If you are a financial advisor, what would you tell to SEO people struggling right now?

Financing and SEO have a lot in common. When I began to write this post, our largest page on Opus Virtual Offices dropped 35% in organic traffic found via search results two years ago. So, when we stopped generating leads via all of our other lead generation sources (emails or referrals), Google made a change to its algorithm and we had nowhere to go. It made me realize that SEO experts who are looking to be successful in the downturns are the ones that do not put all of their money into one place (instead they create multiple opportunities for success by either building an email list or producing quality content). So, if I were giving you a financial planner's type of advice, it would be. Don't put all of your eggs in 1 basket.

A professional's reputation acts as an intangible "asset" that has to be continuously invested in (to stay competitive) so it doesn't get lost on the ever-changing search algorithm. Experts with a long-term view will have their authority diversified across all of their earned media outlets, rather than just relying on search traffic. That way they are building a safety net from which they can earn revenue during the times when no one is searching. By pivoting and becoming a well-recognized Thought Leader in your field you establish yourself with pricing power to weather those difficult periods. A strong rep is a moat for professionals allowing them to charge higher fees (premium rates). Whether or not you appear at the top of search results does not impact this.

You can utilize a downturn (distress) in your industry to purchase digital distressed properties. The aggressive reinvestment of that asset into your own proprietary data tools will allow you to take advantage of competition while they are taking a more conservative approach. Strategically borrowing money for this time allows you to expand rapidly into new areas that other businesses may be unable to enter due to funding constraints. In many cases bold decisions about capital allocation during times of a downturn can lead to tremendous growth potential over the long term. It is not possible to grow without taking some level of risk. Therefore it is critical to develop a strategy based on calculated risks as opposed to solely relying on defensive financial practices.

When you write meta descriptions all day on behalf of clients, you are merely building someone else's property. I believed the same thing way back in 2008. Thus, I purchased a small VoIP lead generation business, expanded it, and later on sold it to Slashdot media. I had a feeling that that was something bigger since agency work puts you into a loop of selling time at a limited monthly fee. That is the reason why purchasing a fifteen thousand dollar content site will make you a true owner rather than a disposable vendor. The math is simple. Keeping that in mind, you will be able to use whatever you already have in terms of ranking and apply it directly to a digital asset that you actually own. To top it all, our holding company has purchased more than two hundred online businesses through this very way. When they are the owners of the asset, solo operators win over bloated agencies every time.

When Google shifts, the first thing that takes a hit is client trust and right behind it, your income. The SEO people still standing after every core update aren't the most talented ones in the room. They packaged what they knew before the industry moved. Look at your actual week. Site audits, keyword frameworks and content gap analysis. There's someone 6 months into learning SEO who's willing to pay. I've seen people charge $100 to get that as a structured checklist. You can charge higher for a template bundle with a recorded walkthrough. Productize the process. Stop selling hours.

You should be working towards developing the technological basis of an "agenty" web. Because AI summarization has become increasingly satisfactory to many users, you can stop focusing on obtaining as many simple organic clicks as possible. Your goal is to convert your entire website to a machine-readable database. As such, your priority will be with creating and implementing structured data and proprietary technologies that are impossible for other robots to replicate. Doing so will ensure your brand is able to remain the primary source of information for all future automated systems.

These days, purchasing digital authority requires strict accounting. Frankly speaking teams waste money buying random placements on websites without keeping accurate records of the spending. They buy new back links totally blindly. Setting a hard limit of the maximum cost of acquisition at $50 per link will stop draining cash on absolutely useless placements on websites that cause no measurable traffic. This is a stern limit, which prevents desperate purchasing behavior at the first step. In many ways, the need to measure the monetary payoff of each and every off page initiative compels a discipline of operation that the majority of failing marketers entirely lack. A limited expenditure model retains the monthly budget. It secures the business against algorithm penalties which ruin main sources of revenue. With that said, the consideration of search traffic as a highly managed financial portfolio minimizes the overall operational risk by a significant margin. Proper distribution of capital ensures that the operation has constant sales in case of sudden ranking drops.

