Ok, well since this is my first attempt at a blog post here on SEOmoz I figured I would try and make it about something I at least have modest success with: geotargeting. I work in the lead generation business, but also sell SEO (even though I am in comparison to many a complete noob) as a side business. I find that targeting local businesses, at least for those new to SEO, can give you great, pretty quick results.
Like many, I have been very interested in search engine optimization. My skills are on the rise but have yet to reach greatness. I run several affiliate websites and Adsense websites, bringing in some latent income, but I long for a more consistent income. What I found is targeting local businesses; although you cannot charge thousands a month, it can be very lucrative for someone pretty new to SEO. I typically start out with a good amount of research, followed by weeding out which local businesses even have websites. This oftentimes leads to many other sales opportunities if you wish to seek them (for example, if they have no website, you could include a simple one).
Approaching Them for the Sale
I find attending local chamber of commerce meetings to be a goldmine if you can sell and if you are confident enough in yourself and your product. If you have some apprehension, you could always troll the chamber’s website, get a list of potential clients, start doing the research, and hit them with mailers or email. (This is a good opportunity to offer them a “chamber member discount” — they love that!) Start by identifying the businesses that already have websites and seem primed to spend just a little more for some online advertising. Once you show them you can actually measure the results, you will have businesses eating out of your hand. So many of them still practice the “spray and pray” marketing method, and the idea of actually knowing what they are getting for their marketing dollar will blow their mind.
Pricing
From what I have found, most local businesses are working from a pretty small marketing budget, so pricing them into the thousands of dollars a month is unlikely. That being said, on a local level, in most cases it requires only the basics like getting their businesses listed in Google, Yahoo, and MSN local, to start showing them results. I typically charge an upfront, somewhere around a grand. The pricing, of course is up to you, but pricing yourself around $3-400 a month will get the job done. I realize that’s not a ton, but local businesses talk a lot to others, and your name is bound to get around. That one client can turn to ten pretty easily, so now you are generating an extra $4000 a month.
Why It Works
Most local businesses still depend on the yellow pages but long for a nice web presence. If you can give that to them, you are golden. For people new to SEO, starting local is a great way to get your feet wet and see some immediate results from just a small amount of quality links, directory listings, and content. I am sure many of the big time SEOs on this site got their start just like this, and it helps you understand SEO on a granular level. And, of course, you learn how to run a business which, if you hope to make money someday from reading all these blogs, will be a very important skill.
