{"id":144774,"date":"2024-01-16T05:26:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T10:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=144774"},"modified":"2024-10-04T11:17:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T16:17:09","slug":"how-to-sell-seo-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell SEO (With Expert Tips)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">SEO is one of the most popular types of digital marketing services. But it\u2019s challenging to sell because there are many types of SEO services and different service providers offering them.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow this six-step guide to help improve your pitch, close more sales, and get your first clients (with tips from the&nbsp;pros.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 1. Show results to establish credibility\" data-section=\"show-results-establish-credibility\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_wbf3nrt7wver\"><\/a>Step 1. Show results to establish credibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To be taken seriously by prospects and get a foot in the door, you need to make them aware of the results of your SEO efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t already have proof or results, start creating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_bygg2l5gxbej\"><\/a>Show traffic or links earned with screenshots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, from Ahrefs, I downloaded the following chart of the organic traffic of a company I did SEO and content marketing for and added it to my website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" class=\"wp-image-170816\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-1-1.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs Site Explorer performance example\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-1-1.png 1200w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-1-1-680x227.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-1-1-768x256.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you worked on an effective link building campaign, enter its URL into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, take a screenshot of the referring domains, add it to your website\u2019s testimonials page, and describe the objectives, process, and results of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"432\" class=\"wp-image-170817\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-2-1.png\" alt=\"Referring domains example, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-2-1.png 1010w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-2-1-680x291.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-2-1-768x328.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1010px) 100vw, 1010px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_8ucsjj1s9o3x\"><\/a>Show before and after results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example showing how <a href=\"https:\/\/ditchyourdesk.com\/\">Will improved his site speed by 718%<\/a> and ended up with more than two times the traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to outlining his process, Will shared a screenshot comparing December\u2019s higher traffic with October\u2019s traffic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"371\" class=\"wp-image-170818\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-3-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Google Search Console clicks and impressions\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-3-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-3-1-680x246.jpeg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-3-1-768x278.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_w0ktlwobuuji\"><\/a>Get client testimonials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even better, if your customers give positive reviews about the results they got from your SEO work, you have established credibility in the eyes of potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkbuildinghq.com\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1248\" height=\"545\" class=\"wp-image-170819\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-4-1.png\" alt=\"Client testimonials\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-4-1.png 1248w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-4-1-680x297.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-4-1-768x335.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is to find and qualify potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 2. Find and qualify prospects\" data-section=\"find-qualify-prospects\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_uxrt7riuqjs1\"><\/a>Step 2. Find and qualify prospects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find prospects using inbound marketing, e.g., your website, SEO, PPC, Facebook groups, communities, referrals, email marketing, and outbound techniques such as email and telephone outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you qualify prospects using the right questions regardless of your marketing channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use a qualification sequence like the one below when pitching prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-153\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-153 tablepress-responsive tablepress-ahrefs-width-720px\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\"><\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Their Goal<\/th><th class=\"column-3\"><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">More clients \u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">More customer sales&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Improve site \u2193<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Q2. How many clients?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Q2. How many customer sales?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Q2. What improvements?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Q3. Revenue per client&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Q3. Average order&nbsp;value&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Q4. Keywords target audience search&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Q4. Keywords target audience search&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-3\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Q5. What\u2019s your budget?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Q5. What\u2019s your budget?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">What\u2019s your budget?&nbsp;\u2193<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Q6. Name, email, URL, and&nbsp;phone<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">Q6. Name, email, URL, and&nbsp;phone<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">Name, email, URL, and&nbsp;phone<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!