SEO isn't broken. If you're suffering today (and many agencies/in-house teams are) your problem isn't necessarily volatility, but your exposure to a channel beyond your control. Algorithm updates, longer lag time for SEO ROI, and increases costs to acquire SEO ranking have battered agencies and SEO professionals to the point where survival mode has kicked in. SEO volatility also affects lead volume in industries like automotive finance and insurance claims which skews pipeline forecasting and daily operations. If you're putting "all your eggs in one basket", your dependent on a few landing pages performing well or servicing a couple large clients that provide the majority of revenue. When your client(s) or rankings perform poorly, your cashflow follows suit. There are fixed SEO costs that were accrued during growth periods and many SEO teams have not adjusted for the slowdown. Tools, content teams, client retainers... these are costs that were justified when top-line was growing but are dangerous to ignore when revenue contracts. It's time to protect your margins. Right-size your SEO business to match current performance. Negotiate better payment terms where possible to increase your cashflow runway and reduce the amount of work that's far out on the billing cycle. Approach SEO like an investment with a clear payback period. SEO is a risky business if your sole source of revenue is purely "ranking work". Diversify your offerings beyond search. Stay lean by offering services like conversion rate optimisation, paid search crack scaling, and partnering with lead generation vendors (often called lead generation consultants or LVCs). If you have valuable data or insights you can create products out of. SEO professionals in Claims have unique access to search volume data that can be packaged monthly/annually and resold to clients or third parties. SEOs in Automotive have become experts at identifying demand cycles and can exchange this knowledge for recurring revenue. Assess your client portfolio. Pick clients that won't put your business at risk should there be a downturn. In many verticals like claims and automotive, SEO professionals who understand how to capture demand will outperform those who simply focus on acquiring visibility. Stop acting like a search channel expert. Think like a business owner. SEO isn't going away, but the businesses that survive will be those who manage SEO programs like other investments.

My background is in helping contractors turn marketing spend into measurable revenue -- so I think about SEO the same way a financial advisor thinks about a portfolio: diversify or get wiped out. If organic traffic is your only income stream right now, you're overleveraged in one asset. I've watched roofing clients get crushed by algorithm updates because they never built a second channel. Paid ads aren't the enemy -- they're your hedge while SEO recovers. The contractors I work with who weather SEO volatility best are the ones running Google Business Profile alongside their organic strategy. That local pack visibility operates on different signals than traditional rankings, so a core update doesn't tank everything at once. Stop measuring success by rankings alone. I had a client obsessing over page-one keywords while their GBP was generating more calls than their website. Track phone calls and form submissions from organic -- that's the number that actually pays your bills.

Having weathered the volatility of the digital landscape, I know firsthand the pressures SEO professionals face—from relentless algorithm shifts to changing consumer habits. My advice is clear: prioritize building lasting value over chasing quick wins. Deeply understand your clients' core objectives, broaden your expertise to stay relevant, and commit to quality in every strategy. In digital, resilience and adaptability aren't optional, they're your greatest assets.

As the principal of VP Holdings LLC, I've learned that business growth, like powerlifting, is rarely linear and requires strategic "reloading" phases when performance plateaus. My experience mentoring coaches and working with PNC Bank's minority-owned business initiatives has shown me that the most resilient entrepreneurs are those who diversify their "output" rather than doubling down on a single, failing metric. If your rankings are dropping, stop focusing on the "scale" of traffic and start conducting a "body composition scan" of your current client base to identify high-value retention opportunities. I've seen the most significant breakthroughs occur when people shift from an "all-or-nothing" mindset to setting SMART goals that prioritize deep, individualized client engagement over broad-market visibility. I suggest utilizing a tool like MyFitnessPal to track your business inputs with the same precision an athlete tracks nutrition, ensuring you aren't "overtraining" your SEO efforts at the expense of your mental well-being. Building a sustainable "professional recovery" practice will allow you to pivot into new revenue streams, just as I transitioned from a master trainer to a franchise owner.

Assess your existing systemic risk audit. Algorithmic high frequency updates are simply "market correcting" to eliminate an over-leveraged and poor quality of content. Realign your investments with long term expertise (i.e., blue chip) and first party data. Both will retain their value regardless of the constant search volatility. The practice of strategic patience is a valuable asset in the world of finance. Do not sell off your long-term goals for temporary solutions during these volatile rollouts.

