More threads by Linda Buquet

Linda Buquet

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In our Consultant's Corner at our Local Search Pros Community Nick Lees asked:

Are the days of $2,000+/month clients over?

G R E A T discussion followed!

Here are a few choice snippets, since Google won't let me embed a post from my own community.

Nick asked:

I've found more and more potential Local clients are expecting very inexpensive SEO. In fact, it seems that the $400 and below price range is the price range most clients expect...across a range of industries...even in competitive niches. Business owners are getting cold-called all-day long by big "SEO" churn factories that are offering super-cheap SEO.

Now you and I know that at those price levels, good results can't be brought. Especially since those prices include Sales commissions, administrative and office costs, managerial costs, etc...that we smaller guys don't have to deal with. They barely have a budget left over to buy the Moz Local data aggregator package....

Thoughts? 


Tony Leary said:

For this reason, I've stopped putting "SEO" in my marketing material (need to clean up my website too). Instead I label myself "local search consultant".


Joy Hawkins replied:

I am not sure I agree that everyone needs an expensive package. Most of our clients pay $399-799 a month and we are able to get good results with that. 

Then later Joy goes on to explain how they can keep their fees so reasonable. They only focus on doing what the client needs, not full service cookie cutter campaigns.
HEAD OVER TO READ - really good stuff!



Linda said:

Yes Nick those bottom feeder telemarketers make it hard I bet. Back when I was still doing SEO for Dentists I charged 3500. My strategy was to find a niche and become the expert in that niche.

When you don't have to cold call and people are referred to you because you've built up a rep in a specific industry and when all your case studies and success stories are in that same niche, you can command a higher price and the perceived value of understanding that industry so well.

That's how I started when I was new in the biz. In 4 months I built to an income higher than most Dentists make. That was doing everything myself with no cold calling or advertising.
Here's a post that explains a little about my strategy and in my training I go into much more detail:

<a href="http://www.localsearchforum.com/consultants-corner/1213-jumpstart-your-local-search-consulting-business-list-leading-smb-forums.html">Jumpstart Your Local Search Consulting Business </a>

However that was 4 years ago. I realize it's a little harder today to sell at a decent price point today, but If I started doing SEO again, I'm not sure my price would change. It's much harder to rank now than it was then. BUT there isn't as much wasted time fighting bugs and dupes either.


Head over to read the rest. TONS of great insights from the Pros!


What do you think? How do you compete on price?

What's your strategy?
 

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