Hey Freelance Friends!
So now you’ve built your website.
It’s live. It’s cute. You’ve told your mom. You’ve posted it on LinkedIn. You’ve refreshed the homepage 47 times just to make sure it still loads.
Now what?
Because here’s the part nobody tells you when you’re building a freelance business: a website without traffic is just a very expensive digital business card. And traffic doesn’t show up because your fonts are nice. It shows up because people are searching for what you do, and Google decides you deserve to be found.
That’s where SEO comes in.
Not the “become an SEO expert overnight” version. The freelancer version:
Get your website discovered
Get the right people landing on it
Turn those people into leads
Turn those leads into money
And yes, you can absolutely do this without becoming a full-time SEO nerd.
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Step 1: Decide what you want your website to do
Before you touch any tools, answer this:
Is your website meant to:
Get you booked (services + enquiries)
Sell something (a product, a template, a course)
Grow an audience (newsletter, waitlist, community)
Because SEO is not “get more visitors”.
SEO is get the right visitors.
If you’re a South African freelancer, you don’t need 20,000 random clicks from Canada. You need:
the founder in Joburg searching “operations consultant”
the startup in Cape Town searching “virtual assistant systems”
the agency owner searching “proposal template”
the solopreneur searching “how to price freelance work in South Africa”
That’s the difference between traffic and income.
Step 2: Your first SEO move is not content. It’s keywords.
Most people start SEO by writing blogs.
That’s backwards.
Start by figuring out what people are already typing into Google, then build your pages around that.
Here’s what you’re looking for:
Service keywords (money keywords):
“bookkeeping for small business South Africa”
“social media manager for restaurants”
“Notion consultant”
“AI automation for small business”
“website designer Johannesburg”
Problem keywords (lead magnet keywords):
“how to price freelance services”
“proposal template for freelancers”
“best invoicing tools in South Africa”
“how to get clients on LinkedIn”
Service keywords = people ready to hire
Problem keywords = people ready to learn (and join your list)
You need both.
Step 3: The “SEO Supertool” question: Semrush vs Ahrefs (and what you actually need)
Let’s keep it simple.
Both Semrush and Ahrefs are like a gym membership for your website.
They help you:
find keywords
check competitors
track rankings
fix technical issues
find backlinks (other sites linking to you)
But most freelancers don’t need every feature.
You need the parts that turn into clients.
Semrush is great if you want the “business dashboard”
Semrush tends to be more “marketing department” energy:
keyword research
content ideas
site audits
competitor tracking
planning + reports
If you like structure, checklists, and “tell me what to do next” vibes, you’ll probably enjoy it more.
Ahrefs is great if you want the “SEO sniper toolkit”
Ahrefs is famous for:
backlink data
competitor research
keyword research that’s clean and fast
seeing what’s already working for others
If you’re the type who likes to reverse-engineer what’s ranking and copy the strategy (ethically), Ahrefs is your tool.
The truth?
You don’t need to pick a forever-tool right now.
If you’re bootstrapping, you can:
use free trials
use one tool for one month
pull the data you need
build your plan
cancel and execute
That alone can carry your SEO for 2–3 months.
Step 4: The only SEO strategy freelancers need: “Pages that print money”
Before you write blogs, make sure your website has these basics:
1) A clear homepage
Say what you do in plain language.
Not “I help brands elevate their digital presence.”
Say the real thing.
2) A service page for each service
Not one page called “Services”.
Separate pages win because they match specific searches:
/social-media-management
/operations-consulting
/upwork-profile-writing
/shopify-design
Each page should include:
who it’s for
what they get
timeline
starting price (or “packages from”)
a CTA (book a call / email you / WhatsApp)
3) A simple contact page
Make it easy. No forms that feel like applying at Home Affairs.
4) One strong lead magnet page
This is your “free value” page.
Example:
“Freelance Rate Calculator (SA)”
“Client Onboarding Checklist”
“Proposal Template”
This is how SEO becomes newsletter growth, not just “website visits”.
Step 5: Use Semrush/Ahrefs to steal like an artist (not a criminal)
Here’s the cheat code:
Find a competitor who ranks well.
Not a global giant.
A local business that looks like yours.
Then use the tool to answer:
What keywords are bringing them traffic?
What pages are ranking?
What blog topics are working?
Now you don’t have to guess what to write.
Google is already telling you what it rewards.
Your job is to create:
a clearer version
a more useful version
a South Africa-specific version
a “beginner friendly” version
You’re not copying their words.
You’re copying the strategy.
That’s just smart.
Step 6: The content plan that doesn’t waste your life
If you’re a freelancer, you don’t need to post 4 blogs a week.
You need 4 pages that rank and 4 pieces of content that convert.
Try this simple monthly plan:
Week 1: Build or improve one money page
Example: “Social Media Management for Small Businesses”
Week 2: Write one problem-solving article
Example: “How much should a social media manager charge in South Africa?”
Week 3: Build one lead magnet
Example: “Pricing Calculator Spreadsheet”
Week 4: Refresh one old page
Update it, add FAQs, improve headings, add a CTA.
That’s it.
That’s sustainable.
That’s how SEO becomes a system, not a punishment.
Step 7: How to make money from this skill (even if you’re not an SEO expert)
This is where it gets spicy.
Once you learn how to use SEO tools properly, you can sell it as a service in a way that’s realistic for small businesses.
Here are offers you can package immediately:
1) SEO Quick Audit (once-off)
You charge for:
checking their site health
fixing obvious issues
giving them a keyword list
giving them a “next 30 days” plan
Perfect for clients who can’t afford a retainer.
2) Keyword + Page Strategy
You deliver:
20–50 keyword opportunities
recommended pages to build
what to put on each page
competitor examples
This is high value because it saves them time and confusion.
3) “SEO Content Starter Pack”
You write:
4 blog posts (based on keyword research)
2 service pages
1 lead magnet landing page
Even if you’re not a writer-writer, you can do this if you’re structured.
4) Monthly SEO Support (small retainer)
You do:
1 new page or blog per month
1 update per month
tracking + simple reporting
Not complicated.
Just consistent.
And here’s the best part:
Clients love SEO because it feels like investing, not spending.
It’s the one marketing thing that keeps working even when they stop posting on Instagram.
Step 8: What to do this week (no overwhelm edition)
If you do nothing else after reading this, do these three things:
Pick ONE service you want to be hired for most
Use Semrush or Ahrefs to find 10 keywords for that service
Build ONE page targeting the best keyword
(and add a clear CTA)
That single page can outperform your entire Instagram strategy.
Quietly. Slowly. Permanently.
SEO is basically compound interest for freelancers.
You just have to start.
— The Profreelance Crew
Tool of the week
If your website is live but Google is acting like it doesn’t exist, this is the easiest place to start. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools shows you what’s holding your site back (broken pages, missing basics, slow load times), plus what keywords you’re already ranking for so you can improve what’s already working instead of guessing.
Want a simple SEO win this week? Run a quick audit and fix the top 3 issues first.
Resource Archive
PROFREELANCE (Pty) Ltd
2023/279056/07
The content in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. Pro Freelance and Freelance Forward are not affiliated with or endorsed by the platforms or tools mentioned (unless stated otherwise), and we are not liable for any losses, damages, or issues arising from your use of them. Always do your own research before making decisions related to your freelance business.