Would you SEO for a competitor of your customer [Archive]

Dawg

18th June 2009, 17:10

I'm not sure it would be quite kosher, and the fact you are asking suggests you might agree.
However all sorts of other considerations come into play, does the existing client plan to use you again (if they aren't on a rolling contract)? Does the new client have remarkable bodily appendages, a huge bank balance and a certain loss of control in your presence?

Overall it's probably a good way of losing one client and not really installing trust and respect in another. Apart from those old fashioned ethics...

Digital8

18th June 2009, 18:26

Personally i see no problem,

for example one of my clients sells lampshades in northampton. but if someone came along and sold lampshades in essex the chances are i would take it. its good business sense, extra work, i know that the market can be worked easily, and the two won't be complaining because they are both working in different counties.

if they were both selling online then mabe...

adventurelife

18th June 2009, 18:46

There has to be a conflict of interest if the two clients are in direct competion.

IainW

18th June 2009, 19:43

If the competitors were in different regions and you were optimising for local searches then thats OK, however for the bigger keywords and phrases where locality doesn't come into it and keywords are the same then there is direct conflict and I think you would be skating on thin ice with your current client.

Iain

sirearl

18th June 2009, 19:54

I think you will find its an unwritten rule amongst the more ethical SEO's that they do not take on clients in the same market place in general.

Earl

32cardinalpoints

18th June 2009, 21:15

A good point you have raised about taking on SEO for one of your customer's competitors. It really depends on their targeted area and the keywords or phrases and if it is the same you could be taking a gamble. If they both find out that you are responsible for their SEO - you could end up with egg on your face.

i do know of SEO companies (one in particular) who will take two clients on based in the same area and industry competing for the same keywords or phrases.

david64

18th June 2009, 21:25

If the relation was bad with the current client, i.e. they were the they of client who expect you to do loads of free work for them and give them continual free advice and support, I would consider it.

There is one web dev/seo company that will not only take on clients in the same field, but they will take on clients that compete with their own sites - and not just on one occcasion. It will not be long until one of them gets an honary degree in business ethics from the Slough-Winnersh Polytechnic.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Bradley_Whitford.jpg

Scott-CopyandDesign

18th June 2009, 21:52

Do you take on an SEO project/campaign with a competitor of one of your customers?
Some SEO agencies do where as others don't, whats your take on it?

Iain

Yep, it's a conflict of interest.

For sales copy I'd only go as far as taking on two clients who are selling the same thing but in different areas (therefore not really competition). If anyone is in direct competition then I won't take the project up.

IainW

18th June 2009, 22:05

It good to see this response and exactly what I was hopeing for, I was thinking that a few may think, sod it, it's money I'll take on anyone.

A few years back I contacted a company to redesign my website for one of my businesses, I liked a website that they had done on one of my main competitors, I asked if it was a problem and they said no, we'll even SEO it for you as well.

Cheers Guys

Iain

OldWelshGuy

18th June 2009, 22:44

if the question is 'would you work for more than one company in the same business?' then my answer would be YES, with the premission of the original client. If the question is 'would you work with competing businesses'? Then the answer is NO!

I do work for more than one client in the same industry, but this is so they can between them completely dominate the first page for their local search. They pass work back and for between each other, so whilst competitors, I have got them collaborating to compete. They have effectively sewn the market up.

I don't see how you can work for competing clients without a conflict of interests as information gleaned from one client can be applied to the other.

Simple answer then from me is Nope, :)

Tin

18th June 2009, 22:59

OWG has summed it up really, it would be a conflict of interest if they were competing. I have had to politely refuse business on several occasions where I felt that it would be unethical.

Ray

sirearl

19th June 2009, 08:01

Just to add a bit to what my comrades in arms have said an assualt on the throne is usually an all out effort maybe using several sites and requiring 100% concentration.

