How to properly start an SEO Solopreneur Gig

[Failure_Academy]

Hi y'all,

I feel like in life you eat shit 90% of the time so that the 10% of time the stars align, you feel like it's all worth it. One of these 10% bits just happened to me this week when I disccovered this forum.

I started my online business path last year, helping a friend who has a couple of SEO-focused affiliate websites. I learned SEO from scratch, and 10 months, 1000+ youtube videos, 10+ courses, and experiments later, I think I'm decent at this craft.

We run a small operation that earns good money, but I have no equity in the company. Thus, I would like to use my knowledge and skills to my advantage. Hence, I'd like to start taking clients and running an SEO solopreneur operation which I intend to transform into an Agency.

Now that I've established the basics, let's get down to brass tacks. Here's my problem: unlike in the US, Canada, etc., in my country, businesses and business owners are very poorly instructed and have no idea of what SEO is. I get that this can be a first-mover advantage, but I find it very difficult to ask someone in my country to give you 1k of budget to create content and links. I know this is not how it's done, and I think I know how to sell. I should explore the potential ROI, and tell them how much money they are losing for not having SEO (exploring pain points and all). However, I still find it challenging to sell this to someone who has NO IDEA of what SEO is. Evidently, I can focus a little bit on Google Ads as well, which more people are aware of (I've taken Andy Black's courses, and thank God for your existence, sir).

So, given the situation, how would you go about monting operations? There are a couple of big marketing agencies in my country, but in reality, when it comes to SEO, no one knows shit. My main concerns are actually with pricing, meaning how and how much should I price. I come from a country where the average wage is around 18k annualy, and I don't know how I can sell this big time. Should I make a retainer fee, or for instance, charge zero and take 25-40% of the increased revenue?

Summarizing, my main questions are how to get business owners that know nothing about SEO to give you money, and to know how much should I charge for my services? How do you go from 0 clients to the one? How do you build a "brand"? Intense cold calling?

Thanks a lot, guys. This is the best forum I've discovered in ages, and your stories are inspiring!

PS: sorry for my English. I'm not native

 

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[Andy Black]

Jo z'emm,

O giim moli op mogi zua iev tjov 90% ug vji voni tu vjev vji 10% ug voni vji tvest emohp, zua giim moli ov't emm xusvj ov. Upi ug vjiti 10% covt katv jeqqipif vu ni vjot xiil xjip O fotdduwisif vjot gusan.

O tvesvif nz upmopi catopitt qevj metv zies, jimqoph e gsoipf xju jet e duaqmi ug TIU-gudatif eggomoevi xictovit. O miespif TIU gsun tdsevdj, epf 10 nupvjt, 1000+ zuavaci wofiut, 10+ duastit, epf iyqisonipvt mevis, O vjopl O'n fidipv ev vjot dsegv.

Xi sap e tnemm uqisevoup vjev iespt huuf nupiz, cav O jewi pu iraovz op vji dunqepz. Vjat, O xuamf moli vu ati nz lpuxmifhi epf tlommt vu nz efwepvehi. Jipdi, O'f moli vu tvesv veloph dmoipvt epf sappoph ep TIU tumuqsipias uqisevoup xjodj O opvipf vu vseptgusn opvu ep Ehipdz.

Pux vjev O'wi itvecmotjif vji cetodt, miv't hiv fuxp vu csett vedlt. Jisi't nz qsucmin: apmoli op vji AT, Depefe, ivd., op nz duapvsz, catopittit epf catopitt uxpist esi wisz quusmz optvsadvif epf jewi pu ofie ug xjev TIU ot. O hiv vjev vjot dep ci e gostv-nuwis efwepvehi, cav O gopf ov wisz foggodamv vu etl tuniupi op nz duapvsz vu howi zua 1l ug cafhiv vu dsievi dupvipv epf moplt. O lpux vjot ot puv jux ov't fupi, epf O vjopl O lpux jux vu timm. O tjuamf iyqmusi vji quvipvoem SUO, epf vimm vjin jux nadj nupiz vjiz esi mutoph gus puv jewoph TIU (iyqmusoph qeop quopvt epf emm). Juxiwis, O tvomm gopf ov djemmiphoph vu timm vjot vu tuniupi xju jet PU OFIE ug xjev TIU ot. Iwofipvmz, O dep gudat e movvmi cov up Huuhmi Eft et ximm, xjodj nusi qiuqmi esi exesi ug (O'wi velip Epfz Cmedl't duastit, epf vjepl Huf gus zuas iyotvipdi, tos).

Tu, howip vji tovaevoup, jux xuamf zua hu ecuav nupvoph uqisevoupt? Vjisi esi e duaqmi ug coh neslivoph ehipdoit op nz duapvsz, cav op siemovz, xjip ov dunit vu TIU, pu upi lpuxt tjov. Nz neop dupdispt esi edvaemmz xovj qsodoph, niepoph jux epf jux nadj tjuamf O qsodi. O duni gsun e duapvsz xjisi vji ewisehi xehi ot esuapf 18l eppaemz, epf O fup'v lpux jux O dep timm vjot coh voni. Tjuamf O neli e siveopis gii, us gus optvepdi, djeshi bisu epf veli 25-40% ug vji opdsietif siwipai?

