What Is Productized SEO? Our Solution For Agency Growth

Everyone is talking about scaling these days.

It’s hyped up as something every SEO agency should be obsessed with.

But how do you actually scale your business?

With productized SEO services.

Here at fatjoe, we know a thing or two about productization.

We’ve built a productized SEO platform that has handled almost 200,000 orders (and counting) since 2012.

So we’ve got some experience to share.

In this guide, we’ll explore what productized SEO is, why it’s the secret to explosive agency growth, and how you can implement it at your agency.

We’ll cover:

• What a productized service is
• The benefits of selling productized services
• Examples of productized SEO packages
• How to create productized services for your agency

What Is A Productized Service?

A productized service is essentially a service offering packaged like a product. It’s about turning a service into a “product” with a fixed scope, set deliverables, and a set price.

Productized services mean taking a service (search engine consulting) & bundle it as a set offering at a fixed price (SEO site audit for $1,000).

A designer moving from designing sites at $100/hr to charging $2k for a 5 page site.

An editor charging $250/video instead of $50/hr

— Nathan Barry (@nathanbarry) March 20, 2022

Instead of customizing every detail for each client, you create a standardized service that can be easily sold and delivered repeatedly.

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Don’t let clients bring adhoc problems to your table

Take productised solutions to their table

— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) April 24, 2024

If you sell SEO, you’ll have clients asking for a range of different services.

Creating a custom strategy for each client can be time-consuming. It involves a lot of back-and-forth and Zoom calls.

With productization, you turn your most requested services into defined packages that clients can choose from.

Benefits Of Selling Productized SEO Services

Productized SEO services can make your agency more efficient and more successful.

Scalability

You can make your agency more scalable.

Instead of creating a custom strategy for each client, you follow a set process for each service package. Your team knows exactly what to do.

This means you can handle more clients without overwhelming your team.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional service firms have the fifth-worst industry retention rate at 63.5%.

Productizing your SEO services can streamline your operations and reduce the risk of employee burnout. That can result in increased efficiency and reduced employee turnover.

Enhanced Client Experience

Productized services provide transparency for clients. They don’t have to worry about hidden fees, unexpected changes in scope, or long-term contracts.

They receive a defined service package for a fixed price. This transparency can enhance the client experience.

Simplified Sales Process

Selling a service can be challenging.

A comprehensive SEO strategy is a significant investment for any client. They want to know all the details before they are willing to commit to your agency.

With productized services, you simplify the sales process.

Clients can choose from set packages with clearly outlined deliverables and pricing. They know exactly what they’re getting, and you don’t have to spend hours crafting custom proposals.

This service model aligns with the preferences of B2B buyers. According to a McKinsey study, 2 out of 3 B2B buyers opt for remote human interactions or digital self-service:

Focused Expertise

Productizing your services allows you to specialize in specific areas of SEO.

Instead of trying to cover every aspect of a campaign, you can develop your capabilities in a defined niche. For example, you might excel at content creation and link building but struggle with aspects of technical SEO.

Productized services let you focus on what you do best.

This can help you differentiate your agency from competitors and attract more clients who need your specific skills.

Productized Service Examples For SEO Agencies

Here are some practical examples of productized SEO services you can offer your clients.

Local SEO Package

A local SEO package can attract stores and service businesses looking to draw in more local customers. It also works well as an affordable introduction to your services for new clients.

Citation Building

Adding the business to local directories and ensuring consistency of NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) across all platforms.

Google Business Profile Optimization

Ensuring the client’s business profile is complete and includes accurate opening hours, services, and contact information.

Local Link Building

Securing backlinks from local news sites, blogs, and business associations.

Content Writing Package

A content writing package focuses on creating high-quality content to drive traffic. It’s an SEO package that’s useful for businesses of all sizes, from startups to national ecommerce stores.

Blog Post Writing

Producing SEO-optimized blog posts on topics relevant to the client’s industry. You can offer a fixed number of blogs per month or allow clients to purchase content as needed.

Keyword Research

Identifying the keywords that customers are using to search for relevant information about the client’s products and services.

Content Strategy

You can offer a done-for-you content strategy with keyword research and editorial calendar planning.

On-Page SEO Package

An on-page SEO package is an excellent way to cater to clients looking to revamp their existing content. You can offer individual productized services or packages based on the number of pages to be optimized.

