search engine optimization isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme—it usually takes years of arduous work to make a dwelling from it. The good factor, although, is its versatility. There are numerous methods to monetize search engine optimization expertise, which all swimsuit totally different folks.
Wish to know a few of the greatest methods to monetize your search engine optimization expertise?
Let me present you how.
Promoting productized search engine optimization companies or, in different phrases, creating standardized variations of companies offered as merchandise is an effective way to earn money with search engine optimization.
The benefit of this technique over offering full-service search engine optimization is that it’s sooner to ship, which suggests you’ll usually receives a commission extra often.
Productized search engine optimization companies can embody however aren’t restricted to:
- search engine optimization audits
- Key phrase analysis
- Hyperlink constructing
So who’s making a living doing this?
Glen Allsopp has blogged extensively about how he made six figures from offering search engine optimization audits, which reveals how profitable this explicit technique can be.

One other benefit of productized search engine optimization companies is that they are often offered on freelancer web sites, the place consumers seek for particular search engine optimization duties fairly than a completely managed search engine optimization service.
Right here’s an instance of a productized service for Google My Enterprise I discovered on a well-liked freelancing website.

As we are able to see from the outline under, everybody will get the identical format of audit, which suggests it needs to be comparatively simple to scale.

So what are the most well-liked types of productized search engine optimization companies you possibly can promote?
search engine optimization audits
It won’t seem like a lot, however this vendor under has 1,000+ gross sales and prices £125 (~$155) per audit. Because of this he has offered ~$155,000 price of search engine optimization audits.

SEOs have totally different strategies for finishing audits, however if you wish to begin offering them as a productized service, it is best to try our search engine optimization audit put up first.
In that put up, you possibly can see that the core parts of an search engine optimization audit have been damaged down into totally different checks, which you should use as a foundation in your audit.
They’re:
- Test for handbook actions
- Test natural visitors
- Test for HTTPS-related points
- Test which you could solely browse one model of your web site
- Test for indexability points
- Test for mobile-friendliness
- Test web page velocity
- Test Core Internet Vitals
- Test for damaged pages
- Test for sitemap points
- Test primary on-page parts
- Test for declining content material
- Test for content material gaps
- Test for different technical points
You might wish to add additional checks your self, however this offers you a framework to begin offering search engine optimization audits as a productized service and begin making a living.
Key phrase analysis
One other productized search engine optimization service you possibly can promote is key phrase analysis. The essential course of for making a key phrase analysis doc is easy: You analysis the related metrics for a given key phrase after which report them again to the shopper.
There isn’t a scarcity of SEOs on freelance websites who’ve made first rate cash by offering key phrase analysis as a productized service.
We are able to see from the instance under that if we multiply the gross sales by the product value, the vendor has made ~£12,000 from promoting key phrase analysis on this explicit gig.

To start out making a living with key phrase analysis as a productized service, it’s essential to deal with what web site homeowners need.
They’ll more than likely wish to know the most effective key phrases to focus on. You may present this to them by figuring out low-competition key phrases.
Utilizing Ahrefs’ Key phrases Explorer, you possibly can simply discover 20 low-competition key phrases and cost $XX for this.
Suggestion
Let’s have a look at how we are able to determine low-competition key phrases associated to “macbook air.”
First, go to Key phrases Explorer and plug within the key phrase “macbook air.” The overview will present the key phrase’s issue, search quantity, visitors potential, world quantity, and even standard questions across the matter.

This data can assist purchasers decide whether or not or to not goal a selected key phrase as a part of their total search engine optimization technique.
To determine low-competition key phrases on this matter, we have to click on on the Matching phrases report and filter by KD from 0 to 25.

As soon as now we have carried out this, we are able to see that the demand for used MacBook Air fashions is excessive—this alone could also be an attention-grabbing perception you possibly can share together with your shopper.
Now now we have a listing of the bottom competitors key phrases to focus on for this key phrase. To obtain this report, click on the Export button within the high right-hand nook. Then assessment and format the information in your template earlier than sending it to your shopper.
Hyperlink constructing
Hyperlinks are nonetheless thought of some of the necessary Google rating elements. For those who can assist purchase them for a shopper’s web site by means of outreach or by creating content material that pulls hyperlinks naturally, this could be a worthwhile ability.
Returning to our freelance website, some cost £750 (~$927) for 5 DR 40 visitor blogs through blogger outreach.

