The very smart Sarah Bird at SEOmoz has recently blogged about the importance of managing client expectations when working in this area. She says that it's normal for people to overpromise and underdeliver. If you run into a client who has extremely high expectations, what are you to do when they aren't getting what they want?
She says that it's important to have something in writing (a warranty):
Including solid warranty language in your client contracts serves two important purposes. First, it helps manage client expectations. Clients forget and/or misinterpret verbal conversations. If it is written down, your client is more likely to remember that you didn't promise the moon and the stars. Thus, your client will be less upset on the day their rankings drop by five results for no apparent reason.
This is a great way to manage expectations and keep yourself out of any possible legal entanglement.
If you manage SEO clients at all or operate a consulting business, this jargon is very important and it can make sure you have covered yourself in the event of any problems.
Forum discussion continues at Sphinn.
