I don't actually do any SEO work for the people asking for help - I simply give them advice and suggestions on how to improve their sites. You are right about

I don't actually do any SEO work for the people asking for help - I simply give them advice and suggestions on how to improve their sites. You are right about publicly admitting to have used SEO. A lot of my clients have requested NDAs, but some haven't. Unfortunately for them, admitting to have used SEO in their minds devalues the company.