If we multiply the product value by the gross sales, we are able to see that this individual has had 67 gross sales, that means they’ve made ~$62,000.
In the case of hyperlink constructing, it’s not essentially the most easy service to productize, however you possibly can take the next method:
- Create a service alongside the strains of: “I’ll land 10 visitor put up placements for $1,000 in your web site.”
- Assuming you get a ~20% hit charge, it would imply that you’ll have to discover and pitch 50 websites for this to work—fairly achievable.
If you wish to know the precise technique of find out how to construct hyperlinks, the easiest way to do that is to take a look at our up to date hyperlink constructing information.
Sidenote.
You have to know no less than the search engine optimization fundamentals earlier than making an attempt to promote productized search engine optimization companies. In case you are educated about search engine optimization and supply real worth to your prospects, you’ll stand a greater probability of rising your corporation.
For those who take pleasure in writing, creating content material for web sites could also be one of many quickest methods to earn money. There has at all times been a continuing demand for high-quality content material writers in search engine optimization, and that pattern appears set to proceed based mostly on the search quantity pattern under for the phrase “content material creator.”

Out of all the strategies right here, this one has the bottom barrier to entry. As long as you’re a fairly good author, you can also make six figures writing content material.
Six figures could sound like rather a lot, however it’s achievable. For instance, Elise Dopson, a contract content material creator, managed to construct a six-figure writing enterprise from scratch, all by the age of 21.
So how are you going to discover a content material writing job and begin making a living?
To seek out content material work, you will have a number of totally different choices:
You may search standard freelance websites, be part of a content material company, and even simply try standard Reddit threads resembling /r/hireawriter, /r/forhire, and /r/freelance—the place you possibly can share your content material writing companies.
Suggestion
To point out you ways simple it may be, I arrange a primary advert on a well-liked freelance website to “write an interesting 500-word article on any matter.” I didn’t embody any details about {qualifications} or embody a portfolio of my work.

After 177 views of my advert, I received a suggestion of work:

After which one other…

Hopefully, this reveals how easy it may be to begin making a living by writing content material.
In case you are new to search engine optimization, it’s possible you’ll marvel what a “area of interest website” is. This phrase is search engine optimization jargon for “a weblog a few explicit matter.”
Listed below are two examples of area of interest websites that concentrate on a selected matter:
So how do you earn money with a distinct segment website?
The very first thing is to construct visitors to your website. After getting some visitors, you can begin to monetize it. One of many best methods to do that is utilizing Amazon Associates, but it surely’s price noting that the commissions have been pretty low lately.
The amount of cash that you simply make with a distinct segment website can range from month to month. However it’s clear that in case you follow it, the earnings may be important within the lengthy time period.
Listed below are two examples from Flippa of web sites making first rate cash from their respective niches.

Let’s check out just a few area of interest website examples in additional depth:
1. Espresso Detective

- The web site provides commonsense ideas, guides, and opinions that will help you make espresso at residence.
- For those who can’t stay with out espresso, then it’s possible you’ll discover this a straightforward matter to jot down about.
- When it comes to monetization, Espresso Detective is monetized by Mediavine and Amazon Associates.
Let’s use Ahrefs’ Web site Explorer to get an thought of how a lot natural visitors it’s getting and the worth of that visitors.

- Within the overview, coffeedetective.com is getting an estimated 17,700 natural month-to-month visitors and has an natural month-to-month visitors worth of ~$11,100.
If we go to the High pages report, we are able to see that ~18% of the visitors comes from simply two articles.

Utilizing Ahrefs’ search engine optimization Toolbar, we are able to see that the highest web page has fewer than 1,000 phrases of content material—exhibiting that you simply don’t at all times want 1000’s of phrases of content material to rank properly on Google and get visitors.

Let’s check out one other instance.
2. Get Busy Gardening

- This website has a wide range of posts on a variety of subjects associated to gardening, resembling rising meals, backyard care, and gardening strategies.
- If you already know a bit about gardening, this may be a wonderful matter to jot down about.
- When it comes to monetization, Get Busy Gardening is monetized with Mediavine and Amazon Associates.
In Ahrefs’ Web site Explorer, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the estimated natural visitors and its worth.

- We are able to see that getbusygardening.com is getting ~438,000 natural month-to-month visitors and has a worth of ~$105,000.
Let’s go to the High pages report. We are able to see that 5.1% of the location’s visitors comes from a single article.

These examples present that even a easy thought, resembling making espresso at residence or gardening ideas, can present a life-changing earnings.
Nevertheless, if we glance nearer at each websites, they began being energetic round 2016. So it has taken them no less than six years to construct as much as these natural visitors ranges.
So whereas creating a distinct segment website may be financially rewarding in the long run, it’s not the quickest solution to earn money with search engine optimization.
Each e-commerce and dropshipping are well-known for his or her six-figure case research. A fast browse of Flippa reveals us that many websites are altering arms for six figures or extra.

Right here’s an instance of an e-commerce web site, Code and Quill. In response to Flippa, it has a month-to-month revenue of $2,576/mo.

Right here’s one other instance of a dropshipping website, Barbell Customary, which in response to Flippa, has a month-to-month revenue of $20,496/mo. This website is simply two years previous.

