If clents can't or will not follow advice, it is often the beginning of the end.

One reason I am an entrpreneur is because job satifaction is HUGE.

Getting money in the bank is no small matter. But doing so with staisfaction and enthusiasm rather than frustration and reluctance is so very important to me.

So what do I do when it is obvious a client and I are not on the same page? I rarely “fire” them as many in our industry like to posture. I try to make it work, but I do so with the attitude that the client is probably a short timer.

-Tom Hale

I think I see both sides.

As I said before, if a client doesn't value my advice, it is usually the beginning of the end.

But I am also aware that thinking along those lines can lead to arrogance and bad attitude.

There is a balance somewhere.

One thing I am sure of, in Search Marketing, if you take a “customer is always right” attitude - both vendor and client are going to suffer.

When you are a professional, you have to have the backbone to stand up to your client when you think they are hurting themselves.

Taking their money until they self-destruct is not the professional high-road.

-Tom Hale

AdWords Specialist 

We had a client with similar problems. As mentioned before some clients will need to be short term to save your own sanity. I spent a lot of time explaining in detailed email and phone conversations about what we were providing and detailed reports to no avail. More questions and often the same questions too, over and over. In this case the client seemed satisfied one moment and freaking out the next. In fact they were improving but just didn't understand the results from our reports. It wasn't from a lack of educating the client however. Between no response to my emails to too much response it became very wearing over time. I know it can be pretty frustrating dealing with this type of client.

Have you worked directly with their web developer to help make changes to the website or is it all on you to incorporate the source code to their website? Sometimes a web developer or other web team member can make changes directly for you if the higher ups seem confused with the information you give them. Finding someone on the client team who can either move the work forward on their side or advocate for you may be helpful. If you can't post on their current blog would they let you build another one separate from the website so you have the posting control?

Focusing on the parts of your campaign where you can succeed may help to ease the frustration.

I can see how frustrating this would be, especially considering that said client has sought you out for professional SEO services and advice that they're disregarding. The economy has caused companies to cut back on, and even back out of, hiring external parties to provide professional services. Is the relationship with a client that can afford your services at this point in time worth maintaining? It's easy and convenient to keep collecting from them, but maybe it's not worth the time and effort if they're barely taking your advice to begin with.

With Internet Marketing on the rise as a result of it's affordability, I wouldn't be surprised if you find another client, perhaps in the same industry. Then again, severing ties with this stubborn client might not be the greatest move; if they don't acknowledge your work, they could be in the mindset that you haven't done much for them, when in reality it's quite the opposite.

I guess it's just a matter of time or money.

Sometimes its really easy to get caught up in internet marketing land, when with some clients, the majority of their new business does not come from the internet, and thus they view it as a one element in their marketing strategy.

I have a couple clients that don't really follow thru on marketing ideas, but they appreciate that I'm available when they want to try out a new technique or add to their web marketing.