How to Get SEO Clients Without Cold Calling: Evergreen Strategies That Actually Work
Ever felt like cold calling is more painful than a root canal? You’re not alone. That desperate, awkward pitch to a stranger who never asked for it—it’s exhausting. And in today’s digital-first world, it’s also unnecessary. The truth is, you can build a consistent stream of SEO clients without ever picking up the phone to cold call. I know because I’ve done it—and so have hundreds of other successful freelancers and agencies. In this guide, I’m sharing actionable, ethical strategies that helped me attract clients from the US, Canada, and even Lebanon—all without ever interrupting someone’s day. Why Cold Calling Is Outdated (And Often Ineffective) Cold calling might have had its day in the sun, but in the SEO space, it’s increasingly irrelevant. Today’s clients are more informed, more selective, and far less responsive to unsolicited pitches. According to HubSpot, only 1% of cold calls result in a meeting, while inbound leads have a 14.6% close rate. More importantly, cold calls don’t position you as an authority—they position you as a salesperson. And for SEO services, authority and trust are everything. 1. Turn Your Website into a Client Magnet Share Results, Not Just Services When I first started out, my website was just a digital CV. No real-life examples, no results—just promises. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t convert. The switch happened when I added mini case studies on my homepage: Suddenly, I wasn’t just another SEO freelancer—I was someone with receipts. Tip: Add 2–3 concise, results-backed stories on your site. Include metrics, timelines, and before/after comparisons. Real proof sells better than any cold pitch. Optimise for Service + Location Even if you serve global clients, don’t ignore local SEO. Ranking for terms like: …means potential clients find you, not the other way around. Use tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to uncover niche keyword variations, and optimise individual service pages around those terms. 2. Use LinkedIn as Your Prospecting Engine LinkedIn isn’t just for job hunting—it’s a powerful inbound tool when used right. Build in Public I started sharing breakdowns of SEO wins, lessons from client work, and even mini tutorials. One post where I explained how I helped a content site recover from a Google core update got over 30,000 views—and three inbound leads. Here’s how to structure posts that attract clients: And no, you don’t need 10k followers. What matters is consistency and niche relevance. Connect Intelligently, Not Randomly Don’t spam requests. When you connect, send a message that adds value: “Hey [Name], saw you run a Shopify store. I recently published a guide on SEO fixes for Shopify speed issues—happy to share if you’re interested.” You’re not selling—you’re helping. That’s how relationships start. 3. Tap Into Strategic Guest Posting Guest posting is not dead—it’s just misused. Avoid spammy link-building tactics. Instead, pitch relevant, high-authority blogs in your niche. When I wrote a piece for a SaaS marketing blog on “SEO mistakes SaaS founders make”, I didn’t just get a backlink—I got two DMs from SaaS startups asking for audits. How to do it right: “Mustajab is an SEO specialist who helps startups grow traffic without growth hacks.” 4. Create Mini Products or Free Tools One of my most surprising lead generators? A free SEO audit template I posted on my blog. People downloaded it, shared it, and eventually reached out saying, “Can you just do this for us?” Other mini-product ideas: Give something genuinely useful, and you earn trust before ever asking for a sale. 5. Build Referral Engines (Even If You’re Just Starting) Referrals don’t magically appear—you need to engineer them. Make Referrals Easy Create a Notion or Google Doc called “Who I Work Best With” and share it with clients and peers. List: Offer Commission or Trade If you’re comfortable with it, offer a referral fee. I once paid a web developer 10% of a $1,500 client project just for connecting me. We’ve worked together on 7 more since. 6. Turn Case Studies Into Lead Magnets Don’t bury your case studies—they should sell for you. Make them into: Use Loom videos to walk prospects through the results. It personalises the proof and builds trust fast. FAQs How can I get SEO clients without cold calling? Focus on building authority through content, case studies, and relationships. Use your website, LinkedIn, guest posts, and tools to attract inbound leads. Do I need a niche to get SEO clients? Not strictly—but having a niche (like dentists, SaaS, or Shopify) helps build faster credibility and improves SEO targeting. What’s the fastest way to land clients without cold outreach? Leverage your existing network, optimise your LinkedIn and website, and share past results publicly. Final Takeaway: Become Someone Clients Find—Not Someone Who Begs You don’t need to cold call to win clients. You need proof, positioning, and platforms that speak for you. Start with one method from this list. Implement it well. Then layer in another. Within 3–6 months, you’ll likely see the shift: instead of chasing clients, you’ll start choosing them. Tried any of these strategies? Got one of your own? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear what worked for you. Looking for SEO services? Contact Us Now!
