30 replies to this topic

[Mr J.]

For the past 1.5 years I have started 2 sites and a blog and have had moderate success with them. I have learned a lot about SEO, Internet Marketing and the like. Additionally, I have over 10 years experience developing web applications.

At what point could I start offering should I start offering SEO type services to customers. Right now my full time job is Information Security and see some similarities between the two industries.

For starters I am thinking about offering keyword analysis to customers.

What do you think, how did you get started?

[Scottie]

Welcome, Mr J!

If you feel you have a good handle on things, you can start whenever you like- you just have to convince potential clients that you know what you are doing.

Personally, I did usability, copywriting and project management with a web design firm and when it closed down, I started my own consulting company- a lot of SEO was just common sense to me so it wasn't hard to add SEO into the mix.

[Alex Choo]

Mr J.

May I suggest that you provide a packaged service? Because peopel who need to enlist your help probably need more than keyword analysis.

Since SEO is not a one shot event, you'll be able to give more value by providing a comprehensive set of services. You do not have to be a super expert in any of then, but it's be good if you know quite a bit of each. However, your packaged service needs to reflect that you know exactly what you're doing.

Offering a money back guarantee will set you apart from others.

Good luck!

[SEMMatt]

What are some of the other services in the package? Just curious...

Matt

[BlueSky]

Personally, I did usability, copywriting and project management with a web design firm and when it closed down, I started my own consulting company- a lot of SEO was just common sense to me so it wasn't hard to add SEO into the mix.

Hmmm. SEO might be just common sense, and I sometimes feel like I would be ok doing SEO too (just doing PPC/SEM now), at least on smaller projects.

BUT, there is a big difference between good SEO and GREAT SEO. If the original poster can deliver the goods, then go for it!

I just had an experience with a large and well known SEO company. This company wrote a report on how the client's website could be crawled (which was pretty much obvious, anyway), and wanted to get on with a PPC campaign (surprise, surprise...). They skipped right over the real SEO work to grab some PPC business. In that context, the client would have been better off with *any* SEO help compared to what they got.

[adybee]

What do you think, how did you get started?

Have you got a website that promotes your SEO skills? This could be a good starting point especially of you are being found for particular key terms regularly.
It's important that you have some case studies somewhere that show your worth. Concentrate on the financial benefits of SEO to a client - after all most clients are only interested in making more money and promoting a new business or services. If you can prove that by using your services they will make more money they will obviously show some interest.

You need to put some form of modular package together not just offer KWA. Break down all your various SEO services (by time/ cost) and then add them up into different packages. For example you could offer different levels of KW research depending on budget, different levels of auditing, different levels of link building ( 1 day per month, 2 days etc.), different levels service for PPC. You may find that smaller clients may only be able to afford certain services and may come back to you later if they have had some success. Offer total visibility on your costs (if it may cost more - factor this in or prompt the client extra costs may be incurred in the proposal) - there's nothing worse than giving a client a quote and then telling them it's gonna cost more.

But whatever you do don't promise clients #1 rankings even if you're 100% sure you can deliver - I'm sure everyone here has fell for this in the past and it just leads to bad feeling with the client when their expectations aren't met. As I said stress the importance of generating traffic to the site and converting this traffic into happy paying customers.

Tell clients the truth - if a site is poorly designed or built no matter how hard you work on the SEO conversion rates will be poor. Start from the bottom up - if site design is required offer a full audit and seo recommendations. Explain why this is needed and how this will help the business in the future.

Don't be afraid to pass on clients too - you'll get a gut feeling when things aren't right - some clients see SEO as a free way to build a business and generate incomes. Consequently they are reluctant to spend money to promote their business - you'll get enquiries such as "I've got £30 to spend per month... ok so you want to spend half an hour on your seo per month in order to get a good Return On Investment". Anyone know if a business where you get that sort of ROI pls get in touch.

Sorry if some of this sounds negative but look at it this way when you get SEO right and a client comes back with recommendations it's great!

[jdenver]

For what its worth, its always better to get started sooner than later.

A great kick-off would be to throw together a free ebook on SEO. One that really talks you up, offers some free information (but no secrets) and gives the reader a feeling that if they really want SEO done right, they should go to the expert: the person who wrote the ebook. You domain should be written on the cover.

[Jill]

An ebook written by someone with no experience?

That sounds kinda sleazy if ya ask me.

[jdenver]

Since when are their requirements to write an eBook?

You write it, and if people find value in it, it becomes popular. People will share the resource.

As long as you take your time to thoroughly research what you're writing, who cares how much experience you have?

[Jill]

As long as you take your time to thoroughly research what you're writing, who cares how much experience you have?

As long as you cite your sources in the ebook to which you learned how to write by researching, then I for one wouldn't care.

But if you know nothing about a topic, then read about it from others, then pretend to be an expert and write an ebook on it without giving your sources credit, then I for one WOULD care.

[truedesign4u]

While I am a newer member here I actually found this post while searching the net and thought I would register to this great forum and chime in

In my experience about 4 years of SEO work and 8+ in web design, it is best to start by doing your own websites and projects. After I had around 3-4 successful websites under my belt and I knew what worked and what did not, I was then able to easily apply the same techniques to my customers websites and before I knew it I was getting paid to do soley SEO to customer websites.

SEO has many parts in that its not just On Page SEO as it once was, now you need other things to help your site along. Tons of those things are mentioned through this forum and others so I am sure that you can find this info with a quick search!

I hope this helps you out, have a good one!

[1dmf]

offers some free information (but no secrets)

What secrets? there are no secrets are there? All you have to do is google for 'search engine ranking' and you find a sea of information, including this site, who will tell you anything you wish to know.

Unless you are saying there are some secrets HR aren't telling us about, come on , spill the beans

[torka]

Well, this one used to be a secret, until ISOS spilled the beans:

Trapezoidal Linking Matriflux™ With PHP®

--Torka

[Hyperformance]

You told them the secret?

That the Art is in the Application?

Oh no! The forum is finished!!!!

[1dmf]

Trapezoidal what?, didn't even understand the info about the book, let alone the equation, hmmm, me thinks the secret is still safe when it comes to me understanding it, let alone implementing it - lol