5 Client-Winning SEO Projects That Boost Customer Lifetime Value
Let’s be honest, the pressure on agencies to constantly acquire new clients while keeping existing ones happy can feel like running on a hamster wheel — we’ve all been here!
When it comes to SEO, client expectations today are sky-high. They crave instant gratification, SERP dominance, and future-proof strategies — and expect them all to be delivered yesterday. And this is no surprise, considering the pressure they face from stakeholders and the ever-shifting market landscape.
This is where we, as SEOs, need to get clever in how we support our clients.
SEO isn’t just about rankings and traffic any more. It’s a strategic tool with the power to solve real business problems and unlock unforeseen value for clients. Think of it as your digital marketing Swiss Army Knife, ready to tackle challenges with precision (and maybe a dash of schema markup).
But how do we leverage this power to cultivate client loyalty and attract new business?
One way to do this is by implementing new and high-value project-based SEO initiatives that maximize customer lifetime value (CLV).
This allows us to help reduce our clients’ anxieties, make their jobs easier, and ultimately unlock the true power of SEO for their business — even if in the short term.
What is customer lifetime value?
Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a metric that estimates the total revenue a client will generate for your business over the entire duration of their relationship with you.
Unlike more straightforward metrics like profit or revenue, CLV provides a more complete picture of a client’s worth over time. It emphasizes the importance of nurturing the business relationship and building solid, dependable revenue streams.
Image source: Qualtrics
The benefits of measuring CLV
Establishing the CLV of different client types will help bring your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) into sharper focus. Once you’ve identified the type of businesses willing to make a long-term commitment to your agency, you can hone in on marketing directly to those clients.
CLV also helps your agency’s resource allocation. It’s a harsh truth, but not all clients warrant the same level of service, and by paying your high-value clients the attention they deserve, you’ll increase efficiency and profitability.
As an agency owner, leader, or project manager, it’s crucial to regularly measure and monitor CLV. This practice allows you to understand where each client sits in the priority order, not only for ongoing delivery but also for relationship building through value-added account management approaches.
By identifying the top CLV contributors, you can develop highly targeted retention strategies, ensuring your most valued business relationships don't fall by the wayside.
How to measure CLV
Measuring CLV for your SEO clients involves focusing on several key metrics:
Total revenue per client: This is all the revenue generated from the client, including any upselling or cross-selling. Rank your clients on this metric, and then try to discern where you could be adding more lifetime value.
Average client lifespan: This refers to how long the average client sticks with your agency. Try to identify the clients who tend to stay longer, and analyze their budgets. Keep in mind that clients with long lifespans but lower budgets present the biggest opportunity to increase CLV.
Customer acquisition cost: This metric measures how much it costs to acquire the client. Examine all the factors you can, from how long it takes to create an initial sales proposal to the costs behind the pitching process, software used, etc.
But we’re not going to stop there. While the three metrics above provide a great overview of a client’s CLV, there are a few additional focus areas worth examining:
Total contract value (TCV): While only a one-time snapshot, the total contract value of a client can be an indicator of future CLV potential. High-value contracts might come with better mutual terms, a more detailed scope, and of course, a bigger revenue boost. Analyzing TCV can highlight what differentiates high-value contracts from low-value ones, providing insights for future negotiations and client management.
Client concentration: This is a measurement of each client’s revenue contribution as a percentage of the total income of your agency. Ideally, your biggest client shouldn’t contribute over 20% of your total revenue to mitigate risks posed by client churn.
Average fee income per client: This is a useful metric for resource allocation. With it, you can determine the appropriate level of billable time for client accounts, and calculate the potential for overdelivery. By understanding how much value a client brings per month, you can justify the resources dedicated to their projects, whether they’re on retainer or project-based contracts.
While calculating a client’s CLV might seem complex, the insights gained are invaluable for your agency's growth and success. By regularly reviewing these metrics, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions about client prioritization, resource allocation, and targeted retention strategies.
How to sell short-term SEO efficiently
Convincing businesses to commit to long retainers is becoming more and more challenging. Instead of spending months firming out the details of a long-term contract, allow them to experience your services through a short-term project first.
