Know when to fold ‘em

I’ve been shifting a lot of my focus toward SEO content to show you how I’ve been building and learning in public. But I’ve been a full-time professional writer for over two years now and writing for money for over seven years, so it is important for me to share some of my experiences along the way.

This time, I want to talk about an Upwork work client I parted ways with, even though I just started working with her in July. Some of you guys are just starting out and either haven’t made any money yet or just starting to work with your first couple of clients. I’ve racked up dozens of clients over the years, so I know a thing or two about how these relationships need to work and need to progress. Mostly, I know what it feels like when it’s not going right. And that’s what I’m going to talk to you about today.

Follow your gut, and follow your personal code

I was actually kind of surprised that this one went South. But then again, I wasn’t surprised I went South because I broke my own cardinal rule. I won’t be delving into what that is; it’s a private rule, and I don’t talk about it openly. I will say, though, that if you have a cardinal rule you refuse to break, do not break it.

You know yourself better than anyone else, so if a personal preference you have found personally works well for you, you need to listen to your own rules. I knew better, but I did it anyway. Look, landing those clients is like a drug: nothing is more euphoric than reeling in another client. But there is a lot more to it than that. It is a relationship. If there are character flaws or characteristics right off the bat that spell bad news for you, then don’t do it. You know better.

Less is more

I took this client on because I was like, “Wow, this is gonna bring me closer to 20 grand a month.” But it was taking me away from my other projects, and I was losing money on the whole deal.

While I have raised my rates, I can only do so much work and get it done on time with a quality output. And this was just beyond my tipping point. I wouldn't have ditched her if the client had been more chill. But she was far more demanding than many of my higher dollar clients, so I couldn’t squeeze the work in. But more importantly, my big clients are getting a little frustrated with my work, which is a no-go.

Your work is not zero-sum. You cannot give and give and give and continue to give without giving too much. Everyone has a critical mass, and when you hit it, you’ll know. So then you have to start to rack and stack your clients and decide which one has to go. Like it or not, some are more important than others. The guy that’s been paying you almost 7 grand a month for two years straight and doesn’t complain at all? Yeah, he’s at the top of the list. Don’t tick him off.

SEO Tips of The Week

I tweeted this out last night. Google has over 91% of the search engine market.

Sure, you can learn metrics for Bing, but why bother? People don’t really use Bing or DDG. They use Google. You can hate Google for being woke, but the truth is that everyone uses them for search, so get over yourself and learn Google first.

Resources & Recommended Reading

I just bought the Ahref’s SEO Book. Yes, I know it is just a collection of their SEO blog posts, but it is really cool. It is a very nice hardback book that looks great on the shelf, and frankly, it is nice to read the material without staring at a screen. Check it out, though; they only printed 2,000 copies, so grab one up quick. No, I do not get any royalties from this. It is just a cool book!