I’m new to working for clients (most of my experience is with my own sites), so I’m not sure how to figure out what’s fair. Saying “X” hours isn’t that helpful because I’m not as fast as someone with years of experience.
I want to make sure my clients feel they’re getting good value while I work on improving my skills. Any advice?
Do enough to keep your client happy and paying. Nobody here can give you a set answer because we don’t know your specific situation—what’s fair in your area, your experience, or what your client expects.
Break it down: monthly cost divided by your hourly rate. Then list out what needs to be done in those hours. Simple.
@Calvine
This is the kind of response that deserves a big thumbs-up!
So “X” hours isn’t helpful
Actually, that’s exactly how you should approach it. Break it down by the hours you can commit.
I’m not as fast as experienced professionals
Then price yourself lower than them until you get faster.
This depends a lot on results. If you charge $1,000 a month for 5 months with no noticeable improvement, your client will feel ripped off.
Consider going all-in for the first month to get some big wins, then scale back your hours to something manageable for $1,000. I’m just learning SEO myself, and I’ve been spending way more time than I thought, but I’m finally seeing some progress.
It comes down to a few key things:
Things like “technical fixes” or “website optimization” are vague and don’t always help rankings if the site is already decent. Work out a solid strategy, estimate the hours it’ll take, and calculate your time and overheads.
Just plan it based on the hours you can commit and stick to it.
Just enough to actually get results.
Focus on doing whatever it takes to help the client rank higher.
$1,000 is a decent budget. Focus on quality over quantity. Maybe include social media optimization and other activities to give them more value.
Honestly, for $1,000, they probably shouldn’t expect super high-quality backlinks, maybe not even one good one.
I charge by the hour. With 7 years of experience, I’m comfortable at €75/hour, aiming for €100/hour in the next couple of years. That would give 10 hours of SEO or half a keyword research project for $1,000.
Plan by the hour, but make sure the hours are focused on client work, not self-learning or getting sidetracked. That way, you know you’re giving them value.
Sounds like you signed up a client without setting clear deliverables first.
Probably 10-20 hours of effort.
The main goal is to help their site rank better. Strategies and timelines will depend on the business, audience, and budget.
Also, SEO isn’t always the right solution for every business. Make sure it’s a good fit before diving in.
I price by hours so clients know what to expect. I don’t book more than 80 hours a month so I can enjoy some downtime too. If a client needs more time, I try to balance it without overworking.
Here’s a rough idea:
Adjust based on the client’s needs and goals.