-- #tablepress-153 from cache -->\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_df8pmr5ai0\"><\/a>Example 1. Inbound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In all, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-statistics\/\">60% of marketers<\/a> say <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-marketing\/\">inbound marketing<\/a> practices, such as SEO, are their highest quality source of&nbsp;leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1436\" class=\"wp-image-170820\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-5-1.png\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-5-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-5-1-474x425.png 474w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-5-1-768x689.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-5-1-1536x1379.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve used this sequence to qualify new website visitors to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.platonik.co.uk\">my website<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1429\" height=\"627\" class=\"wp-image-170821\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-6-1.png\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-6-1.png 1429w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-6-1-680x298.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-6-1-768x337.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1429px) 100vw, 1429px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>First, I ask them if they\u2019re looking for clients, sales, or website improvements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"343\" height=\"249\" class=\"wp-image-170822\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-7-1.png\" alt=\"Goal image\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I ask a couple of questions related to the first question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I ask if they have any budget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"273\" class=\"wp-image-170823\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-8-1.png\" alt=\"Budget image\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I offer a scheduled call:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"345\" height=\"332\" class=\"wp-image-170824\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-9-1.png\" alt=\"Schedule a call image\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If they don\u2019t have a budget, I invite them to subscribe to my newsletter, where I can pitch them services later:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"338\" height=\"344\" class=\"wp-image-170825\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-10-1.png\" alt=\"SEO strategy newsletter image\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, Fiona told me she\u2019s looking for four new clients who spend around \u00a31,000 but indicated she doesn\u2019t have any budget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1713\" height=\"1256\" class=\"wp-image-170826\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-11-1.png\" alt=\"Lead stage image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-11-1.png 1713w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-11-1-580x425.png 580w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-11-1-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-11-1-1536x1126.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1713px) 100vw, 1713px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If they have some budget, I ask for their name, email, and URL, inviting them to a discovery meeting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"334\" height=\"330\" class=\"wp-image-170827\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-12-1.png\" alt=\"Discovery meeting image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-12-1.png 334w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-12-1-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_g0b5d21pst5m\"><\/a>Your email&nbsp;list<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can email your subscribers asking the first question and a similar sequence to qualify prospects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"707\" height=\"722\" class=\"wp-image-170828\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-13-1.png\" alt=\"Qualify prospects image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-13-1.png 707w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-13-1-416x425.png 416w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, Cecilia clicked the \u201cMore clients\u201d option and indicated she\u2019s looking for 11\u201320 more clients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1387\" height=\"1223\" class=\"wp-image-170829\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-14-1.jpg\" alt=\"Email history image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-14-1.jpg 1387w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-14-1-482x425.jpg 482w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-14-1-768x677.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1387px) 100vw, 1387px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then she scheduled a call by completing the form you saw earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_3f8dw6gauzhg\"><\/a>Example 2. Outbound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In this outbound example, I phoned Richard, a director in an insolvency practice company for whom I\u2019d previously built a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In previous conversations, he told me that he gets paying customers from other marketing channels and how much he pays for a qualified lead and customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is a qualified lead, as he told me he has a budget and needs more customers. Now it\u2019s time to pitch to&nbsp;him.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 3. Pitch outcomes in discovery sessions\" data-section=\"pitch-outcomes-in-discovery-sections\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_cwgsg02qrwjg\"><\/a>Step 3. Pitch outcomes in discovery sessions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve qualified a prospect before a discovery call, you\u2019ve already got the information you need to propose an outcome for&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Otherwise, the call is going to use the questions in step #2.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_566mhnfxscue\"><\/a>How to pitch their outcome (more clients)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With Richard\u2019s permission, I\u2019ve done my best to recreate our telephone conversation to give you an idea of how this can&nbsp;go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Me (text):<\/strong> Can I bounce something off on the&nbsp;phone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard (text):<\/strong> Call&nbsp;me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> Hi, Richard. So we\u2019ve talked about how much you spend to get new customers. Ideally, how many new customers are you looking for each&nbsp;month?