Kasra Dash:
So if I have an SEO agency and I want to grow that business, I want to get more clients, whether it might be link building clients, content clients, full on agency work or even technical SEO. How would you grow something like that?

James Dooley:
There are many ways you can grow a search engine optimisation business. The first thing I would do is decide exactly where I want to take it. Do I want to do SEO for all businesses in Manchester, where I’m based? If I do, the first keywords I need to rank for on my own website are SEO Manchester and Manchester SEO. That’s the first thing someone in Manchester searching for an SEO agency will type in. If you can’t rank your own website, people will question whether you’re good enough to rank theirs. You want strong content, solid backlinks, good internal linking and strong testimonials, reviews and case studies. That’s step one. You need your own SEO sorted.

Kasra Dash:
What about paid advertising methods?

James Dooley:
With paid ads you can definitely run Facebook retargeting. Even if you rank number one for your main keywords, some people will land on your site and never enquire. Retargeting lets you follow them when they go onto Facebook or Instagram. They see your advert again and you stay in their mind.

Kasra Dash:
What about PPC? Would you recommend PPC?

James Dooley:
Probably not. It can work if you have a strong PPC agency that lives inside the account every day, but you need the right long-tail keywords and a strong hook. You could use free site audits as a lure, then upsell services once the audit shows their issues. But the problem is click fraud. Competitors clicking on your ads. Bots clicking your ads. Burned daily budgets. Unless someone is managing your PPC full time, I’d stay away. Social media ads are a safer route. And organic social media is even better. Publishing consistently, sharing blogs on LinkedIn, networking, attending events. That gives you authority.

Networking is huge. You should build relationships with lead generation companies, web design agencies and PPC companies. They don’t do organic SEO so they can refer clients to you. Attend SEO conferences, business events, masterminds. That’s another channel you need.

Kasra Dash:
Networking definitely helps. And it doesn’t even need to be SEO events. Local business meetups work too. With traditional marketing I don’t rate radio ads or TV ads. You can’t track KPIs so you’re blind. You don’t know whether the spend worked. Digital gives you data.

What about lead generation companies?

James Dooley:
That’s step two after you sort your own SEO. At FatRank.com we supply a lot of SEO leads. We get enquiries from our own networking, our events, our platforms. But we work on a strict no win no fee basis. You don’t pay for SEO, PPC, Facebook ads or even the lead itself. You only pay if you convert the job. Because of that we’re selective. We check your testimonials, reviews, branding and case studies. If you’re approved you’ll get guaranteed return on investment because you only pay when you win. But don’t rely solely on FatRank. Go to Bark, Clutch, Top Three Rated and others. Test them. Track KPIs. See what gives the best ROI. If Clutch works, scale it. If Bark doesn’t convert, drop it. If FatRank converts, scale that. It’s about testing everything.

Kasra Dash:
What would your top three strategies be for growing an SEO agency?

James Dooley:
Step one: SEO your own site and build strong branding.
Step two: Lead generation through FatRank.com and other sources.
Step three: Social media presence. Facebook retargeting, YouTube for trust, LinkedIn outreach to marketing managers, CEOs and directors.
Plus networking events. Meet accountants, meet agency owners, meet PPC specialists. If they trust you and you get them results, they’ll refer clients forever.

Kasra Dash:
Absolutely. Case studies, testimonials, proof. That’s what sells SEO.

James Dooley:
Those are the strategies on how to grow an SEO agency. If you want to apply for FatRank lead generation, check the link in the description or head over to FatRank.com.