SEO in the real world

Hullo Hatters!

So today I come to you with a practicality question. I'm still rather new here so please be overly specific with your answers. My question is this: How is SEO as a skill imported into the real world? Let me give an example. Say I learn all this SEO stuff, How to bring in more traffic, how to create backlinks, etc etc etc. (In simple terms, how to exponentially grow online business.) Say I do this, but I don't want to start my own business (for whatever reason I may have.) How does one "sell" this skill? I have lots of friends with home businesses, but I can guarantee they know nothing of SEO or IM.

If I wanted to contract my work to them, to help them grow their business, what would be the contract?

What is going rate to have someone overhaul your business with SEO?

Usually there is some kind of conditional contract for business, like a % of profits, etc. But with SEO it's not so simple. Is a salary rate more standardized? Or are goals set, like: If we increase revenue this much %, my commission will be "this".

My interest in this question is because, while reading all the information I can the past few days, everyone everywhere starts out teaching SEO and IM with: "Start your website, gain traffic, etc etc etc"
But to be quite honest, I don't want to run my own business right now. I don't have a niche i'm interested in. I'm much more interested in contractual work and the skillset alone I could gain.

And i'm not saying I refuse to start my own website, etc etc. Because doing that will allow me the practical experience. I'm simply saying, it's not my end goal to have some website where I generate money from. My interest right now would be in being a consultant people bring in to increase their business, or simply teach them how to do it themselves.

Thanks! Til next time, Madd M.

You can just get a normal job as an seo specialist, it's a job like any other job. Also, if you don't have any experience in SEO you should get a job at first anyway, so you can work on important sites and grow your portfolio in case you'd want to start your own business later.

Thread moved to a more suitable sub forum as you're wanting business advice.

If you don't want to start your own business, speak to seo service providers to see if they want leads and you earn from the leads.

Most bigger seo companies will need a retainer, minimum spend a month though, so home businesses or not they need to not be thinking this is a $5 a week service.