SEO Freelancing: 10 Must-Know Facts

Freelancing is frequently romanticized as a way to get away from an annoying boss who doesn’t value you.

However, when people start working for themselves, they frequently discover that they ‘quit 9-5 to work 24/7.’

This can have a negative impact on your self-esteem and mental health, but it doesn’t mean freelancing isn’t worthwhile

If you approach it with the right mindset, it can be a rewarding experience.

You’ll learn SEO freelancing tips in this column that will help you find more (and better) clients, build a sustainable business, and truly enjoy what you do.

But first, let’s look at why so many people choose to work for themselves.

Read Business Rules to Follow For Your Success.

Advantages of a Freelance Career

I already mentioned a few disadvantages of starting an SEO freelancing business. So it’s time to weigh the pros and cons of this journey.

When you work as a freelancer…

You have greater control over your time and your life.

It is not necessary to obtain permission to visit the dentist during the working day. If your projects allow, you can even take a full weekday off. Your timetable is entirely up to you.

Your salary has the potential to rise quickly.

According to Search Engine Journal research, 60% of SEO professionals earn the same as or more than the US median while working full-time.

However, one’s ability to advance is often limited by the number of years of experience one has, and it’s difficult to significantly increase one’s salary within a single company. To get a larger raise, you would frequently need to change jobs.

However, as an SEO freelancer, you are not required to wait for a ‘3 percent yearly increase’ in your salary. You can produce more quickly.

I made my previous full-time job salary in the first year of freelancing and more than doubled it the following year.

That is not an unusual outcome; there are numerous success stories from other SEOs who decided to start their freelancing careers.

Furthermore, there is no upper limit to how much money you can make because you can expand your freelancing business into an agency or something else.

Working directly with clients.

It was one of the most important benefits for me because I wanted to have a greater impact on the success of my clients.

You have a better understanding of your clients.

As a business owner, you now have a better understanding of your clients because you know more about prioritization and estimating effort vs impact.

It allows you to focus on the most important recommendations rather than trying to solve all SEO issues.

I founded my company two years ago with no prior business or freelance experience, so I had to learn everything quickly.

Here are my ten most valuable tips, which I hope will assist you in getting your SEO freelancing business up and running (and keep you sane while doing it).

1. Network With Other Freelancers

There are people who have been there before you, no matter where you are. They have knowledge and experience that you can benefit from.

Getting advice from such people can save you months of trial and error. Personally, I’m grateful to Aleyda Solis, Luke Carthy, Andrew Optmisey, Kirsty Hulse, and Troy Fawkes for being open with me and providing valuable advice.

A few pointers on how to approach people for advice…

Be considerate of their time.

Don’t just DM your list of questions or something ambiguous like ‘please assist me.’ People will gladly assist you if you instead build relationships.

Inquire about specifics.

The answers you receive are determined by the questions you ask. As a result, make certain that you ask specific questions that will truly move the needle for you.

You are accountable for your actions.

You ask people to help you, not to take responsibility for your company. So use your common sense to determine what works and what doesn’t.

2. Establish Your Online Presence

You have the potential to be the best SEO ever. However, if no one knows about it, it will be difficult to succeed.

We live in a world where there are so many voices on social media, and yours should be heard as well.

LinkedIn can help you establish your online presence. You can use Twitter, start a newsletter, or do both at the same time. You have a choice.

But believe me when I say that having a strong digital presence makes it much easier to talk to prospects.

Two months before I quit my job, I began building my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles. It did assist me in attracting my first clients and students to my SEO course.

3. Run Yourself Like A Business

When you start your own business, you become an accountant, a salesperson, an account manager, and a legal department all rolled into one.

You also have to pay your taxes (which can be intimidating at first). However, with a little discipline and a lot of due diligence, the tax filing process can be a lot easier than you think. Furthermore, your federal tax return can be filed for free in most circumstances.

