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How Should The Owner Of A Small SEO Firm Spend Their Time?

by jasonsluck
10 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Hey everyone,
I'm in a position in my SEO business where I have a dedicated team of seo people. Link builders, content writers, etc. Previously I have spent a lot of my time performing these various tasks, however now I handle more of the management tasks and advanced seo a client needs. Bottom line, I need to get more business for my company and I need to spend my time more wisely and more effectively.

I'm just wondering how other SEO Business owners spent their time on a typical day? One thing I know for sure is that a lot of time needs to be spent prospecting, selling and drumming up business. I feel that the following duties are where a lot of a business owners time should be spent:

  • Promoting myself and my knowledge through guest blogging, articles, etc.
  • Conducing Webinars to teach prospects, etc about seo and other topics I specialize in.
  • Focusing on crafting effective lead nurturing and email campaigns and also optimizing them.
  • Monitoring and optimizing company website on page traffic via heat maps, and other analytical tools.
  • Staying up to date on the latest google algorithm updates, and what the top seo authorities are talking about.
  • Prospecting New business via the various preferred channels online and offline.
  • Actively optimizing and ranking company site for targeted keywords.
What do you guys think? Anything you can add? If you can recommend any websites, resources or books that focus on this subject I would appreciate. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Again the take away question is: How should a small business owner of an seo firm spend their time so they can get more customers and business?
#firm #owner #seo #small #spend #time
  • Profile picture of the author jasonsluck
    Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    Pick up the phone and start calling business owners. Most people are afraid to do that though.
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    • Profile picture of the author reliableplaces
      make sales. Once you start making sales, word of mouth spreads, you start building up your professional side, and you're good. But without sales, you have no money coming in, making trying to do all that other stuff kind of pointless. If you want, we are selling some of our SEO leads, I'd be happy to hook you up, PM me
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

      Pick up the phone and start calling business owners. Most people are afraid to do that though.
      Hmmmmm. OP says he has a "team" of SEO "people."

      I'd say before having a "team" of "SEO" people, figure
      this stuff out.

      In fact, wouldn't the first place to ask this
      question be your "team" of "SEO" people?

      In fact, all the stuff you list should be done by
      your "SEO Team." If your "team" is not:
      "Staying up to date on the latest google algorithm updates, and what the top seo authorities are talking about."

      Fire them and don't have an SEO "company."

      Paul
      Signature

      If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Get on Google & search for individual US State business license databases, I would only look at the new business license first (not license renewals).

    Then do like MikeFriedman said & get on the phone.

    A lot of small business fail in their first year or two of doing business, they need traffic ASAP.


    Originally Posted by jasonsluck View Post

    Hey everyone,
    I'm in a position in my SEO business where I have a dedicated team of seo people. Link builders, content writers, etc. Previously I have spent a lot of my time performing these various tasks, however now I handle more of the management tasks and advanced seo a client needs. Bottom line, I need to get more business for my company and I need to spend my time more wisely and more effectively.

    I'm just wondering how other SEO Business owners spent their time on a typical day? One thing I know for sure is that a lot of time needs to be spent prospecting, selling and drumming up business. I feel that the following duties are where a lot of a business owners time should be spent:

    • Promoting myself and my knowledge through guest blogging, articles, etc.
    • Conducing Webinars to teach prospects, etc about seo and other topics I specialize in.
    • Focusing on crafting effective lead nurturing and email campaigns and also optimizing them.
    • Monitoring and optimizing company website on page traffic via heat maps, and other analytical tools.
    • Staying up to date on the latest google algorithm updates, and what the top seo authorities are talking about.
    • Prospecting New business via the various preferred channels online and offline.
    • Actively optimizing and ranking company site for targeted keywords.
    What do you guys think? Anything you can add? If you can recommend any websites, resources or books that focus on this subject I would appreciate. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Again the take away question is: How should a small business owner of an seo firm spend their time so they can get more customers and business?
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Get on Google & search for individual US State business license databases, I would only look at the new business license first (not license renewals).

      Then do like MikeFriedman said & get on the phone.

      A lot of small business fail in their first year or two of doing business, they need traffic ASAP.
      I don't disagree with Yukon often, but when I do, I drink... Oh wait, nevermind.

      I would be careful in putting too much effort in prospecting startup businesses. At least in the United States, far too many people start businesses with very little capital in reserve. That is a large part of the reason so many startups fail.

      Unless you are offering SEO at Wal-Mart prices, you may find it hard to find startups that are willing to spend much money. Now they by all means should, but that doesn't mean they will.

      I prefer finding established businesses, especially sales related. Look in the newspaper and telephone book for businesses that are spending a lot of money on print advertising, but have horrible rankings.

      You know they have the advertising budget, so they cannot give you the BS "I cannot afford it" excuse. Local customer tried that one on me 3 years ago. I whipped out the Sunday paper with their full page ad and asked how much that cost. The one ad cost more than what I was quoting them for monthly SEO.
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      • Profile picture of the author jordyhill
        Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

        You know they have the advertising budget, so they cannot give you the BS "I cannot afford it" excuse. Local customer tried that one on me 3 years ago. I whipped out the Sunday paper with their full page ad and asked how much that cost. The one ad cost more than what I was quoting them for monthly SEO.
        This was how I got my start with local business SEO...I worked my way through the Sunday papers and made a note of all the local places that had at least a quarter page ad. Though I called into their premises cos its too easy to fob people off on the phone!
        Mike is spot on...there is no excuse when you have the evidence in black and white. Full colour? That costs even more!
        Signature
        Total Web Solutions << Does what it says in the anchor text!
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  • Profile picture of the author DNAWRealm
    Banned
    Call small companies that wouldn't have heard of SEO.
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  • Profile picture of the author BeckM2
    1. Concede that at this point you are not going to compete for "seo my area" keywords.
    2. Work the phones like a madman.
    3. Get involved in the community. Join the chamber of commerce, participate in the towns fairs, get a booth at the local community fairs, sponsor a parade, write an article i the newspaper's "tech" section, give a free seminar at the library (watch out for commercial use at the library issues), find a niche that you KNOW and can relate to.
    4. Get tons of testimonials.
    5. Hook up with a larger company for the short term so they can provide you with steady work as you and your team grow. If you have a team in place ,maybe there are some SEO companies out there looking to have a "second group" for SEO work outsourcing.
    6. SEO IMHO is a very personalized experience and is time consuming in educating clients and in closing clients. That's why the real-life offline things in #5 can be so successful.

    Good luck!
    Signature
    Short Hills Design, LLC
    Internet Marketing for Dentists and Physicians
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  • Profile picture of the author nik0
    Banned
    I have the same problem, I have an SEO company and a team of people that do all the hard labour and I only take care of the organizing of things, then I found that I had a ton of time left so I started to post a ton on IM forums to get my name out, and people see my sig link obvious so that automatically means more business.

    But there is also an alternative way to fill in your time, as posting on forums gets boring, for example you could go to a tropical country and get drunk & laid every day :p
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