7 Crucial Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an SEO Agency

Mistake #1: Not Niching Down

When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one. Successful SEO agencies understand the power of niche focus. Take the example of Chris Dryer – before he found his niche serving personal injury lawyers, his agency struggled. But once he laser-focused on that specific industry, his business skyrocketed. The truth is, it’s a “red ocean” if you start a generic, vague SEO agency. But it becomes a “blue ocean” when you focus on one particular niche. Look at Amazon – they started by only selling books online, and Loom, which just sold for nearly a billion dollars, does one thing really well: screen recordings.

Mistake #2: Acting Like a Big Agency

Never pretend to be bigger than you are. When you’re a small agency, you have advantages that big agencies don’t – namely, the ability to provide a personal touch with the actual expert. Most big agencies get so large that they assign inexperienced interns or entry-level staff to SEO campaigns. Take the opportunity to double down on being personal – show your face, tell your prospective clients you’ll work directly with them, and assure them they’re in good hands.

Mistake #3: Focusing Too Much on Getting Leads

There’s a catch-22 here – you need new leads and clients to grow, but you also need to get those clients results, or they’ll cancel your services. The solution? First, focus on building your SEO portfolio as fast as possible, even if it means taking on work you feel is below you. This “paying your dues” is a requirement when breaking into a new niche. Once you have a handful of clients, the key is retaining them. Getting a new client is 5-25 times more expensive than keeping an existing one, so retention is crucial for long-term success.

Mistake #4: Thinking You Can Outsource Everything

Client retention is the number one variable for long-term success, and 50% or more of that equation is based on your ability to drive SEO results. If you outsource everything, you’ll be chasing your tail, bouncing from one contractor to another, all with their own philosophies and systems. The result? Your clients suffer. If you’re serious about building a long-term, cash-generating SEO agency, you must build your own systems and processes to get consistent outcomes for your clients.

Mistake #5: Endless Posting on Social Media

Are you trying to be an influencer, or are you trying to get clients? The best SEO leads actually come from referrals, not social media. The secret that successful agencies won’t tell you is that the path to more referrals is by getting your clients incredible results. There are dozens of other lead generation techniques far superior to social media when it comes to building a successful SEO business.

Mistake #6: Thinking You Need Tons of Experience

Impostor syndrome is the number one roadblock for early entrepreneurs. Most think they need years of experience, a portfolio of case studies, and endless testimonials before they can start taking on clients. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. When I started, I only had a portfolio of results from my niche projects and about a year of SEO experience. You don’t need tons of experience – you just need some results to prove you know what you’re doing, and then price your services accordingly.

Mistake #7: Having Superhero Syndrome

This is the most devastating mistake of all. I was the biggest bottleneck in my own SEO business when I started, trying to squeeze every penny and convince myself that hard work was smart. I was wrong. Working hard and struggling to figure things out yourself is a massive waste of time. You’re not rewarded based on how many hours you work – you get lots of stress, bad results, and a business hanging on for dear life. The solution? Find someone who has already achieved your desired goal and learn from them. This is the biggest secret to success. Don’t be like old me – find a coach and mentor to guide you.

If you’re below $10,000 per month in your SEO business, I highly recommend investing in my book, “The SEO Entrepreneur.” If you’re making more than $10,000 per month and want to scale to the next level, consider applying for my Gotch SEO Academy program. I’ll have links to both below. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next video!