Ethics - When It Comes To Former Clients
I suggested he get the guy who sold him the backlinks to remove them, then pay me to bring him back up.
He thought I was ridiculous. He'd already paid to have me move him to the top of page 1! Why would he pay again?
I said, Because I have to do the work all over again.
He didn't say anything.
Today (3 months later), Google tells me alerts me to his site url being indexed. I look. Turns out, he's hired someone else to do what I said needed to be done... Their style is different... I went mainly after Chicago + keyword. They're going mainly after Chicago-suburb + keyword. One of the 4 suburbs they're going for is in his domain name, with the keyword next to him. He was ranking #1 for that without seo, just because of that.
Anyway, my wife thinks I should find me another client in the same area, and go for it, I owe him nothing. She's been after me to do this ever since he stopped paying: If he's not paying for those keywords, you're free to use them.
I figured, meh! There are plenty of other business types out there. But, now that he's hired someone to do what he was not willing to pay me, I'm pissed off. First, he didn't even say, Hey, I'm going to hire someone else to do it. B) They're doing what I said needed to be done. C)They've redesigned the site (added rotated images, among other things), changed my sales letters around a bit (weakening them.. They moved the call to action to above the fold though it's not an earned position, it doesn't belong there logically, we've tested it and it flopped in that position (I mean, 0% people called or filled out the form kind of flopping).
While working with him, I found out that he really, really hates one of his competitors (the company that trained him when he started out). Pre-Panda, Penguin, they had the 3-5th positions of every imaginable keyword my guy wanted to rank for. Now, they've disappeared. So, I had the notion of suggesting to them that I SEO their site. Everything else remains the same, I can have them be #1 within 6 weeks for pretty much every keyword.
The SEO company my client's hired to do what I said needed to be done (but he wouldn't pay me to do) has 20 keywords in the footer, nicely aligned. They're that kind of SEO company. The pages that made for him, go like this:
Page Title:
Keyword 1 | Keyword 2 | Keyword 3 | Keyword 4
Without the proper quantity of 'keyword 1', your company could possible be in jeopardy! X Company, a "keyword 2" provides its clients with a wide-variety of "keyword 2" products unlike any other "keyword 3." Contrary to other "keyword 4, misspelled badly", X Company continues to be on the look out for deals. That is because we want to offer you the best discounts of "keyword 1." We noticed that doing this helps our customers always get the best "keyword 1" at the lowest possible price. We have the advantage that we are experts when it comes to "keyword 5" because we happen to be located in Suburb X of City Y. For that reason, we understand better that fear City Y business owners face and we know how to 'root of keyword' against them happening. Our people pride themselves in devoting in directing into your company’s specific desires to helping finding the exceptional "keyword 1" for your peculiar budgeted requirement. Over the past month, Company X has helped a chunk of suburb x businesses find needed "keyword 1." We can help you with Company X.
And it goes on like that, stuffing keywords and synonyms that don't quite make sense.
So, the long of it: should I do it? Should I offer the hated guy my services, then go to my x-client and point out to him that I brought his rival to the top?
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@ThomasPaul
We have an agreement, me and my ex-client, that specified that he will do nothing to his website without my approval, or else I can stop working on his site (but any money paid remains with me).
Contract only required me to get him 2 times the clients he'd been getting off the internet. I got him 5 times more. So, contractually, I'm in great shape.
@Thomas Paul: No contractual anything about keeping links. I've never had a client walk away, so I don't know what the protocol is. I'm like my friend 30 years ago who 2 days after breaking up with his girlfriend (he was 16), asked me how long does he have to wait till he asks her sister out.
lol, that's a pretty good analogy. I was thinking at the very least you know what to do in the future with new clients. Make sure that you emphasize that they're paying you for the SEO services you perform and not a #1 ranking. Also, that they should consult with you before doing anything drastic like the other guy did that might have an impact on their rankings.
Update. The new SEO company put out 19 more pages. They cover 4 keywords (products). They made a page for each of the 4 suburbs they're targeting, ending up with 1 original article and 4 spun versions per keyword. Decent spinning but it looks wrong: accidents happen sometimes becomes accidents transpire again... that kind of thing.
Now, I have to watch to see what, if anything, Google does with the spun content.
Although I agree with the notion that there's nothing wrong with trying to outrank him or work for competitors I personally would probably just avoid the situation. It seems like you have a lot of negative energy on him and the situation. Getting into a pissing match with him would probably just worsen the negative feelings. I would just focus my energy on other endeavors that created a positive mindset.
With that being said, if you can be positive for ranking those keywords and it's something you would enjoy doing for other reasons other than "getting him back" then go for it. Otherwise I would just move on and forget about it.
I'm indifferent to him. I'm amazed that he had problems paying me to get him back but not someone else, who's charging him a lot more than I was. I gave him huge discounts because he was the first in his industry I worked with.
I re-read what I wrote, and it does come like I got negative feelings.
But he ranked, and is going to rank again (now that Google removed the penalty) for some keywords. He is going to rank because I gave him links from my personal sites. If I start working with someone else, I'm going to give them links from my personal sites. It''ll work better if I remove the old links.
My option would be to either persuade businesses local to my client, or move a few suburbs away and get people there. If I stay in the same area, same business, his main competitor is the most active (in marketing terms)... a good choice, seeing that he spends already.
I guess, my real question is: I got him ranking with private links. Do I owe him to leave these links alone? I did tell him once that, without monthly SEO, his pages will disappear from page one, and not because I will remove links I created.
I'd say unless you have a contractual obligation where you said the links on your private sites would remain linked permanently to his site regardless of if he is still paying for your services or not, then I would say you don't owe him anything. It's your sites you do whatever you want with them, link to whoever you want to link to.
As my father used to say, "don't fight over a mud puddle with a pig. You'll wind up a big ol' exhausted mess, and the pig will have a wonderful time."
He had a more colorful version which began "Don't get into a pissing contest with a skunk..."
Reefswimmer, long time no hear. You're right. But it's not about revenge... It's about: I've already done it once, I can do it again without much effort. His main competitor, and the guy he hates, spends on advertising, so he'd be easier to convince than others. I got him to the top with private links: can I remove them and give them to someone else?
Are you asking "should I see revenge?" I think that would be a negative for you. If you work for another customer that interferes with the previous customer, then, you need feel no guilt. But, with revenge, there is always the feeling of guilt and bad memories. You will never lose by taking the high road and keeping your karma intact. Treat it as one of the many lessons of life.
Whatever makes you happy. If you would feel satisfied by bumping his hated competitor up the ranks go for it. If you are happy washing your hands and moving on then just go that route. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer, it is merely what you decide to do.
Another possibility would be to rank a new site you make and list a few of his competitors as options, don't list his business. Get it to rank #1 and contact him showing what you have done. You cold then contact other business to rent or buy positioning on your site.
The thought crossed my mind. Except with the following variation: I get 3 sites to rank in the top 6 positions for every keyword. Because, then, I've got me some prime real estate to rent out.
Absolutely! And, I would send him an e-mail indicating that due to his lack of ethics and the loss of his business you were forced to work for his rival. (After they outrank him). Indicate that you could have done the work for him but that you were forced due to the economy to take their business. If he wants to reinstate his relationship, double the cost.
I know that local terms rank easily so the new Google updates probably won't hurt him too badly but it would be surprising to see these keyword stuffed pages remain in the rankings.
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Do whatever is going to earn you money. Like you said, you don't owe the first guy anything. And if someone will hire you, do the job for them, simple as.