Want to start your own SEO agency but aren’t sure where to begin? The best SEO agencies help their clients improve their visibility online through the power of search engine optimization. Read on to learn the ins and outs of starting an SEO agency and what specific services you will need to offer your clients.
Research Local Offerings and Businesses
Before starting your SEO agency, you should do a significant amount of research regarding the current businesses in your area that would benefit from your services such as local restaurants or local gift shops. Additionally, it may be a good idea to reach out to those business owners to see if they’re interested in or already working with a company for their SEO needs. In addition to evaluating the possible customers for your agency, you should also get an idea of the competition you have in the area. Is there already an agency and if so, what businesses are they targeting and what services do they offer?
Create a Portfolio
If you are considering starting an SEO agency, you should already have a good idea of what SEO work is needed and how to do that work to benefit your client’s business. However, most businesses prefer working with an agency that has previous experience and proof of that experience. That’s where a portfolio comes into hand. Proof of the results that you can provide clients can go a long way. When you’re first starting out, this may be a challenging thing to prove. Some businesses are willing to test you out without a portfolio. However, you typically will need to spend more time proving that you know what you are doing and you may even need to offer cheaper prices until you prove what you’re doing works. A challenge with this compared to almost any other type of agency is that SEO takes months before actually seeing results. Because of this, you’ll need to set clear expectations with your clients before they pay you.
Understanding SEO Agencies
If you’re thinking about starting an SEO agency, there are a few things you should know. First of all, there are two major kinds of agencies that specialize in search engine optimization. The first is an independent agency (meaning you work with clients directly) and the second is an affiliate agency (meaning you work through another agency). There are pros and cons to each approach, so be sure to figure out which one works best for your business goals before making any decisions about your marketing plan and how to start an SEO agency from scratch.
What is a White Label Agency?
White label SEO agencies allow clients to buy from one company and have work performed by another company. This type of business model works well for entrepreneurs that want to open an SEO agency while not having to handle all of the tasks, tracking data, and keyword research needed for your clients. There are two reasons you should understand this concept. First, if you are starting an agency with a small staff, by outsourcing to a white label agency, you’ll be able to continue building your client base without hiring more staff to support them. Second, if you have a large staff or you have a lot of hours without a lot of clients, you can reach out to other SEO agencies and marketing agencies and offer white label services to them. The main difference between these two options is not only how many hours of work that you have to offer vs the number of clients you have, it is also what you enjoy doing more. If you like the relationship side of running your agency and not necessarily the keyword research and writing side of things, then outsourcing your services may be a great option. On the other hand, if you like writing blogs and keeping track of keyword ranking for your clients, then providing your services as a white-label service to other agencies may be a good option.
The Advantages of Outsourcing
As you consider the best way to start your agency, it’s important to consider the benefits of outsourcing. While in-house teams have a lot of advantages, they’re not for everyone. With outsourcing, you only pay for what you use. This is often the most affordable option for agencies that are just starting out or have a smaller clientele.
Choosing the Right Services to Offer
As with most marketing agencies, there are a variety of services that you can offer your clients. In addition to providing SEO services, you may want to consider related content creation offerings. From website redesign to creating content for social media, these services go hand-in-hand with SEO marketing. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of how SEO works so you can offer the most beneficial aspects of it to your clients. You need to offer all the help you can to your clients so that they start seeing improvements in their online rankings.
SEO agencies are an essential part of marketing in today’s world. Whether you outsource some of the work or take on everything in-house, having the right strategy in place will ensure your agency is successful. Keep this information in mind as you prepare to open your agency.