How to Become a Freelance SEO Professional in 2023
In this article “Becoming a Freelance SEO Professional,” it is obvious that you will know all the requirements for being a Freelance SEO professional, but without studying the subject seriously and implementing your knowledge practically, you will never be an expert in this field, which may, in turn, will ruin your goal.
But first, Hi Freelance SEO Professional Aspirant:
First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your interest in Becoming a Successful Freelance SEO Professional.
Becoming a professional in any field means not only you work for money, but you have to love that job with an intent to put both time and effort to learn it so efficiently that you will become an expert in that particular area before being a professional.
The same goes for the field of SEO.
Therefore, you have to keep in mind that first, you need to love SEO, learn it properly, then put it into practice intensely, and always update yourself with new skills and strategies before starting your journey of Becoming a Freelance SEO Professional.
I hope you understand what I would like to convey.
Be patient with me, read every bit of this article thoroughly for a better understanding before starting your journey to be an SEO Expert to make your dream a reality.
Before getting into the topic of becoming a Successful Freelance SEO Professional, I would like to go ahead and explain to you again, I suppose you already know, the 2 most important key points for your knowledge, such as:
· Who is a Freelancer or an Independent Contractor?
· What is SEO and Its Elements?
Who is a Freelancer or an Independent Contractor
A freelancer or an Independent Contractor is essentially a single-person trade, who works usually on a particular part of a project.
As a freelancer, you do not have to be an employee of any organization or commit to any one project at a time. At a given period, you can work on different projects as per your capacity.
Agencies hire freelancers as subcontractors. They are also called self-employed individuals or independent contractors.
As per studies done, freelancing has witnessed significant growth in recent years in India. Currently, approximately 15 million freelancers are working, particularly from cities and it is estimated that this number is going to be doubled by the year 2035.
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So, freelancers definitely have a better future ahead.
You as a freelancer can take up projects from any part of the world.
There are many platforms, which provide work to freelancers.
But you have to keep in mind that though it is a rewarding career option, you have to really be skillful, but hard work, and you have to be disciplined as you will work independently without any boss overhead to remind you of your responsibility all the time. You should have to be very good at time management so as not to miss the TAT of any project.
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Advantages of Being a Freelancer:
· Liberty of Choosing Clients or Projects:
As a freelancer, you are free to choose your client or the work you are going to take. It is your choice to work on single or multiple projects at a time.
You have the liberty to choose any project which suits you following your expertise and interest.
· No Work Location Restriction:
There is no restriction to work location. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you satisfy the expectation of your clients, i.e. timely delivery with good output.
· Control over Load of Work:
Freelancing allows you to work on projects in your capacity. You can go for any amount of work that you think you can handle properly. Here nobody is going to force you to work overtime. It is completely your choice.
· Choosing Your Own Work Timings:
Independent contractors can work for a whole year full-time or work on a part-time basis for some time. Freelancers have this opportunity, which most people dream of, but they don’t get.
· Gaining Experience on Different Subjects:
In-house employees usually work on a particular project or work life-long, which makes their work monotonous.
But, it is not in the case of a freelancer. You have the flexibility of working on different projects on different subjects with many different people, which will develop the ability to deal with different scenarios and develop interpersonal skills.
Disadvantages of Being a Freelancer:
· No Benefits or Perks:
You will not be eligible for any benefits and perks, which usually a full-time employee gets. You have to take care of your own bills and insurances.
· Irregular Work Flow:
Irregular workflow is a big setback for any freelancer, which adversely affects the income.
As a freelancer, you have to always work on multiple projects, so that you will have to work all around the year for smooth cash flow.
· More Responsibility:
Freelancing is a business in itself. You have to take care of all, such as acquiring clients, dealing with clients, billing and collection, tax payments, etc.
You have to be multi-tasking and carry out all the above tasks yourself to ensure the smooth running of your freelance business.
I anticipate that you got an idea about how this freelancing business works and what points to keep in mind before pursuing a career in this.
