The internet has completely changed the way in which business is done across almost every single industry. And nowadays, it’s vital for businesses of all kinds to have some sort of online presence, with the vast majority of companies setting up their own websites in order to generate leads, make sales, and build their brand online.
A business website can be a powerful marketing tool, but you have to get people to visit it, and one of the best ways to do this is via SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization. The term covers a range of techniques and practices that are used to elevate a site or business in Google’s online search results, with the main aim being to help the site appear on the first pages of results and get the most clicks.
The High Risk SEO IndustryBefore we look at what SEO merchant accounts are and how they work, let’s look at an introduction to the SEO industry. This is an entire industry built on the concept of using different methods to make websites and web pages appear more prominently in Google search results, leading to more organic website traffic, more leads, more sales, and more profits for companies.
SEO can involve a wide range of techniques, such as content creation and keyword optimization, which is mainly focused on creating content with keywords and phrases to help a site be seen as a trusted, authoritative source by Google’s algorithms. And it takes a lot of knowledge and specialist skills to put together an effective SEO campaign.
The best SEO firms are able to create campaigns that really work, helping various clients, from small businesses and startups to big brand enterprises become more visible and more easily found on Google to out-perform their rivals and become industry leaders in their respective fields.
In order to understand what an SEO merchant account is and how it works, it’s important to have a general understanding of merchant accounts. These accounts are used by all kinds of businesses, from online retailers to food and drink companies, and they’re vital for any kind of business that offers goods or services for sale online.
In simple terms, a merchant account makes it possible for a business to receive electronic card payments. So, with an SEO merchant account, your customers and clients will be able to send you money via their cards to pay for the services you provide. That money is processed in the merchant account before continuing through to your primary business account.
Essentially, the SEO merchant account serves as the “middleman” for the transaction, facilitating the payment and carrying the money from customer to business. Without these kinds of accounts, it’s impossible to accept any kind of credit or debit card payment online or over the phone, and this can make it very hard to do business.
This is especially true in the SEO industry, as a lot of SEO work is bought and sold online. People want to be able to buy SEO services conveniently with their cards, so it’s up to businesses to make sure they have SEO merchant accounts in place to accept those payments. Otherwise, you may find that your target clients look elsewhere for the services they need.
Now that we’ve seen what SEO merchant accounts are and how they work, it’s clear to see that you need one if you want to run an SEO business. However, getting these SEO merchant accounts isn’t always easy. In fact, a lot of banks and financial institutions will refuse to offer merchant services to businesses involved in the SEO industry.
Why is this? The main reason is that the SEO industry is classed as a “high risk” industry. There are all kinds of high risk industries out there, from the more obvious examples like the firearms and vape industries to those that are less obvious, like the travel industry, certain types of marketing, and the SEO industry, too.
What makes the world of SEO so risky and SEO merchant accounts so hard to get? The main issue is chargebacks. A chargeback is when a cardholder requests to have a card payment refunded. There can be various reasons for this. They might have buyers remorse, they might be engaging in fraud, or they might not be satisfied with the level of service they paid for.
This often happens in the SEO industry because some SEO companies promise to raise a site’s rankings in a set amount of time and request up-front payment, but then fail to deliver. This leads to unhappy customers, chargeback initiations, and lots of fees and hassle for the bank or payment processor involved in the transaction. And that’s why, more often than not, banks prefer to avoid SEO businesses and won’t offer SEO merchant accounts.
Experts in high risk industry and high risk payment processing, Shark Processing is an industry leader when it comes to matching high risk businesses with the merchant accounts and services they require. So, even if your regular bank says no, we can help you find another reputable bank or payment processor that will say yes and approve your request for an SEO merchant account.
We’ll help you get the best SEO merchant account to meet the specific needs and situation of your business, allowing you to move into the SEO industry easily and quickly, with no unnecessary delays or costly fees. Get in touch with the Shark Processing team today to find out more about how we can help you get your own SEO merchant account.