This must be considered when pricing your services. It’s not enough to simply calculate your hourly wage from your day job. You’ll need several times that amount to cover all other expenses.

4. Understand How to Price Your Services

You now understand that you are a business, even if you are the sole employee.

Profit is the primary goal of any business. So the next step is to accept it and stop underestimating yourself (it might be easier when you see your first tax bill).

Here are some pointers:

Don’t work for nothing.
Instead of billing by the hour, use project-based pricing.
Improve on a regular basis and raise your prices accordingly.

5. Discover How To Sell

People told me when I first started out, “you’re not in the business if you can’t sell.” Every time, it made me cringe.

I didn’t want to sell; in fact, I was terrified of doing so.

Also, it’s a common misconception that if you’re good at your craft (in our case, SEO), you’ll have a slew of clients lining up to work with you.

That is not correct. In reality, selling and SEO are two entirely different abilities. And you’ll need both of them to succeed.

When I accepted this truth, everything changed for me. I began learning how to sell.

I’m not talking about door-to-door sales or sending annoying LinkedIn messages to your contacts. It’s a lot more subtle.

When you get on the phone with a potential customer, you’re selling.

Even if you’re just talking or sharing your previous successes, you’re selling.

You’re selling ideas, outcomes, yourself as a professional, and your company. Every conversation you have with a prospect is a sale.

The sooner you realize this, the better.

Also see: How SEO Professionals and Agencies Gain New Clients [Survey Results].

6. Establish Processes and Systems

Many people tell me that they still don’t have a clear path to follow for an SEO audit or other repeatable tasks.

It’s fine if you don’t have any processes or systems in place right now. But now is the time to start constructing them.

Creating processes will assist you in making your freelancing business more efficient and increasing your margins. Processes are also valuable for the delegation at later stages if you decide to hire someone else to help you.

You don’t have to make anything elaborate. A process can start in the form of a simple checklist that you can expand over time.

7. Create Assets

When I first started my freelancing business, I also started working on a course.

While I would not advise everyone to embark on such a large project (because it is exhausting), it is still beneficial to begin accumulating assets (for example, an ebook or a paid membership).

Selling products in addition to services, in my opinion, makes you a much better SEO because you learn a lot of marketing skills.

You begin to see audience research differently, learn to copywrite, and gain a better understanding of your SEO clients.

Furthermore, assets provide passive income and keep you busy when there isn’t a lot of client work. Who knows, they might grow into something bigger in the future.

8. Prepare Yourself For A Long Journey

It is not easy to begin a freelance career. You’ll have to figure out a lot of things quickly. It can also be isolating.

All of this can lead to chronic overwork and mental health issues.

In fact, according to a Twitter poll I conducted, work/life balance is one of the three most difficult aspects of freelancing:

So it’s better to take care of yourself and your work/life balance before it becomes too difficult to remember who you are outside of your business.

Here are some pointers:

Have a group of people who will cheer you up (your spouse, friends, fellow freelancers).

Have a hobby that is unrelated to your job (and, ideally, does not involve a computer).
Make plans for your leisure time.
Set clear boundaries with yourself; don’t work in your pyjamas for 12 hours a day.
All of these minor details will ensure that you are running a marathon, not a sprint (yes, this is an allusion to SEO).

9. Know Your ‘Laws,’ And Obey Them

You won’t be able to work on every type of SEO project available. You cannot work with all of the different types of clients who come to you.

Trying to help everyone will only exhaust you.

Instead, you must be clear about what you do (your strengths), how you assist (your services), and who you assist (types of clients you work with).

At first, it will be difficult for you to say “no” to potential projects. However, it will be worthwhile in the long run.

10. Assist People Along the Way You’re valuable.

You can help someone who is a few steps behind you in something no matter where you are in your freelancing journey.

You can contribute in any way that works for you, such as writing a blog post, tweeting your tip, answering someone’s question in a Slack group, and so on.

Just remember that your experience counts, and one day (very soon), you’ll be the one assisting someone who is just getting started.