SEO Client Referral

First and foremost I would like to start by saying Thank You Very Much, as the reason you will be seeing this post is that you have referred me onto a potential client where I could help them by doing SEO to their website.

However, if you read this article in its entirety you will understand why I try not to do Client SEO.

What is Client SEO?

Client SEO is where you help someone else’s website (i.e. your client) to rank better in Google with search engine optimisation techniques.

Client SEO could involve any of the following:

  1. Technical SEO to help the clients websites foundations
  2. Carrying out keyword research to find new keyphrases they might not be ranking for
  3. Making sure the client is ranking for the buying intent keywords and not just going after volume that does not convert
  4. Completing on page SEO to improve the content on your client’s domain
  5. Sourcing external websites that can link back to your client’s website
  6. Sharing content regularly on social media platforms for building brand awareness
  7. Getting your client’s brand found in as many places their potential clients are hanging out through effective frequency marketing
  8. Designing the website with conversion rate optimisation in mind
  9. Finding hacks to improve click-through rate to your client domain

There is much more than above on what great SEOs should be doing but this is an overview.

SEO Myths and Facts

There are so many SEO Myths and so-called facts around best practices to ranking websites.

But the truth is in this online marketing industry people learning the trade with one month’s experience call themselves some of the following:

  • Advanced SEO
  • SEO Guru
  • Online Marketing Expert
  • Internet Ranking Specialist
  • Growth Hacker
  • And many many more

What other trade can you be classed as an advanced guru with one month’s training? Honestly, it is all a load of bollocks.

Like any other trade, it takes a decade to be a serious player in the field.

It takes years of failures, grafting in the trenches and testing for yourself to find out what works and what does not.

Stigma Around SEO

There is a huge stigma around SEO agencies because what is the client getting for his money?

Client SEO

We all hear stories of SEO companies taking clients to the cleaners, doing little or no work and that is a real problem in the industry, so many so-called experts are learning the basics and then running out to clients promising the world.

From what I see personally, many of the ‘advanced SEO gurus’ who start out and know nothing start in Client SEO and learn their trade on the job getting paid for work above their pay level.

This adds stigma around where clients think all SEOs are cowboys. Usually, when these kids who start out in SEO learn their trade, they stop doing it and start to rank their own websites because why would you rank someone else?

Why I Stay Away From Client SEO

For this reason around the stigma of SEO is why I stay away. If you read my personal vision statement here you will see it says:

“…make the world a better place. But the key is doing all this with trust, honesty and integrity.”

But also now clients start to ask too many questions and get involved too much. Compare this to you hiring a bricklayer as you do not ask these questions to a qualified tradesman:

1) Excuse me what grade of sand is that in the cement?

2) What percentage of cement do you use between bricks?

3) What is the best way to mix it in the mixer?

4) Can you show me how to install these bricks?

5) How do you level the brickwork?

6) Why do you use that tool and not use this tool?

You generally just let the bricklayer do what he’s good at and get a nice wall built.

But in client SEO they want to know what, why, when and how.

This just absorbs all your time and my time is better spent doing what I do best which is ranking websites in Google.

You have to work smarter in business and if you check out my life lessons article and scroll to life lesson 46 it explains LEARN TO SAY NO TO CLIENTS. As this honesty is good for both parties instead of taking on new customers and not being able to service them the best we can.

What Do I Do Then?

I generally put my money where my mouth is and invest into my own websites and just do affiliate marketing or lead generation.

It eliminates the mither and means I get paid on how well I work.

If I smash it out the park I get paid 10x more than a client would ever pay me and if I struggle then don’t get paid a penny.

Work Smarter Not Harder

The truth is the best SEOs in the world generally don’t do client SEO because they could have spent the time ranking and banking their own stuff.

That is a bold statement because there are many great SEOs working in agencies but the general consensus is this:

Why would you work in an agency if you can Rank and Bank your own websites online?

I Rank and Bank my own websites and then I can work on my own clock, in whatever destination I want to work and on areas I enjoy.

Conclusion

I really appreciate you thinking is there a way to get me in there to help them who you are referring me to.

I am sure they are an amazing company and will grow a lot but 99% of times Client SEO is not what we are geared up for.

The truth is I could 100% help them a lot but I don’t carry out client SEO for this reason here explained in this article SEO Clients Unrealistic Goals.

Hope that explains it and appreciate the thoughts so thanks for the referral.

All SEO Related Posts

Check out the in-depth list of SEO posts.

The full list shows the various SEO strategies to help your online marketing knowledge grow fast in September 2023.

About FatRank

Our aim to explain and educate from a basic level to an advanced on SEO and Social Media Marketing.

Recent Posts