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me<\/strong>: So you have a very high customer conversion rate from these other channels. But let\u2019s say your website can generate qualified leads, and your team can convert 20% of those leads into customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means you\u2019ll need about 100 qualified leads from the website a&nbsp;month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> Correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> Let\u2019s say the website can convert 10% of its traffic into qualified leads, meaning it needs 1,000 visits a&nbsp;month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> So I checked out Google Ads for target keywords like \u201c<em>debt management plans<\/em>\u201d and \u201c<em>business insolvency<\/em>,\u201d and your customers\u2019 search. And the cost per click was \u00a316 a&nbsp;click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you\u2019d need to spend \u00a316,000 a month with Google Ads to get your 1,000 website visits\u2014 based on the above calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> I\u2019m not spending \u00a316,000 a month <em>(laughs)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> So let\u2019s look at an alternative solution. I was looking at the website traffic of two of your competitors that generate qualified leads from their websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One gets 5,700 visits a month; the other 7,200 visits a month from the organic results, not the paid results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you\u2019re a finance guy. You know it takes ongoing investment before you see a return, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> Right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> So to get that kind of traffic, I\u2019d need to identify the right things people search for. I\u2019d need to pay someone else with expertise in your industry to write the right content for those things. And I\u2019d need to invest in earning links from authoritative websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> And we only want people looking for company liquidation, not personal liquidations solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> Exactly. So what would you invest each month instead of spending \u00a316,000 with Google Ads to get the 1,000 visits?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> Well, quickly off the top of my head, probably about \u00a32,000\u2013\u00a33,000 a&nbsp;month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Me:<\/strong> How did you come to that number?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Richard:<\/strong> I\u2019m the finance director. We can afford to invest \u00a324,000\u2013\u00a336,000 in a year where we don\u2019t need to see short-term results.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_nh9sy7ubhagr\"><\/a>A quick explanation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>20 clients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Divided by 20% conversion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equals 100&nbsp;leads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Divided 10% traffic conversion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equals 1,000 visits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keyword CPC equals \u00a316<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a316,000 Google Ad spend to get 1,000 visits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To calculate the CPC of the keywords your customer would target, go to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>, enter their target keywords, and look at the CPC column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"803\" height=\"125\" class=\"wp-image-170830\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-15-1.png\" alt=\"Keyword analysis, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-15-1.png 803w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-15-1-680x106.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-15-1-768x120.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_favu2k1lsysa\"><\/a>Ending the discovery call<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When the call naturally ends, you can finish the conversation with, \u201cSo where do you think we should go from&nbsp;here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are only three outcomes of asking this question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They\u2019re not interested.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They want to see the scenario you explained to discuss with others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They want to schedule a follow-up meeting with others in their&nbsp;team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So I wrapped up the call with Richard and said I\u2019d draft up the scenario we discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 4. Follow up with a one-page proposal\" data-section=\"follow-up-one-page-proposal\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_lu1hodn2hw7w\"><\/a>Step 4. Follow up with a one-page proposal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, I\u2019m working with the person who makes the final decisions and the one who approves payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the next day, I emailed Richard this one-page proposal summarizing the objective, campaign, pricing options, and competitor traffic analysis. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1BTF3IOtpkNZI_GL_-299rYi5Iw8C1pUlEBQ_mNCEqSs\/copy\">create a copy of it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"964\" height=\"1276\" class=\"wp-image-170831\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-16-1.png\" alt=\"SEO Proposal Template\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-16-1.png 964w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-16-1-321x425.png 321w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-16-1-768x1017.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 964px) 100vw, 964px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I met up in person with Richard. After some small talk, I asked if he\u2019d read the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He asked me to explain if the competitors\u2019 growth was achievable, which led the conversation to link building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I explained how he could ask for links from some of his industry contacts and accreditation websites, but the rest of the links would need to be earned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I explained the keyword research and content processes (choosing which topics to write about) and the differences between pricing option A and option B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Richard ended the conversation by stating that he was bought into the idea. But as one director needed to review, edit, and approve all content writing, he needed <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-buy-in\/\">buy-in<\/a> from all members of his&nbsp;team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your