Knowing how to sell SEO is essential for any marketing business that wants to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape. The problem is, many agencies, specialists, and freelancers don’t even know how to properly sell SEO services. As a result, they either don’t invest in SEO at all or they waste money on ineffective campaigns.
If you want to be successful in selling SEO, you need to understand how the process works and what clients are really looking for, among other things. So to help you out, below is a simple guide that will help you master the art of selling SEO.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of optimizing a website for Google search, with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site. The higher a website ranks on SERPs (search engine results pages), the more likely it will be clicked on by users. This will ultimately lead to more website traffic and conversions.
SEO involves using various strategies and techniques. These efforts are usually divided into two main categories: on-page and off-page optimization. On-page optimization refers to all of the measures that can be taken directly within the website in order to improve its position in SERPs. This includes measures such as optimizing title tags and meta descriptions, improving site speed, and creating compelling content.
Meanwhile, off-page optimization refers to all of the measures that can be taken outside of the website to improve its position in SERPs. This includes link building, social media engagement, and local listing optimization.
Additionally, there are many factors that contribute to how well a website will rank on SERPs. These include the quality and quantity of the website’s content, how user-friendly the site is, and how many high-quality inbound links it has.
While there is no guarantee that any one SEO tactic will result in top rankings on Google, employing a combination of best SEO practices can give your site a good chance of success. And if you’re serious about learning how to sell SEO services, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and changes in the industry.
Why Businesses Need SEO
There’s no doubt that businesses need SEO, especially in this digital age. Unfortunately, a lot of business owners don’t even understand what SEO is, how it works, or why they need it.
If you want to know how to sell SEO, you must be able to walk your prospective clients on how SEO works and how it can benefit their business. At the very least, you must include the following in your pitch:
Greater Online Presence
For starters, tell your potential clients that if they’re looking to improve their business’ online visibility, SEO is the way to go. By optimizing their websites and content for search engines, you can make sure that their brand appears at the top of relevant search results. This will lead to more traffic for their website, as well as help them attract new customers online.
Better Local Visibility
Local businesses can benefit from SEO in a number of ways. For example, SEO can help to improve the visibility of your website in local search results. By optimizing your clients’ sites for relevant keywords and phrases, you can make it more likely for potential customers in their area to find their businesses whenever they search online.
Improved Website Quality
SEO is basically the practice of improving the visibility and ranking of a website in search engine results pages. However, it can also help improve the quality of a website by making it more user-friendly and relevant to searchers. This will lead to better user experience for everyone, as well as help search engines index your clients’ sites more easily.
Increased Brand Awareness
Through SEO, businesses can ensure that their site appears prominently in search results, driving traffic and raising visibility. Furthermore, by creating relevant and engaging content, businesses can attract more people to their websites and encourage them to share it with others. These will ultimately lead to increased brand awareness, as more and more people will be able to get to know their businesses.
Enhanced Brand Reputation
WIth time and patience, SEO will help businesses gradually build their reputation online and locally. By appearing in the first page of search engines, people will be more inclined to visit their websites (and their offices by extension). This will prove extremely helpful for new businesses, or if they’re operating in an area with lots of competition.
How to Sell SEO Like a Rockstar
Knowing how to sell SEO can be quite challenging, but it’s not impossible. If you follow the right steps, you’ll be able to sell premium SEO services like a rockstar! Find out what these steps are below.
Step 1: Prepare Thoroughly
SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest changes. So it’s essential for you to prepare accordingly before selling SEO services. This means investing in the necessary tools, knowing your prospective clients (and if they’re the right fit), and keeping up with the latest SEO news and trends, among others.
Step 2: Deliver Top-Notch SEO Services
There are several reasons why it’s crucial to deliver excellent SEO services and experiences. For one thing, there are so many other SEO experts and agencies out there. By going the extra mile for your clients, you’ll be able to stand out. Additionally, being an excellent SEO provider will help you enhance your reputation, which can prove useful if you want to become known as an authority in the digital marketing sphere.
Step 3: Manage Post Sale Experience
Selling SEO services doesn’t end with closing the deal; you need to manage postsale experience as well. This involves providing support and assistance after the sale is complete, and monitoring the campaign’s progress to ensure that they are happy with the results. By doing these things, you can build a strong relationship with your clients, potentially creating a long-term partnership. As an added bonus, you can also use this opportunity to upsell other SEO services.
What You Need to Sell SEO Services
As mentioned above, you need to be well-prepared before you start selling SEO services. To do that, you need to have the following:
Knowledge and Skills
If you’re in the business of selling SEO services, it’s important that you have a strong understanding of how SEO works. After all, how can you sell something if you don’t understand how it works? Being knowledgeable and skilled in SEO will not only help you to sell it more effectively, but it will also help you to provide better results for your clients.
There are a number of ways to gain knowledge and skills in SEO. One way is to take an online course or attend a training program. These can be found easily by doing a simple search online. There are also many helpful blog posts and articles available that can teach you the basics of SEO.
Tools
At the same time, it’s equally important to invest in the right SEO tools first. Through these, you can create effective SEO strategies and sell them to potential clients, as well as track results along the way.
The good news is that there are plenty of great SEO and digital marketing tools out there, and you don’t need to break the bank to get started. The best way to find the right ones for your needs is to ask other people who have already been successful in selling SEO services. Below are some of the tools we recommend:
- Google Analytics
- Ahrefs
- SEO by Yoast
- PageRank Status
- SurferSEO
- SEMrush
- Jasper.ai
- Copy.ai
- Google Webmaster Tools
- Bing Webmaster Tools
Client Information
As a seller of SEO services, it’s also important that you take the time to get to know your target clients. By understanding their needs and wants, you will be in a better position to sell them the SEO services that they need.