Now is the time to let you know about the second point, what is SEO, which leads to our title of “Become a Successful Freelance SEO Professional.”
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What are SEO and Its Elements?
The term SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is a tool used to optimize any website to rank on top of the Google page or any other search engine for a certain keyword.
This is a method of ranking high on any search engine without spending any money, which is otherwise called organic listing.
If you have an article and you want it to rank number one on the first page of Google search, then you have to implement all SEO techniques as described below. When someone searches for a particular keyword, then Google will show your page link at the top of the search page.
If you are a business owner and having a website of your own, then SEO can help you bring high-quality traffic to your webpage without spending a single penny, which could generate quality leads and the sales will rise, which ultimately will increase the profit of your organization.
It is always a win-win approach through SEO if applied proficiently.
There are many types of SEO strategies, which you need to use for ranking high on any search engine, out of which some areas are detailed below.
· Keyword Research.
· On-Page SEO.
· Technical SEO.
· Content Strategy.
· Link Building.
Keyword Research:
It is the core of any SEO task, which involves finding out popular phrases or words which people usually put into search engines.
A better understanding of keyword research before writing any article will always help you to rank high on search engines.
The below points will help you find a better keyword while planning to write an article.
· Finding long-tail keywords using “Google Suggest.”
· Use of Google Keyword Planner.
· Search for Question Keywords using “Answer The Public.”
On-Page SEO:
It is a technique to optimize each web page on your website for search engines and users. This method will help search engines to understand the keyword for which the article is written and at the same time making sure that your website is in a true sense a valuable resource for the users to look for.
The most common On-Page SEO techniques to practice are,
· Use of Keyword in URL.
· Use of URL in Title Tag.
· Embed Title Tag Modifiers.
· Use of Keyword in the First 150 Words.
· Use of Keyword in Header Tags.
· Image Optimization (Alt Text)
· Use of LSI Keywords.
· Use of External Links.
· Use of Internal Links.
Technical SEO:
Technical SEO is the technique of optimizing your website and server to help search engine spiders to crawl and index your website efficiently.
Without proper technical SEO, it is very tough to get the expected result. It is very crucial to take into account all the technical factors if you want your page to rank high on Google.
Some of the key points to work on to fix all the technical problems of your website and server are as detailed below:
· Crawl Errors.
· Make Sure the Visibility of your web page using Google Search Console (I’m taking the example of Google because it is the most popular search engine in the world).
· Check for Mobile Friendliness.
· Fixing of Broken Links.
· Security of Site using HTTPS.
· Checking Loading Speed.
Content Strategy:
There is no doubt that content is always the king in SEO for any search engine, especially Google. If you want to rank high on Google, you must have to write great content. In the current SEO strategy worldwide, content plays a really significant role, without which you cannot compete with others to become at the top of the Google page.
Keep in mind some of the strategies laid below for better Content Creation.
Skyscraper Technique:
This is a powerful way to publish wonderful content. This technique is created by Backlinko’s Brian Dean, in which first you have to identify popular content in your field, then create something better than the former, and promote that content.
Maximize Readability:
Usually, readers do not like to read lengthy paragraphs. So always try to restrict your paragraph length between 1 or max 3 sentences if possible.
These small chunks will reduce the bounce rate, which is also the main component of the SEO ranking factor.
Schema Markup:
This is also known as structured data. This will provide more information for your users to understand what your content is all about.
It is a code that you have to put on your website. You can also do it through Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
Comprehensive Article Writing:
You should keep a comprehensive approach while writing your article because Google respects content that is complete and in-depth.
Google always respects detailed content with real-life examples for a better understanding of the reader.
Use of Images and Videos in Content:
The usage of images and videos in content makes it more expressive and beautiful. It also helps in the ranking of any post.
Link Building:
Link Building is the most important part of SEO.
These are the incoming links to any webpage. When we link our web page to any other website’s page, it is called a backlink.
