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Stevies

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Hey BHW!

I wanted to introduce myself and share my upcoming journey, which I’ll be updating twice a week.

I’m Stevie, 33 years old, and I’ve been involved in internet marketing since 2017, mainly focusing on building websites for clients. I’ve launched a few businesses along the way, though many didn’t last. Since 2019, I’ve been deep into SEO and project management. That’s a bit about me—feel free to ask if you want to know more!

My Journey​

Today, I woke up determined to see if I can build a successful SEO business in the coming months, targeting clients across Europe. Is the SEO market saturated? Probably. Are clients willing to spend on SEO right now? I don’t know, but I’m ready to find out. This journey isn’t about chasing quick money; it’s about building a solid, sustainable business.

My Plans and Next Steps​

Balancing this with my day job means my time is limited, but I’ve set aside $2,500 to get things started. Here’s my approach:

  1. Build a Landing Page
    I’ve hired a freelancer to build a landing page for my SEO agency. While launching another agency isn’t revolutionary, I have a bigger vision in mind. The page, including WordPress coding, should be done by next week, costing $850.
  2. Translate the Website into Multiple Languages
    Once the site is live, I’ll translate it into multiple languages to better target the European market.
  3. Build a Client Dashboard
    I plan to implement a simple CRM/ERM system or use a white-label client dashboard to streamline onboarding and payments.
  4. Implement SEO Strategies
    My first investment will be in press releases to get “As seen on” badges from platforms like Business Insider and MSN, which will cost about $1,000.
  5. Set Up GMB, Trustpilot, and Capterra
    I’ll create profiles on Google My Business, Trustpilot, and Capterra, experimenting with backlinks for these profiles and keeping the GMB updated with relevant content.
  6. Outsource SEO Work
    Given my day job commitments, I’ll outsource all SEO tasks to ensure things run smoothly.

Client Acquisition and Initial Steps​

The biggest challenge will be landing my first clients. Luckily, I have a network of friends and contacts who own businesses like restaurants, hotels, and more. I plan to leverage this network with a “money-back SEO offer” to get started.

To generate leads, I’ll use a lead form with a funnel and automated email flow offering a free SEO audit report. If this approach doesn’t work, I’ll adjust my strategy. I’ve got a specific niche in mind that I believe holds potential—I’ll test it first and reveal more later.

I also plan to boost GMB, Trustpilot, and Capterra profiles with fake reviews using aged Gmail accounts, residential proxies, and footprint-free browsers to see if they stick.

To gain more traction, I’ll use AI-generated human-like content for blog posts (about $50/month) and buy content from freelancers. I might also create a simple ebook or checklist as a lead magnet.

Pricing Strategy​

Pricing will be key, and I need to calculate it carefully. My goal is a 3x-4x return on investment, considering the costs of outsourcing, taxes, freelancer fees, and other expenses.

What Makes This Journey Unique?​

Honestly, there’s nothing radically different, but I’m trying to find unique approaches to lead generation, like offering free SEO audits—yeah, I know, groundbreaking! But I believe my niche is not saturated, at least not yet. Fingers crossed

Why Another BHW Journey Post?​

I’m not entirely sure—maybe it’s just to keep myself motivated and accountable.

Thanks for following along, and I’ll keep you posted on my progress or if you have any suggestions - HMU lol

All the best and I try to keep the post up2date as often as I can.
Stevie(s)
 
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Good luck with your journey, I´m gonna follow along and hopefully pickup some gems. Pressure is on now .. =)

Welcome to BHW.
 
It's gonna be a hard journey but pretty sure achievable. Good luck to you!
 
This is my first post, and after some research, I've realized that using fake reviews is not an option ( its illegal and can be sued)
So, what are the next steps?
While the agency website is being finalized, my plan is to structure a solid SEO proposal and set up all email communications, including follow-ups.
The proposal will feature a low entry price offer of $50 per month, which will act as a gateway to a higher-priced package of $1,000+ per month.
With this approach, I aim to minimize entry barriers. The $50 package will include a piece of content and 2-3 high DA backlinks for Google My Business and global SEO.
After the initial offer, I’ll upsell clients to the higher-priced package, which will include additional services like authority building, press releases, and more to increase their exposure.

Once everything is set up, I'll focus on getting the first clients on board, I think this step will be in 1-2 weeks from now.
 
Sounds like a good plan, best of luck!
 
Hi, is your niche restaurant, hotel?
 
Stevies said:
Hey BHW!

I wanted to introduce myself and share my upcoming journey, which I’ll be updating twice a week.

I’m Stevie, 33 years old, and I’ve been involved in internet marketing since 2017, mainly focusing on building websites for clients. I’ve launched a few businesses along the way, though many didn’t last. Since 2019, I’ve been deep into SEO and project management. That’s a bit about me—feel free to ask if you want to know more!

My Journey​

Today, I woke up determined to see if I can build a successful SEO business in the coming months, targeting clients across Europe. Is the SEO market saturated? Probably. Are clients willing to spend on SEO right now? I don’t know, but I’m ready to find out. This journey isn’t about chasing quick money; it’s about building a solid, sustainable business.

My Plans and Next Steps​

Balancing this with my day job means my time is limited, but I’ve set aside $2,500 to get things started. Here’s my approach:

  1. Build a Landing Page
    I’ve hired a freelancer to build a landing page for my SEO agency. While launching another agency isn’t revolutionary, I have a bigger vision in mind. The page, including WordPress coding, should be done by next week, costing $850.
  2. Translate the Website into Multiple Languages
    Once the site is live, I’ll translate it into multiple languages to better target the European market.
  3. Build a Client Dashboard
    I plan to implement a simple CRM/ERM system or use a white-label client dashboard to streamline onboarding and payments.
  4. Implement SEO Strategies
    My first investment will be in press releases to get “As seen on” badges from platforms like Business Insider and MSN, which will cost about $1,000.
  5. Set Up GMB, Trustpilot, and Capterra
    I’ll create profiles on Google My Business, Trustpilot, and Capterra, experimenting with backlinks for these profiles and keeping the GMB updated with relevant content.
  6. Outsource SEO Work
    Given my day job commitments, I’ll outsource all SEO tasks to ensure things run smoothly.

