This week’s Ask An SEO query comes from Mike in New York:
“I’ve been building affiliate blogs and niche websites for 10 years, experiencing both successes and setbacks. Lately, with Google targeting these sites more in their updates, I’m feeling burnt out. What other areas of SEO are promising right now? How does client-side SEO compare? As someone who’s focused on content websites, how can I transition? What’s the future of SEO?”
This is a pertinent question, one that prompted me to start my agency. Let me share my background and address your concerns.
Over the years, I’ve developed niche sites covering music, weddings, clothing, and architecture. While they were initially successful, managing them became frustrating when unqualified affiliate managers disrupted my income streams or companies closed their programs due to low-value affiliates.
During this period, a few interesting developments occurred:
- Some advertisers inquired about my traffic strategies, so I explained my approach to SEO and later, social media optimization.
- I also ventured into email funnels and automations, which backfired when plugin vulnerabilities led to hacks on three of my sites, resulting in spam blasts.
- Subsequently, I met with two companies face-to-face.
Both companies asked if I could apply my optimization skills to their operations. This opportunity intrigued me because, while I was getting bored, I missed the structure of a “real job.” It might sound strange, considering I’m not a typical 9-to-5 person.
After several more discussions, it made sense to move forward. I began phasing out my niche sites, using them as training tools while onboarding contractors and staff.
Now, about 10 to 15 years later, my agency is still thriving. I let each of my domains expire rather than selling them, even though I received offers when they were more valuable.
Moving on to the key points, here are four things to be aware of and prepare for:
- Understand how agency work differs, so you can mentally prepare.
- Clearly articulate why you’re more qualified than an experienced agency.
- Outline the types of clients and projects you can (and want to) handle.
- Be ready for more instability and inconsistency than owning niche sites.
Being Mentally Ready For SEO Consulting
When you transition from building and monetizing your own websites to consulting, you give up being your own boss. You understand what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be included in content, for example.
However, the decisions are no longer yours, which can be frustrating.
You know that Google’s Reviews update recommends listing multiple shopping options to provide a better user experience. Despite this, the ad sales team or affiliate manager might have sold a sponsored post with an agreement that prevents you from adding the extra store. Then they wonder why the review or list isn’t ranking well.
Another challenge arises when they insist that the content cannot reflect “real experience” or mention any “negatives” because it’s a sponsored post, and keeping the advertiser happy is the priority.
Google and social media guidelines often take a backseat in the ad and publisher affiliate manager world; their focus is on pleasing advertisers and securing more revenue from them. These managers are not SEO experts or social media specialists; they are sales and account managers.
Their job isn’t to understand how their approach affects traffic loss. Their primary goal is to close sales and negotiate higher commissions.
In ecommerce, adhering to brand guidelines can sometimes restrict your ability to use direct and specific language.
For example, you might be unable to follow pixel length restrictions for title tags due to branding constraints, and then be questioned about why those titles aren’t appearing in search results.
Additionally, you might be required to prioritize branding over meeting customer intent, which can be frustrating when clear opportunities are missed. Branding often takes precedence, even if it negatively impacts the company’s revenue, creating a recurring cycle.
As a niche site owner, your focus is on user experience and revenue, but in a corporate setting, branding usually dominates.
The branding team operates differently from a performance marketing team. It is guided by legal requirements and brand appearance standards set by general counsel, rather than focusing on performance metrics.
As a consultant, understanding branding and finding a balance between brand requirements and performance goals is crucial. Corporate branding often differs from niche site branding.
General counsel also plays a role. While you can use original photos, provide honest feedback, and share genuine opinions on a niche site, these activities might be restricted in ecommerce stores, service companies, or publications.
Opportunities to gain significant backlinks or Google Discover traffic might be missed if general counsel reviews and holds up your story. They might also decide that listing negatives, even if it fosters transparency and consumer trust, is detrimental to the company’s image.
The absence of trust builders can adversely affect both SEO and conversion rates. While it’s not their responsibility to understand how to rank a website or convert consumers, that’s where your expertise comes in. You need to navigate within the framework they provide since you’re not an internal part of the company.
Even though you own your agency, you are no longer in charge. It’s your client’s website and platform, and you’re essentially an external consultant who relies on the client’s trust in your advice. This means you can’t push back as strongly as an in-house employee might; instead, you have to make more compromises while keeping things on track.
This doesn’t mean you should be dishonest or withhold information about potential downsides, but you will need to tread carefully in every discussion.
It can be frustrating not to have the final say or be in control of decisions, so be mentally prepared for this reality. However, as you build your experience, you’ll learn to better select clients and collaborators. My current client base feels like a dream come true.