Backlinks are also called inbound links, which Google and other search engines always consider as a major ranking factor.
Some link building methods are as detailed below:
· Guest Posting:
This is a proven method of link building by publishing guest posts on any website related to your industry.
Publishing your content on an authority site will boost your ranking as well as may attract a decent amount of traffic too.
· Imitate Competitor’s Backlinks:
By finding out your competitor’s backlinks and imitating them is always a better way to build links to your website.
· Notifying Influencers:
After mentioning influential bloggers in your content, just notify them that you mentioned them in your blog post. If they will satisfy with your content, they may share it on different social media channels.
Now, coming back to our topic of how to become a Successful Freelance SEO Professional, I need to emphasize more on a point about “How to Become an SEO Expert” before discussing all other important topics.
Because without having expertise in SEO, it will be very tough to work as an SEO freelancer.
It is because you will be on your own while working on a particular project as a freelancer. With inadequate knowledge and lack of expertise in SEO, you will never be able to provide the desired result to your client, which in retrospect will ruin your aspiration.
Please go through the next subject mindfully, which I hope and sure is going to built confidence in you to becoming an SEO expert.
How to Become an SEO Expert
As an SEO expert, it is your duty and responsibility to optimize a webpage to bring it to the top of the search result and to bring more traffic.
Being an expert, you must possess some basic understanding about,
· How Search Engines Work?
· Essential Search Engine Ranking Factors?
· Little Understanding of HTML.
How Search Engines Work:
Search engines have 3 main elements, which they follow.
· Crawling – to explore content on the web.
· Indexing – adding and organizing the contents in their index.
· Ranking – deciding which websites to show in the search query and in which order.
As an SEO expert, you have to work on each aspect to make the search engines crawl, index, and understand the content of a website without any difficulty.
Essential Search Engine Ranking Factors:
In the context of Google, there are as many as 200+ ranking factors, which it takes into consideration for ranking your website in its search list.
There are altogether 3 main components, which Google especially takes into account while ranking your page. Such as,
· Relevancy.
· Authority.
· Quality.
Relevancy:
Your keyword must be relevant to the keyword inserted by a user in the search query.
For example, if someone puts a keyword “White T-Shirts,” Google will show only results for “White T-Shirts,” not “Yellow T-shirts.”
Authority:
It is the trust factor of a website, which search engines always take into consideration. They usually rely on links, whether inbound or outbound, which builds trust in search engines on your site.
The more trusted links to your site from authority sites will leave a very good impact in the eyes of search engines, which will help in ranking high on search results.
Quality:
The structure of your content, user interaction, and website reputation is the deciding factors about the quality of your website.
So you have to take care of all the above 3 factors while working for any client’s website to give them the best result.
Little Understanding of HTML:
Knowing a bit of HTML is always of great help while doing SEO for any website.
Google understands coding language, so having an understanding of the basics of HTML will go a long way to be an SEO expert.
Here are some more points mentioned below, which will help you to become an SEO Expert.
· Get Trained First: Before starting your career as an SEO Expert, first, you need to learn SEO properly. As there is a lot of information out there about how to do SEO on the Internet that it’s very easy for anybody to get confused.
If you want to make your career in SEO, first take up a course in SEO (there are a lot of reliable courses available on the net or else you can join any institute).
· Be Informed About Latest SEO News: SEO rules are never static. Search engines always change their algorithms and come up with new rules and regulations.
As an SEO expert, you have to get yourself updated on all the latest news published by search engines to make necessary changes in your SEO campaigns.
· Well-Equipped With SEO Tools: Doing SEO without proper tools is always very tough and time-consuming.
The tools will cost you a bit, but in the long run, you will earn much in comparison to the amount spend on any subscription.
Some of the tools which mostly SEO experts use are Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, etc.
· Be Practical: Without practical implication of your theoretical knowledge will be of no use in SEO, as SEO is more practical than theoretical.
The SEO strategies always vary from site to site, so you have to practice more to get adequate knowledge.
