Any suggestions for working from home providing SEO services?

By Lahle Wolfe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Question: Any suggestions for working from home providing SEO services?

A WIB forum poster asks: "I am looking for a new work from home job that is not a gimmick. I want to stay home with the kids. I do some freelance web design, but not enough to make a go of it. I'd like to work on some SEO projects, or maybe do some freelance writing. Any suggestions?"
Answer: In a "keyword:" specialize.

I own an SEO business and focus on serving the unique needs of attorneys and nonprofit organizations because I have extensive business experience in both areas.

Local businesses are so competitive they often want more than one-time SEO work, they want monthly services to stay on top of their game. But to get local businesses on board, you must appear as an expert in their area of business.

If you are knowledgeable, passionate, and excel at anything in particular - even in "just" being a mom, focus your SEO services website on that particular area to get started. For example, day care centers, child advocacy groups, mom support groups, etc.

SEO consultants - experts who teach corporations how to manage their own websites - earn $100 to $1,000 per hour. So if you are not interested in doing all the SEO work yourself (which, as you know is incredibly research and labor intensive) consider offering consulting services.

As you probably know, the SEO service industry keyword competition is incredibly fierce because of all the scam service providers polluting the Internet. Your own business will stand a greater chance of coming up solidly in search engine queries if you specialize in a particular industry or type of service than if you simply offer general "SEO Services."

It is very important that your own SEO business site perform well in search engines because your clients will assume if you cannot get results for your own business, you will not likely do a good job for them either.

Read my interview with an SEO industry guru, John Barremore, who specializes providing in web services for dentists. He has great advice about what to look for in an SEO company.

As for freelance writing, check About.com's Be a Guide section to see what writing opportunities are currently available and to see if you may qualify for any of the positions.