How to find your first customers as a SEO freelancers

Let’s be honest: ranking someone else’s site? No problem. But getting your own first SEO clients? Suddenly you’re refreshing your inbox like it owes you money.

Welcome to the part of freelancing no one warns you about: the awkward, slightly desperate phase where you know your stuff but nobody’s paying you (yet) to prove it. You don’t need a personal brand, a viral tweet, or a Canva logo with your initials in a serif font. You need clients — real ones, who pay actual money.

This guide is for the zero-to-three-clients phase. No fluff, no “just add value” mantras — just practical ways to get someone to say, “Yes, I’ll pay you to fix my traffic problem.”

Let’s get into it.

Start With People You Already Know (Yes, Really)

No, this isn’t a motivational “your network is your net worth” line. This is YOU realizing that someone you already knowprobably owns a business, runs a side hustle, or has a cousin who thinks SEO is a setting in their phone.

Here’s why this works:

These people already trust you as a human. That lowers the friction. And in early-stage freelancing, trust is 80% of the sale.

Step 1: Audit Your Existing Contacts

Source	Who You’re Looking For	Example
LinkedIn	People running businesses, marketing managers	“Old coworker now doing ecomm”
Instagram/Facebook	Friends with product pages, food trucks, Etsy shops	“College friend selling candles”
Your Inbox	Past clients, leads from old jobs	“Contact from 2019 still active”
Family & Friends	Anyone with a business problem you can help fix	“Uncle Bob runs a plumbing biz”

Step 2: Reach Out Without Sounding Like a LinkedIn Bro

No pitches that feel like you just copied from a cold email course.

Keep it casual, respectful, and low-pressure. Here’s a template:

DM/Email Template:

Hey [Name], I saw you're running [business/site]. I'm working on building up some early SEO case studies and thought I’d reach out. Happy to take a look at your site, find a few quick wins, and send over a mini-audit if you’re interested. Totally free, no catch — just looking to sharpen my process and help where I can. Let me know if that’s useful!

Common Objections You Might Get (and How to Respond)

Objection	What They Mean	How to Respond
“We’re not ready for SEO yet.”	I don’t know what SEO is.	“Totally fine — if you ever want to explore it, happy to send a few tips your way.”
“We already have someone.”	We’re locked in / skeptical.	“Makes sense. If you ever want a second opinion or a quick audit, I’ve got you.”
No response at all	Life got in the way / they don’t care.	Follow up once. If still no reply, move on.

Your Goal Here Isn’t Sales. It’s Conversations.

Treat every reply as a win. Even if they don’t become clients, they:

Might refer someone
Might say yes later
Might help you refine how you pitch

Trade Value for Proof (Not for “Exposure”)

This is where most new freelancers either overdeliver or underdeliver out of fear.

Let’s be clear:

You don’t need a fancy brand deck.

You do need evidence that you can improve traffic, rankings, or conversions. That means giving someone a real result — and documenting the hell out of it.

The Offer: Give a Win, Get a Testimonial

Forget “I’ll do free SEO for exposure.” Exposure doesn’t pay rent.

Instead: Offer a small, scoped, useful SEO fix in exchange for:

A testimonial
Permission to use the result as a case study
Maybe a referral if they’re thrilled

What You Can Offer (That Won’t Kill Your Weekend)

Quick Win Task	Tools You’ll Need	Time Commitment	Result You Can Show
Fix basic technical issues	Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, Google Search Console	1–2 hrs	Fewer crawl errors, faster load times
Optimize 3-5 key pages	SurferSEO, PageOptimizer Pro, Google	2–4 hrs	Higher keyword rankings, better CTR
Improve internal linking	SEOJuice, manual audit	1–2 hrs	More crawl depth, better UX
Create/clean up meta titles & descriptions	Ahrefs, GSC, SEOJuice, your brain	1 hr	Higher click-through rates

How to Frame the Offer

You’re not “giving away work.” You’re running an experiment and collecting data. Here’s a message template:

Hey [Name], as I’m building my SEO practice, I’m offering a few mini-projects where I do [specific task] in exchange for a testimonial and permission to show results. It’s completely free, but I do ask for a quick before/after screenshot and a few words if you find it useful. Want in?