For me trying to split my meager resources between 2 different competing companies would probably end up in a half hearted confused attempt for both parties.

also bearing in mind there can only be one winner,who do you choose.?

I am sure the larger SEO companies take on conflicting interest sites as they will in general take on all and saundry.

I suspect this is all the more reason that in general you are much better off using a one man band of a small SEO company than a large conglomerate.

As my experience says that you need one brain controlling the whole SEO for any given site.?

Earl

edmondscommerce

19th June 2009, 08:39

I would never plan to take on any clients for whatever services if they were in direct competition.

If they were in the same marketplace but each had their own niches then I would be up front with both clients about the potential conflict of interests. The current client would basically have the right to say "no i'm not comfortable with that" and that would be the end of it.

It's never happened to me though. The closest I have come is one client who ended up setting up a wholesale agreement with another client but this was after they had both been my clients for a while. As soon as I found out I explained the situation to both of them and they were both happy with that.

What I am saying is, whatever you do make sure you are totally up front and transparent with your clients about what you are doing if it in any way has a chance of impacting on them.

The trusting relationship you build up with your clients is priceless and I would never do anything to jeopardise that.

los_design

19th June 2009, 08:58

Do you take on an SEO project/campaign with a competitor of one of your customers?
Some SEO agencies do where as others don't, whats your take on it?

Iain
No.

Our conflict of interest clause in the web maintenance contract forbids this. However, this obviously only applies to live contracts ;)

admagic

19th June 2009, 09:05

It is a difficult situation for consultants in general and should be tackled straight on in terms and conditions - point out your do's and donts in ADVANCE, and let the client decide whether to engage you on the basis of stated terms - and specific stated restrictions

Dont let it beome an ad hoc decision

One problem consultants face is that industry knowledge is important , and the client does not pay for you to acquire the knowledge , so sould not claim any lien on it, much as some of the bigger SMEs/blue chips sometimes try to do that in contracts.

JackMaurer

19th June 2009, 09:08

Do you take on an SEO project/campaign with a competitor of one of your customers?
Some SEO agencies do where as others don't, whats your take on it?

Iain

Yes, The internet is big enough for the 2 of them, and business is business.

My policy is to not represent 2 of the same business in the same town, that way there is no conflict of interest.

The Dreaded Lurgy

19th June 2009, 09:09

I don't see how you can work for competing clients without a conflict of interests as information gleaned from one client can be applied to the other.

If you got useful info from both and in turn used iton each others sites then that greater knowledge base could give both clients a better result than just one client would have got, couldn't you?

snowy

19th June 2009, 10:18

We had an SEO company cold call us. Their unique selling point was they had got two of our competitors to number one (for the same keywords) and could do the same for us. I asked them how three people could share the number one spot and they put the phone down on me.

Ali-v-8

19th June 2009, 12:18

I'm a bit side ways on this one.
Some industries you can get away with marketing two companies. (four positions on page one.)
But if i get a call for an industry that an existing client is in then i ask the existing his thoughts on the matter.
Another thing is if a client asks me to work exclusively with them then they should be willing to pay for that.
Its all about how much the industry is worth.

Ali-v-8

19th June 2009, 12:20

Oh and that is to get to page one not position 1

SEO Positive

20th June 2009, 12:50

My take on this.

I think it is ok in the same industry, as long as they are competing for different keywords.

for example: Finance Industry:

CUSTOMER 1. homeowner loans, secured loans, unsecured loans.
CUSTOMER 2. bridging finance, leasehold finance, commercial finance.

But I agree that there is a conflict of interest if you worked on 2 or more sites that are competing for "Secured loans" or any other keyword for that matter.

Just my take.

webpromoterservice

20th June 2009, 13:23

generally not a very good idea.if they are direct competitors,then you will have to think hard before you take on the new job.
If your client finds out you have taken on a rival and not told them,it could create problems for you and tarnish your reputation.

Ali-v-8

22nd June 2009, 10:44