How to Redesign Your Website Without Losing SEO: A Strategic, Human-Centred Guide
Ever poured months into ranking your website on Google, only to worry that a redesign could tank everything? You’re not alone. Redesigning your website is like renovating your house: you want a fresh look and better functionality, but you can’t afford to knock down the plumbing. In the world of SEO, that plumbing is your search visibility—and if you’re not careful, a new design could flush it away. As an SEO specialist who’s helped agencies, eCommerce brands, and small businesses maintain and even boost rankings during full-scale website overhauls, I’ve seen both horror stories and success stories. This guide combines hands-on experience, proven strategies, and insights from the best in the industry to help you confidently redesign your website without losing SEO. Why Redesigning a Website Risks SEO (And Why It’s Worth It Anyway) Let’s get this straight: website redesigns can be fantastic for UX, branding, and performance. But the moment you mess with structure, URLs, content, or metadata, you’re on thin ice with Google. According to a 2023 Ahrefs study, 55% of sites saw ranking drops after redesigns, mostly due to poor migration handling. But here’s the kicker—if done right, a redesign can actually improve your SEO. Faster site speeds, better mobile usability, stronger internal linking, and refreshed content can all boost rankings. The secret is knowing how to redesign strategically. Step 1: Crawl Before You Construct Create a Full Backup & Crawl Your Current Site Before touching anything, use tools like Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or Ahrefs to crawl your existing website. Export all URLs, metadata, header tags, image alt text, internal links, and canonical tags. “Think of this as your architectural blueprint,” says Marie Haynes, a well-known SEO consultant. “Without it, you’re flying blind.” Why This Step Matters Pro tip: Also save crawl data for performance benchmarking post-launch. Step 2: Maintain URL Integrity or Use 301s Like a Pro Keep URLs the Same Where Possible Changing URLs is the #1 SEO-killer during redesigns. If your URLs are already clean and descriptive (e.g., /seo-services instead of /page?id=123), don’t touch them. Set Up 301 Redirects Intelligently If changes are unavoidable, implement 301 redirects before launch. Map old URLs to their new counterparts in a spreadsheet and test them thoroughly using tools like Redirect Path. Real-World Example: One eCommerce client I worked with changed over 800 URLs during a redesign. We mapped every redirect manually and retained 94% of their keyword rankings within three weeks. Step 3: Keep On-Page SEO Elements Intact Meta Titles, Descriptions, and Headers Ensure your page titles, meta descriptions, and H1/H2 tags are carried over correctly. If you’re improving them, make sure they’re keyword-optimised but still human-readable. Internal Linking Preserve your internal link structure. During a redesign, many teams unknowingly delete internal links in favour of aesthetic design. That’s like cutting the threads in a spider web. Tool tip: Use LinkWhisper or Screaming Frog to map and rebuild internal links if needed. Step 4: Design with SEO in Mind Don’t Sacrifice Speed for Looks A sleek design that’s slow to load is SEO poison. Google has made Core Web Vitals a ranking factor. Compress images, use next-gen formats like WebP, and leverage lazy loading. “Speed isn’t just a UX issue. It’s a make-or-break ranking factor,” says John Mueller, Google Search Advocate. Mobile Responsiveness Is Non-Negotiable Over 63% of Google searches are now from mobile. Ensure your new design is fully responsive, not just “mobile-friendly.” Use Schema Markup Redesigns are the perfect time to implement or refine schema.org structured data. This helps Google understand your content better and can lead to rich results. Step 5: Launch Strategically (Not on a Friday Night) Use a Staging Site Never test on your live site. Always use a password-protected staging environment for all redesign work. Noindex Staging Environment Make sure Google doesn’t index your staging site. Add a noindex tag or block it via robots.txt. Launch During Low-Traffic Periods Avoid launching during weekends or holidays. You’ll need your dev team and SEO specialist on standby to troubleshoot post-launch issues. Step 6: Post-Launch Checklist (This Is Where Most Fail) Recrawl Your Site Immediately Use Google Search Console to request reindexing. Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to compare pre- and post-launch crawls. Monitor Traffic and Rankings Track changes using Google Analytics, GSC, and a rank tracker like SERPWatcher. Watch for sudden drops in high-performing pages. Fix Broken Links and 404s ASAP Set up alerts for 404 errors and fix or redirect them immediately. “It’s common for links to break in the chaos of launch,” says Aleyda Solis, an international SEO expert. “A proactive post-launch audit can save your rankings.” Step 7: Communicate With Google (Yes, Really) Submit a New XML Sitemap Generate a fresh sitemap and submit it to GSC. This helps Google prioritise crawling the updated site. Use the URL Inspection Tool Manually test important URLs to ensure they’re being indexed correctly and don’t have errors. Revalidate Structured Data Use Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure your schema is valid