This document outlines tips for SEO professionals considering freelancing or currently working as a freelancer. It discusses both the pros and cons of freelancing, including the flexibility but also irregular income. It provides advice on preparing to freelance, such as building social media profiles, securing some work beforehand, and checking contracts if leaving an agency. The document also covers niche specialization, networking, financial management, legal protections, and resources for freelancers.

1. Going Solo: The Survival
Guide for Freelance SEOs
(Present & Future)
Steve Morgan | Morgan Online Marketing & Anti-Sell
SLIDESHARE.NET/STEVIEPHIL
@STEVIEPHIL

2. Steve Morgan
Freelance SEO Consultant
Author of Anti-Sell
Going Solo
The Survival Guide for Freelance SEOs
(Present & Future)

3. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
SEO = 12+ years
Freelancing = 8+ years
About Me (read: who is this guy?!)

4. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
SEOno (SEO blog)
Cardiff SEO Meet
Anti-Sell.com
About Me (read: who is this guy?!)

5. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
J-rock
D&D
About Me (read: who is this guy?!)

6. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The Pros of Freelancing
Be your own boss!
Flexibility! Freedom!

7. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The Pros of Freelancing
Choose your
work/projects/clients

8. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The Pros of Freelancing
More money
(potentially)

9. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The… Not-So-Pros of Freelancing
Erratic, irregular
income

10. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The… Not-So-Pros of Freelancing
Lonely / lacking
camaraderie

11. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The… Not-So-Pros of Freelancing
You have to do more
than just SEO:
sales, finance,
admin, etc…

12. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The… Not-So-Pros of Freelancing
Hard to take time off
(e.g. holiday days)

13. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Try to have ‘safety net’
savings by (3-6 months)
Before Going Freelance…

14. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Try to get a head-start on
marketing yourself:
▪ Social media – Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
▪ Website / landing page
▪ Networking
Before Going Freelance…

15. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Before Going Freelance…
Try to have work secured
before the leap
▪ Dabble part-time first (evenings/weekends)
▪ Go full-time when you have enough work on

16. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Before Going Freelance…
If going freelance from an agency
(and working with an old agency client),
check your contract!
▪ Some agencies have ‘poaching’ clauses

17. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
All-round SEO
…or
Technical SEO specialist
…or
SEO for the financial services sector
…or
Technical SEO for financial services
Going Niche

18. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Sales & Networking
This first tip is bloody important:
Business networking
≠
Business networking events

19. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Sales & Networking
Other (actual) tips:
▪ Go to non-SEO events! (Sorry Kelvin)
▪ Facebook groups!
▪ Twitter chats!

20. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Sales & Networking
Other (actual) tips:
▪ Try out coworking spaces!
▪ Run your own [podcast
/ event / whatever]

21. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Sales & Networking
Self-promotion is not a dirty word

22. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Finance:
▪ Get an accountant
(seriously)
▪ Get a separate business
bank account

23. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Finance:
▪ Keep on top of income &
expenses as you go
▪ Keep expenses low as much as you can –
do you need [the new shiny thing]…?

24. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Finance:
▪ 7 or 14 day payment
terms (not 30)
▪ 50% upfront,
50% upon completion

25. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Finance:
▪ Only allow bank transfer
(BACS) payments
▪ HMRC’s ‘payments on account’

26. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Legal:
▪ Get business insurance
▪ Get a contract
▪ Get everything in writing…
EVERYTHING

27. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
The ‘Business’ Side of Freelancing
Legal:
▪ See also: screenshots!
▪ Be careful working with
clients outside the UK

28. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Growing Into an Agency (if you want to)
Important note:
you don’t have to
(if you don’t want to)

29. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Growing Into an Agency (if you want to)
…But if you do:
▪ Use freelancing as a
stepping stone
▪ (Safer than jumping straight to the
agency route)

30. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Freelancer Facebook Groups
▪ Freelance Heroes
▪ Being Freelance
▪ Doing It For The Kids (DIFTK)

31. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Freelancer Podcasts
▪ Freelance Heroes
▪ Being Freelance
▪ Doing It For The Kids (DIFTK)
(…not a copy/paste error)

32. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Freelancer Books
▪ Survival Skills for Freelancers
- Sarah Townsend
▪ The Future is Freelance
- Kirsty Hulse
▪ Anti-Sell
- Steve Morgan

33. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
More! From Other Freelance SEOs!
Anti-Sell.com/brightonseo
Andrew
Cock-Starkey
(Optimisey)
Sarah
Tamsin
Ahmed
Khalifa
Stacey
MacNaught
Natalie Mott
Luke Carthy

34. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
“15 Ways to Get SEO Clients!”
Anti-Sell.com/seo

35. @steviephil
#brightonSEO
Obligatory Outro Slide!
Anti-Sell: Marketing, Lead
Generation & Networking Tips
for Freelancers Who Hate Sales
▪ Paperback | Kindle | PDF
Audiobook (self-narrated)
▪ 4.7 / 5 (avg. across all sources)
▪ Winner of 5 book awards
Anti-Sell.com/book