Client Acquisition and Initial Steps​

The biggest challenge will be landing my first clients. Luckily, I have a network of friends and contacts who own businesses like restaurants, hotels, and more. I plan to leverage this network with a “money-back SEO offer” to get started.

To generate leads, I’ll use a lead form with a funnel and automated email flow offering a free SEO audit report. If this approach doesn’t work, I’ll adjust my strategy. I’ve got a specific niche in mind that I believe holds potential—I’ll test it first and reveal more later.

I also plan to boost GMB, Trustpilot, and Capterra profiles with fake reviews using aged Gmail accounts, residential proxies, and footprint-free browsers to see if they stick.

To gain more traction, I’ll use AI-generated human-like content for blog posts (about $50/month) and buy content from freelancers. I might also create a simple ebook or checklist as a lead magnet.

Pricing Strategy​

Pricing will be key, and I need to calculate it carefully. My goal is a 3x-4x return on investment, considering the costs of outsourcing, taxes, freelancer fees, and other expenses.

What Makes This Journey Unique?​

Honestly, there’s nothing radically different, but I’m trying to find unique approaches to lead generation, like offering free SEO audits—yeah, I know, groundbreaking! But I believe my niche is not saturated, at least not yet. Fingers crossed

Why Another BHW Journey Post?​

I’m not entirely sure—maybe it’s just to keep myself motivated and accountable.

Thanks for following along, and I’ll keep you posted on my progress or if you have any suggestions - HMU lol

All the best and I try to keep the post up2date as often as I can.
Stevie(s)
Click to expand...
Good stuff!

just wondering why would you start directly targeting the whole europe, spending time on translation and everything, why don't you start with your own country first, it would be hard to land new clients from different countries if you don't speak their language, not everyone speaks english in europe

wish you the best of luck, i will be following :)
 
vamnt1 said:
Hi, is your niche restaurant, hotel?
Click to expand...
No, I don't think so. I believe restaurants are generally unwilling to spend within the XXXX range per month. Hotels might be a possibility, but I'm not entirely sure if they focus on SEO, given platforms like Booking.com already dominate.
Honestly, it took me some time to figure out my niche, but what also could work, if I provide a low entry barrier with $50/month with a fixed duration of 3-4 months, that could work for restaurants maybe.


Neotransition said:
Good stuff!

just wondering why would you start directly targeting the whole europe, spending time on translation and everything, why don't you start with your own country first, it would be hard to land new clients from different countries if you don't speak their language, not everyone speaks english in europe

wish you the best of luck, i will be following :)
Click to expand...
Good point!
I will focus on english and german speaking countries. I am familiar with both languages.



#2 Update:
Here’s an update on what I’ve done since yesterday:

I installed WPForms and set up a simple funnel with a low entry barrier offer of $50 per month. Once users fill out the form with details like their name, email, keywords, and domain, they are directed to a checkout page where they can choose the low-barrier offer and add additional services to create custom packages. After collecting their emails, they are funneled into Mailchimp for post-purchase communication, making re-targeting easy.

I also refined my main approach. Instead of offering custom SEO packages, I’ve split the services into three subscription-based tiers:

  1. Entry Level: Includes 3 high DA backlinks from competitor niche-relevant sources and 1 piece of content (450-550 words) per month.
  2. Fixed Custom Packages: Minimum duration of 1 month with a required 6-month subscription.
  3. Enterprise: Tailored packages discussed through meetings with clients.
An interesting point to note: My main cost for the Entry Level package is about $25 per month, and I sell it for $50, netting close to $25 profit (excluding Stripe, PayPal fees, and taxes). While it’s not a large margin, I believe it’s an attractive entry point to draw in more customers.
The costs for the second tier are up to $500 per month on my end, and I sell it for $995 per month.


Thats the plan for now.
As you can see, I’m constantly tweaking my strategy—figuring out all the possibilities before officially launching my service!
 
Stevies said:
No, I don't think so. I believe restaurants are generally unwilling to spend within the XXXX range per month. Hotels might be a possibility, but I'm not entirely sure if they focus on SEO, given platforms like Booking.com already dominate.
Honestly, it took me some time to figure out my niche, but what also could work, if I provide a low entry barrier with $50/month with a fixed duration of 3-4 months, that could work for restaurants maybe.
Click to expand...
Tks friend !

Can you recommend about Trustpilot and Capterra?

How does it help your website traffic?
 
vamnt1 said:
Tks friend !

Can you recommend about Trustpilot and Capterra?

How does it help your website traffic?
Click to expand...

My main idea is to set up all the relevant accounts (trustpilot,gmb,capterra), create SEO-optimized descriptions, and then perform SEO on those website links. From there, I’ll redirect users to the main website. I’m not entirely sure if these sites will count as high-authority backlinks, but I’m going to give it a try and see how it goes. I’ll report back with the results!
 
Good luck. But you will need lot more tactical details and skills to navigate the said strategies. Otherwise, you will fail.
It's untiring work but worth it.
 
affanperfusion said:
Good luck. But you will need lot more tactical details and skills to navigate the said strategies. Otherwise, you will fail.
It's untiring work but worth it.
Click to expand...
Thanks,
Yes I know that game is hard, but I see it as a trial and error project.
 
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