For anyone who hasn’t gone through the hiring process as a freelancer, I wanted to offer my insights on how I went from “I’m giving this freelance thing a shot” to “I have more work than I can handle.” Here’s my step-by-step guide to getting hired as an SEO specialist.
| Takeaways for Getting Hired as a Freelance SEO Specialist |
|---|
| 1. Develop a strong understanding of SEO principles and techniques. |
| 2. Showcase your expertise through a well-crafted portfolio or website. |
| 3. Network with industry professionals to expand your connections. |
| 4. Stay updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates. |
| 5. Build a positive reputation by delivering high-quality work and achieving results. |
| 6. Price your services competitively, considering your expertise and the value you provide. |
| 7. Continuously learn and improve your skills to stay ahead in the field. |
| 8. Utilize effective SEO tools for keyword research, performance analysis, and monitoring. |
| 9. Actively seek referrals and leverage social media platforms to attract clients. |
| 10. Provide excellent customer service and maintain strong communication with clients. |
Decide If Freelancing Seo Specialist Is For You
If you’ve reached this point in the article, you’re likely considering freelancing as a career. And if so, we applaud you.
Freelancing is a great way to set your hours and make money, while also learning new skills and working from home. But some things about it aren’t always easy on the ego or bank account.
The biggest reason why people decide against taking up freelance jobs is that it can be hard to get started with little-to-no experience in the industry and sometimes even if you have been working in a particular field for years.
But don’t worry! We’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to get started as a freelance SEO specialist (and all of its nuances) so that no matter what kind of job offer comes your way next week or next month, you’ll be able to pick up any new business opportunities with ease!
As a freelance SEO specialist, you have the flexibility to work on your own terms, even during life’s significant milestones. Learn more about the benefits of freelancing while pregnant and how it can empower expecting mothers in their career journey.
Know Your Skillset
To get hired as a freelancer, you need to know your skillset well. This means knowing what you’re good at and what you could improve on. Then, use that knowledge of yourself to understand where you can best contribute in the field of SEO.
To do this:
- Know your strengths and weaknesses as a professional SEO specialist.
- Know the skillset that would be most useful to clients in need of SEO services (e.g., technical expertise vs copywriting).
- Know the target audience for which those services will be provided (e.g., small business owners vs large corporations). You may want to consider some research on these issues before deciding whether or not this is something worth pursuing full-time or part-time!
Choose A Niche
Choosing a niche is critical. If you’re not passionate about your chosen niche, then it will be very difficult to succeed as a freelance SEO specialist. And if you can’t get clients for your chosen niche, then you won’t be able to make any money at all.
So how do you choose the right niche? Four basic things need to be considered:
- Choose something that interests you and/or something where there is demand.
- Make sure there are enough clients in this market so that it makes sense for someone like yourself who wants to work as part of a team of freelancers or on an independent basis (i.e., make sure there aren’t too many competitors).
Get A Mentor
Having a mentor is one of the best things you can do as a new SEO specialist.
A mentor can help you learn how to get clients and land projects, how to set up your website and blog, and even how to negotiate fees with clients. The most important thing that mentors teach you is that it’s not only about creating content for websites; it’s also about selling yourself.
You need to convince potential clients that you’re worth hiring by showing them what services you offer, why they should hire those services from them instead of someone else, and how much they’ll benefit from these services (e.g., higher search engine rankings).
This might seem obvious, but often when people start in this industry they focus too much on content creation without considering these other aspects of their business model first and then find themselves struggling later on when trying to sell their services without having any experience doing so yet!
In addition to helping others sell themselves better than ever before thanks largely because we all thrive off praising ourselves…
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Start Networking With Other SEOs
We’re going to start with the most obvious and important piece of advice: you need a network, and you can build one by using social media. Here are some ways you can use social media for networking.
- Make an account on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other relevant sites where your target audience hangs out.
- Send out a few tweets linking back to your website or blog posts related to SEO (and other things). This is how many people first find me online they see my tweets about SEO-related topics and then click through my profile to learn more about me. If they like what they see there, they may clickbait link their friends into visiting as well.
- Use the “search” feature on Facebook groups that have come up about your niche industry (e.g., “SEO group”). This will show you all of the people who are talking about it right now these could potentially become friends if they share similar interests with yours!
