Whether you’re setting up your own SEO company, or whether you’re working as a freelancer on a more personal basis with clients, you’re going to have to secure clients to make your business a success. As with most things in life, the first is going to be the most difficult.
Finding and forging a relationship with your first client is what will get the ball rolling on your venture. So, what can you do to get your first SEO client on board? Here are 10 top tips that should help you along the way!
Organic search
If you’re providing SEO services, your customers are going to judge you by your own rankings in search engine results. If you can’t get your own site to rank highly, why should they trust you to help them with their website?
As you can imagine, the easiest way for customers to give potential clients trust and faith in your service is to prove your skills. You need to make sure your site is positioned well in SERPs – ideally in the first three positions.
Paid Ads
Another simple and straightforward way to garner attention from potential clients is to invest in paid ads. This is a common tactic used by the majority of companies. Ranking highly for terms such as SEO is going to be pretty hard, but bidding on paid ads in search engine results can secure you a visible position that could direct potential customers to your site.
Try to be consistent with your paid ads, as while they give good immediate results, you are likely to experience a significant drop in traffic as soon as you pull them, which can result in a consequent decline in conversion and sales. Make sure to grow your organic rankings alongside paid ads, rather than neglecting them.
Attend SEO conferences and exhibitions
Believe it or not, there are a number of SEO-focused conferences and exhibitions that take place throughout the year. These will allow you to not only get to know more about the SEO industry and your competitors, but it gives you an opportunity to show your brand off in its best light within a space filled with potential clients.
Try to speak at these events, as well as occupying a stand. This will give you visibility and can encourage potential clients to take note of you amongst the crowd and talk to you directly, creating leads. This is a brilliant opportunity to promote your services, so don’t miss out on it!
Offer a free SEO report
It’s always a good idea to offer a free SEO report to get your potential customers through the door. Those who are tentative may appreciate seeing exactly what they need help with and why it will be a good idea to invest in your services.
As an SEO agency, you will be able to provide them with actionable strategies, showing how you can help them and what you can do for them. Your report should highlight their pain points, alongside a comprehensive overview of potential resolutions and potential positive outcomes. Being able to see the benefits could encourage them to take the next steps.
Send an SEO proposal
Once your potential customers are interested in your services, you can send a free proposal that will outline what you will do, who they would be paired with from your team, and more. This can make them feel more involved in the process and discourage them from backing out. It’s a great opportunity to get the ball rolling and to secure a partnership.
Get Active on Social Media
Professional social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, offer a great space to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. You can show off what you know about SEO, show the results of happy clients and what you’ve done for them, and generally make a name for yourself within your industry.
Often, posts on these platforms can catch potential clients’ eyes, sure. But by being ever-present, you can establish yourself as the go-to for people who don’t yet require your services, but who will automatically turn to you as soon as they do need your services.
Provide Quality Services
This step is a precursor to the next step. To get more clients, you need good reviews. For good reviews, you’re going to have to make sure that you are stepping up above the competition and ticking your existing customers’ boxes. Make sure to provide truly high-quality services, as this is what will draw new clients to your brand.
Add Trust Markers to Your Site
When people invest in your services, they want to know they’re going to get the results they hope for. You can build this trust by getting previous clients to leave reviews through well-known review sites, such as Trustpilot.
You can then add these reviews to your site, showing plenty of people who are happy with your service. Good reviews can really build a good reputation for your brand and can, consequently, seal the deal on future sales, so this step is more than worth taking!
Appeal to Niche Companies
It’s always good to show that you are able to help individuals from a broad range of businesses and industries. Create content on your site that will appeal to more niche companies, showing exactly what you can do for them. For example, talk about SEO for agricultural companies, clothing brands, charities, educational facilities, medical professionals, and more. This can draw in more potential clients.
Collaborate with Other Agencies
Building good bonds with complementary companies or agencies can be a mutually beneficial relationship. When people look for SEO specialists, they often look for graphic design agencies, web development agencies, copywriting agencies, and other sources of support for setting up or improving their websites.
By building good bonds with complementary agencies, you can provide recommendations to them, and they can provide recommendations to you in return. This will guide customers your way without you even having to do much!
As you can see, securing your first SEO client is going to take some work. But hopefully, your efforts will all pay off and prove more than worth it!
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