For existing clients considering ending their relationship with your agency, a short-term project can be an excellent way to demonstrate additional value and potentially reinvigorate the partnership.
Here’s how to sell a short-term SEO project:
Determine the client skills gap
This isn’t just about identifying what your client may lack in SEO knowledge; it’s also about considering the broader picture. Think about all the teams that might interact with your work — marketing, content creation, IT, and even sales. Each plays a role in the success of your SEO project.
Identify the client’s SEO strengths and weaknesses. Maybe they’re great at on-page SEO but struggle with link building, for example.
Consider how you can work with other teams. Are there opportunities for knowledge sharing? Perhaps the marketing team could benefit from some insights on keyword strategy, or the IT team could use guidance on technical SEO.
In essence, it’s about offering a holistic approach. You’re not just offering an SEO service, but presenting an opportunity to improve their entire digital ecosystem.
Create sales materials
SEO can be complex, and it’s crucial to communicate its value clearly to clients who may not be as familiar with the technical aspects.
Clients may seem to understand during your explanation, but amid numerous other meetings and potential pitches from other SEO agencies, the information could fade from their minds quickly.
To combat this, create a “menu” of your services — a project catalog where clients can see all of the available options, explained plainly. Complement this with a section dedicated to case studies highlighting past successes. This approach not only tells clients about your agency’s capabilities but also shows them tangible results.
Plan ahead
Every project has an endpoint, so it's important to plan for the outcome in advance. You can maximize the value of your short-term projects by:
Keeping your client engaged throughout. Provide regular updates and detailed reports highlighting your wins. Maintain momentum to keep the client interested in continuing the relationship.
Being precise with your project’s scope. Make sure the hours you’ve allocated are enough to cover the project without compromising quality.
Including simple “upgrade” terms in your contract. These will allow for extra hours if needed (consider adding a "Change Order" clause in your agreement). This flexibility can be crucial if unforeseen challenges arise or if the project scope needs to be adjusted.
Why consider projects alongside (or instead of) retainers?
While retainers remain the ideal scenario for securing long-term revenue from clients, the current market demands flexibility. Clients are scrutinizing their budgets more closely than ever before, making long-term financial commitments increasingly challenging to justify — especially in the dynamic field of SEO, where algorithm updates can significantly impact results.
Projects offer a more palatable option for budget-conscious clients. They provide greater clarity with defined scopes and timelines, appealing to those hesitant about long-term commitments. From an agency’s perspective, projects can serve as an ideal stepping stone to longer relationships.
For clients already on retainers, projects provide opportunities for additional revenue. Upselling targeted services through bolt-on projects allows agencies to demonstrate versatility and deepen client relationships.
Core differences between projects and retainers:
Duration: Projects have defined start and end dates, while retainers are ongoing.
Scope: Projects focus on specific goals or deliverables, whereas retainers cover broader, continuous SEO efforts.
Pricing: Projects often have fixed one-off prices, while retainers involve recurring monthly fees.
Flexibility: Projects allow for more flexibility in terms of services offered and resource allocation.
Commitment: Projects require less long-term commitment from clients, which can be both an advantage and a challenge.
Pros and cons of high-value SEO projects
There are many advantages to offering project-based SEO services; for example:
Higher price tags and shorter timescales can raise Client Lifetime Value (CLV).
Opportunity to balance multiple smaller projects or run them alongside retainer work.
Excellent for relationship building and demonstrating expertise.
Often easier for clients to approve, potentially reducing acquisition costs.
Can invigorate your team with new challenges and opportunities to test new services.
Flexibility to adapt to changing client needs or market conditions.
However, some challenges come with a more project-focused approach, such as:
Risk of over-delivering to impress clients, leading to burnout and resource strain.
Managing multiple high-value projects may increase administrative tasks.
A shorter duration may limit the ability to demonstrate long-term SEO impact.
Less predictable revenue stream compared to retainers.
May require more frequent pitching and proposal writing.
To mitigate these challenges:
Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each project type to streamline processes and maintain consistency.
Clearly define project scopes and deliverables to manage client expectations and avoid scope creep.
Use successful projects as case studies to attract both project-based and retainer clients.
