I have been an SEO consultant for the last 7 years, I have seen the SEO industry grow and develop from the early days of the “keywords meta tag” through to these tough days of Google Panda. Over this time I have done some pretty cool things with SEO, some techniques have pushed the boundaries, others were the “run of the mill” techniques popular by the majority of SEO consultants.
I am now Search Marketing Director of TWDG Ltd. I have learnt a thing or two about search engine optimisation. Here are a few tips for new SEO consultants.
1) Don’t Believe Everything You Read
I’m sure you have heard this saying before, “don’t believe all you read”. This couldn’t be more true with regards to SEO. The industry is full of really bad SEO’s who give out a lot of bad advice! If you read something about SEO, always try to research it further and if possible test It out!
2) Know Your Limits
You will quickly become swamped with work (hopefully), know your limits! The worst thing you can do in SEO is to try and take on too much work. If you try taking on too many projects at one time you may find yourself “stretched” and unable to do anything effectively.
3) Get Talking To Other SEO Consultants
Seeking out advice and help from more experienced SEO consultants is a great idea, you will learn new things by talking with them (if they are happy to share their knowledge). You will also be making some vital contacts in the industry, these contacts can help you out in tough situations, helping with the problem of having “too much work” from my tip before.
4) Know Your Value, Don’t Be Too Cheap
A really common mistake new SEO’s make is to under value themselves, not charging enough for your time and skills can make you life very difficult, you may find that you are working all the hours under the sun and not turning much of a profit. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was “don’t be too cheap”. The best thing I did was raise my prices, this had the effect of attracting a higher quality of client too.
5) Test Things Out
Finally, don’t be afraid to test things out, by experimenting with new techniques and trying out new methods and theories will help you develop your skills. A word of warning, don’t ever test things on a client’s website. It is a great idea to buy a few domains and use the, just for testing. It is fairly common practice for SEO consultants to own a few “test sites”.
To Sum Up
These 5 things will help you on the way to becoming a successful SEO consultant, don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t forget to network with other SEO consultants.
Andy Morley is a consultant practicing SEO in Nottingham and the Eastmidlands. He has been in the web industry since 1999, and been a professional SEO for 7 years. Find out more on his blog site – www.andy-morley.co.uk.
About the Author