If you wish to earn money with e-commerce or dropshipping, you’ll first must determine no less than one product you may be fairly certain will promote on-line.
In my view, the best means to do that is to:
- Discover a website promoting merchandise within the class you have an interest in.
- Plug it into Ahrefs’ Web site Explorer.
- Test the High pages report.
Take a look at the instance under of me doing this.

As soon as I plugged an internet site into Ahrefs’ Key phrases Explorer, the key phrase “fidget toys” caught my consideration.
Let’s click on on “fidget toys” and go to the overview to take a more in-depth have a look at this key phrase.

A fast five-second test reveals that this sharp peak occurred in April 2017 and once more in Could 2021. It’s clear from the pattern graph that this isn’t an awesome product to create a retailer round in the intervening time.
Suggestion
It’s very important to sense-check your key phrases as a result of, typically, your notion of a key phrase’s recognition could differ from the information.
In a distinct instance, let’s say you wished to arrange an e-commerce website promoting standard variations of hoodies. You may simply discover all of the variations of essentially the most looked for hoodies utilizing Ahrefs.
To do that, enter “hoodies” within the search bar of Key phrases Explorer and click on on the Matching phrases report within the sidebar.
We are able to now see the most well-liked hoodie variations, permitting us to place our e-commerce retailer successfully.

The key phrase “anime hoodies” sounds attention-grabbing—let’s take a more in-depth have a look at this key phrase by clicking on the hyperlink.

After getting clicked the key phrase, it is best to see the overview display screen once more. We are able to see that this key phrase’s pattern varies rather a lot, but it surely has been comparatively constructive over the previous couple of years.
If you wish to maximize your earnings in e-commerce and dropshipping, you will have to think about the present pattern of the product, its Key phrase Problem, and Visitors Potential.
So what precisely is “web site flipping?”
In easy phrases, web site flipping is the method of shopping for an internet site, enhancing it, and promoting it for extra cash.
Web site flipping may be notably profitable when you’ve got just a few years of expertise working in search engine optimization already.
For instance, right here’s a case research the place an internet site was flipped for $136,000 in simply 16 months.

Listed below are some key factors to recollect when flipping web sites for cash:
- When buying an internet site, you wish to search for one with good hyperlinks however the place the content material may be improved. You should utilize Ahrefs’ Web site Explorer that will help you resolve on this.
- In response to Flippa, returns for flipping web sites may be greater than 50X its common month-to-month earnings. In different phrases, if an internet site has common earnings over the past 12 months of $1,000 per 30 days, it may be price ~$50,000.
- After getting a tough thought of how a lot the location is price, you will have to decide on a dealer. Empire Flippers gives such a service and is among the most trusted platforms the place you should purchase and promote web sites.
Web site flipping may be profitable, however it’s essential to perceive what to search for when buying an internet site. It additionally helps to have no less than a primary information of search engine optimization.
After getting gained a number of years of expertise in search engine optimization, it’s possible you’ll really feel that your expertise are higher used to assist others be taught the abilities you will have acquired.
Authority Hacker did simply that to construct a six-figure enterprise.

You are able to do this as properly by creating high-quality search engine optimization programs for in-person or on-line teaching. You may promote these programs and coaching supplies by means of your web site, Gumroad, Udemy, Teachable, or another platform.
To get arrange promoting your course, you’ll first must resolve what format it will likely be in.
Listed below are just a few examples of how you possibly can promote your course in numerous codecs:
- Present free video classes on YouTube and monetize with advertisements
- Present premium video classes on a paid platform (Udemy, Teachable)
- Create templates or directions for particular duties and promote on Gumroad, e.g., website velocity optimization for WordPress
- Arrange an skilled on-line neighborhood and cost a month-to-month subscription price
- Create a documented course and supply one-to-one coaching in individual or remotely
In case you have a background in educating, this technique may very well be a wonderful means so that you can make cash.
It might not be essentially the most thrilling technique to earn money with search engine optimization, however offering search engine optimization consulting companies is among the most tried and examined approaches for making a living—it’s what number of SEOs make their dwelling.
It’s difficult to confirm the quantity SEOs are making from session, however our survey suggests over 25% of respondents charged ~$101–150 per hour, with some charging ~$750 per hour.

If you wish to get began with search engine optimization consulting, try our find out how to get a job in search engine optimization put up. It offers you a great overview of what to anticipate when searching for search engine optimization jobs and following a extra conventional search engine optimization profession path. In case you are decided, you will get to a senior function in only a few years.
Last ideas
search engine optimization may be extraordinarily profitable—but it surely does take time, effort, and a bucketload of willpower to make the large bucks.
It’s price remembering that the folks making essentially the most cash in search engine optimization aren’t at all times essentially the most well-versed technical SEOs. Crucially, nevertheless, they know find out how to leverage their expertise to make cash.
Possibly you possibly can too?
Acquired questions? Ping me on Twitter.