Owing to recent events, I am giving even more thought about diversification, more importantly revenue streams. I had been approached privately in the past for help with SEO and generally taking a private business and making it rank, for specific keywords. Some of those offers I have taken on, and some not. The uptake of offers mainly depended on the amount of money that I was offered. Though I like to make a point that I was/am for hire but not for sale.
I am confident of getting the clients, I am confident of delivering what I promise them in the time frame that I say it. However how much do people charge? I have heard/read about people charging a one off fee and then a retainer to keep the rankings? Is there a “price list” out there that people use?
In the past I had either done it as a favour (well in one case) or charged fair chunk to rectify other peoples mistake. I found that
My thinking is that I use the proceeds primarily to grow my own infrastructure, hire more staff (UK based hopefully). This I thought can be beneficial as I will constantly have work for my staff regardless of my projects. Will be able to pay them higher salaries and hence attract a higher quality of applicants. Do any of you do that? or know someone who does?
There are three ways I can approach it I think, Cheap and cheerful. aim the price low, offer/accept low quality keywords and get them ranking. Or aim for medium competition keywords and ask for price accordingly? The third alternative can be do both.
I have been blessed with few contacts in the “Business world” and I know I can have the clients now. But I dont want to embark on something that I will not see it through, and before deciding I wanted to get a general feeling of what can and cannot be done. So suggestions, advice, warnings and help will be greately appreciated.
Mansoor
Rate this ➜
No related posts.
Hey Mansoor,
I’d suggest start by working out what your business wants from this, for example, the type of clients; projected income; time-scales; then you can come up with a pricing structure and marketing, etc.
Have a look at what other SEO’s are charging. Some charge monthly ongoing; some with fixed contracts (need legal advice); some with no contract and no fixed term.
You also need to consider how much time + effort this is going to take away from your own business (yes, I know you can outsource, but you will need to manage it). Remember that some clients may never be satisfied, and will want to call/email you at every opportunity.
Best of luck,
Peter
Thank you Peter,
You are absolutely right and I realized me asking a question like this is similar to asking how long is a piece of string. I have atleast in my mind got a set infrastructure for this. Which “should” make it be ok, your point about clients never being satisfied is an important one.
And that is the BIGGEST reason why I am not working for anyone. I really dont have a solution to this, however clearly defining user expectations and managing the targets should see me covered.
The Question that I keep asking myself is do I want to get into this minefield? lol
Hi Mansoor,
I have sent you an email.
Tim
Time I have replied
Can’t offer any advice but let me know if you go for cheap and cheerful.
Hi Joe sure thing, will let you know.
“The Question that I keep asking myself is do I want to get into this minefield? ”
The resounding answer to this question is unequivocably ‘No’.
If you’re going to do this, you might as well pick a product, buy a 2yr old domain and open up your own ecom operation then pay your staff to manage it all for you.
You sound like you have the capital to do this and make it happen.
Working for other clients doing SEO is a step back (in my view) for your own ambitions!
Hi Lee… Wow..have not heard from you in a while how is the little one doing?? Yeah its a minefield.. and yes lots of issues but dont you feel like once up and running its will a good earner?
Mansoor
Little one hasn’t arrived yet! Only a couple of weeks to go (wife is 37 weeks and two days!)
Yes, I think it is/will be a good earner, but I think it will suck your life away and that’s not what you signed up to this game for…
After about 6 months of doing SEO for other people and watching them make loads of money, you’ll start to get itchy feet and wish you were doing 100% your own stuff again…
With SEO, unless you can employ a team who can manage themselves, I don’t think you can find that work/life balance properly.
Wow almost… I bet your excited
When I did not see you updating your blog for a while I thought you might be snowed under? Still working affiliate marketing fulltime?
I agree about the possibility of this getting boring, and I do have a (albeit small now) team behind me. So that should be OK. But anyway its early early days. I am still and will remain a full time affiliate
Excited and Scared! Well, I have been unbelievably busy. Obviously there was the baby (and all the decorating that involves), then there was the setting up of a business that is about as close to AM as I am to being a millionaire
Both of these wiped out my time so had to hang off on the AM stuff for a bit…I was never full time affiliate.
The business is doing OK now and pulling itself along and house is all decorated so have a bit more spare time for AM and reading interesting blogs
Stripping back a few of my affiliate sites so that I can build them up again properly, taking more care with site structure etc this time…
Ahh the decorating I remember that phase..I remember the pram costed us as much as my first car lol Oh the trouble..
Anyway good lock and welcome back
Mansoor