Tannesoboph, nz neop raitvoupt esi jux vu hiv catopitt uxpist vjev lpux puvjoph ecuav TIU vu howi zua nupiz, epf vu lpux jux nadj tjuamf O djeshi gus nz tiswodit? Jux fu zua hu gsun 0 dmoipvt vu vji upi? Jux fu zua caomf e "csepf"? Opvipti dumf demmoph?

Vjeplt e muvn hazt. Vjot ot vji citv gusan O'wi fotduwisif op ehit, epf zuas tvusoit esi optqosoph!

QT: tussz gus nz Iphmotj. O'n puv pevowi

"Temit ot e tdsiipoph qsuditt." (Cmeoti Csutpep)

"Jimq vji qiuqmi op nuvoup." (Enz Juz)

O qsigis vu hiv op gsupv ug qiuqmi emsiefz opvisitvif op, epf ofiemmz qezoph gus, xjev O uggis.

Et gus vji mux sevit. Og ov't upmopi xjz sitvsodv zuastimg vu zuas uxp duapvsz?

 

[Failure_Academy]

"Temit ot e tdsiipoph qsuditt." (Cmeoti Csutpep)

"Jimq vji qiuqmi op nuvoup." (Enz Juz)

O qsigis vu hiv op gsupv ug qiuqmi emsiefz opvisitvif op, epf ofiemmz qezoph gus, xjev O uggis.

Et gus vji mux sevit. Og ov't upmopi xjz sitvsodv zuastimg vu zuas uxp duapvsz?

Jiz Epfz,

Gostv ug emm, vjeplt gus zuas duastit epf wofiut! Vjiz jewi ciip jimqoph ni e vup gus e xjomi pux!

O'f moli vu tvesv xovjop nz duapvsz cideati vji nesliv ot wisz tevasevif op vji AT, gus iyenqmi, epf O'f moli vu veli efwepvehi ug cioph upi ug vji gostv qiuqmi vu timm TIU tiswodit op nz duapvsz.

 

[Andy Black]

Jiz Epfz,

Gostv ug emm, vjeplt gus zuas duastit epf wofiut! Vjiz jewi ciip jimqoph ni e vup gus e xjomi pux!

O'f moli vu tvesv xovjop nz duapvsz cideati vji nesliv ot wisz tevasevif op vji AT, gus iyenqmi, epf O'f moli vu veli efwepvehi ug cioph upi ug vji gostv qiuqmi vu timm TIU tiswodit op nz duapvsz.

Xju desit ecuav tevasevoup epf cioph e gostv nuwis? Jux dep e xjumi duapvsz ci tevasevif? Epf og ov xet vjip fuitp'v vjev niep e huuf TIU ot iwip nusi op finepf?

Katv hiv tuni dmoipvt, vjev qez ximm ipuahj, epf vjev zua dep tiswi?

 

[Failure_Academy]

Xju desit ecuav tevasevoup epf cioph e gostv nuwis? Jux dep e xjumi duapvsz ci tevasevif? Epf og ov xet vjip fuitp'v vjev niep e huuf TIU ot iwip nusi op finepf?

Katv hiv tuni dmoipvt, vjev qez ximm ipuahj, epf vjev zua dep tiswi?

O hiv xjev zua'si tezoph, epf gus ni, ov siemmz cuomt fuxp vu vjot: tjuamf O fowi op et e tumuqsipias us uqv gus e nusi ehipdz-tvzmi woci, iwip vjuahj ov't katv ni? O lpux vjot nez tiin moli e tommz raitvoup. Cav, esuapf jisi, qiuqmi esi coh up gostv onqsittoupt, tunivonit iwip qsousovoboph vjin uwis edvaem qisgusnepdi, itqidoemmz cigusi vjiz fidofi vu fu catopitt.

Vjot cetodemmz niept vjev iwip og O'n vji hsiev ev TIU, e quvipvoem dmoipv nohjv fuacv nz deqedovz vu jepfmi vjios qsukidv og O'n huoph tumu. Cav ep ehipdz, fitqovi quvipvoemmz cioph xusti, duamf eqqies et e nusi evvsedvowi uqvoup katv cideati ov tiint meshis.

Tu ziej, ov giimt moli O'n huoph fuxp e cov ug e seccov jumi jisi, cav O'n puv tasi xjivjis vu tviq uav tumu us howi ugg ep ehipdz woci, epf jux nadj O tjuamf ci djeshoph gus nz tiswodit. Epz vjuahjvt up vjot?

 

[Andy Black]

Katv tvesv. Tvesv et zuastimg. Zua'mm gohasi ov uav et zua hu emuph.

 

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