prospect may loop someone else, like a sales, marketing, or web manager, into the project to join a follow-up sales meeting and discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Discuss how this SEO project will&nbsp;work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan the project duration, estimate costs, how to get started, and how you will report and measure results<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>References from other clients<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 5. Create an SEO forecast to reassure the client\" data-section=\"seo-forecast\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_3ksvx2me4h34\"><\/a>Step 5. Create an SEO forecast to reassure the client<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Clients may get cold feet if you can\u2019t provide reasonable assurance for their future traffic performance. But equally, SEOs can\u2019t guarantee results. There are just too many uncertainties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/google-algorithm-updates\">Google algorithm updates<\/a> can impact website performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/technical-seo\/\">Technical SEO<\/a> issues can impact performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content can sometimes not perform as well as originally expected<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competitors\u2019 SEO can be improved and outperform your&nbsp;pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to strike a balance. That\u2019s where the SEO forecast comes&nbsp;in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An SEO forecast shows the predicted organic traffic growth for the time period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Providing a forecast shows you\u2019re confident and competent in your ability to provide SEO services, implying that you\u2019ll be held accountable against an agreed target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_ko09xbsmujza\"><\/a>5-minute SEO forecast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_jmsnyf4v6aml\"><\/a>How to forecast traffic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>To forecast traffic at a keyword level, you can use <strong>Traffic potential<\/strong> (TP) to provide a quick indication of potential organic traffic available for your client\u2019s top keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TP<\/strong> shows the sum of organic traffic that the #1 ranking page for your target keyword receives from all the keywords it ranks for, which acts as a good predictor of the traffic your article could get, if it performs well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1105\" class=\"wp-image-170832\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-17-1.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic potential example, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-17-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-17-1-680x367.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-17-1-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-17-1-1536x829.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_hh37qmalfla\"><\/a>How to forecast sales<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to forecast sales for a particular keyword, then you\u2019ll need to know your customer conversion rate plus your average order&nbsp;value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Average order value (AoV) = how much a typical customer would spend in your&nbsp;store<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Visitor to customer conversion rate (CR) = how often your visitors convert to customers<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple way to do it: <strong>TP * CR *&nbsp;AoV&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_hqm2g8fcllmn\"><\/a>Creating more detailed forecasts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your potential client is looking for a more detailed forecast or a competitor forecast, it\u2019s worth putting together an SEO forecast using multiple data sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, I would advise to start with Patrick Stox\u2019s excellent post on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-forecasting\/\">SEO forecasting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Step 6. Close\" data-section=\"close-sale\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_q7vajs6bbnaf\"><\/a>Step 6.&nbsp;Close<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Using our<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-contract\/#how-to-customize\"> SEO contract template proposal<\/a>, complete the details of the highlighted areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1144\" height=\"1306\" class=\"wp-image-170833\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-18-1.png\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-18-1.png 1144w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-18-1-372x425.png 372w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/word-image-170797-18-1-768x877.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1144px) 100vw, 1144px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This contract includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Responsibilities, who does what, and&nbsp;more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scope of&nbsp;work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Duration of&nbsp;work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Payment terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, you may also be asked to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) by the client before they share company information with you and your&nbsp;team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6 tips from the pros on how to get your first clients\" data-section=\"tips-from-pros\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_qh5uvfqv2r83\"><\/a>6 tips from the pros on how to get your first clients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/chris_at_b449\/status\/1723918346779873744?s=20\">I asked SEOs on X<\/a> how they got their first clients\u2014here\u2019s what they&nbsp;said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_n8r5g2fu45ga\"><\/a>1. Share your skills with others<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Marie_Haynes\">Dr. Marie Haynes<\/a> started in SEO by sharing her SEO skills and expertise with other people:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI offered to look at one person\u2019s analytics because they weren\u2019t sure if Penguin hit them. Did this a few times, and people found it valuable, so I started offering an $89 report.