For SEO professionals in an uncertain time like this, it is essential that you diversify your income streams at once—do not put all your eggs in one algorithmic basket. To individuals in an industry that is volatile, what I say is that you should not be using this time for panic or for making rash career decisions. Rather, what I say is that you should be using this time to diversify your income streams. For example, you could be using your time to work with local businesses that still need basic SEO assistance. You could also be using your time to get into affiliate marketing in an industry that you understand.

Hi there, Chris here — I run Visionary Marketing, specialist SEO and Google Ads agency. I'm not a financial advisor, but I've run a business through multiple algorithm upheavals and economic downturns, so I'll answer this the way I'd want someone to talk to me during the rough patches. The first thing I'd say is stop catastrophising and start auditing. When SEO professionals hit a difficult stretch — whether it's algorithm volatility, client losses, or AI disruption anxiety — the instinct is to assume the industry is dying. It isn't. What's dying is the version of SEO that relied on a single channel, a single skill set, and a single revenue stream. If that describes your business model, the problem isn't the market — it's concentration risk. Financially, the most important move right now is diversifying your income sources. If 100% of your revenue comes from monthly SEO retainers, you're one algorithm update away from a crisis every quarter. The SEO professionals I know who are thriving have added adjacent services — paid media management, conversion rate optimisation, content strategy, analytics consulting — that use overlapping skills but aren't dependent on the same Google algorithm cycle. Second, build a financial buffer before you need one. Three months of operating expenses in cash reserves isn't conservative — it's the minimum. I learned this the hard way when a major client left with 30 days' notice and it nearly broke the business. Now I operate with a buffer that means losing any single client is uncomfortable but not existential. Third, invest in yourself during the downturn. The people who used quiet periods to learn Google Ads, master analytics, or build AI workflows are the ones who came out ahead when the market recovered. Skill acquisition during a slow period costs time. Skill acquisition during a busy period costs opportunity. The slow period is cheaper. The uncomfortable truth: if you built your career on one platform's algorithm, you didn't build a career — you built a dependency. The fix isn't more SEO. It's becoming the kind of professional who can deliver business results regardless of which channel is working best this quarter. Chris Coussons Founder, Visionary Marketing chris@visionary-marketing.co.uk

I run Webyansh (Webflow design + SEO) and I've watched "SEO struggles" behave like a balance-sheet issue: too many unpaid assets, too little compounding. Treat every page like an investment--if it doesn't return clarity, leads, or authority over time, it's a liability. Stop buying new content until your technical base is clean. In Webflow that means: enable SSL + minify HTML/CSS/JS, turn off the staging subdomain to avoid duplicate indexing, submit sitemap.xml in Google Search Console, and fix redirects/internal links post-changes so you don't bleed equity. Then act like a CFO and audit performance weekly. I use GA4 Acquisition + Search Console to find pages that rank but don't earn clicks/conversions, and I rewrite titles/meta + tighten intent instead of "publishing more." Lastly, build an asset portfolio: internal linking that creates topical clusters, plus structured data + canonical URLs where needed. In migrations (WordPress - Webflow), the teams that win are the ones who run a full site audit with tools like Screaming Frog/Ahref/SEMRush and treat those fixes like debt repayment--unsexy, but it stabilizes everything.

Stop panicking and zoom out. I work with three SEO specialists in my agency and I've watched this cycle play out a few times now. Algorithm update drops, clients freak out, SEO people start questioning everything. If your income took a hit because a couple of clients pulled back after a rankings dip, that's not an SEO problem, that's a revenue concentration problem. No financial advisor would tell you to put 60% of your portfolio in one stock, but most SEO freelancers have two or three clients making up most of their income and don't think twice about it. First thing I'd say is build a buffer. Three months of expenses sitting in a separate account you don't touch. I didn't do this when I started the agency and every quiet month felt like a crisis. Second, diversify how you earn. If you only do monthly retainers, add a one-off audit product. If you only work with e-commerce brands, take on a services client. Spread the risk. And honestly, stop buying courses every time things get shaky. I've watched good SEO people spend $2,000 on a masterclass when their real problem was they hadn't sent a prospecting email in three months. The work hasn't dried up. The people who are struggling right now are usually the ones who got comfortable during the good months and didn't build a pipeline for the hard ones.