How to Document the Result

Case Study Mini-Template:

Client: “Small ecommerce site selling handmade soaps”
Problem: Homepage wasn’t ranking for brand name
What I Did: Fixed title tag, added internal links from blog
Result: Ranking #1 in 7 days, CTR went from 2.1% to 9.6%
Quote: “Clean, quick, and effective — like our soap.”

Drop this into a Notion page or PDF. That’s your first portfolio piece.

Warning Signs to Avoid

Scope creep: “Could you just take a look at everything else too?”
Clients who ghost after delivery: get commitment before starting
Vague goals: always define what “success” looks like up front

By doing 2 – 3 of these, you’re armed with what most freelancers don’t have when they start: PROOF.

Build a Portfolio That Doesn’t Make People Scroll Away

Let’s be honest — when you’re starting out, nobody cares about your “years of experience” or that you’re “passionate about SEO.” They care about one thing: Can you solve a problem they actually have?

That’s why your first portfolio needs to show what you did, who it helped, and what changed.

Where to Host It (No Dev Degree Required)

Don’t overthink this. Pick something you can edit fast and send as a link.

Option	Why It Works
Notion	Clean, quick, great for sharing
Google Docs	Universal, no login needed
Carrd.co	One-page site, looks pro, $19/year
SEOJuice	(If you’re using us — keep everything under one roof, client-facing and clean)

No need to buy a domain or build a 7-page site yet. You’re showing proof, not building a brand empire.

How to Write a Case Study Without Overcomplicating It

Keep it short. Focus on what actually changed. Here’s a simple format:

Client:

Local home decor store on Shopify

Problem:

They were getting decent traffic but almost no clicks from search — titles and descriptions were a mess.

What I did:

Rewrote meta titles using the SEOJuice
Fixed duplicate content on product pages
Cleaned up internal links to push traffic toward converting pages

Result:

CTR jumped from 1.4% to 6.8% in 3 weeks

Three products hit Page 1 for high-intent keywords

Social proof:

“We had no idea small changes could make this much difference. Sales are up, traffic is up, and our site finally looks like someone cares.”

Create a couple of articles like this, and suddenly you’re not “offering SEO services.” You’re someone who helps businesses get measurable wins.

Be Visible Where Businesses Look for Help (Without Being That Guy)

Most new freelancers either shout into the void (“Hey, I do SEO! Hire me!”) or lurk silently, hoping someone magically finds them.

Here’s the better play:

Go where people already ask SEO questions — and be the one who gives useful, non-sleazy answers.

Where to Show Up (And What to Do When You’re There)

Platform	What to Do	Red Flags to Avoid
Reddit	Comment helpfully in r/SEO, r/Entrepreneur	Don’t pitch. Don’t spam links.
Indie Hackers	Answer posts about traffic/growth problems	Avoid “DM me for services” stuff
LinkedIn	Share mini-case studies or SEO tips	No inspirational fluff
Facebook Groups	Join niche groups: local biz, coaches, ecommerce	Don’t be the “SEO expert” who only shows up to sell
Twitter/X	Post short SEO wins, comment on threads	Don’t write threads no one asked for

What You Should Say (and What to Avoid)

✅ Helpful:

“I ran into this with a Shopify client. Cleaning up internal links made a big difference — check that first.”

❌ Cringe:

“DM me — I offer affordable SEO solutions tailored to your business needs!”

You want people to think: “This person clearly knows their stuff… maybe they can help me.”

How This Leads to Work (Real Example)

You comment on a Reddit thread:

“Try consolidating your low-performing blog posts — they might be cannibalizing each other.”

Someone DMs you: “Hey, can I hire you to look at my content structure?”

Now you’re in business. Literally.

You’re Not There to Go Viral. You’re There to Be Useful.

No need to become a content machine.

Just post or comment 2–3x a week with something like:

A result you got (with a number attached)
A short lesson from a recent project
A tip that solves a real problem (not “optimize your content!” but how to do it)

And Yes, SEOJuice Can Help Here Too

Use your SEOJuice reports, screenshots, or audit snippets as content.

Turn real work into proof you can share.

“Ran a quick audit with SEOJuice — found 17 orphaned pages killing a client’s crawl budget. Fixed it. Indexing doubled in 6 days.”

