Since the number of small businesses adopting digital marketing strategies is growing, search engine optimisation (SEO) consulting has emerged as a lucrative business niche for SEO experts. Even though almost every website needs to be promoted and optimised online, finding SEO clients is difficult due to the growing competition in this market. Below are some really helpful tips on where to start with SEO and how to effectively find customers.
1. Focus on a Niche
An obvious way to find more SEO clients is to focus on a particular niche. Select an area you understand better than others (for example, beauty products, personal finance, car parts, etc.). The niche you want to focus on should preferably be the one you have already worked in. You should not be afraid that choosing a specific product or services area will limit the number of potential clients. On the contrary, targeted and selected clients will be better impressed by your expertise, tailored services and expert advice.
2. Find the Prospects
Finding good prospects is an important initial step in attracting SEO clients. You can search for potential clients through various channels, including email marketing, online forums, personal references, and business-related websites. There will be a number of site owners complaining about the penalties imposed by Google on their websites and the impact of the latest algorithm updates on their search volumes. You can directly contact these site owners and explain how you can help them. Composing your own email list is a good way to manage all prospects for your SEO service.
3. Interact with Prospects
Once you have identified your prospects, start interacting with them intensively. Cold calls can be made after the potential clients are shortlisted. However, do not forget to collect their consent before you contact them. Offer a freebie to smoothen the relationship. One of the best freebies that can be offered to a prospect is a free SEO report on their website. This service will elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of the target site but not necessarily the ways to improve it. After the first contact is established, start interacting with your prospects regularly until they are converted into customers.
4. Educate Your Clients
Even regular clients should be educated regarding the services you offer. SEO is a complex art that constantly evolves. Many of your clients running their own businesses will not understand the importance of investing in SEO. Educating clients involves letting them know what efforts you are going to undertake for improving their site’s performance and also commenting on the results they can expect. Increasing your clients’ knowledge and awareness will help to maximise the revenue you can derive from future cooperation with them.
5. Personalise Your Services
Never offer generic services to your clients. Always personalise what you offer. Personalisation can be achieved by following a different link-building strategy for each client and offering personal reports. Try investing in SEO tools that have the option to create white-label SEO audit reports. This strategy will help your services look unique and strengthen the relationship with clients.
Finding and retaining clients is key to the long-term success of any service organisation. Following the above-listed steps will allow you to acquire life-long and high-spending clients. While new clients can be attracted easily, remember that providing an outstanding service is the only way to retain clients in the long run.
Ellie Richards is an online Marketing Manager for Original PhD, specialising in PhD Proposal writing help. She is passionate about researching and writing on various topics, including Education, Marketing, and Technology.
