In my experience as a freelance SEO consultant, it’s an area of digital marketing that many business owners are wary of. They’ve had pricy quotes, and may have heard horror stories about people being fleeced by shady SEO agencies that cost a small fortune for little return.
Now, of course not all SEO agencies are shady. There are some excellent agencies that know their stuff and will get you results. However, many charge eye-watering fees that might be within the budget of big brands, but not feasible for most small business owners and SMEs.
So, what’s a business owner to do when they want to grow organic leads from their website? Try a freelancer (just like my happy customers did).
What is a Freelance SEO Consultant and What Do They Do?
A freelance SEO consultant is a self-employed professional, who usually works remotely from home. They pay their own taxes, holiday, sickness pay and pension contributions. Read: Employee vs Freelancer
We offer SEO services that are created specifically with small business needs in mind and help you start moving toward your digital marketing and business goals. Services include monthly retainers, SEO audits and SEO starter packs.
What are The Benefits of Working with an Independent Consultant?
1. Cost-Effective & Economical
Freelance services are a cost-effective alternative to working with larger digital agencies. Agencies simply have higher overheads than the average freelancer. They have an office to run, staff benefits to pay and a whole host of other expenses to cover. Because of this they also tend to deal with large brands or businesses with substantial budgets, so they may simply be out of the price range of the average SME.
You could decide to keep SEO in-house rather than using an agency. A good freelancer can work alongside your marketing team, helping to plan, guide and train them.
If your business doesn’t have the luxury of its own marketing team, then hiring a consultant could be the answer. It gives you all the benefits of a new team member, without the cost and hassle of taking on a new employee.
Another issue for small businesses is having a steady cash flow. Up to 57% have reported problems with cash flow and it can ruin an otherwise thriving business. I’ve created flexible monthly SEO packages that can be adjusted to suit business budgets or even paused for a few months if cash flow isn’t flowing!
2. Affordable Business Investment
Don’t forget that SEO is actually an investment you can expect to see a return on eventually. It’s a long-term digital marketing strategy and depending on the size of your website, niche and monthly spend, you can expect to start seeing results within 6-12 months.
As your website gains more targeted traffic, it will start to generate more online leads and sales. It will become the extra member of your team, working away even when business is closed for the day.
3. Knowledge, Experience & Honesty
An experienced freelancer has all the expert knowledge needed to start boosting website rankings and get your business found on Google. Many small business owners find SEO confusing and aren’t 100% sure what’s involved so having some expert help is vital for getting SEO-savvy.
I’ve had clients who only started ‘doing SEO’ because their business mentor told them to! They’re sceptical and don’t think it’s worth it, but get the basics sorted anyway. Then after a few months they start seeing results and the actual benefits of not just getting clicks, but clicks from the right people.
My goal is to help small business owners and marketers feel less nervous about SEO and get savvier about the strengths and weaknesses of their own websites. I’m very transparent about planned work and reporting completed work to my clients.
I’ve worked with (and spoken to) people who have handed their website over to an agency or a freelancer on Fivver, and they they don’t have the first clue what that person is doing behind the scenes. Some have found out later that something detrimental has happened to tank their rankings (like adding spammy backlinks to dodgy websites).
They’ve been burned and are understandably a little wary about trusting anyone again. The secret squirrel approach is not for me – I’m always clear about what I’m doing and I want my customers to have some understanding of what is going on by clear reporting of work and tracking results.
4. Personalised & Flexible Service
Although I may not work in your office, I consider myself very much part of the team for the various businesses I work for. There’s no reason why working virtually means being remote with your business!
I love taking the time to really get to know your business, products, or services as it’s key to learning what makes your target audience tick and what they are searching for.
There’s nothing better than developing a long-term working relationship and becoming part of an outsourced team. I want my clients to be successful and love having a hand in making that happen. I also want it to happen in a timeframe/budget that suits your business.
That’s why I’ve created some affordable monthly SEO retainers so that even if your budgets are low, you can still get professional advice and support to ensure your business website is performing the best it can. And with 20 years of experience, I can see the full picture of how your website fits into your broader business and your goals.
And if something happens and you need to pivot and change plans? No problem! Adaptability is the name of the game and a freelancer will adapt with your business as it changes and grows.
Start to Gain Clarity on SEO Strategy with a Free SEO Audit
Get clear on the health of your business website by requesting your free Snapshot SEO Audit. Get savvy about where your website is now and what needs doing. Request a free Mini Website Audit here
And when you sign up you’ll be offered a discounted Power Hour so you can discuss the results and get some actionable tasks.
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