The Fastest Way To Build A Million Dollar SEO Agency

I was talking with an agency owner who specializes in SEO recently, and she asked me, "If you were going to build a million-dollar SEO agency fast, how would you do it?

A few days later, a client asked me a similar question.

Then I remembered a wise saying Andy Crestodina of Orbit Media once shared with me, "Never waste a good conversation in private."

So here's a quick recap of what I shared with her.

The Fastest Way To Build A Million Dollar SEO Agency

Phase 1: Preparation

Step #1: Become an SEO White-Label Agency Partner - you can provide white-label SEO services to other digital marketing agencies. Instead of having to find new clients every month one by one, you can build one relationship that can send you multiple clients…for years. This strategy works incredibly well for agency owners who love everything about SEO but hate doing their own sales, marketing, and account management.

What is a white-label agency partner?

A white-label provider offers products or services that other companies can rebrand and sell as their own. These providers operate behind the scenes, allowing their clients to present the end product under their branding as if they developed it themselves.

Step #2 Do Your Money Math First - to become a million-dollar agency, you'll need to figure out how many clients you'll need monthly. If you charge $3,000 per month, you would need 28 active clients to make $84,000 per month (aka a million-dollar agency). Doing this money math will also help you evaluate your pricing and develop your business development strategy.

Step #3 Make Your SEO Services Easy To Sell - you need to make it easy for other digital marketing agencies to sell your services to their clients. Create a clear and irresistible SEO Offer for agencies to sell to clients. Organize your services into 2-3 options with names that are outcome-focused. Be sure to state what's included in each option and how much you will charge. I suggest creating a short slide deck that they could quickly rebrand and use.

Step #4: Be On The Cutting Edge Of SEO - with the acceleration of AI, there is a ton of disruption in the SEO space right now. Instead of seeing this as a negative, disruption always brings more opportunity for those who are prepared. Spend at least 30 minutes a day learning about the latest in SEO. You want to be on the front wave of AI changes and search innovation.

Phase 2: Get Clients

Step #5 Meet With Your Existing Network - set up meetings with agencies in your network first and share about the white-label opportunity. Chances are they know you, like you, and trust you much more than random strangers (and are much more likely to become agency partners).

Step #6 Hire A Stellar Outreach Agency - unless you and your team are amazing at cold outreach, I recommend hiring a stellar outreach agency specializing in digital agencies. While you focus on building relationships with your existing network and delivery, they will set up meetings with agencies for your white-label program on your behalf.

Step #7 Partner with SaaS Software - you want to go where your audience already is and be helpful. One of the best ways to do this is to partner with SaaS software companies already serving the agencies you want to reach. One way to tap into their agency customers is to create valuable content for them (think presentations, interviews, guest columns, etc). If SaaS companies can bring in resources that increase their agencies' bottom line or save them time or headaches, the agencies are more likely to stay customers. Retention is where the money is in the SaaS game, so If you can help them retain their customers, they’ll happily give you access.

Step #8 Nurture Your Agency Partners - you must provide your agency partners with fast, on-time, and accurate reporting. Be sure to check in with them at least once a quarter and in person once a year (if possible). And don’t forget to send personal thank-you notes and gifts. This will build trust and encourage them to bring you more clients.

Phase 3: Scale

Step #9: Get Your Financials In Order - hire a trusted CPA and bookkeeper to provide accurate financial information so you can make good decisions and keep your agency compliant.

Step #10 Hire Top-Notch Talent - as you grow, you'll need to build your team. Start with SEO specialists, then a Project Manager, and finally an Account manager to deliver your offer at a high level.

Step #11 Create YouTube Video Content - to attract inbound leads, create YouTube videos that agencies are searching for. An excellent place to start is "how-to" content on the software and tools that they use.

Step #12 Sponsor A Few Conferences - identify a few high-impact conferences or in-person events that agencies attend. Have a booth to meet and network with agencies and vendors (who make great referral partners). Also, be sure to ask for an opportunity to speak at the event or, at the very least, give a "commercial" to the audience to promote your agency.