What Is White Label SEO and How Does It Work?
White label SEO is when an agency provides SEO services to clients under its own brand but has a third-party agency, consultant, or freelancer fulfill them.
It’s a cost-effective way to meet demand, expand your range of services, or fill skill gaps.
For example, a small digital marketing agency has 20 clients who each need four blog posts per month. They want the articles to rank well in Google and increase search engine traffic to their site.
The agency doesn’t have in-house SEO expertise, so they hire outside providers to help them produce the 80 articles per month.
The white label provider takes the brief, writes the articles, and hands them over to the agency. The agency then delivers them to the clients at a markupprice for a healthy profit margin.
The clients are happy. And the agency takes the credit.
Who Handles What in the White Label SEO Relationship?
Depending on the deliverables, a white label SEO partner can be an ad hoc service provider or an extension of your agency.
In the example above, the clients ask the white label provider for a specific service: articles. The agency outsources that one service to meet demand.
The marketing agency manages everything else. Like the relationships with the clients, account management, uploading content, tracking performance, etc. And it uses the white label writing service when necessary.
But the relationship can be more than that. White label services can become a part of your agency’s operations. You can also outsourceaccount management, client relationships, SEO marketing strategy, and reporting services.
Why Should You Use White Label SEO Services?
White label SEO services are a great option if you’re not ready to build out (or fund) and manage the expertise of an in-house team.
If you run an agency that specializes in a particular area (e.g., PPC advertising, social media, or web design), opening clients up to a new marketing channel with the potential of SEO is exciting.
White label SEO also adds value to your business and provides a more comprehensive marketing service.
Even if SEO is something you already offer, the flexibility of white label services provides an efficient way to scale up.
A white label provider can handle the SEO work while you focus on nurturing client relationships and ramping up marketing to take on more clients.
It’s difficult to start offering SEO services if you don’t know or handle SEO currently. You might worry about the costs and whether it’s going to be a worthwhile investment.
Building your own SEO team is more expensive than white labeling it.
For example, think about the expense of salaries for a small SEO team. (Plus the extra costs of tools and subscriptions.)
Compare those coststo Semrush’s content writing service, starting from $40 USD per article. It’s considerably less.
Or to the roughly $500 to $10,000 that most businesses budget for a monthly SEO retainer.
The cost-effectiveness of white label SEO is clear.
What Does a White Label SEO Provider Do For You?
The job of a white label SEO provider is to deliver the SEO expertise you need when you need it.
Providers can offer all kinds of services.A white label freelancer, for example, might specialize in one area, such as content writing. Whereas a platform like Semrush offers a range of related services like white label pitching, workflow management, and reporting.
A white label SEO firm, on the other hand, will recommend packages, products, or services that best match what you need and what your client requires.
Whatever path you take, a good SEO provider should offer the following:
- White label SEO reports. Providers run easy-to-read reports that show the impact of SEO on a client’s business and offer tips for growth
- Keyword research. Providers find and analyze keywords to tailor a strategy to the client’s audience and get relevant traffic to their website
- On-page SEO. Providers optimize title tags, headings and subheadings, meta descriptions, URLs, page speed, and links to improve a website’s search ranking
- Off-page SEO. Providers, as experts in link-building, public relations, guesting posting, social media marketing, and local SEO, help indirectly boost rankings
Beyond these services, others can strengthen your offer and benefit your client’s overall SEO:
- Content creation. Providers create (or assist in creating) optimized content marketing assets (e.g., blog posts, videos, ebooks, graphics, etc.)
- Pitching. Providers produce easy-to-understand, data-backed pitches to sell the value you bring and convince more prospects to invest in SEO
- Strategy. Providers build plans detailing the important steps in an SEO campaign, including which tactics to use (e.g., content marketing) and how to execute them
What to Look for in a White Label SEO Provider
To narrow down potential white label SEO providers, define what you need. What aspects of white label SEO do you want a partner to offer?
Look for a partner that:
- Provides all of the services your clients need
- Has a proven track record of increasing organic traffic
- Has good customer support
With these factors in mind, here’s how to identify stand-out candidates:
Positive Reviews
Reviews and testimonials are the best tests of a provider’s credentials. You’ll likely find them across a provider’s website (not seeing them is a cause for concern).
That! Company, for example, has a testimonials page with video reviews from partners:
But don’t check a provider’s site. Look at third-party review platforms like:
Providers don’t control who leaves reviews or what they say on these sites. That makes these sites a good way to find honest experiences.
