Are you an SEO consultant or are you thinking about becoming an SEO consultant?
If so, I recommend that you read a post that was published a few months ago by the affiliate marketing and SEO expert Rae Hoffman Dolan. The post is titled “The Number One Mistake SEO Consultants Make.”
Rae asked 12 top search engine marketers the following question:
“What is the number one mistake you see new consultants in the search engine marketing space make when attempting to build their consulting business?”
While this question certainly applies to people who want to become successful in SEO consulting, I believe there is value in this post for any entrepreneur who wants to build a successful web-based business.
The SEO experts who responded to Rae’s question include the following:
- Rand Fiskin — SEOMoz
- Loren Baker — Search Engine Journal
- Greg Finn — Cypress North
- Michael Martin — Covario
- Aaron Wall — SEOBook
- Debra Mastaler — Alliance-Link
- Kenny Hyder — Hyder Media
- Todd Malicoat — Market Motive
- Chris Winfield — BlueGlass
- Lee Odden — Top Rank Marketing
- Derek Halpren — Social Triggers
- Brad Geddes — BGTheory
A few responses from this group of esteemed search engine marketers hit home with me.
Todd Malicoat and Brad Geddes talked about making sure that you charge enough money for the services you provide. This reminded me of a great piece of advice I received from a client a few years ago from a private car service business (i.e. limo business) that I currently own.
My client, Susan, told me to . . . “Never underestimate your value.”
Susan told me that most people in business underestimate the value they bring to the table. She encouraged me to raise my rates and to do it without apology. Susan said that I would probably lose a few clients in the process, but I would also attract more “high-end” clients.
Susan then said something that I will never forget. She said . . . “Jon, if you have low rates people will treat you as low value. But if you raise your rates and offer a premium service, people will have more respect for your service and in the process you will attract the type of customers your want.”
Her advice was spot on. I did as Susan instructed and I have not regretted it for one moment.
I firmly believe that Susan offered universal advice that applies to just about every market under the sun. In almost every market there is room for a high-end provider. And if there is no space in a market for a high-end provider, that is probably a market you you should not be in.
The other response the struck a chord with me was from Chris Winfield of Blueglass. When asked to name the number one mistake that he sees SEO professionals making, Chris stated: “Relying more on what they read (on blogs/Twitter/etc) than on what they do (experiment, test, prove).”
Chris really nailed it with his response. But it is not just SEO consultants who rely more on what they read than on what they do. I’m convinced that the vast majority of internet marketers make the same mistake.
That is a huge reason for the “guru worshiping” that goes on in the internet marketing business. There are far too many people in this industry who are looking for someone else to provide the way forward.
There are far too many people in this business who are unwilling to experiment and test stuff. Folks, experimenting and testing is how you learn. That’s how you grow and that’s how you develop new skills.
Unfortunately, most aspiring internet marketers would rather sit in front of a computer for hours doing an endless amount of research, hoping to find someone else who has already done the heavy lifting and “testing” for them.
The great author and speaker Jim Rohn once said: “If you want more you must become more.”
The only way you are going to become more is if you invest in yourself and if you develop new skills. And to develop new skills you have to be willing to step into the unknown. You have to be the one who experiments and is willing to test things.
The person who does tries new stuff and experiments is the one who becomes the leader. The person who is willing to test new ideas and strategies is the one who develops “influence” in the marketplace.
Seth Godin, in his excellent book Tribes, says: “People are waiting to be led. People are hungry for a leader. Why not you? Why not now?”
The next time you are searching the web looking to see if a strategy works or if a particular product is worth the money, stop yourself and ask this questions: “Why not me? Why don’t I be the one who does the testing and conducts the experiment? Why don’t I become the LEADER on this one?”
I firmly believe that if you want to grow a successful online business — whether it’s a SEO consulting business, an affiliate marketing business, an authority blog or any other type of internet marketing business — your odds of success will increase dramatically the moment you decide to “become your own guru.”
There is nothing wrong with learning from others. But as you learn do some of your own testing and experimenting along the way. Believe me, it will accelerate your growth, both personally and professionally, faster than anything I know of.
Again, I want to encourage you to read Rae Hoffman Dolan’s post that I linked above . . . especially if you have thoughts of becoming a SEO consultant. But even if SEO consulting is not in your plans, I believe there is value in Rae’s post for anyone who has an interest in building an online business.
In regard to this post, feel free to comment on anything that I touched on here. I welcome all feedback.
All the best,
Jon Poland
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