Furthermore, getting to know your target clients will help you to build trust and rapport with them, which is essential for any successful sales relationship. Below are a few tips you can take to get to know your target clients better:
- Do your research. Use the internet and other resources to learn as much as you can about your target clients, their business goals, their pain points, and what-not.
- Talk to them. Set appointments or calls to have direct conversations with your target clients. Ask them questions about their business and their SEO needs. Listen carefully to their answers to get a better understanding of what they are looking for.
- Keep them informed. Once you have a good understanding of your target clients’ needs, keep them updated on the latest SEO trends and developments.
Competitor Information
It can be tempting to ignore your competitors when selling SEO services. After all, if you’re the only game in town, you don’t have to worry about them stealing your clients, right? However, there are several good reasons to keep an eye on your competition. For one thing, they may be able to offer lower prices than you can. If they’re undercutting you on price, it’s important to know so you can adjust your own pricing accordingly.
Additionally, your competitors may be using tactics that are more effective than yours. By keeping an eye on them, you can learn from their successes and avoid making their mistakes. Finally, your competitors can give you a good sense of how the market is evolving and how your clients’ needs are changing.
Simple Tips While Selling SEO Services
As touched on above, delivering top-notch SEO services and experiences is something that all SEO agencies should strive for. After all, it’s what will keep your clients coming back for more. Below are some of the best ways to deliver an outstanding SEO experience:
Reach Out Personally
SEO can be a complex and daunting topic for many people, even online business owners. By taking the time to reach out personally to potential clients, you can help them understand the value of SEO and how it can benefit their business. It’s also a great way to build lasting relationships with potential clients, demonstrating that you are invested in helping them grow their business.
Dress to Impress
When it comes to selling SEO services, first impressions are everything. After all, you’re trying to convince potential clients that you’re the best person for the job. So what better way to do that as an SEO consultant than by looking your best? Dressing to impress sends a signal that you’re professional and knowledgeable about your craft. It also shows that you’re confident in your abilities and are willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done right. Of course, there’s more to selling SEO services than just looking good. But dressing for success is a great place to start.
Break the Ice
Any good salesman knows that the key to a successful pitch is breaking the ice with the potential customer. This is especially vital when it comes to selling SEO services, since as mentioned earlier, it can be a confusing and daunting topic for those who are unfamiliar with it. By establishing a rapport with the potential client, you’ll be in a much better position to win their business.
Build Desire
It is also important to build desire by demonstrating the value of SEO and highlighting the potential benefits for the client. This can be done by sharing case studies, showing how SEO has helped other businesses to achieve their goals, and outlining the specific SEO strategies that will be used to improve the client’s website. By doing this, you can make SEO seem like an essential investment that is well worth the time and money.
Close the Deal
Once all is said and done, all that’s left is closing a deal with your potential client. How exactly do you go about doing it? Here are a few tips:
- Make sure that you thoroughly understand the needs of your potential client, from the goals they have for their website to the budget they’re working with.
- Give them a realistic idea of what SEO can do for their website. Be honest about both the potential benefits and the challenges that come with SEO.
- Recommend a specific SEO package or service that you think would be a good fit for their website. Be clear about what is included in the package and what the price will be.
Tips When Managing Post Sale Experiences
As you’ve learned above, work doesn’t stop when a sale is made. In fact, post-sale experiences can be crucial to retaining clients and building long-term relationships. Below are some tips for managing those experiences effectively:
Stay in Touch With Clients After the Sale
SEO is not a one-time effort. It is a continuous process that should be ongoing in order to maintain and improve rankings. This is where staying in touch with your clients after the sale comes in. By continually communicating with them, you’ll be able to keep their website ranking high in the search engines and help them stay ahead of their competition. This will lead to stronger relationships with your clients, ensuring that they keep coming back to you for all of their SEO needs.
Make It Easier for Them to Provide Feedback
When selling SEO, customer feedback is essential for understanding what works and what doesn’t. It can help to reveal areas where your product or service could be improved, and it can also help to build trust and loyalty among your client base. So provide clients feedback forms that make it easy for them to provide their input. And while you’re at it, make sure the forms are SEO-friendly. That way, potential clients will be able to find your business when they’re looking for SEO products or services.
Have a Money Back Policy
No matter how good you are at SEO, your campaigns will not always be successful. There are also times when a client may not see the results that they were hoping for. Under these situations, it may be beneficial for you to offer a money back policy. That way, if a customer is not satisfied with the results of the SEO work, they can get their money back. While offering a money-back policy may seem like a risk, it can actually help to build trust with potential customers and show that you are confident in your SEO abilities.
Show Your Appreciation to Your Clients
As an SEO specialist or company, one of your main goals is to keep your clients happy. After all, without clients, you wouldn’t have a business. For some, a simple handwritten thank-you note can be enough to show how much they appreciate their clients’ business. Others may prefer to send a small gift or make a charitable donation in their clients’ name. Whatever the approach, you should make sure to express your gratitude on a regular basis. By taking the time to do this, you can maintain strong relationships with their clients and keep their business thriving.
Continually Monitor and Refine Your SEO Services
SEO is an ever-evolving field, and what works today may not work tomorrow. That’s why it’s so important to continually monitor and refine your SEO services. By keeping up with the latest changes in search engine algorithms, you can ensure that your site (and your clients’) will always be visible to potential clients. In addition, by constantly testing new SEO strategies, you can stay ahead of the competition.
Master the Art of Selling SEO
Selling SEO is a process that takes time and effort but it’s worth it in the end. If you want to run a successful digital marketing company, learning how to sell SEO is a must. Use the guide above as your roadmap to success and start making more sales today!
Interested in learning more or ready to increase the sales and revenue of your business? Book your free consultation with us today!
Book your free consulration with us today!
