Referrals from similar companies are your best bet. Solid professionals rarely stick to platforms like Upwork, which are more for basic or commodity work.
Sage said:
Referrals from similar companies are your best bet. Solid professionals rarely stick to platforms like Upwork, which are more for basic or commodity work.
Would reaching out to a freelancer’s clients through Upwork to verify their work be a good idea?
Freelance platforms are generally low quality, so I avoid them. As for what you mentioned, it’s solid, but avoid people who focus on vanity metrics (like a ton of low-quality backlinks or irrelevant traffic). Pricing varies. I don’t charge as much yet since I’m transitioning from agency work to freelancing.
Upwork is a starting point, but I’d also explore LinkedIn, Reddit communities, and local search. Costs depend on your site’s size, niche, and competitiveness. Something like ‘backlink generation strategy’ could be a $50,000/year role depending on the industry.
Frankie said: @Jess
Do you usually separate SEO, content creation, and backlink strategies, or are they bundled together?
They’re often bundled, but backlinks can require a separate budget depending on the industry. For example, outreach for medical or legal industries takes more resources and time.
Referrals are key. Ask similar companies or marketers in your industry.
Look for SEO professionals with proven results, not just audits or vanity metrics. Strategy is different from tactics, and they should show clear progress toward your goals.
Avoid anyone focused solely on technical fixes like HTML errors or page titles. That’s not going to move you from page 124 to page 1.
Focus on relevance (topics) and PageRank (links). If someone talks mostly about technical SEO, that’s just a small part of the equation. A serious SEO professional will prioritize building quality links and targeting high-intent keywords.
I’ve had poor experiences with Upwork lately. Many freelancers demand upfront payment and can’t prove their results. I had better luck posting on LinkedIn and getting referrals.