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How do you find SEO clients?

by BenWesty
21 replies
  • SEO
    • |
So I first got into SEO about 4 years ago. Since then I have been working with clients to help grow their businesses, and it has been pretty successful making up over half of my total income.

But I have always been kind of lucky finding clients. I have always focused on pure white hat SEO and have worked with people who have long term business plans. So one client could last me nearly a year. And many of my clients would then refer me to friends who then became my new clients.

However my luck has run out, and I cannot find any more clients my way. So I am looking elsewhere. I checked out the WF "Warriors for Hire" section, and it's just full to the brim of people looking for "link blasts" which will eventually turn their business to dust (I have been doing this long enough to watch it happen).

I also signed up on oDesk and applied to some jobs, but most of the jobs go to people working for $3 an hour? How can you trust your entire business in the hands of someone willing to work for that little?

One guy is looking for someone to pretty much entirely run his on-line store, something I have a lot of experience in, yet he hires a person who is willing to work for pennies. How can they see that ending well?

Anyway, my point is how do you find clients interested in good quality authentic white hat SEO, and who are willing to pay the price for it?
#clients #find #seo
  • Profile picture of the author Demetrius
    Warriors For Hire is a good section for letting the warriors know about your ability and services. I am sure you will get some good clients from here.
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  • Profile picture of the author Theeban
    You could have your own website and drive traffic from Google to it and generate sales

    Target your local area (Example : SEO consultant Denver - If you are in Denver), I am sure that really rocks, but may take some time...
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  • Profile picture of the author YourOnlyWriter
    Banned
    It's a different thing for me.
    I don't look for SEO clients.
    I give out SEO clients.

    Ha,ha.
    Perhaps, you're asking, "Why?"

    I don't offer SEO services. But most of my clients, for whom I write, are looking for SEO service providers. I have a few recommended SEO service providers in my list but they're my clients as well. So it's like I am recommending my client to another client of mine.

    Isn't that lovely? We all help one another.
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    • Profile picture of the author damongreene
      A few suggestions and questions.

      Who do you want to do SEO for? Your target. You mentioned businesses. If that is your target don't talk about SEO to them at all. As a business owner I don't care about keywords and rankings, I care about more leads/customers. This is a mistake local marketers were and have made. FOcus on what matters to the business.

      If you are crafty in SEO, setting up local lead generation pages (YOU OWN) and ranking them , pullin in leads is a great foot in the door and you control the sales process. Throw up a laning page or rank a video, connect to a lead gen form and always always use a call tracking number and as leads come in , you have PROOF you can do what you say, then sell the leads, sell the site, lease the site, whatever works for you. But YOU are the one in total control. If they don't want to pay anymore, move to their competition and lease or sell the leads to them.

      Otherwise setting up a website may work, you can also check craigslist, or backpage for SEO providers (or ones that think they offer SEO), or web designers and build a relationship with them. What I have noticed is that most the webdesigners or "marketers" on classified sites really have not REAL clue about SEO.
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  • Profile picture of the author bestdesigner
    SEO has not become competitive, but people started to reduce its value by doing it for Few Dollars, which is an insult.

    But, people who say that they will do it so cheap are not true SEO's, perhaps they are just faking around for money. But yet, there are true SEO's who achieve what they have promised irrespective of what amount they charge. If a person wants his website to be SEO'ed for few dollars, he can never get ranked, instead he can just close his business and do something else.

    People who need their website to be ranked must understand the process and its value.

    Answering your question, as always its better to have your own professional services website, providing SEO and whatever services you can offer. Get this website ranked and see SEO requests dropping in.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeFriedman
    You are only using what most people would call passive marketing. Basically, you are sitting back and waiting for customers to come to you.

    As the poster above said, you have to identify your market. Sounds like you want to work with "real" business owners, so Warrior For Hire section is not for you. You can advertise there, but most of what you will find is IM'ers looking for quality SEO work at $50-100.

