If you are good at helping websites climb the search engine ranks, becoming an SEO freelancer can be a great choice.
Some use freelancing as a stepping stone to an in-house or agency position, while others build their whole career around it.
In this comprehensive article, we will guide you through the roles and responsibilities of an SEO freelancer, the initial steps to kickstart your journey, and effective strategies to attract and retain clients.
Let’s dive in!
What are the tasks of an SEO freelancer?
An SEO freelancer assists clients in improving their SEO performance.
This includes creating and implementing strategies to increase their client’s rankings on search engine result pages and drive organic website traffic.
Some freelancers offer more specialist services, focusing on concepts like keyword research or technical SEO, while others offer a broad range of services.
Below are a few key tasks that an SEO freelancer can perform for his clients:
- Keyword research: It is the process of identifying queries or phrases customers enter into search engines when looking for products or services.
A freelancer will identify keywords along with their monthly search volumes and keyword difficulty and help their clients strategically incorporate those terms into content titles, meta tags, and bodies.
- Competitor analysis: Analyzing your competitors’ content is a great way to see what makes them successful. By comparing their content to yours, you can figure out what topics and keywords they’re using that you might be missing.
This helps you understand how your content stacks up against theirs in search rankings. Then, you can strategically use similar keywords or cover new topics to improve your visibility and bridge any content gaps.
- On-page SEO services: It refers to the SEO strategies deployed on the website where you post content. This includes optimizing on-page elements like title tags, meta tags, internal links, and more. On-page SEO helps ensure your client’s website is search engine-friendly and more likely to rank well.
- Off-page SEO services: Off-page services involve strategies used outside of your website to help improve its ranking in search results. These methods help boost your website’s reputation and trust with search engines like Google.
As an SEO freelancer, you might use a variety of tactics to do this, such as building links from other websites, engaging with users on social media, getting your brand mentioned online, and writing guest posts.
- Technical SEO: It is about fixing technical issues on your website that could be making it difficult for search engines to read or creating a bad user experience.
This includes making your website faster, ensuring it is mobile-optimized, using structured data to help search engines understand your content, and resolving crawl errors.
- Tracking and analysis: This means closely watching key metrics to spot areas for improvement. An SEO freelancer typically checks a website’s performance, tracks keyword rankings, examines users’ actions on the site and evaluates the success of their SEO efforts.
How to become an SEO freelancer?
Now it’s time to learn how to build your career as an SEO freelancer.
Follow the steps below to set yourself up for success:
#1. Get a deep understanding of SEO
The first and foremost thing you’ll need to succeed as an SEO freelancer is a deep and expert knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO).
As an SEO freelancer, you must know how search engines decide what appears in search results. Your job is to use different strategies to help your clients improve their website rankings and meet their goals.
There are various ways to hone your skills, such as:
- SEO courses: There are numerous SEO programs, courses, and workshops for digital marketers today. There are both free and paid SEO courses available. These courses are designed for beginners, so you don’t need any previous knowledge. They’ll teach you everything from the basics of SEO, including how to analyze SEO data, optimize content, and develop effective SEO strategies.
- SEO certifications: Getting an SEO certification is a great way to sharpen your skills and deepen your understanding of the field. It can also help you attract more clients. Well-respected certifications can enhance your reputation and make it easier to connect with potential customers.
- Reading SEO books and guides: Books and guides on SEO provide valuable insights into the key aspects of SEO. They can help you learn the differences between on-page, off-page, and technical SEO. Many of these resources also offer practical tips and tricks for your marketing efforts.
- Learn from industry experts: Leading voices in the SEO world often share their knowledge through blogs, articles, and social media posts. You can also watch TED talks and videos from respected professionals to gain insights into the industry and learn new techniques.
#2. Build a portfolio
A portfolio is a powerful tool to showcase your achievements and projects.
A good SEO portfolio provides potential clients with all the necessary information to see if you’re the right expert. It should include your name, contact info, and details from past projects through case studies. You can also highlight positive feedback and endorsements from other companies.
The more valuable information you include, the more appealing you’ll be to potential clients. Consider adding:
- Examples of your most successful pages or blog posts.