That’s infinitely more persuasive than “offering SEO services.”

Partner With Freelancers Who Already Have Clients

If you’re trying to get clients completely from scratch, you’re making it harder than it needs to be.

You know who already has clients?

Web designers. Copywriters. Developers. Ads people.

And guess what a lot of their clients need but aren’t getting?

Yep — SEO.

Most small business owners don’t hire “teams.”

They hire one person. That person becomes their go-to. And if that go-to knows you? You just became the SEO plug.

So instead of hunting strangers, start building quiet partnerships with freelancers who:

Don’t offer SEO
Keep bumping into SEO problems
Would love to pass it off to someone competent (read: you)

Here’s how to do it:

First, make a list of 5–10 people you know — or could easily message — who do client work adjacent to SEO. Think:

Designers building Squarespace sites
Writers doing content but skipping keyword research
Developers setting up Shopify stores
Paid media freelancers running ads for sites with broken SEO

Now reach out with something like:

“Hey, I’ve been working with a few small businesses on SEO — mostly audits and fixes that help with traffic and site health. If any of your clients ever need that, happy to collaborate or stay on standby. Let me know if you want to tag team a small one and try it out.”

Low pressure. No pitch deck. Just, “Want to test this out?”

Why this works:

You skip the awkward client chase.
You’re getting referred by someone the client already trusts.
You’re building real relationships instead of cold-selling.

Plus, once you deliver once, it snowballs. That designer? Now they bring you in on every project where the site needs “a bit of SEO.”

And if they’re smart (they are), you start sending them leads too. Win-win, minus the cheesy affiliate handshake.

Quick heads-up:

Don’t overcomplicate this with contracts or referral spreadsheets. Just start with trust, small projects, and mutual respect. If it turns into something bigger, formalize it then.

And don’t ghost on their clients. If they vouch for you, show up sharp and make them look good. That’s how you become the default SEO person in someone’s network.

Productize a Small Offer to Make the Ask Easy

Here’s the truth: most people don’t want “SEO services.” It’s vague, it sounds expensive, and they don’t want to get locked into a six-month retainer with someone they just met online.

But they will buy a clear, low-risk offer that solves one problem quickly.

This is where productizing comes in.

Instead of “I do SEO,” you say:

“I offer a $99 homepage audit that shows exactly what’s slowing down your traffic — and how to fix it.”

Suddenly, you offer a product with a price, a promise, and a fast outcome.

Keep It Small. Keep It Specific.

Think: 1–2 hours of your time. Something you can repeat without reinventing the wheel.

Here are a few examples that work well:

Technical SEO audit with a 10-minute Loom walkthrough
Homepage SEO teardown
Blog content plan based on keyword gaps
Google Search Console setup + quick wins audit
“Is your SEO broken?” mini-diagnosis (entry point offer)

Keep the scope tight. Make the deliverable tangible. And don’t call it “custom strategy development.”

Why this works (especially for early clients):

It lowers the trust barrier — no long calls, no surprises.
It gives you a foot in the door.
It’s easier to pitch. Easier to buy. Easier to say yes to.

And once you deliver something useful and clean they'll ask: “Can you help with the rest of the site?” Now you’ve got an actual client — not just a one-off job.

Bonus tip: Use this in outreach

Instead of “Let me know if you need SEO help,” say:

“I offer a one-page SEO audit — flat $99, delivered in 48 hours. I can flag any major issues and show where you’re leaking traffic. Want one?”

Now it’s not a pitch. It’s a product. No call needed. Just yes or no.

Document What You’re Doing Publicly

Forget about becoming a LinkedIn thought leader or writing long posts that nobody reads.

Build trust by posting proof of your work. Share your small wins, real work, and tiny lessons as you're doing them. This shows that you're active, competent, and worth talking to. The best part is that you don't need a large following to be successful - you only need the right people to see your content.

What to Share

Start simple. Demonstrate your process instead of writing case studies. Try posts like:

“Client traffic dropped after a redesign. Found 18 broken links + missing redirects. Traffic’s climbing again.”
“Used SEOJuice to spot orphaned pages — 90 blog posts weren’t internally linked anywhere. Fixed it, impressions doubled.”
“Rewrote 5 meta descriptions → CTR up 4.3% → more traffic without more ranking.”

