E1175: Most SEOs know how to rank websites. Far fewer know how to sell that skill.
Blair Witkowski joins to break down how he sells SEO services without leading with the word "SEO." Instead, he talks about phone calls, missed leads, competitors showing up in ChatGPT, and money the business owner leaves on the table.
Blair walks through his sales process from the first cold call to the signed client, including the exact research he does before calling, how he gets prospects to agree to a Loom audit, how he follows up, and what he sells once the prospect says yes.
We cover:
- Why Blair avoids talking about SEO during sales calls
- How he sells "more phone calls" instead of rankings
- How he uses ChatGPT and AI visibility as the opening problem
- How he builds prospect lists by niche and location
- What he checks on a website before making the call
- Why he looks at the website footer before spending more time on a prospect
- How he finds problems within seconds instead of spending 30 minutes researching every lead
- How directories give him a reason to contact businesses
- The cold-call opening he uses with local businesses
- How he gets past gatekeepers without asking for the owner
- Why he researches the business before calling
- How he ties every technical problem back to lost revenue
- The role Claude audits, GeoGrids, SplashDash, BBB listings, reviews, and competitor research play in his pitch
- How he gets roughly one Loom audit from every 20-25 cold calls
- What he shows inside the Loom without overwhelming the prospect
- Why he sends the Loom almost immediately after the call
- Why multiple Loom views signal serious interest
- How he follows up without saying "just following up"
- Why he keeps contacting prospects for months or even years
- The prospect who saved one of his cold emails for almost a year before hiring him
- Why Blair sends Starbucks cards, books, cookies, DoorDash, and other gifts during follow-up
- Why he treats every prospect who agrees to an audit like a future client
- How he reports a roughly 42% close rate after prospects agree to a Loom audit
- How he uses simple spreadsheets to track prospects and follow-ups
- What he charges for local SEO clients
- Why $1,800-$3,500 per month represents his main pricing range
- How some clients reach $6,500 per month
- What he delivers at lower, middle, and higher monthly retainers
- Why higher tiers include more websites, Google Business Profiles, links, sponsorships, content, and local assets
- Why he sometimes pays for links and local sponsorships out of the monthly retainer
- Why communication matters after the sale just as much as getting the result
Blair also explains why business owners rarely care about SEO terminology. They care about missed calls, missed jobs, competitors taking business, and whether their marketing produces revenue.
If you know how to rank websites but struggle to consistently get clients, this episode gives you a complete look at how one agency owner approaches prospecting, sales, follow-up, pricing, and fulfillment.
⭐️ Blair Witkowski's Personal Site - https://blairwitkowski.com/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski's SEO Agency - https://coastalmarketingstrategies.com/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGarageDoorPodcast
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairwitkowski/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blairwitkowski/
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Sales Episode Kickoff
01:10 Why SEOs Stay Broke
02:50 Offer That Clicks
03:16 Directory Cold Call Hook
05:31 Cold Call Research Stack
07:12 Gatekeepers And Openers
09:18 Loom Audit Pitch
12:39 Sell AI Phone Calls
16:28 Prospecting And Follow Up
19:11 Directories Best Of Plays
21:22 Live Electrician Call Script
25:31 Pricing And Deliverables
32:52 Loom Audit Structure
37:09 What To Fix In Loom
40:04 Live Audit Proof Points
40:49 Loom Follow Up System
42:26 Tracking Views And CRM
44:08 Pricing And Service Tiers
48:50 Higher Tier Trust Signals
52:48 Global Selling With Accents
57:17 Handling SEO Company Objection
01:00:27 When To Stop Following Up
01:02:40 Lead Sources And Call Volume
01:06:11 Hiring Callers And Directories
01:09:48 Client Win Stories
01:15:07 Scaling Out Of Operations
01:17:21 No Small Talk Cold Calls
01:19:06 Charge More Final Advice
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
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