- Samples of your link-building work.
- Website performance statistics.
- Case studies showing how you’ve helped solve SEO challenges.
Your portfolio should clearly demonstrate your SEO expertise and the results you can achieve for clients’ projects.
#3. Create a website
Creating a website has several benefits. First, it provides a landing page on the Internet where people can find you, learn about what you offer, see your portfolio, and contact you if they’re interested in your offerings.
Second, it lets you show off your writing skills before you even land clients. Write strong SEO articles and post them on your own website. If your website uses good SEO practices and looks appealing, potential clients will take this as extra proof that you’re the right person for the job.
#4. Build your personal brand
A strong personal brand helps you stand out in this crowded SEO space. It will help you earn the trust of your potential clients and boost your earning potential through brand equity.
Here are some ways to establish your personal brand without any hassle:
- Write thought leadership blog posts sharing your perspective on industry trends and challenges.
- Attend and speak at SEO and marketing conferences and events.
- Create accounts on popular social media platforms.
- Reach out to well-known SEO blogs for guest writing opportunities.
- Offer to be a guest on a popular SEO or marketing podcast.
#5. Gather reviews from clients
Positive feedback from satisfied clients is key to demonstrating your skills and value. Don’t hesitate to ask clients if they’d be willing to leave a review, and ensure these reviews are publicly available for other potential clients to see.
While requesting reviews might feel awkward initially, it’s a common practice. Consider crafting a friendly email template for this purpose. Begin by praising the client, and mentioning how enjoyable it was to work with them. Then, politely ask if they would consider leaving a review, emphasizing that it’s entirely optional but greatly appreciated.
The aim is to make clients feel valued and encourage them to reciprocate that feeling. If appropriate, you can offer to exchange reviews with a client.
Reviews can be posted on your personal website or any platform where you find clients. You can also share or include them on social media in your portfolio.
#6. Build your SEO toolkit
Numerous SEO tools are available to enhance your SEO strategy, with options ranging from free to paid. Among the popular choices are:
- Google Search Console: It stands out as one of the most valuable SEO tools today, providing a user-friendly platform to monitor and report website performance on Google.
- Google Looker Studio: This is an excellent choice for producing insightful reports that showcase the value of your services. It allows you to quickly transform raw data into visually appealing graphs and charts, combining information from Google Search Console and Google Analytics to create branded reports.
- Google Analytics: As the ultimate analytical tool for SEO freelancers, Google Analytics offers valuable insights into website traffic and key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling you to track your SEO return on investment (ROI) effectively.
- Google Docs and Sheets: They are convenient tools for seamless client communication. They facilitate the easy exchange of information between you and your clients through cloud-based collaboration.
- WordPress: It is a widely-used content management system (CMS) essential for managing your website and implementing SEO enhancements on clients’ sites. Renowned for its popularity, WordPress is favored for its accessibility, being free, open-source, and SEO-friendly.
How to Gain Clients as an SEO Freelancer?
Finding clients is crucial when you are working as an SEO freelancer, as they will pay you to complete projects.
Here are a few common ways in which SEO freelancers can find clients and job:
- Networking: Use your professional contacts and go to industry gatherings to meet potential clients. Also, make sure to connect with people from other fields. For instance, a plumber or dentist might not know about SEO, but they could still benefit from it.
- Freelance platforms: Explore sites like Upwork, Freelancer, Toptal, and Fiverr to discover projects and connect with clients who need SEO services. Build an appealing profile, highlight your skills, and actively apply for relevant projects.
- Content marketing: Produce top-quality content to show off your skills. If your specialty is content marketing and on-page SEO, using those strategies yourself is important. Write helpful articles, make videos, or provide free resources to attract potential clients and build your reputation.
Final Words!
Well, we hope this article will help you enhance your career as an SEO freelancer. We have given useful tips and strategies if you want to become a freelancer and work in the SEO world. Use these steps to gain your clients and start earning today!
If you don’t know where to start, you can use resources available at digital marketing companies like AlgoSaga. Visit their official website to learn everything you need to start your journey as an SEO freelancer.