Short. Real. Actionable. That’s it.

Platforms That Work

LinkedIn if your clients are founders, marketers, or agency folks
Twitter/X if you’re targeting startups or indie makers
Instagram Stories if you’re working with local businesses or ecommerce

Tips to Stay Consistent (Even If You Hate Posting)

Social Media Posts

Share a screenshot of something interesting that happened today
Write 2 sentences about what you did and its significance
Post it!

Keep it real and avoid excessive hashtags and drawn-out introductions. Demonstrate your expertise by sharing relevant content. You can repurpose and anonymize content from your audits or DMs.

Why This Brings Clients (Eventually)

People follow silently. Then one day you’ll get a message like:

“Hey, I’ve been seeing your posts. Do you do SEO for SaaS sites too?”

Everything's changed, and suddenly you're the one in demand.

Don’t Waste Time on a Logo. Get Conversations, Not Branding.

When you’re just starting out, it’s tempting to spend hours picking the perfect domain name, tweaking your color palette, or designing a logo that feels like it "represents your brand essence."

It feels like progress. It’s quiet work, no risk of rejection, and you can tell yourself, “I’m laying the foundation.”

But if we’re being honest — you're avoiding the hard part: putting yourself out there, talking to real people, and offering actual services.

Here’s the truth that stings a little but saves a lot of time: your first few clients will not care about your logo. Or your tagline. Or whether you call yourself a freelancer, a consultant, or a studio. What they care about is simple — can you solve a problem they have, and can they trust you to do it?

Looking “professional” comes from clarity and proof. If you can explain what you do in one sentence and back it up with a small win or two, you’re already ahead of most people trying to freelance their way into SEO.

You don’t need a website right now. You don’t need a brand. You need conversations. Conversations lead to trust, and trust leads to money. That’s the chain. Branding can come later — when you actually know what kind of work you enjoy, what kind of clients you want, and what your process looks like.

And the good news? When you have results, you don’t need to look the part. The work speaks for itself. A Notion doc with a few clean, honest case studies will beat a slick Squarespace site with zero proof every time.

So if you’ve been putting off outreach until you “finish your brand,” take this as permission to stop fiddling and start talking. The best way to look legit is to be useful — and nothing’s more useful than showing up with a clear offer and a real win.

Your first clients won’t care what you’re called. They’ll care that you helped.

Wrap-Up: You Don’t Need Magic. You Need Movement.

Getting your first SEO clients is about action. Small, practical steps that build proof, build trust, and eventually, build a pipeline.

You don’t need to brand yourself to death.

You don’t need to wait until you “feel ready.”

You just need to solve real problems for real people — and let those wins speak louder than your pitch ever could.

Start with people you know. Offer something small but valuable. Show your work. Talk about it in public. Partner with folks who already have clients. Make saying yes to you dead simple. And for the love of God, stop fussing with your logo.

This is how momentum actually starts.

FAQ: Stuff No One Wants to Admit They’re Confused About

Q: Should I work for free to get my first client?

A: No — but offering something small for free once or twice to get a testimonial and real-world proof is fine. Just make sure you define the scope up front, and get permission to use the results in your portfolio.

Q: Do I need an LLC, contracts, invoices, etc.?

A: Not on Day 1. Use a basic agreement (Google “freelance SEO contract”), send invoices via Stripe or PayPal, and formalize things as you go. Focus on doing good work first.

Q: What if I’m not an “expert” yet?

A: You don’t have to be. You just have to be one step ahead of the person you’re helping. If you can improve someone’s traffic, fix their meta data, or clean up their site structure, you're already valuable.

Q: What should I charge for my first few projects?

A: Enough to feel like it’s worth your time, not so much that you scare people off. $99–$300 for fixed-scope work is a sweet spot to start. Raise rates once you’ve got results to back it up.

Q: How do I avoid nightmare clients?

A: Be specific about what you’re offering. Keep the scope tight. Look for people who respect boundaries. If someone’s flaky during the first message exchange, it’s not going to get better later.

Q: What if I post online and nobody cares?

A: Good. It means there’s no pressure. Keep posting. You’re not trying to go viral. You’re staying visible so when someone needs SEO help, they remember you exist — and trust you enough to reach out.