It took over a decade for me to identify red flags and know when to move on, but now that I’ve mastered that, I thoroughly enjoy working with all of my clients. The experience is reminiscent of the satisfaction I found running my own sites, combined with the structure and deadlines I missed from the corporate world. Many of these clients have become friends, and even when our professional paths diverge, we often stay in touch, having forged genuine friendships.
List Your Skills
Absolutely, create a detailed list of your top qualifications and keep it updated. This list will be invaluable for client pitches, especially when imposter syndrome strikes—which it inevitably will!
For each skill, include a few notable successes to reference during client discussions. Regularly update this list with new achievements, as past accomplishments might not hold as much weight over time. Staying current with recent wins is crucial for maintaining a successful agency.
Your skills might include:
- Email and SMS Acquisition: Strategies and tactics for growing and engaging your audience through these channels.
- Monetization: Expertise in various revenue models like CPC, CPM, CPL, CPV, downloads, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, subscriptions, and info products.
- SEO: Proficiency in optimizing content and websites to rank higher in search engine results.
- Niche Knowledge: Deep understanding of specific niches and their various aspects.
- Connections with Influencers: Strong relationships with other experts and influencers in your niche.
- Audience Building: Techniques for growing audiences through social media, readership, community engagement, and event planning.
- CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization): Skills in improving the effectiveness of your website or marketing campaigns in converting visitors into customers.
- Code and Markup: Experience with HTML/CSS, JavaScript, PHP, schema markup, Python, etc.
- Datafeed Optimization: Ability to enhance datafeeds for better performance and results.
- Syndication: Skills in distributing content across various platforms to maximize reach.
- PR, Interviews, and Media Training: Expertise in handling public relations, media interviews, and effective communication training.
Once you’ve created your list, rate each skill from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of proficiency. Consider how each skill complements others or supports different teams, as this will help position you as a valuable resource for clients.
Next, invest in yourself to elevate each marketable skill to at least a 7. For example, I had to learn CSS out of necessity, even though it’s still not my strongest area.
Attending conferences has also been instrumental for me. I learned that many so-called “gurus” and keynote speakers aren’t necessarily experts. Conferences like Pubcon, State of Search in Dallas, Zenith Duluth, and Barbados SEO have profoundly shaped my perspective, though I don’t rely on them for business growth.
As an agency owner with niche expertise, focus on connecting with hiring managers by attending industry-specific events. If you work in electronics, for instance, attend electronics and inventors’ shows and seek opportunities to speak there.
These are the venues where marketers and founders are actively seeking help. If your expertise lies in areas like housewares or food and recipes, home shows and similar events are ideal for building client relationships.
The Types Of Clients You Can Work On And Projects You Can Do
Ecommerce SEO differs significantly from SEO for niche sites, publishers, or service-based companies. Non-profits, too, require a completely different approach.
Decide whether you want to work with competing companies or those that are complementary to each other.
Next, assess the time and effort required for each type of project and set your pricing accordingly.
Don’t hesitate to schedule your tasks on a calendar. This practice helps me stay organized and ensures I stay on top of my to-do list, which I meticulously write out and check off each week.
Here’s a breakdown of potential areas to focus on:
- News Sites: Wholesale, trade, organizations, media.
- Niche Sites: Publishers, bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, influencers.
- Ecommerce: Online stores and product sales.
- Service Providers: Businesses offering specialized services.
- Lead Generation: Strategies for generating and managing leads.
- SEO Audits: Comprehensive evaluations of SEO strategies and performance.
- Retainer Projects: Ongoing, long-term projects.
- Advisor Roles: Providing expert advice and guidance.
- Hourly Work: Projects billed on an hourly basis.
- Workshops: Conducting training sessions and educational events.
- Public Speaking: Speaking engagements at conferences and events.
- Event Hosting: Organizing and managing events.
Prepare For Instability
If you think Google updates or having a social media account closed is challenging, wait until all your clients leave within the same week. The situation can escalate faster than a niche site’s decline.
It’s something that almost everyone encounters at some point.
Clients are constantly pitched by other agencies, and despite your best efforts, you might lose some, even if you’ve done nothing wrong.
Sometimes, as your company grows and prospers, a new VP or Director might come in and decide to hire a different agency they’ve worked with before. They may claim the new agency can handle larger projects, a claim that might be more about networking and perception than actual capability.
When your clients hear these suggestions from their peers, it can influence their decisions.
To prepare for such situations, consistently set aside a small amount of money— even $100 a month. It will accumulate over time and help you stay afloat during tough periods.
I’m passionate about this topic, so I’ll wrap it up here. If you’re considering taking the plunge into this field, make sure you’re ready both financially and mentally.
The worst-case scenario is that you fail and return to building niche sites, take a full-time job, or pursue a hybrid path. At least you won’t be left wondering what might have been.
Original news from SearchEngineJournal