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><span class=\"quote-author\"><em>Dr. Marie Haynes<\/em>,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Founder,  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariehaynes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">MHC<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_7yq6k0rh1rff\"><\/a>2. Network at events<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Find clients by networking at events. Here are the events that <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/shanejones\/status\/1724081496015634474?s=20\">Shane Jones<\/a> recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/shanejones\/status\/1724081496015634474?s=20<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_eg2iqnljxcot\"><\/a>3. Share SEO case studies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEOs told me that sharing <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-case-studies\/\">case studies<\/a> on Facebook, Linkedin, X, and Instagram is a great way to attract new clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI got my first SEO client (as an SEO freelancer) from a Facebook group.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><span class=\"quote-author\"><em><em>Harpreet Munjal<\/em><\/em>,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Founder,  <a href=\"https:\/\/loudgrowth.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>LoudGrowth<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/lquirk\">Liam Quirk<\/a> found success using LinkedIn and Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI began by posting SEO case studies on LinkedIn demonstrating our results and capabilities. This not only built my personal brand but also attracted potential clients who were seeking SEO services.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><span class=\"quote-author\"><em>Liam Quirk<\/em>,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Founder,  <a href=\"https:\/\/quirkydigital.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Quirky Digital<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_joyvgr5r6xbp\"><\/a>4. Use cold emails<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cold emails don\u2019t have the best reputation, but they are one of the ways SEOs told me that they got their first clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamCharlesUK\/status\/1724073965948170261?s=20<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are ways you can approach your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-outreach\/\">SEO outreach<\/a> that can make it easier to get responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWe used to search for a keyword in Google, and we\u2019d go from page 2 to page 7 of Google, find their names and email addresses, and send them an&nbsp;email.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><span class=\"quote-author\"><em><em>Joshua George<\/em><\/em>,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Founder,  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickslice.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>ClickSlice<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of success rate, SEOs mentioned that it would usually take ~50 emails to get a few&nbsp;leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_tqa3f6zeg5q9\"><\/a>5. Get work on freelance sites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upwork.com\/\">Upwork<\/a>, there are other popular freelance websites you could try selling your SEO services on places, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peopleperhour.com\/\">People Per Hour<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiverr.com\/\">Fiverr<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEOs told me that this was one of the ways they got their first clients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/Zolko007\/status\/1724026732603117816?s=20<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_qw84yruc21jj\"><\/a>6. Talk to business owners you already know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shwnhll\">Shawn Hill<\/a> did this and managed to land work doing social media marketing and also SEO services for a local company following a hail&nbsp;storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/shwnhll\/status\/1724024796608954483?s=20<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170797-_ynmsuuf5s70f\"><\/a>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick recap. We covered how to approach selling SEO services by focusing on three key&nbsp;areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Present the client\u2019s desired outcome rather than your services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use psychology to pitch a higher anchor price against your&nbsp;price<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide a verbal price or one-page proposal before sending a contract<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/frasermcculloch\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Follow this six-step guide to help improve your pitch, close more sales, and get your first clients (with tips from the&nbsp;pros.) To be taken seriously by prospects and get a foot in the door, you need to make them aware<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":144816,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[439,437],"class_list":["post-144774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Sell SEO (With Expert Tips)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to sell your SEO services in six tried and tested steps.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Sell SEO (With Expert Tips)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get more clients.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-16T10:26:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-04T16:17:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/fb_how_to_sell_seo_services.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fraser McCulloch, Chris Haines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Get more clients.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FraserMcCulloch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Fraser McCulloch\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6241588e6d7465901fc8e9c211f45c2b\"},\"headline\":\"How to Sell SEO (With Expert Tips)\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-16T10:26:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-04T16:17:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\"},\"wordCount\":2366,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/fb_how_to_sell_seo_services.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\",\"name\":\"How to Sell SEO (With Expert Tips)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/fb_how_to_sell_seo_services.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-16T10:26:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-04T16:17:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how to sell your SEO services in six tried and tested steps.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-seo-services\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/fb_how_to_sell_seo_services.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/fb_how_to_sell_seo_services.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\",\"description\":\"Link Building Strategies &amp; 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