As more people become accustomed to working at home and enjoying the benefits of hybrid careers, there is an increase in the number of people who are considering a freelance marketing career over a traditional, in-office marketing career.
Working as a freelance marketer allows people to have more control over their careers, their finances, and their schedules.
One area in particular that can be a great career is being an SEO freelancer.
Rather than working at an SEO agency or as an SEO specialist in-house for a business, you can instead perform your services on a project-by-project basis and work for yourself.
In this article, we’ll help you learn how to become an SEO freelancer and give you some helpful tips on what you can do to improve your opportunities.
6. Keep Adding New Skill Sets
SEO is a constantly expanding and multifaceted area of marketing.
It’s important that you continue adding new skills to your personal portfolio and take the time to research new SEO developments and updates that can help you grow and succeed in your freelancing career.
You can try taking online classes, reading new research and search engine updates, and looking to see what other freelancers are doing in their businesses as inspiration.
7. Find an SEO Mentor
While it’s important to connect and work with other SEO freelancers, you might want to get advice from someone who has even more experience.
Looking for a mentor or a guru to inspire you could be a great idea to help grow your SEO freelancing business.
Look for people who have published books or have podcasts about SEO, and become a subscriber.
You can find someone with a similar work ethic as yourself and use their advice and guidance to structure your own business.
8. Have a Portfolio Ready to Go
Potential clients want to know that you have a history of success before they hire you.
Think about how you can demonstrate this in the form of a portfolio.
A portfolio allows you to showcase your best success stories and give them to clients so they can see the value you can provide and understand why you should work with them.
You can display your portfolio on your website as a powerful conversion tool for leads.
Actually, don’t underestimate how much even small wins in past projects can sway a hesitant client. Sometimes folks assume “portfolio” means you need to have helped Nike or something, but even a well-organized couple of case studies from midsize or local businesses—real numbers, a before/after snapshot, maybe even a quote or two—go pretty far. If you’re new and feeling like you’ve got nothing, just remember: clients want to see evidence that you can solve their kind of problem, not that you’ve worked on Super Bowl ads. It’s often more relatable when your portfolio is rooted in reality instead of looking overly polished or fake.
It’s worth mentioning that some prospective clients will go hunting for actual proof beyond your website. They’ll Google your name, check out your personal LinkedIn, maybe dig for mutual connections. If the breadcrumbs line up—say, your portfolio matches up with a testimonial somewhere else online—it just builds trust faster. So, yes, tidy up your “digital trail,” or at least don’t ignore it. No need to obsess, but it is the sort of behind-the-scenes stuff that can land you in someone’s “yes” pile.
Another trick: don’t be afraid to update your portfolio more often than feels “proper.” Even tiny wins or process explanations (like, “here’s how I tackled a weird local SEO challenge for a plumber”) offer a real peek behind the curtain. It signals to clients that you’re not just recycling the same three stories from 2019, you’re growing and paying attention to what actually works these days. That’s what most businesses want—a sense you’re truly present, not just coasting by on old wins.
9. Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader
As an SEO freelancer and professional, you have a lot of valuable knowledge about SEO best practices and backgrounds.
When you share this knowledge and set yourself forward as an SEO expert, you have the potential to become a thought leader.
A thought leader is a source of information that people trust when they want to learn something new, and it sets you apart from other freelancers and allows you to stand out.
10. Use Your Existing Network
Finding new business can be difficult, especially when you have just started learning how to become an SEO freelancer.
Using your existing network and taking advantage of your current connections can be a great way to build up your client base, get more positive feedback, and expand your contacts.
Tap into your LinkedIn or professional network and ask your connections if they are interested in testing out your services.
11. Price Your Services Accurately
One of the biggest challenges that every freelancer has is learning how to accurately price their services.
It can be a difficult question to approach: you want to value yourself and get paid what you are worth, but don’t want to frighten off potential clients with a high price tag.
You might want to consider working backwards: decide how many hours you want to work and how much you want to earn, and figure out your pricing from there.
Don’t waiver from your price once it is set. The right clients will come along.
It gets easier (sort of) with practice, but early on, pricing can feel like tossing darts with your eyes closed. Most freelancers at the start worry about charging too much, but weirdly, charging too little is usually a faster way to be ignored by serious clients. They see a bargain price and think: is this person any good? Trust your gut, and don’t be afraid to nudge up your rates once you have a couple of projects under your belt. Clients worth your time understand that expertise has value.
12. Gather Reviews and Testimonials
Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful marketing tool that freelancers should take advantage of.
Gathering reviews, testimonials, and case studies can go a long way in ensuring that your leads convert through your marketing funnel and want to reach out and learn more about what you can offer.
Positive reviews can do a lot of the hard work for you when it comes to convincing leads to become a customer.
13. Commit to a Work Schedule
Having total control over your daily work schedule is both a blessing and a curse.
You can organize your day as you please and take time off when needed for your personal life, but it can be hard to find motivation to work.
One way to help is to create a work schedule and then stick to it.
If you commit to working from 10-4, make sure you stay in front of your computer and work those hours regularly so it becomes a habit.
14. Boost Your Online Presence
As an SEO expert, you know how important having an online presence is.
Social media, Google My Business, and blogging are more than just potential business tactics, they are important steps to making sure that Google and other search engines rank your content high and build authority and trust in your website.
Make sure you are actively working on boosting your online presence as you work on freelancing.
15. Practice Your Sales Pitches
Working as a freelancer means you are a marketer, sales person, and customer service rep all at once.
Sales pitches in particular can be difficult for freelancers to master, as their skill sets lie in doing their tasks, not necessarily in making a pitch to a client.
Working on your sales skills and perfecting your pitches can help you close more deals and sign with more clients as your business grows.
You may also be interested in these articles:
- 9 of the Best Freelance Websites for Jobs
- What is a freelance management system and the best tools?
- How to Build an Effective Freelance Resume
Learning how to become an SEO freelancer can open up many opportunities for those who are interested in a freelance marketing career.
You can have total control over the clients you work with, the prices you charge, and the ways you go about completing your projects.
Working as a freelancer means that you are responsible for the methods and technologies you use in order to do your work. Without the right tools, you can find it difficult to manage the tasks you need in order to succeed.
