Step-by-Step System For Getting SEO Clients by:Justin Brooke
Last week my wife (Chaunna) and I went shopping for condos in Treasure Island
, Florida. We found one that was amazing and we're dead set on moving to Treasure Island now.
However, in order to afford the move we're gunna have to come up with about $8,000 on top of our normal bills. To hit that mark I'll be taking on some SEO clients this month and the next few. Normally, I don't do the service thing since it's easier for me to make money doing SEO for myself.
If I want to live in my dream house though I'm gunna have to roll up my sleeves and do a little good ole fashioned hard work. LoL Well, not me actually it'll be my employees. I will have to get new clients though and this is the system I'll be using to get them. Feel free to copy it for yourselves
First let me give you an overview of the whole system and then I'll drill down into the specific parts.
1. Generate Local Business Leads
2. Create Your "SEO Client Catcher"
3. Distribute Your "SEO Client Catcher"
4. Follow Up With Every Prospect
5. Outsource The Projects That Come In
Generating Local Business Leads
A few months ago I attended several local business lunches. You can find these in your area by finding a local BNI Chapter or by searching for Meetupsin your area.
Now if you already have your "SEO Client Catcher" created it would be a perfect opportunity to distibute them at one of these meetings. If you haven't then just go there to network and introduce yourself like I did. By my third visit I was given a chance to speak about my business.
When I did I explained how every local business should submit their details to Google Local and that I would do it for them for free. (I got this idea from BJ Wright) They just had to fill out their details on piece of paper I passed around.
Now I had the interest and attention from all these local businesses along with their full contact information. From their you go home and fil out their Google local listings for them which takes about 15 minutes or you can outsource it if you're intimidated - it's quite simple though.
Of course you could just pick up a phone book, but this works better if you already have a relationship with these business owners. Especially when you have given them something first instead of asking for something first.
Creating Your "SEO Client Catcher"
An SEO Client Catcher is any marketing material you can use that will make you look like the obvious expert. For me I have my SEO Book. You can have an SEO Book also, it's really very easy.
All I did was write a 35 page word document (including big pictures!) about my SEO knowledge. Then I went to 48hrBooks.com, which will publish any PDF into a beautiful paperback version of your ebook.
For about $200 I was able to order 50 copies of my new book in advance. Now I've got an offical bok I can pass out to prospective customers. This is the ultimate business card because it has all my information inside, contact details, and is basically a giant testimonial to my expertise on the topic.
But what if I don't have $200?
What can I say GET IT! You can print out your own but it's not going to look as nice and you're still going to spend about $100 on paper/ink. If just one of those 50 books gets you one client you will more then double your money.
Get a second job
Flip a website
Borrow the money
Sell stuff you have around the house on ebay, craigslist, pawnshops
Distribute Your "SEO Client Catcher"
This is where those leads I generated in step one come into play. I'll be writing a one page letter that asks for an appointment (not a sale) with the business owner. In the direct marketing world this letter is called a lift letter. They work best handwritten or made to look handwritten.
There is a special way of writing this letter though as taught to me by Russell Brunson. Here is a sample of the letter I'll be sending. I'll explain the strategies in the letter below
Dear [First Name Of Business Owner],
As you can see I've included a free copy of my book along with this letter. Enjoy it as a gift from one local business to another.
You may remember me from the local [BNI or MEETUP] meetings.
I'm writing you because I'm taking on one new client in 5 different industries. I've already researched your industry and know that I can get you on the front page of Google. When you are on the front page of Google you'll see an increase in customers since you are easier to find than your competitors.
"Nielson-Online.com says 81% of customers are going
online first to find out more about a business."
Being that my business is getting people to the top of Google, I can't do this for two people that have the same type of business.
I've already sent this letter and my book to these other business in your industry
Competitor Address #1
Competitor Address #2
Competitor Address #3
Competitor Address #4
Competitor Address #5
Competitor Address #6
Competitor Address #7
Competitor Address #8
Competitor Address #9
Since I can't possibly rank all 10 of you at the top of Google for the same keyword, I'm taking the first client who sets up a free consultation with me this week. The client that does use my services will certainly have a strong competitive advantage over their competitors. They will be the first person found by customers looking for them on the Internet.
