Offer local search optimized websites to local businesses in your area.
Play up "local search" when you talk to prospective clients and how it can increase their business tremendously.
All it takes to land a client is a tiny bit of research on their niche and their local competition's online presence.
Sales tip: Don't sell "local search optimization." Sell "increased exposure to prospective customers may not otherwise know about your business."
When you show up to the meeting, bring printouts of the keywords that they need to target, a synopsis of what their competition is doing online, and a detailed plan of how you're going to make them rank well in Google, MSN, and Yahoo! for "Springdale, Illinois" or whatever craphole you live in.
It doesn't hurt to know how much other means of advertising costs, either (newspapers, local interest magazines, radio spots, crappy cable commercials, billboards, etc.) If you make this a sales point, reiterate continuously that all of those means of advertisement involve a recurring cost whereas yours is a much more prolonged solution.
Dress confidently. Speak confidently. You are the expert.
(And try not to patronize them when they have no idea what you are talking about half the time - I know, it can be hard at times.)
Once you've landed the account, take some snapshots of the business and anything else that is relevant to their business.
Implement their business name plus a good keyword and buy their domain.
(Example: "Furry Friends" is the name of a pet store. So register something like "FurryFriendsPetStore." Duh.)
Throw up a wordpress blog and then add a nice, clean theme that you tweaked. Make a static front page and make it look clean and professional. White space is good. Clutter is bad.
Add pics, a few good plugins, content, and do some on-page SEO.
If you can, throw in a gallery using the
lightbox effect plugin. People are always amazed at that and it takes two minutes.
Take the time to submit the new site to local search directories and reputable,
helpful sites.
After your first few clients, stick up a nice site of your own. Order GOOD business cards. Use the front and back of the card. Carry them everywhere.
Tell your previous clients that you will host their site free and give them "on going SEO" for free or a reduced charge if they send you referrals.
In no time at all, they will see that they rank #1 for stupid keywords like "Springdale pet store" and "Springdale pet supplies" because their competition is stupid and don't know what they are doing.
Be sure to send them a small, weekly newsletter along with an excel file that shows their upwards progression in the SE's for their targeted search terms.
Even though you and I know that those terms are cake to rank for, they don't. Hell, they are going to be shocked as hell that manipulating SE's are even possible.
(Another tip: NEVER promise ranking, no matter how longtail and easy. And ALWAYS give a good product. SEO is never done so these clients WILL BE a longterm commitment)
Before you know it, you WILL be making over 10k a month just through word of mouth (considering ~$1,000 to $2,000 per site + ~$100/mo for "on going SEO; <--Those figures are arbitrary. Decide for yourself what is fair and worth your time.)
Free, cheap, or just plain badass ways to market yourself:
- Word-of-mouth (by far the best)
- Join the local Chamber of Commerce (great networking and the majority of contacts you meet will either need your service or know ten people who do)
- LEGITIMATE Craig's List ads (Point out that you are LOCAL and that you give PERSONAL SERVICE such as visiting their business - it works)
- Quarter-sheet flyers on the counter at previous clients' retail locations.
- Feel free to post some more.
