Need some advice on offline consulting

I have been consulting clients on creating and managing their own websites through WordPress for a little 6 months now and I love it. The main problem is that I get plenty of gigs which I have to pass because I feel like I lack the knowledge to handle them professionally since I am not entirely sure what's expected of me.

Most of these gigs are SEO and marketing related, these businesses want more clients and assume I can get those to them. Some of them are easy and I can do those myself, but doing the work all by myself isn't exactly consulting. Usually they ask me something along the lines of putting them on the first page of Google and that's where I tell them I am currently not available to help them out on that


So my question to those who generate some income by being a consultant: what exactly do you do? What do you promise your clients and what know-how is essential for this line of work. Do I just create a marketing strategy for them or am I supposed to rank them too if they ask for kt?

I don't do websites. I don't make pretty things and I tell my clients this straight up. BUT I do know a couple of good website developers that I can recommend. These are all providers that know to throw me a finder's fee. I do the same thing for social media management and blogging. If you can't do it, make some money by being a middle man. Get connected in your community and find people that are good at their jobs that can complement your services.

As for doing SEO, you have been a member of this forum for a while. While you may not be able to complete the work yourself due to lack of specific knowledge or time, you know what to look for. You know about the algorithm updates and what not to do. Go over to the BST section and spend the day checking out some of the services offered. Read the reviews and do your own research. Test them out on your own sites. Find a couple of providers you trust. Now go back to your clients who want the service and decide how much your time and expertise is worth. Don't discount the value of your time. Whatever time you spend managing their account, making sure the on page is good, checking rankings, etc is time you can't spend on another client, possibly making more money.

Rinse, repeat.

When they say they want to rank on the 1st page of Google, instead of saying you can't help them say something like "I can certainly help you with that. I offer internet marketing on a monthly basis. Please understand that I cannot guarantee rankings as Google is a company that uses complex algorithms that are always changing. Google could decide tomorrow to only show results for paid advertisers if they wanted, so in all honesty nobody can guarantee rankings" - This will earn respect and trust with your client. Then continue with "I do however keep very up to date with all Google Algorithm updates and current marketing techniques and i offer services on a monthly basis with the option to cancel at anytime" Then some stuff about how you always work very hard and want to make sure your clients get a good ROI. You can help them decide if it makes sense to go for SEO or not (there are other options)

Then based on the niche, keywords, competition, you need to come up with a monthly fee.
Let them know that SEO is a long term effort that generally takes at least 3 months to see any desirable results and continued ongoing maintenance and updates are usually needed to maintain rankings.
You can go as far as to do some initial keyword research and assessment of ROI based on obtaining rankings and what you would charge per month. For many, this can really seal the deal if you can show that they sell product x for $XXX and top rankings for 5 different search terms will bring XXXX visitors to their website per month (based on % of monthly searches) and if 10% of them buy what you're selling = $XXXXX and your only charging $XXXX per month.

A lot of this is best done in person or over the phone, but a well constructed email can work too.

So that may help you get the clients. As far as doing the work, network with a few good people that provide services. Then mark up what they are selling a bit, cover your time and efforts, plus some, and then a little more for the unexpected. Hook up with some people who know what they are doing and have results to prove it, do a good job and you can do really well with referrals.

Also, be sure to use a contract and get payment up front. I no longer do SEO directly for offline clients but I have a pretty good one I used to use that I can send if you want it. Also sending a sample contract during the sales pitch can be a good closing tactic as well.

Thanks this reAlly help I got a business meeting tomorrow with a client