with customers or reputation in the community. It takes time to gain trust from search engines, and consistency is key.
Help your prospective client understand that while paid ads may offer immediate results, those results stop the moment the budget does. SEO, by contrast, is like planting a garden. With proper care and regular attention, it yields long-term fruit. Over time, organic traffic becomes the foundation of their digital presence, and that traffic is more likely to convert because it’s driven by intent, not interruption.
SEO Is a Conversation With Their Future Customer
Ultimately, explaining SEO is not about demystifying every technical detail. It’s about helping your prospective client understand that SEO is a conversation. Not between them and you, but between their business and the future customer who’s already looking for them.
When you frame SEO as a bridge between what the client offers and what the customer needs, the value becomes undeniable. You’re not just selling a service—you’re offering visibility, connection, and growth. And in the crowded digital world, that’s not just valuable—it’s essential.