Going through case studies of other successful SEO experts and putting them into practice is always a great idea.
· Patience is Key: You have to be very patient because SEO will take a lot of time to work.
Doing SEO means establishing a long-term marketing solution for any business, which will give you Organic Traffic (free traffic without spending any money).
You have to be very vigilant before making any changes to your website.
· Taking Inspiration from Other Experts: Being in the SEO business, it is quite obvious of getting demotivated sometimes if results wouldn’t come as per your expectations and you may think of quitting it.
But keep in mind that the World’s TOP SEO experts have not become top overnight. They are there because they did a lot of hard work and spent much of their time reading and practicing SEO.
Always take some time out of your schedule to read about them to get inspired.
Some of the top SEO Experts are Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin, Brian Dean, and many more to follow.
As per my expectation, I am quite sure about making you aware of what it will take to become an SEO expert.
At this point, I am hopeful of letting you aware of all the facts to become a successful freelance SEO Professional, for instance, who is a freelancer or an independent contractor, what is SEO and its elements, and how to become an SEO expert, but without clients!!
Without clients, all the above knowledge is nothing. Our next topic will equip you with all the tools and techniques, which will enable you to start working as a freelancer and get clients from different sources and platforms.
How to Start Working as an SEO Freelancer and Get Clients
Being a Freelance SEO Professional is always quite fulfilling in terms of the type of work you handle for your clients and getting rewarded for the same as well.
Working on your own terms and being a successful professional is always very satisfying.
Now let’s find out how to work as a Freelance SEO Professional.
Understanding Your Level of SEO Expertise:
Before providing your service, first, you have to be well equipped with knowledge, resources, tools, and software to meet the SEO requirements of your clients.
To get good clients and projects, you have to get adequate knowledge and expertise of working on any website before rendering service to any client.
Listing of Services on Your Website:
After making up your mind to become an SEO freelancer and learning about SEO in detail with practical knowledge after working in real-time on some SEO projects for any company as an employee or otherwise, you have to create your own website and list all your services.
Having the owner of a website will enhance your reliability of being a trustworthy candidate for prospective clients.
Listing of SEO services that you provide will attract customers to contact you directly without any further search.
Register Yourself in Freelancing Portals and Start Bidding:
Freelancing Portals are also a very good source of getting clients. By registering yourself on Freelancing Portals and bidding on various SEO projects, you will likely get potential clients.
Hereby, I am providing you some of the very popular freelancing portals, where you can start bidding for clients:
· Freelancer.
· Upwork.
· Toptal.
· Fiverr.
· Simply Hired.
· Guru.
Time Management:
The single-man approach in freelancing demands more commitment and dedication.
As a Freelance SEO Professional, you are expected to give results to your clients within a stipulated time period. To achieve that you have to follow a strict schedule and work with dedication.
Because meeting the expectation of clients will ensure your growth as an SEO freelancer.
Ask Reviews from Clients:
Initially take up small projects and finish them on time efficiently. After completion of each project perfectly, ask for reviews from the clients.
Because reviews, whether positive or negative, will always enhance your skill and at the same time will provide you more projects.
Knowing Your Value:
SEO is a growing industry. Due to freedom of work and the financial benefits of working as a Freelance SEO Professional, more and more professionals are getting into this freelancing business which ultimately makes it very crowded.
Due to heavy competition, some SEO professionals charge very little than a reasonable amount to acquire a business, which affects negatively the pricing of projects.
So, you have to decide a price to charge as per your skillset and not compromise on that. This will help you to get more reliable clients with an assurance of timely payouts.
Again I would like to reiterate that SEO Freelancing is very rewarding in the way of making money and getting the freedom to work with a condition that you have to learn SEO real well by putting all your hard work with complete dedication and by keeping yourself up-to-date with latest trends.
If there are successful SEO professionals out there, then why you can’t be successful. Just you need to believe yourself and go after it with a very positive approach.
Wishing you all the best for your future.