    Best way to get new clients, and here is where most SEOs fail because they don't have the balls to do it, is to pick up the phone and start making phone calls or go out to businesses face-to-face in your area and try to meet with decision makers.
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    • Profile picture of the author TheFBGuy
      Originally Posted by MikeFriedman View Post

      You are only using what most people would call passive marketing. Basically, you are sitting back and waiting for customers to come to you.

      As the poster above said, you have to identify your market. Sounds like you want to work with "real" business owners, so Warrior For Hire section is not for you. You can advertise there, but most of what you will find is IM'ers looking for quality SEO work at $50-100.

      Best way to get new clients, and here is where most SEOs fail because they don't have the balls to do it, is to pick up the phone and start making phone calls or go out to businesses face-to-face in your area and try to meet with decision makers.
      Listen to this man OP.
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetMarketingSmarts
    Try forming partnerships with other professionals. For instance I've got a few clients from my financial advisor. He knows a lot of small businesses and anytime he hears someone that has issues with their website, he refers me as his go to web guy. Since his clients trust him with their money, they also trust his recommendation. I've been able to get an seo and web design client this way.

    Do this with your lawyer, accountant, web designer, etc. Leverage the assets of people who already have clients or get clients. I'm extending my network of people like this so I can get more consistent leads. But it's very powerful especially if it's people you're already a customer of or have a relationship with. Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Arshaan
    I'm not really looking for jobs but usually I get my clients from freelancer or other such websites online. You really need to explain your job and what you do when getting a job you can't just expect a client to understand that you are better. EXPLAIN IT To THEM!
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  • Profile picture of the author hck1
    Promote your services on various forums to get potential buyers.
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  • Profile picture of the author seoace
    There are a lot of methods to finding SEO clients. If you think about it, the core foundation is no different than getting a web design client, a hair saloon client, etc.

    1. Word of mouth
    2. SEO
    3. Paid Ads (PPC, PPV, Banner Ads, Text ads, etc)
    4. Forums
    5. Partnerships (as InternetMarketingSmarts mentioned above)
    6. Cold calling or cold emailing (as Mike mentioned above)
    7. Offline ads (Flyers, trade shows, etc)
    8. Affiliates
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    • Profile picture of the author bigcat1967
      I use adwords - simple enough...
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  • Profile picture of the author dennis09
    Craigslist. Contact the people looking to hire an in house SEO and offer them a subcontract deal. Comes out a lot cheaper for them vs hiring a full or even part time SEO and takes the pressure off of them as well (training, taxes etc). Also gives you plenty of room to maneuver price wise.
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  • Profile picture of the author Moneymaker2012
    Advertise your services through banner ads, write articles, post on warrior for hire section, create social profiles on twitter and facebook, facebook targetted ads are always good.
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  • Profile picture of the author ronrule
    Wouldn't you want to just optimize your own site for SEO-related phrases? People would be finding you all day long.
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  • Profile picture of the author Noctilus
    Here is something you need to remember. Once you have captured leads, where are they landing? That is also very important. Have a real kick ass website. Professional. Maybe a whiteboard animation catchy video that explains why YOUR services are a cut above the rest. Differentiate yourself from the other $3 guys with presentation, proof and good customer service.
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  • Profile picture of the author StandardWork
    I guess word of mouth is the best thing that can get you tons of new clients.
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  • Profile picture of the author KyGunator
    HINT: Partner with web designers and social media experts in your area. You don't even need to try to get the biggest players, just network with these guys, show your skills and pay them out well for referrals. They are motivated to give their clients value.

    This is where a lot of my new clients come from, that and referrals from other clients. Why bust your ass cold calling or starting from scratch? Leverage other people's work and trust.
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  • Profile picture of the author steveproxy
    Always believe in Referral , one can get next client with current one .
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  • Profile picture of the author shahriar10
    Promote your service to related blog, forums and run PPC. See the result.
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  • Profile picture of the author Entrepreneur830
    I cold call for a living and was a top salesperson at an SEO firm before I went out on my own. I have been looking for someone to work with that can fulfill REAL SEO services.

    PM me and maybe we can talk.
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