Shadow An Experienced Seo Manager Or Consultant
Shadowing an experienced SEO manager or consultant is a great way to learn the ins and outs of the industry. If you’re lucky, this person will be willing to give you some insight into what makes for a good freelancer, which is helpful if your goal is to land a full-time position at some point in the future.
You should also be aware that shadowing someone who’s been doing this job for years might not be your best option if you have no experience yet shadowing someone more experienced than yourself may mean that they’ll expect more from you.
Then they would otherwise consider reasonable, and could potentially burn bridges with clients who are impressed by how much work they get done during their first day on the job (and not so much by how well they were able to capture links).
Create A Website, Blog, And Portfolio Site
Now that you have a portfolio of your work and have built a reputation, it’s time to build your website. Your website should be easy to find on search engines and easy for people to navigate around once they get there.
Here are some tips on how to make sure your site is optimized:
- Make sure it’s mobile-friendly – This is important because more people are now using smartphones than PCs, so if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it will miss out on traffic from users searching from their phones.
Google gives preference to sites that are designed with a responsive design which means the content adapts depending on what device the user is viewing it on (whether PC or Smartphone).
- Include a call-to-action – A call-to-action refers to an element within the content of your website where readers can click through onto another area of the site such as the ‘get in touch button or ‘free consultation form’ etc… This helps drive conversions and get more clients through your door.
- Include social media sharing buttons (buttons that allow users share posts across different platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc…). When someone shares one of our blog posts via these buttons we gain additional exposure among their friends/followers which could lead them back here too someday soon!
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Sharpen Your Seo Skills Through Practice And Resources
To get the most out of this section, it’s important to think of SEO as a skill that can be practiced and improved upon like any other. The more you practice and learn about SEO, the better you will become at it. Here are some resources that can help sharpen your skills:
- Google Search Console – https://search.google.com/search-console/. This is the dashboard where you monitor traffic for your website or blog, analyze performance metrics and optimize search results based on performance goals.
It’s also a great tool for learning new strategies and best practices in search engine optimization (SEO).
- Moz Open Site Explorer – https://moz.com/researchtools/. A free tool from Moz that allows users to see how websites are ranking on search engines based on keywords they select in their research query box;
Also provides information about backlinks pointing towards each URL so users know what sites link back to theirs (and who links them).
Create A Resume, Cover Letter, And Pitch For Potential Clients
To get hired as a freelance SEO specialist, you’ll need to create a resume and cover letter for potential clients. You should also include a pitch for each client that includes information about your experience, portfolio, and testimonials from past clients.
In addition to this material, make sure that you include an online presence: links to websites, blogs, or social media profiles will help potential employers find out more about your background and capabilities.
Recruit Testimonials & Reviews From Previous Employers Or Clients
Getting testimonials and reviews is an important step in the process of getting hired as a freelance SEO specialist. Testimonials and reviews can be used as evidence of your work, which can help you get new clients.
They can also help you get more work from past clients and new clients alike by demonstrating your skills and experience to them.
Know The Going Rates For Freelance SEO Work
The going rate for freelance SEO work depends on several factors, including your location and experience level.
To get an idea of what you should charge, research sites like Upwork (formerly Odesk) and Guru. You can also use Google to find job listings that are similar to yours so you’ll know what others are charging for similar services in your area or industry niche.
If you’re thinking about working with clients in a different country than where you live, make sure that there aren’t any currency conversion fees involved with doing business internationally!
Become Familiar With The Top Saas Tools Preferred By Clients Hiring SEOs
You may think that it’s an easy task to become familiar with the leading SEO tools, but it can be a challenge. There are so many tools and they’re constantly changing.
You’ll want to know what content marketing software your clients prefer, which analytics tool they use, what link-building tools they trust, and how they track their performance in PPC. You’ll also want to understand how search engine optimization (SEO) agencies are using these platforms as part of their daily workflow and reporting process.
Standing out as a freelancer on Upwork can lead to greater visibility and increased opportunities. Follow our comprehensive step-by-step guide to become a top-rated freelancer on Upwork and unlock the potential for higher-paying clients and long-term success.
Ask Past And Current Managers Or Clients If They Need Help With Additional Work Beyond Your Current Role Or Project
If you are already a manager, ask your employees for referrals. Even if you’re not a manager, ask your friends’ bosses for referrals. You can also email past employers and clients personally to see if they need any more help from you.