Spent years building companies from scratch before running a marketing agency -- and one thing I learned early is that when a single channel starts to wobble, you're already behind if that's all you've got. If I were your financial advisor, I'd tell you to stop treating SEO like a savings account and start treating it like a portfolio. Diversify now, while you still have cash flow from it -- paid, email, partnerships, whatever fits your business. The SEO pros I've seen survive algorithm chaos weren't the ones who optimized harder. They were the ones who had already built relationships and channels that didn't depend on Google's mood that quarter. Your real asset isn't your rankings -- it's the audience trust you built through those rankings. Figure out how to own that relationship directly, because no algorithm can take your email list or your reputation away from you.

Think Like an Investor, Not a Tactician Stop chasing quick wins and start building lasting assets. Lots of SEOs get caught up in fast tactics—like ranking jumps, one-off clients, or finding algorithm loopholes—without creating ongoing value. It's like day trading instead of investing for the long term. See your skills as a portfolio. Diversify how you earn money - keep your clients, create specialized websites, make digital products, or provide helpful consulting. Focus on approaches that build over time, like content assets, brand authority, and strong, long-term relationships with clients. And don't forget to manage your risk. Don't depend on just one traffic source or a single big client. SEO is changing with AI, so being adaptable is your greatest strength. The aim isn't just to get websites ranked—it's to build a sustainable, scalable career that thrives even when algorithms shift.

I'm not a financial advisor, but I'll answer from an investor/operator mindset that's very cash-flow focused. If you're in SEO and struggling, I'd treat your situation the way I'd treat a property that's underperforming: 1) Protect your personal "runway" first. Cut non-essential expenses ruthlessly—subscriptions, tools you barely use, vanity projects—and get a clear number for how many months of basic living and business costs you can cover. You make better strategic decisions when you're not in emergency mode. 2) Shift some energy from "ranking" to "revenue." Ask: "What problems can I solve today that someone will pay for this month?" That might mean: - Short-term consulting or audits for existing clients - Packaging fixed-scope offers (e.g., "SEO triage for sites hit by X update") - Partnering with agencies that need overflow help SEO is long-cycle; cash needs are short-cycle. Close that gap deliberately. 3) Specialize where the pain is sharpest. In my world, I don't just say "I buy houses"—I solve specific problems (foreclosure, inheritance, tired landlords). You can do the same: niche down by vertical (legal, medical, SaaS), problem (update recovery, technical cleanup, local lead gen), or platform (Shopify, WordPress, Webflow). Specialists survive downturns; generalists get squeezed. 4) Diversify your acquisition skill set. If all your work comes from Google and referrals dry up, you're like a landlord with one tenant. Add one new channel you can control: outbound LinkedIn, partnerships with dev shops, or performance-based deals where you share upside. You're still an SEO, but you're no longer dependent on SEO to get clients. 5) Emotionally separate your identity from the algorithm. Google's changes are not a verdict on your worth or intelligence. They're a reminder that your "land" is rented, not owned. The durable asset is your ability to analyze, communicate, and solve marketing problems—SEO is just one application. If this were a property, I'd either improve the NOI, refinance the risk, or sell and redeploy. In your case: improve your immediate earning power, reduce dependency on one channel, and buy yourself time to see where demand for your skills is moving next.

A 12-week cash buffer changes the whole mood of a rough patch. I'd tell SEO folks to work out their monthly "bare minimum" number (rent, food, bills, software), then build a plan to hold 3 months of that in a separate account, even if it starts at $200 a week. That buffer stops you taking bad-fit work just to pay next week's invoice. Next, treat cash flow like a pipeline, not a hope. Aim for no single client to be more than about 25-30% of income, and set payment terms that protect you: 30-50% upfront on projects, or monthly retainers billed in advance, with a clear scope. I've seen freelancers cut late payments by moving to "invoice on the 1st, work starts after payment", plus an automatic reminder sequence through Xero. Last, invest where it reduces risk, not where it sounds clever. Track three numbers each month: average revenue per client, churn (clients lost), and weeks of runway. I'd also keep subscriptions lean; if Ahrefs plus Google Search Console does the job, pause the extra tools until pipeline is steady again.