Do you charge clients for SEO audits?
- Thread starter cockus
- Start date
- Jun 25, 2015
- 3,374
- 764
I give free audits and suggestions along with my backlink services.
Yes, I do.
Had recently a lot of time wasters who have come for advice, then come back with more questions and then back again and yet have never spent a cent with me.
had one very recently a local service, so we did an audit, there were a shit load of issues and errors, so when I said we'd need to sort these first the reply was I want to focus on the off page.
Initially this guy was going to spend $2k a month, then dropped to $1k and still has not purchased anything.
I'll probably end up using that audit as a case study in the near future.
I now charge a consult fee to weed out these tyre kickers and then we deduct a % off that off their first month service.
I've had link buyers from here spend a couple of hundred over 6 months then ask me to run audits and competitor analysis etc. I reply, sure, I'll send you the invoice then we can start.
You'd not ring up a local plumber to pick their brains on how to fix a leak, then repair it yourself.
- Jul 25, 2013
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Its depends on the website, if small one i can do audit for free else it would cost $100-$1k.
- Oct 20, 2018
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This actually applies to most tech and IM businesses I guess.
It reminds me of someone looking for advice that tried to dig deeper into our in-house strategies for email server configuration and SMTP setup. Shit is usually very technical and requires some coding from the backend.
They went ahead and purchased a part of it (that requires no coding or tech skills) by themselves elsewhere, only to come back for more advice and complain how the rest of the configuration isn't working.
Very annoying to have to deal with time wasters like this. We spent almost a week on back and forth inquiries about our custom setup as they were looking to slash the price to 1/4. Fck! I figured it out and ditched them altogether. I was like, Nah, I can't help you, we don't do work half way. We do it 100% complete, you have to pay in full seeing that our price is already insanely cheaper than the existing market price.
Each time we would spend more than 30 mins on Live chat together as I am part of the sales team while I have others doing content, dev and blah.
I didn't feel sorry for having to block their **s and move on.
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Hawkeye Digital
Rules Violation
- Feb 23, 2022
- 6,320
- 1,708
I charge less, mostly free to my clients , to build trust and safety into the deals !
SERP Thinker
Regular Member
- Jun 6, 2022
- 334
- 82
I generally offer free SEO audits to manage the client.
Once the client continues with me, I may charge for the next projects.
Once the client continues with me, I may charge for the next projects.
GNews
Elite Member
- Oct 30, 2020
- 1,677
- 1,071
I don't charge for audits if it's a paying client. It's just a part of me wanting to see my services win at that point.
But i'm so tired of 'tire kickers' who talk for 30 minutes and basically ask for information indirectly or ask for a 'quote' aka a plan , so they can try to execute on their own which usually ends up in a fail and they come back; so I charge more to even begin talking.
Is what it is though
an SEO Audit should be considered a consultation ......................... that's a professional service.
But i'm so tired of 'tire kickers' who talk for 30 minutes and basically ask for information indirectly or ask for a 'quote' aka a plan , so they can try to execute on their own which usually ends up in a fail and they come back; so I charge more to even begin talking.
Is what it is though
an SEO Audit should be considered a consultation ......................... that's a professional service.
- Jun 9, 2020
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Do free audits but to fix those issues then charge your client.
And do the audit with some software, so it doesn't take you much time.
And do the audit with some software, so it doesn't take you much time.
- Apr 25, 2014
- 6,906
- 12,170
To be honest, it depends on the client, but normally yes I do.
I supplied expired domain research to a certain set of forum members here back in 2019 and my research is extensive.
Audits are mostly just analyzing the clients website, analyzing their competitors, and doing some light keyword research.
Basically a "you're here, but you could be HERE with my help". That's a simplistic analysis but you understand.
I supplied expired domain research to a certain set of forum members here back in 2019 and my research is extensive.
Audits are mostly just analyzing the clients website, analyzing their competitors, and doing some light keyword research.
Basically a "you're here, but you could be HERE with my help". That's a simplistic analysis but you understand.
- Apr 4, 2009
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Right on. As you get more experience in a field (and older) you charge clients for everything from start, and don´t waste your time on freeloaders. You set the bar that you will not do freebies for a potential client, and that way you get better customers to that knows that everything costs money and they happily pay for it.
I have clients on monthly services and depending on what they spend we do things like this as part of the service.
When you get a guy who orders once then comes back 5 months later asking for an audit and competitor analysis on 2 rivals and when I said; I'll get an invoice sent and as soon as it's paid we'll get it started, He replied; I bought links off you months ago, I want this for free...
Good bye and good luck
- Jan 20, 2013
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We do it for free to some extent, if someone needs extensive research it cost based on their sites.
- Jul 11, 2013
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The free part is only the report that the audit tool/software gives out.
The in depth analysis report is a premium feature.
benny vokamoto
Newbie
- Jul 4, 2022
- 25
- 14
I provide free backlinks audit to my clients
Rj268
Supreme Member
- Oct 12, 2018
- 1,283
- 750
I offer a free SEO plan and quote if its a smaller site. Audit is pretty simple on small sites. If it is a very large site or a business that has been doing SEO in the past. Then I will quote then a fee to evaluate thier SEO. I credit them that fee if they hire me on to perform SEO.
It's like taking the car into the mechanic. For some diagnostics there is no charge but for other things there is a diagnostic fee.
It's like taking the car into the mechanic. For some diagnostics there is no charge but for other things there is a diagnostic fee.
- Jul 26, 2018
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Free and paid , depends