Having these connections is invaluable because it will help open the door to future opportunities that may not be apparent at first glance (and could turn out to be lucrative).
Get Organized With Scheduling & Time Tracking Tools (And Get Paid On Time)
Here are a few tools that will help you keep track of your schedule, billing, and time spent.
- A calendar. You can use Google Calendar or any other calendar app (e.g., Microsoft Outlook). It’s best to set up separate calendars for each client so that you know who is paying and when they expect payment from you.
- A time tracking app like Toggl (free) or RescueTime (paid). These apps are designed to help freelancers keep track of how much time they spend on different tasks during the day so that they can bill accordingly at the end of each month or week.
As well as a way for them to submit their timesheets directly into your accounting software once per month, or TimeClockPro ($36 one-time purchase). These solutions work by setting up projects with clients along with appointments and tasks within those projects
Then allowing users to enter hours worked against those appointments into an online database that generates invoices automatically every week based on how many hours were entered during those past weeks’ worth of activity.
Begin Searching For Gigs On Job Boards, Linkedin, Facebook Groups, And Other Online Services/Forums Marketing Freelance/Contract Positions
In addition to the previous steps, you should also begin looking for freelance SEO jobs from online services/forums. Here are some of the best places:
- Job Boards – Sites like Upwork, Linkedin, and Craigslist.
- LinkedIn – Search for positions related to your skillset (I know it’s not exactly a job board, but still).
- Facebook Groups – Local groups focused on your area or city will often post freelance jobs as well as local networking events where you can meet potential employers.
- Other Online Services/Forums Marketing Freelance/Contract Positions – If you’re just starting and want to get some experience doing this type of work before taking on paid gigs.
There are many free resources out there like Reddit and Quora where users help each other out with their questions about different aspects of SEO or digital marketing in general (and if they don’t have specific answers themselves).
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Consider Hiring An Agent To Promote Your Services To Businesses Who Need Your Help
What Is An Agent?
An agent is a person who acts on behalf of someone else. In this case, the “someone else” would be you. They are paid by businesses to find freelancers who can help solve their problems, and they pass along your information to those businesses in exchange for a fee (usually 20%) of whatever you make on the job.
How Do You Find An Agent?
The best way to find an agent is through networking with other SEOs in your area and asking them if they know anyone who works as one. If that doesn’t work out, online search engines like Google may have some results as well!
How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Agent?
This will vary widely depending on where you live and what kind of services you offer; however, it’s not uncommon for agents to charge around $50-$100 per hour (or more).
Final Thoughts
This is a long process, but the payoff is great. Keep in mind that it’s going to be a lot of work, and you will likely have to do your research to understand how SEO works. But once you get started and build up your confidence in this industry, you’ll be well on your way toward becoming an SEO expert!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on becoming a freelance SEO specialist:
Freelance SEO Professionals Survey Results: Explore the findings of a survey conducted among freelance SEO professionals, providing insights into their experiences and industry trends.
How to Become an SEO Freelancer: Discover the essential steps and skills required to embark on a successful career as an SEO freelancer, including practical tips and guidance.
How to Become an SEO Freelancer: A Step-by-Step Guide: Dive into a step-by-step guide that outlines the process of becoming an SEO freelancer, from acquiring the necessary skills to building a client base.
People Also Ask
What Is A Freelance SEO Specialist?
A freelance SEO specialist is an individual who helps clients increase their search engine rankings by optimizing their websites and writing high-quality content.
What Kind Of Skills Do I Need To Be A Freelance SEO Specialist?
To be successful in this role, you should know different types of website design and optimization, as well as the ability to write engaging copy that appeals to your target audience.
How Much Money Do I Make As A Freelance SEO Specialist?
This depends on how many clients you take on at once and what they’re willing to pay you. You may also be able to earn extra money by offering additional services, like graphic design or keyword research.
What Are The Different Types Of SEO Roles?
SEO specialists can work in three areas: technical SEO, content creation/editing/optimization, and strategy/planning. Technical SEO focuses on ensuring that websites are optimized for search engines to ensure they are easily found on search engines such as Google or Bing.
Content creators work with marketers to create content that is optimized for search engines, and strategy/planning involves creating strategies for how to use paid advertising campaigns to increase visibility in organic listings.
What Are The Skills Required To Become A Freelance Seo Specialist?
You should be able to research and analyze data, write well-researched content that is easy to read, and communicate with clients effectively.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.