Keyword Optimization

Integrating target keywords into page titles, headings, and content to improve relevance for search queries.

Meta Tag Creation

Writing and optimizing meta titles and descriptions to improve click-through rates from search results.

Internal Linking

Implementing an internal linking strategy to improve navigation and direct link equity to the most important pages.

SEO Audit Package

An SEO audit is one of the most common productized SEO services. It’s a comprehensive review of a client’s website with actionable recommendations on improving SEO performance.

Technical SEO Analysis

Checking the website for broken links, duplicate content, and other technical issues.

Content Evaluation

Reviewing the existing content for keyword usage, readability, and relevance.

Backlink Assessment

Analyzing the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to the website. This could include identifying any toxic links that could be harming the site’s reputation.

Link Building Package

Backlinks are one of the most influential Google ranking factors. That’s why quality link building is always in demand and can attract a wide range of clients.

Blogger Outreach

You can offer a blogger outreach package that guarantees a fixed number of link placements on authoritative websites and relevant blogs.

Infographic Outreach

Designing high-quality infographics related to the client’s industry and securing backlinks and shares from relevant websites.

Niche Edits

Generate immediate SEO benefits by securing link placements on pages already indexed and ranking in search results.

Digital PR Package

Digital PR packages are an excellent way to bundle your digital marketing services. You can offer comprehensive digital PR campaigns that get results for your clients and look great in your portfolio.

Press Release Writing and Distribution

Crafting compelling press releases and distributing them to media outlets.

Media Placements

Getting your client featured in interviews and articles in authoritative publications and websites.

Content Syndication

Expanding the reach of your client’s content by republishing it on third-party websites.

How To Become A Productized SEO Agency

Here’s how you can adopt a productized service model at your agency:

Identify Common Client Needs

The first step is to understand what your clients need from your agency. Look at the services you currently provide and identify the ones requested most frequently.

This can give you a good idea of the type of service packages your clients will be interested in. You can also talk to your clients directly and ask what they would find most valuable.

These insights will help you design packages that address client pain points.

Define Your Packages

Once you’ve identified your clients’ common needs, it’s time to create your SEO packages.

Each package should have a clear list of deliverables. For example, you might offer a link building package with five backlinks from websites with a Domain Authority of 40+.

Make it easy for clients to understand what they’re getting. This helps to manage client expectations.

Standardize Processes

Next, you’ll need to develop repeatable processes for each package.

This is where standard operating procedures (SOPs) can be really useful. SOPs are documented step-by-step guidelines for completing a task. You can create them for everything from conducting keyword research to building backlinks.

Standardized processes will make your workflows much more efficient. They also help you deliver the same high-quality service to every client.

After offering SEO as a productized service for 2 months now, I found out what works and what doesn’t for this kind of service.

Most important learning:

Working with templates helps a lot to speed things up. #buildinpublic

— Mirco Kämpfer (@mircokaempfer) October 12, 2023

This doesn’t mean you have to be cookie-cutter with the SEO you offer clients though. Remain creative with the angles and ideas you take, just stay consistent with the deliverables you produce and deliver.

Set Pricing

Establish a pricing structure for each of your SEO packages.

You’ll need to consider your costs and the current market rates. However, the price of your SEO products should also reflect the value you deliver to clients.

Make sure your SEO pricing is clear and straightforward. It should be a one-off price without any hidden fees or retainer costs.

This has the added bonus of making your cashflow much easier as you don’t need to wait for clients to make payments after you’ve already delivered the services.

I don’t think this should be normal.

We will never work with any payment terms, payment upfront.

Productised. https://t.co/t6tFn8j4rp

— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) November 29, 2023

Offer Add-Ons

You can also offer add-ons for clients who need a more comprehensive service.

For example, many business owners might be interested in your local SEO package but also want you to provide content for their service pages.

Add-ons provide flexibility for your clients without over-complicating your SEO packages. They can be a super effective way to upsell and generate more revenue.

The Power Of Productized SEO Packages

Productized SEO can transform the way you run your agency. By becoming a productized service business, you can improve efficiency and help clients understand the value you offer.

It’s a win-win situation for clients and SEO agency owners.

Your clients get a more transparent and flexible service. And your agency becomes more productive and scalable.