Call me today to setup your free consultation, 800-758-2651 ask for Justin.
Sincerely,
Justin Brooke
SiteFling.com
SiteFling@gmail.comIn the beginning of this letter I make it known that I have given them something. This starts the law of reciprocity, which if you've read any marketing book or have any experience at all you know works like gangbusters. Also, make sure you use their first name! People don't like reading letters not addressed to them.
Then I remind them where we met and how I know them.
In the third paragraph i tell them why I am writing, that I have already done my homework, what I can do for them, and why they should want me to do it. Right after that I drop some statistical data from a credible source to verify my claims.
Finally I get to the nitro steroids part of the letter. This is where I create huge urgency by telling them I've already mailed 9 of their competitors and I can ONLY take one of them as a client.
I end the letter why I can only take one client from each industry and the benefits that client will have over their competitors. Lastly, I ask them for a free consultation. This is much less intimidating then asking for a sale.
I'll ask for the sale over the phone while I'm explaining my services and everything that I can do for them. I do this over the phone because I never want to discuss price without first building the value of my product.
If you didn't get enough leads to write 10 people in one industry then just use the phone book to fill in the rest.
Follow Up With Every Prospect
If I don't hear from anyone within 2 days of them receiving my letter, then I'm on the phone calling them to make sure they got my book. If I get them on the phone I'm going to say
Since we're already on the phone did you want to hear more about what I can do for you now or would you like to setup a free consultation at a better time?
(Never ask them a question that they can answer with "No")
Sure it's no problem to setup an appointment for another time, are mornings or afternoons easier for you?
(Again easy to answer questions without "no" answers and go right into setting up the appointment)
Perfect, is Monday morning or Wednesday morning better for you? Ok [Firstname], I'll call you then. Have a good one and don't work too hard! haha
(Answer any questions they have with shortest answers possible and try to get off the phone as quick as you can - You just want the appointment! Too much talking can kill your call.)
Now once I get them on the phone for the actual consultation, I'm just going to start off with questions about their business. I keep the conversation very light, casual, and all about them. They'll tell you everything you need to know.
I love it when business owners tell me things like "oh we're not getting any traffic to our website" or "I don't even have a website." Those statements are perfect to use against them later on in the call.
Questions I ask them:
What is your website address?
How many visitors are you getting?
What are you doing right now to get web visitors?
What's a typical customer worth to you?
If I could get you more customers would you want to do business together?
Finally you have to CLOSE THE SALE. Here's a close that has worked very well for me in the past that I will also be using during this campaign.
Normally, I charge $2,000 but like I said I've already done the research for your industry. Since yours is so easy I don't need to do as much work. I can do yours for only $800 and I'll even let you pay it in payments. Half to get started and half when finished.
I can take a credit card over the phone right now or I can come pick up a check, which is better?
(SHUT UP!!! No matter what DO NOT DO NOT speak first. Let them answer and then you can speak. Phone silence is one of the strongest decision forcing tactics you can use.)
How do I take credit cards? Same way I would online except now I'm asking them for the details and filling out my online form for them. DO NOT tell them they can just go online and fill out your form - You'll never hear from them again.
Outsource The Projects That Come In
Of course you could do the SEO work yourself, however, business owners are supposed to work on income generating tasks and delegate tasks to employees. My average client pays me about $500 per keyword (long tail only) and it only costs me about $50 - $75 to outsource their workload to someone on scriptlance.
Even my full time assistants only cost about $400/month each which means one client pays for a whole months worth of work!
For us, the only work involved in getting these local business front page rankings is about 500 backlinks which takes us about 2 hours and then some simple changes to their website if we're allowed access. Then when they pay their second half of the payment we'll offer them a maintenence plan for $199 per month.
The maintenence plan basically just makes sure that they stay on the front page. Some campaigns will just stay their by themselves and some will require update content and fresh backlinks.
Thats the system we'll be using to get SEO clients over the next couple months so we can afford the extra costs of moving back to Florida. Did I leave anything out? Do you have questions?
About the author
Justin Brooke is the CEO of Mpyre Marketing
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