and functional. Step 8: Update Your Backlinks If any high-value pages had their URLs changed, reach out to the referring domains and request an update. At the very least, make sure the old URLs redirect properly. Example: I once saw a client lose a high-authority backlink from Forbes because they didn’t update the redirected URL. A simple outreach email restored it within a day. Evergreen SEO Tips for Redesigns FAQs Can I change my domain during a redesign? You can, but it’s risky. If you must, follow Google’s domain migration guidelines meticulously. Is it okay to delete old pages? Only if they bring no traffic, have no backlinks, and aren’t useful to users. Otherwise, update or merge them. How long does it take to recover SEO after a redesign? If done right, you may see no dip at all. If issues occur, recovery can take 1–3 months. Read Also: What Are the Best Options for Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) in AI? Final Thoughts: Design for People, Optimise for Search A website
How to Start a Fashion Blog: A Personal Guide to Turning Style into Substance
Ever looked at someone’s Instagram-perfect outfit and thought, “I could do that—but better?” That was me, five years ago, standing in a second-hand shop in Shoreditch, clutching a tartan blazer that cost less than a takeaway. Today, I run a fashion blog that attracts thousands of monthly readers, some of whom have gone on to launch their own style platforms. If you’re serious about turning your wardrobe wisdom into something more meaningful (and maybe even profitable), starting a fashion blog might be exactly what you need. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything I wish I knew when I started—from choosing the right platform to building authority in a crowded space. Why Start a Fashion Blog? Before we dive into logistics, let’s address the obvious: why even start a fashion blog in 2025? Fashion blogging is more than just flaunting outfits—it’s about storytelling, community-building, and influencing how people see themselves. Whether you’re a thrifting queen, minimalist advocate, or haute couture enthusiast, your perspective is valid and valuable. According to a 2024 Statista survey, 38% of Gen Z consumers discover new brands via blogs and style guides, not just TikTok or Instagram. That’s a huge audience looking for content that doesn’t disappear in 24 hours. “Your blog is the only digital asset you truly own.” — Nina Cuthbert, Fashion Content Strategist at Vogue Business Step 1: Identify Your Fashion Niche You can’t (and shouldn’t) please everyone. A niche gives your blog clarity, makes you more discoverable on search engines, and attracts a loyal audience. Examples of Fashion Niches My own experience? I started out trying to cover everything. Big mistake. It wasn’t until I honed in on “ethical fashion for urban creatives” that my blog traffic picked up—and collaborations followed. Step 2: Choose the Right Blogging Platform Top Choices If you’re planning to monetise later, avoid free platforms like Blogger or Medium. Owning your domain (e.g., yourname.com) not only looks professional but boosts trust and authority—key elements for Google’s E-E-A-T. Tip: Choose a domain name that’s memorable but not restrictive. “ScarletThread” beats “TrendyLooks2020” every time. Step 3: Set Up the Essentials What You Need Don’t obsess over perfection. My first layout looked like a Word document with glitter—and still attracted readers because the content resonated. “Design gets them in. Content keeps them coming back.” — Jason Matthison, UI/UX Designer at CreativeBloq Step 4: Create High-Quality, Personal Content This is where most blogs either soar or sink. Avoid thin, generic content. Instead, offer: SEO Best Practices External Link Tip: Reference authority sources like British Fashion Council or Statista Fashion Reports. Step 5: Promote Your Blog (Without Feeling Spammy) Where to Share But here’s what worked best for me: guest posting and collaborations. I teamed up with other beginner bloggers and we exchanged shout-outs, co-wrote posts, and even hosted online styling challenges. Step 6: Monetise Authentically Once you’ve got consistent traffic (or even before), here are ways to earn: Don’t force it. Monetisation should feel like a natural extension of your blog’s value. “Monetise your impact, not just your influence.” — Clara Zhou, Ethical Fashion Coach FAQs: Q: Do I need to be a professional stylist to start?A: Not at all. Many successful bloggers are self-taught, passionate style enthusiasts. Your authenticity is your superpower. Q: How often should I post?A: Aim for consistency over frequency. Even one post per week is fine if it’s high quality. Q: What’s the best way to get noticed?A: Besides SEO, build real connections in the fashion community. Comment, email, engage. Humans notice humans. Final Thoughts: Your Style, Your Space There are thousands of fashion blogs out there, but none with your exact perspective, voice, and story. Starting a fashion blog isn’t about becoming the next Chiara Ferragni overnight. It’s about carving your own corner of the internet and sharing something real. So here’s my challenge to you: grab your favourite outfit, write a story about it, and hit publish. You don’t need to have everything perfect. You just need to start. What’s your fashion niche going to be? Leave a comment or DM me on Instagram—I’d genuinely love to hear about it.
