How Hard Is It To Start An SEO Company And Succeed In Today's Market?

Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.

The hardest thing about starting a business today is actually plucking up the courage to take action. Many people who dream about starting their own business are often crippled by fear and ‘imposter syndrome’. For example, how difficult is it to start an SEO company and actually succeed in today’s market? Is it even worth trying? Read on and let’s find out…

How hard is it to start an SEO company and succeed?

Firstly, it all boils down to what success looks like to you. Do you want to make your millions and retire by the time you’re 50? Or would you be happy managing a few clients and making a healthy living without having to answer to anyone but yourself?

Success looks different to everyone, so it’s a difficult thing to measure. However,

despite the fierce competition, starting an SEO agency is easier today than it ever has been! The best part? You can start from the comfort of your own home.

Practice what you preach

As an SEO specialist, you should have a very good understanding of digital marketing – and indeed the fact that running a successful business takes so much more than having a pretty website with great sales copy and some high-quality backlinks.

You must invest in your own SEO, however, if you want to hit the ground running and successfully attract new clients as quickly as possible, you’re going to need an awesome lead-gen strategy in place. And given how competitive the SEO industry is (particularly when working on your own website), you’ll need alternative methods for attracting business – as opposed to relying solely on your website.

Engage with your local community

In the early stages, you should try and be very active in your community. For example, if you are a New York City SEO company, start by reaching out to local businesses and helping them develop their local SEO strategies. Little gigs like helping a local restaurant claim and establish their Google My Business page can help them yield some incredible results – which all leads to positive testimonials on your part.

LinkedIn is an amazing platform for B2B lead gen

Starting a business is no easy task – especially when you want to establish a recurring revenue as quickly as possible. So, how can you go about attracting hot leads in the meantime while you establish your brand and start working on driving more traffic to your website? Turn to social media.

LinkedIn is an amazing lead generation tool:

Establish yourself on Linkedin,
Optimize your profile accordingly (and make it crystal clear what you do and who you cater for),
Maintain a strong and consistent presence (show up every day),
Engage with big accounts in your niche (put your name out there and post meaningful comments for more profile views),
Post content daily and demonstrate your authority (high value content will attract a larger following),
Have a clear product and value proposition.

It might take 6-months to a year of consistent posting before you establish a large following and generate in-bound leads, however, if you commit to this it can and does work! It’s not so dissimilar to SEO in that regard.

Once you’ve picked up a few clients and have delivered awesome results, get some social proof on your website. Collect reviews like they’re going out of fashion!

Never give up

The one thing that all successful SEO companies have in common is: they never gave up. Make no mistake, starting a new SEO business in such a saturated market is indeed going to be difficult. You will feel like throwing in the towel – often; you will find yourself endlessly frustrated; and you will frequently ask yourself why on earth you bothered in the first place. However, if you commit yourself entirely, practice what you preach, and lead with value first, finding your own audience and attracting high-value clients of your own is entirely possible.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

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