I get clients from all sorts of ways. I've worked with several niches, making a name for myself. I also work with people who get their clients to advertise on the web, I'm they're referred SEO. Think locally though. Try advertising locally for new clients. That's also a great way. Get into the Chamber of Commerce. Start doing seminars locally. I could go on...and on...and on...
I have one interesting question Let's say if you are working on the site from car industry and you optimize that site, and next month you get another client who has site from the same industry and he wants top 10. Would you optimize it ? You must then use the same technics and maybe endanger first site's position.
yeah, as long you keep it to a realistic number of clients in the same industry, your fine, remember there are 10 top 10 places, so that's still another 8 for other people. Just make sure you haven't signed anything saying 'you will not help someone in the same industry' or something like that
Or you just raise your prices. If you get overloaded with work, it might be that you're charging a little less than you should be. Plus if you put your prices up, you will probably be able to hire some more help if need be.
Well I first figure out what the client wants, expects and understands of seo. Some clients may want one thing when that really won't help them. I could play dumb and charge them for doing something that is totaly unuseful but don't. We discuss what can be done to produce more traffic, target the traffic and provide what the traffic wants. Spend more time on that than the google stuff because converting is more important than getting. 50,000 bouncers does no good to anybody. I then analyze the best keywords for the site and we decide on a battle-plan to get these achievements. Alot of time we don't target specific keywords but go long-tail where all the traffic is. This method produces more targeted traffic. And we also make sure the client realizes that certain things won't be done and certain things MUST be done by the client. I learned this after having a bad client who wouldn't cooperate. Now we understand each other right off or we don't do business. Hope that answered the question. Cold calling is the worst thing a seo could do. It is like being a telemarketer and calling someone to sell a e-book which informs you how to stay off the phone more yet you spend 30 minutes trying to sell it to them TALKING ON THE PHONE. Okay that is a little different. Telemarketers are rude and that is just like them but real SEO don't cold call. Its called 'cold call' in reverse.