And finally, ask around. Talk to friends, colleagues, and other business owners. Has anyone had success with a certain provider? Has anyone had a bad experience?
Opinions from people you know are a reliable way to find or disregard a white label company.
A Well-Optimized Website
A potential provider’s website should be well-optimized and show their expertise.
Which providers show up at the top of organic search results (i.e., below the ads)? This is a good sign they know how to do SEO.
For each website that grabs your attention, look at their services. If a provider offers what your client needs, browse different pages. Pay attention to:
- How fast pages load
- How easy the site is to navigate
- How clear the content is
These are all signs of good optimization. This is what you’ll likely be offering to clients, so a poor experience is a red flag.
And as you browse, look for social proof. Reviews, existing or previous clients, and awards are a testament to a provider’s expertise.
Like this:
For example, who have they worked with? Are any of these clients in your industry?
Have they recently received industry recognition for their services?
A good history of working with established clients and winning industry awards is evidence of a provider that can practice what they preach.
Relatable Case Studies
Does the provider’s website have examples of their work and how they’ve helped others?
A case study should show you:
- The results they’ve obtained
- How they achieved those results
For example, The HOTH’s website has a page dedicated to client case studies. The filter feature lets you search by client type and monthly budget so you can find case studies that match your clients’ businesses.
Each case study explains the challenge, the solution, and the outcome.
For instance, this case study about their work with a financial website explains the problem the client faced and how The Hoth addressed it. It also highlights results in bright, bold numbers:
Real-life examples like this are a great way to envision how a provider can benefit you and your clients. They also back up any claims made about service quality.
However, white labelers won’t always disclose clients publicly due to nondisclosure agreements. If case studies or samples aren’t available, ask a provider to send you samples of their work.
White label SEO is a results business, and companies should be happy to provide samples. Reluctance to do so is a red flag.
Excellent Customer Service
Poor customer service is often a big reason why clients stop working with a business.
A provider’s reputation for customer support impacts your own. If a client has an SEO-related problem and you can’t get an answer from your partner, it reflects badly on you.
At a minimum, you should be able to contact a provider by email and phone during working hours.
Bonus points if a provider offers:
- Live chat
- Regional support (e.g., a local phone number)
- A help center with answers to frequently asked questions
Transparent and Ethical Work Processes
Is the white label SEO provider open about their methods and processes?
Before scheduling a meeting or demo, get in touch to learn more about how they work. Ask:
- What areas of SEO do you specialize in?
- How many years of experience do you have?
- What is your process for improving website rankings? (e.g., do they have specific procedures to consistently produce high-quality work?)
- Which SEO tools do you use? (e.g., Google Search Console, Semrush, BuzzSumo, etc.)
- Do you offer SEO packages? If so, what’s included?
- How do you manage projects?
- Can you share examples of how you’ve helped other agencies?
A proven white label SEO provider will be able to answer each of these questions. Any indication in their answers that they’re using tactics that violate search engine guidelines is a red flag.
These include:
- Keyword stuffing (i.e., repeatedly using a large number of keywords in content)
- Buying backlinks
- Using hidden text or links
- Creating duplicate content
- Cloaking (showing one version of a page to Google and another to visitors)
These tactics can cause your clients’ websites to be penalized with low rankings or, worse, banned from search engines entirely.
Not the kind of results you want to have to explain to clients.
Straightforward Pricing
Look for a provider with a pricing model that fits your budget and your needs.
White label SEO pricing varies widely, depending on the provider, what they offer, and where they’re based.
Providers also tend to offer different pricing ******. For example:
- Monthly packages: You sign a retainer contract (e.g., for six or 12 months) and receive the same product, type of work, or number of hours each month
- Hourly rate: Popular with freelancers and consultants—less so with agencies. The average hourly rate for SEO providers is $134.99
- Project-based pricing: Agencies, consultants, or freelancers set the total price based on what you need. You usually see this pricing model with one-off projects rather than ongoing work
- Custom pricing: A provider builds a monthly or yearly quote tailored to your needs.
For each provider on your shortlist, look at what you get for your money. Does a package or project include everything you need? Or would you have to pay extra?
Semrush’s pricing page, for instance, lists additional costs for package upgrades:
It’s a helpful way to calculate exactly how much you’ll pay.
If a provider charges hourly or by project, package information might not be available. If so, ask for a quote based on your requirements.
A standard or custom monthly retainer package is likely the best option if you provide ongoing SEO solutions. This way, your clients know what they’ll receive each month.
