Over at the SoloSEO blog, there’s a good post discussing five things you can do to find new SEO clients. The list features some easily executed ideas while going over some standard information – for instance, starting a blog. However, like many readers out there, I’ve always enjoyed how-to articles featuring informative lists – much like Lee Odden consistently provides.
SoloSEO’s list is no different. It has some helpful information and while the search gurus may already be aware of these points, not everyone out there is a search guru:
1. Get a website or a blog
2. Keyword List and Content
3. Local businesses
4. Pro bono work
5. Start networking
If you’d like to see their explanation for each point, click on over and check the post out.
From my growing perspective, SoloSEO has my agreement. The first point – getting a blog – has been on the recommendation block for sometime now. Almost every SEO and search engineer worth their salt has suggested doing so.
When you consider the potential social media benefits from a well-maintained blog, having one should now be considered worthy of “no-brainer” status (with no offense intended to SoloSEO’s list).
As for points 2, 3, and 4 – each of these have their own unique merit. Point 3 discusses posting a keyword glossary on your blog (yes, you should have one… see the first point) and creating quality content around these keywords in the form of articles. Essentially, what SoloSEO recommends is an audition: prove yourself on your own ground. Not only will this show off your SEO ability, it will give your newly launched blog the valuable content it so desperately needs. Using images within this content is also suggested.
The post also indicates local businesses are fertile ground for growing SEOers and if the local businesses in your area are as Internet savvy as the ones in Lexington are, then SoloSEO is absolutely right. Included in this point is a strategy for attracting these local businesses:
Set aside an entire day, about 30-45 minutes for each business. Look for their website, and check for a few simple SEO things… Then start a keyword list for each business (SoloSEO has an easy keyword site scan feature) of keywords 2-4 words in length that you would think that most people would use if they were looking for their service… include the name of their business and their domain name. Run a keyword ranking report and see how they fare in the rankings… Check out their post for the rest of this section.
While all of the above is certainly quality information, it was number 4 that stood out to me (doing pro bono work). The suggestion is to find a charitable organization or other businesses and do free SEO work for them.
While the entrepreneurial thinkers out there may disagree, SoloSEO’s idea is legitimate if for no other reason than the potential recommendation your service is in a position to receive… and we all know the benefit of word-of-mouth marketing.
The fifth point – Networking – could also be considered a standard recommendation. However, once again, there is truth in repetition. Even if you are as bad a networker as I am, just getting your face out there at some of the major conventions (complete with nifty business cards) will benefit your company. Hey, if I can meet people at conferences, anyone can…
