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For the first time ever, last week I had a potential client ask me if I currently did work for any of her competitors. It was a question I’ve long anticipated but never expected.
Her question was just the right question to ask me prior to signing on the dotted line. But did she go far enough? Is a simple “no” from me (or your SEO of choice) enough to settle your nervousness about hiring an SEO?
Well, I don’t know. In this case, the client was a referral from another web designer, so she didn’t know me personally. She had never met me and was making 100% of her judgments about me and my business solely on my phone answers.
In this case, I think her asking me to add a non-compete clause to the contract would have been right on target.
In fact, I’m not sure that any SEO firm can fairly and ethically work for two companies in the same industry. If they are competing over the same keywords, who’s to say there isn’t some sort of conflict of interest there?
Now I’ve built multiple websites for companies in the furniture arena, but I only SEO for one. If another were to approach me, I’d have to decline to do SEO for the related portions of their business. And honestly it’d be better for them if they found an SEO who was not competing in that field at all. That wouldn’t be an easy thing to tell a client, but I think it’d be the best thing for them to hear.
If you trust your SEO, you don’t need a non-compete. And I’ve never signed one. But if you lean more towards the CYA side, I say get one.
Will,
You make some good points. I know you and I have pow wows constantly trying to explore the ideas of the most affective keywords and phrases. Often times those include well researched terms that I did not pay you to find. I know you won’t, but who’s to say my SEO consultant wouldn’t share those niche keywords and phrases that have brought me so much traffic. These terms may very well have been overlooked by my competition allowing me to take advantage of a marketing weakness on his part.
Lastly I think if an SEO consultant were to pick up a second account within the same industry, it would definitely create a conflict of interest. Especially if the new account were willing to guaranteed monthly budget that exceeds the original account. This could also create a whole new set of problems and the SEO consultant. He or she would be expected to catch that original advertiser and eventually surpass and out perform the original account. I hope that makes sense?
Comment by Doug B. — February 26, 2008 @ 9:09 pm
Doug, you hit it right on the head. One SEO competing for the same keywords for two different accounts would cause some major problems. Better just to pass off that job to another SEO firm (and maybe get a kickback!).
Comment by Will — February 27, 2008 @ 8:04 am
I don’t see how you could possibly not require a non-compete… If I found out my SEO was working within the same industry I think I would flip, the possibilities for gaming are too lucrative.
Comment by George — February 27, 2008 @ 12:48 pm