If your need for white label SEO is inconsistent or occasional, hourly or project-based pricing will give you access to the skills you need without ongoing costs.
A Partner You Can Work With
The right partner is one you can rely on to consistently deliver consistently great results. They should offer a free consultation or initial meeting to allow you both to assess the potential relationship.
A face-to-face meeting (in person or via video call) is the easiest way to evaluate whether a partner is right for you.
It’s your chance to get into how the provider works, establish processes, and assess whether they’re genuine.
Here are some questions to ask a potential partner:
- Do you have the time and capacity to devote to our clients?
- Does my agency get full credit for the work?
- Are you happy working as a representative of our brand?
- What results can my clients expect to see?
- Do you provide regular progress updates?
- How will you communicate results (e.g., monthly face-to-face meetings or emailed reports)?
If you’re satisfied that a provider meets your needs, ask for a demo or free trial. They should allow you to test products and services to see if they match your expectations.
- Are they easy to use and understand?
- Is communication clear?
- Is help available when you need it?
5 SEO White Label Providers to Check Out
As a starting point in your search, here are five respected white label providers to research:
Semrush
Semrush is both a white label SEO product and a service provider. Our platform gives you access to:
- 55+ marketing tools for creating data-driven pitches and managing client SEO
- Client portal and CRM platform
- Custom white label reports
- Reliable data for creating SEO strategies
- White label content writing services
If you already provide SEO and want to grow that side of the business, Semrush allows you to manage multiple clients in one place.
You can sign up for a seven-day free trial to test the product before committing.
Boostability
Boostability is a full-servicewhite labelSEO agency with over 30,000 active clients worldwide. Its SEO reseller program includes:
- On-page and off-page SEO reporting
- Content writing
- Website design and development
The agency delivers these services with clear processes and methods proven to rank websites in a wide range of industries.
Boostability also offers sales training, sales support, and dedicated growth managers to help you close more SEO leads and manage client relationships.
The company tailors pricing to your needs based on factors such as target market, locations, and industry competition. Boostability recommends speaking with a team member to discuss the best possible plan and get a free quote.
DashClicks
DashClicks is a marketing services platform and SEO reseller that offers white label SEO and content.
You get access to a team of SEO experts and content writers who deliver ongoing services:
- Regular website optimization
- Access to an analytics platform
- Keyword tracking
- Competitor research
- Link building services
- Monthly content
- Monthly reporting
These services are well-reviewed and backed by case studies.
Pricing for white label services starts at $199 per month with no contract.
SEOReseller
SEOReseller is a certified Semrush Agency Partner and Google Partner that delivers full-service white label SEO.
It offers three packages. Each with a set number of monthly hours of work from a team of digital marketers, writers, editors, and webmasters:
- SEO Plus: Up to 30 hours of work per month
- SEO Premium: Up to 40 hours of work per month
- SEO Prime: Up to 50 hours of work per month
It also offers a consulting service, which gives you access to SEO audits, reports, planning, and recommendations from experts.
Pricing isn’t displayed on the website, but SEOReseller does provide free quotes. You can also sign up for a free account and get access to prices that way.
The HOTH
The HOTH is an all-in-one SEO platform that offers affordable white label link building and SEO management to agencies worldwide. Its SEO reseller services sit on its dedicated Hoth X platform.
Unlike other providers, The HOTH doesn’t offer traditional white label packages. Instead, it has set prices for specific services (e.g., link building, content creation, SEO management, etc.). This means you can build an on-demand package that can scale to your needs.
With each service, you get a dedicated project manager who will design and manage campaigns based on your objectives.
The HOTH tailors pricing to your budget. You tell the sales team what you’re working with, they’ll tell you what you’ll get.
Grow your Agency with White Label SEO
White label SEO services save you time, money, and effort while helping you deliver results for your clients. They can also be a key step in scaling your services as your agency expands.
If you’re looking to develop your business, Semrush can help.
Beyond white label SEO, check out our Agency Growth Kit—a dedicated add-on specifically tailored to agencies.
For example:
- Your business will be listed in Semrush’s agency directory
- Strengthen your brand with your Certified Agency Partner badge
- A lead finder to help you look for potential clients based on location
- Create white label client portals with individual passwords for each client
- Automatically send scheduled reports with your name, email, and logo
And tons more.
The Agency Growth Kit is the best solution to help you improve your agency’s performance and growth.
Source link : Semrush.com
