Who benefits from free SEO services?

Through the years I have found a number of Web sites offering free SEO services in a variety of ways. The most common offer seems to be extended to non-profit organizations. Charitable work for a non-profit group is certainly a commendable thing, but unless you’re just doing SEO on the side and don’t plan to make a living from it, I don’t think you should just give it away willy-nilly.

Some people trying to break into the SEO field offer free services to small businesses in the hope of building a portfolio they can leverage in building their business.

And then there are those of us who provide free SEO services to our friends, family, and associates. Sometimes we end up looking like shmucks.

Search engine optimization, when done right, is a valuable resource. You’re increasing someone else’s profit line. You’re helping someone else make money. You’re building someone else’s business.

You should somehow be compensated for that, even if they cannot afford to pay you. I have, actually, exchanged SEO service for equal value on more than one occasion. While that doesn’t pay my bills — well, actually, I guess it does pay some bills.

The first lesson in providing free SEO service comes hard: there is NO such thing as free SEO service. It costs you time, effort, and potential linking and Web copy resources you might be able to use for yourself or in a paid contract. If you treat your SEO knowledge as a worthless skill people will expect it to be worth less than they have to pay for.

The second lesson in providing free SEO service comes equally hard: no good deed goes unpunished. When you undervalue your service, people become more demanding. Why is that? I’m sure some economist figured it out somewhere but a lot of people in this industry have shared horror stories where they did someone a favor and found themselves saddled with endless expectations.

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt too.

I think there are good reasons why people should consider offering free SEO services. You may have very close friends and relatives who are struggling to make a living and you can help them out. If you would walk three miles into the deep woods to help that friend or relative build a log cabin to live in, it’s probably someone for whom you should consider doing free SEO.

You may be taking an SEO class in school (a few schools now offer them). I think a good curriculum should include live SEO projects, provided the school can make appropriate arrangements with the local business community or other departments on campus.

And you may be volunteering at an organization like a church, a charity, or a community group and you see a need for some search engine optimization that will benefit many people.

In all these and similar cases, before you throw your value out the window, set some rules and guidelines for yourself. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Write a proposal that describes why you feel the recipient of your services would benefit from them.

2. Create a concise but thorough Statement of Work that outlines exactly what you will do.

3. Create an agreement which both you and the recipient sign so that you have a contract. Do this especially if you give free SEO service to a charitable organization where you may be able to deduct all or part of the value of your work from your taxes (consult a tax professional to understand when you can do this).

4. Include a statement of value in both your proposal and your Statement of Work. Assign a realistic market-supported cost to the work you are doing. Show the recipient the value you are providing.

5. Create invoices on a regular basis. The invoices should reiterate the agreed-upon value for work performed and provide a running tally against the total contribution.

6. Set a firm deadline for when the work will be completed. If you think that ongoing work will be required beyond three months, write the contract so that there are quarterly renewals and semi-annual reviews of the Statement of Work.

7. Include a Termination of Services clause. Explain when and how the relationship will be terminated, including use of a formal notification process.

Contracts provide you with some legal protections and obligations. Be sure you understand how to set up a contract, or work with someone who can do this for you. You should ask for a variety of non-monetary compensations, such as (but not necessarily limited to):

1. Exchange of services
2. Receipt for work performed
3. Testimonial if key performance indicators are set and met
4. Right of publicity — that is, the right to say “I performed SEO services for so-and-so” publicly in promoting yourself or your business
5. Credit against an outstanding bill
6. Free non-endorsing advertisement — this could be as simple as placing promotional flyers in the recipient’s office
7. An endorsement

There are some things it would be tacky to ask for, and just because you ask for something doesn’t mean the other party will agree to your request. Be professional, even if you’re only helping your mother. Think about how the campaign would reflect upon you in a business environment.

Friends and relatives won’t necessarily respect the deadlines you set. You have to decide for yourself how to manage their relaxed attitude toward your priorities. But don’t let them walk all over you. The last thing you need in your relationship is an argument over why you couldn’t promote their Web site to number 1 for “candy”. Set achievable objectives that you both can meet. Generally speaking, the more time you schedule together outside of normal recreational environments, the better.

In other words, if you say, “Mom, I’ll be dropping by this weekend; let’s go over your SEO campaign when I’m there”, you’re all but dooming yourself to failure. Try to meet Mom on neutral territory where there are no distractions and you can talk in a business-like environment. Make Mom proud of your professionalism.

Free SEO services should not be free. You should get something in return for the SEO services you provide — recognition, exchange of value, and a list of achieved objectives that you can use as a case study. When you’re pitching a prospect who may pay you for SEO services, being able to discuss what you’ve done in the past in a professional tone eliminates the question of “should I disclose that I did the work for free?”.

After all, if you deliver a professional service at all times to everyone, you don’t have to pretend there is no difference between the work you did for Mom and the work you propose to do for the company down the street. It’s all work being performed at a consistent level of quality, and that will shine through in your proposals and presentations.

In other words, people will only take you seriously about the value you provide if you take yourself seriously.