It has famously been said that there are three things we don’t know:
- The things we know we don’t know
- The things we don’t know we know
- The things we don’t know we don’t know
And we wonder why others say “ignorance is bliss!”
In the world of web marketing, SEOs often feel like they have to know everything at all times. In fact, it would be fair to say that clients, rightfully, expect their SEOs to have the answers to pertinent web marketing and technologically related questions.
But sometimes it’s okay to simply admit what you don’t know. I think this is something clients can understand and respect. For the most part, I think clients would rather work with someone who can find the answers than one who pretends to know it all, or worse, risks giving the wrong answer just to be right.
In the client/SEO relationship, this swings both ways. I’ve seen case after case of clients discounting the web marketer’s advice for a variety of reasons. Usually it comes down to preferences rather than actual data.
It’s important to realize that each side not only has their strengths, but to recognize our own weaknesses. The Web Marketer / Client relationship is nothing less than a partnership. But that partnership starts with acknowledging your own ignorance–for lack of a better word–allowing each party to bring their strengths for a more successful web marketing campaign.