Balance project work with retainer clients to maintain a stable revenue base.
How to identify high-value SEO projects
Not all projects will revolve around link building or keyword research, so be prepared to think outside the box!
Are there any elements of the user journey that could be improved upon? What about their website’s UX? If a problem needs solving, offer to fix it even if you suspect your agency lacks the skills or knowledge to deliver it — freelancers can plug these holes.
Identify any barriers to conversion, then propose how you’ll knock them down.
The best projects have a strictly defined beginning and end, but — perhaps most importantly of all — pave the way for a long-term relationship, so be creative in your approach. And if you’re stuck for ideas, let’s explore some examples.
Examples of high-value SEO projects
There are all sorts of imaginative, client-delighting ways you can package your projects. Other SEO-based projects such as website migrations will continue to provide important selling points and upsell opportunities, but you don’t have to cling to what you know.
The idea is that, because you can price these projects highly due to their specialist nature and the skills needed to execute them, you can significantly increase your client’s CLV in the short term — far beyond the revenue you’re already generating through their retainer, if applicable.
You can sell these specialist services to clients by framing them as a way for them to future-proof their sites. By pitching the types of innovative services your client may not have even considered previously, you position your brand as ahead of the curve.
Remember, the goal is to solve real business problems through SEO. By focusing on projects that deliver tangible value, you’re more likely to build lasting client relationships.
Here are my most inspiration-inducing project ideas for your next sales pitch:
1. UX innovations
When I talk about UX innovations, I’m not just referring to site design or conversion rate optimisation (CRO). These are essential elements of a successful site, of course, but they’re very saturated areas that your client is (probably) already paying attention to.
Instead, try to understand how the user is actually consuming your client’s content. This will give you insight into where untapped improvements can be made, and help you uncover opportunities to upsell a UX-focused project to your client.
One approach would be to evolve the client’s content strategy by transforming their everyday blog pages into a comprehensive informational content hub (or library), for example, which could be particularly beneficial for a client in an industry where educational content is valued — for instance, a SaaS brand whose products come with a steep learning curve.
For example, Google’s own Think with Google acts as a comprehensive content destination, incorporating useful tools, consumer insights, and thought-leading articles and guides. It’s not just about demonstrating you can create great content for your clients, but that you can take it to a level they hadn’t considered.
Importantly, implementing such a project would likely involve:
Technical SEO considerations to ensure the new structure is search-engine friendly.
A well-planned content migration strategy to maintain SEO value.
UX design to make the hub intuitive and engaging.
Ongoing content strategy to keep the hub fresh and valuable.
2. Cutting-edge tech implementation
The SEO landscape has shifted significantly in the past few years, with many of the industry’s tried-and-tested tactics becoming outdated or at least decreasingly impactful. This means we’ve had to embrace new technologies — and many of our clients share this appetite for innovation.
AI is of course having a transformative impact on the digital industry as a whole, and agencies that have embraced early adoption are already offering AI SEO services to prospective clients.
Automation can be incorporated into the content you create, too. I’m not talking about using ChatGPT to write a blog post, but actually building content that leverages AI. The implementation of advanced tech can provide benefits beyond direct SEO improvements; for example:
Enhanced user experience: AI-powered tools can provide personalized content recommendations or chatbots for instant customer service.
Link building and digital PR opportunities: Interactive tools and calculators can be powerful assets for attracting backlinks and media attention. For example, Shopify's AI-powered business name generator has acquired over 2.5K referring domains and generates more than 340K monthly organic visits (according to Ahrefs). These tools offer both direct SEO benefits and indirect advantages through increased brand visibility and authority.
You can begin experimenting with even more innovative and avant-garde content formats. As user behavior evolves and we consume content in different ways, appetites for more immersive, personalized, and experiential content will grow.
As a minimum, you can explore formats such as video, but products such as Apple’s Vision Pro hint at a future where virtual and augmented reality are more ingrained in our lives (and our search habits) and the digital content of the future will likely lean into immersion and interactivity.
Thinking outside the box when it comes to content strategy and tech implementation demonstrates that you’re pioneering and progressive, and enables you to pitch services that other agencies aren’t in a position to offer.
