How To Start An SEO Business In 2020

SEO or search engine optimization is a flawless and vital tool for increasing business website traffic. Any marketing entrepreneur or business owner has heard about SEO. With an over $79 billion worth industry, this type of service is a very lucrative gamble. This is because providing on-site optimization for a website is pivotal to staying above in this competitive market. On average, 80% of local mobile searches transform into sales. However, most people do not go to the next page to find products or services. This is why staying at the top rank is a number one priority for business sales.

Finding a business line of credit and starting an SEO agency to set out on this journey of boosting client’s sales and optimizing websites can be tricky. This is why the following steps can become handy on starting and running a client-based SEO business in 2020.

1. Have Realistic Expectations

A typical for consultants or business owners is having a high expectation level. This leads to frustration or unpreparedness when having usual initial problems like low project amounts, delayed payments, and clients-related issues. This might lead to failure adapting to these changes.

Starting an SEO agency will require all the time and patience you can give.

2. Know Your Business Area

Starting a new business without knowing much about the industry and strategies can be catastrophic. Prepare yourself and make some research ahead. Books like ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey and ‘The Lean Startup’ by Eric Ries allow you to acquire the business acumen this entrepreneurship needs. While you can be an SEO master, it is important to learn basic digital marketing strategies to impulse your own business. Take advantage of tools like Google’s Webmasters Help Community for keeping up to date.

3. Legal Basis

Any business requires putting legal affairs in line. There are specific regulations and legal implications within any SEO project. Determining the legal structure is important when filing taxes to IRS. A sole proprietorship will work fine if the agency starts as a freelance business. This type of entrepreneurship gives more freedom in choices and just needs a simple setup for starting up. However, it can be risky, since the agency can be legally responsible under complications with clients. It is also risky given that business and personal tax mix.

On the contrary, an LLC or a Limited Liability Company can have more than one owner, and it has fewer legal risks and separated taxes filling. An extra feature is that an LLC has better appeal when applying for loans and searching for suppliers. It is wise to talk to a CPA for better counseling on this matter.

4. Make Your Clients Sign

Defining a contract can save you from risky situations. Moreover, a contract is a written agreement on both parties’ expectations for the project. All processes and roles, the length of the project and rights owners should be on paper before starting. This will make things clearer, and tie both client and business.

5. Develop Your Brand

It is crucial to building your own agency’s brand. Take advantage of that decisive strength you have, which makes you different from other SEO companies. Identify your buyer personas. Your entire marketing strategy relies on this guide for producing content that engages clients. Keep in mind to improve your online presence and website.

Defining your niche early on makes a difference on the agency scales. Have different approaches when offering SEO services to small businesses or realtors. Picking a familiar industry allows you to connect with prospects and actively engage in networking activities. For the early stages, it is better to focus on a single lane. Later on, expanding for Web design or Social Media could be a technique to innovate.

6. Settle A Core SEO Strategy

Working on your SEO methodology is a continuous process. It can be as complicated or simple as you want. Every business has its own specific optimization needs but most have 3 main goals. Firstly, define ranking keywords with your clients. Secondly, design content that builds loyalty and engagement using the keywords. Lastly, build their way to the rank. An SEO agency is not like any other business. It is constantly changing, requires fine judgment and strategic thinking.

Optimizing your client’s website will also require investments. However, free SEO tools like Search Console and MozBar can be very useful. Some project management tools like Zoho are necessary to keep track of the project. Especially if handled by a team. In this matter, creating a reference manual for your team with SEO tools and tips is beneficial.

7. Grow Your Business

Deploy a complete marketing SEO strategy for your agency. A few essentials strategies are the following:

• Optimize and build quality links for your website.
• Claim your listings on relevant websites like Google My Business and Yelp.
• Join social media, optimize your profiles, and take advantage of paid ads campaigns.
• Start making a solid networking net through conferences and meetings.
• Improve your email listings strategy or deploy it if not currently in use.
• Refining your sales process allows making a difference between a successful brand and a business that hardly makes it into the cut.

8. Charge The Right Amount

There are mainly three types of pricing structures related to SEO costs. Firstly, hourly costs for minor SEO tasks. There is also a fixed cost method for projects with both SEO chores and consulting services. Finally, a retainer-pricing model according to budget and marketing needs. Make some research and define your model. However, pricing is linked to agency delivery capacities.

On the other hand, a business should receive different payments methods to make clients feel safer while making any financial transactions. Some common methods include automated clearinghouse transfers (ACH), credit cards like Visa and Mastercard, and digital wallets like PayPal. Prepare your invoice templates ahead. This will help you to organize finances and projects. Describe clearly the services due to the date and payment methods used.

9. Maintain Your Operations

Startup agencies scale when they sharpen client retention skills. The groundwork for your business is keeping clients interested in your consulting and services.

About the Author:

Mike Abelson is the head of Digital Marketing Department at Lendza for almost 3 years. Before starting his work at Lendza, he helped a lot of entrepreneurs and startups to succeed through various marketing strategies and tactics. Previously, he partnered with CEOs and executives to grow their businesses, also build an audience and get more clients.