3. Content style guides
Designed to inform everything from the brand’s tone of voice and stylistic preferences to the topics they do and don’t cover, a content style guide is about creating consistency across the brand’s content — whether it’s a blog, a social media post, or an ad, the style guide dictates the brand’s voice and visual identity.
You’d be surprised how many brands (including some big ones) don’t have clear content guidelines, but this shortsightedness can be your agency’s gain — especially if you’re experienced in content marketing and your content creators are used to switching between tone and style.
By offering to create a content style guide for your client, you not only get the opportunity to bill them for a high-value one-off project, but it means they’re likely to trust you with their content production in the future — since you’ll understand their brand’s unique voice better than anyone.
A further advantage, of course, is that your own team can then utilize these guidelines, making it easier for your creatives to craft relevant, resonant content in the brand’s specific style and tone of voice — and potentially speeding up the client sign-off process, too.
4. Thought leadership content strategy
While many brands and their high-ranking experts consider themselves thought leaders, over 70% of decision-makers say less than half of thought leadership content provides genuinely valuable insights. Clearly, there’s something of a disconnect in what ‘thought leadership’ means to those producing it and those consuming it. This presents a significant opportunity for SEO-driven thought leadership projects.
Thought leadership is not just about challenging industry norms or producing 'click-bait'. It’s about establishing a brand and its leaders as authoritative voices within their field, offering meaningful insights and unique perspectives. From an SEO standpoint, it’s a powerful tool for building expertise, experience, authority, and trust (E-E-A-T) signals that search engines value highly.
An integrated thought leadership content strategy extends beyond the client’s website, creating an off-site presence that drives long-term SEO benefits.
Thought leadership comes in many forms, of course — but understanding how and when to insert the brand’s leading voices into industry-relevant conversations amplifies the value you can offer your clients.
Your thought leadership strategy might include:
Audience analysis: Identifying key decision-makers and their information needs.
Topic ideation: Mapping out potential thought leadership themes that align with SEO opportunities.
Channel strategy: Determining the most effective platforms for content distribution, considering both SEO impact and audience reach.
Personal branding blueprint: Developing guidelines for aligning key executives’ personal brands with the company’s overall SEO strategy.
Content calendar: Creating a high-level editorial calendar that balances timely topics with evergreen content opportunities.
By offering a comprehensive thought leadership strategy to your client, you’re providing them with a valuable roadmap. They can then determine whether they have the resources to execute it in-house or if they require your agency’s assistance for implementation.
5. Helpful Content deep dive
It’s likely the industry-reverberating recent Google updates have caused a degree of hysteria among at least some of your client base, but this actually presents an opportunity for you to pitch an additional high-value service — a thorough audit of their site to Google’s new Helpful Content standards.
If your clients are experiencing traffic loss or ranking drops – hopefully not while working with you on content! — they’ll likely appreciate you taking a proactive approach to helping their site recover and thrive in a new post-update era.
In your audit, focus on qualitative analysis, as this is where you can really add value. Traffic and ranking metrics paint part of the picture in content audits, but assessing user needs and content quality can uncover valuable HCU-focused optimization opportunities.
Cross-collaboration is paramount here, too. It’s not just about leveraging technical SEO expertise; you should involve SEOs, content writers, brand specialists, designers — a blended approach ensures you’re not just focusing on written content or backlinks, but every aspect that might impact the user experience.
The additional win? When presenting your list of recommended actions as a result of your deep dive, you have an opportunity to pitch for a whole new range of work.
As with all aspects of digital marketing, versatility and flexibility are crucial when wowing clients. The most successful SEOs are those who go above and beyond for their clientele, so if you’re struggling to attract new business, or keep your current customers loyal, it might be time to try some of the tactics outlined above.
Article by
Annika Haataja
Annika Haataja is the SEO Director at Seeker Digital, a UK-based organic performance agency specializing in advanced SEO services for SaaS, Ecommerce, and Enterprise clients. With over 7 years of experience in technical and on-site SEO, she leads client delivery and drives company growth. Annika is a frequent contributor to industry podcasts and webinars, and has spoken at prominent SEO conferences including BrightonSEO.
stay in the loop