An unexplored key to getting SEO clients as an international freelancer: to register as an LLC

Intro

SEO has been positioning itself as one of the most demanded marketing services for some time now. In that scenario, finding clients from all around the world as a freelancer has not been hard, especially with all the marketplace platforms available.

However, due to this same reason, more people are training themselves to become SEO experts every day. So, how can you make your freelance business more competitive and get better clients?

One of the strategic moves that can help you in your quest for client acquisition is registering your business as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). In this post, we will explore how transitioning from an unregistered business format into an LLC can be a game changer in your SEO freelancing career.

First things first: Why an LLC?

When working as a freelancer, you’re probably already operating as a Sole Proprietorship entity without even realizing. And this can work well for a while. However, you’ll find that many potential clients, especially the bigger ones, require you to be registered as a business before starting a contract. Or you may want to protect your personal assets in case there’s a financial conflict with your business.Taking the journey of becoming an international freelancer? Solidifying your presence in the market by registering as an LLC could be a smart move. Check out these top llc formation services to get started in a few straightforward steps.

Long story short, if you want to escalate your business as a freelancer, registering as an LLC is the choice for you.

An LLC is one of the legal entity types to run a business in the United States available for non-residents and foreigners. It’s the most straightforward way to open a company in the US and achieve global reach. And if that weren't enough, it also has other advantages.

This type of company is a very popular choice for freelancers and small businesses from all over the world who are seeking:

• Flexibility
• Legal protection for their business
• Tax benefits
• Easy set-up

An LLC is also one of the simplest business entities to maintain. You will only need to:

• File an annual report, which may come with a renovation fee depending on the state where you choose to register your business.
• Declare taxes, which doesn’t necessarily involve paying.

Getting more SEO clients

We mentioned earlier that becoming an LLC can help you get SEO clients. How is that possible?

Companies and corporations are often more comfortable working with registered workers and companies than with private individuals. This makes the contractor hiring process smoother, especially as you work with bigger companies. And, let’s be honest, you’ll probably want to cooperate with major companies. They are the ones with the financial resources to pay more for your services.

But that’s not all. Establishing your LLC will enable you to:

• Showcase professionalism and credibility by having the US government support
• Boost brand recognition and identity
• Offer better payment options for clients
• Establish your business global presence
• Allow for long-term vision and collaboration with other businesses.

Let’s explore how each one of these will put you ahead of all unregistered freelancers in front of potential clients.

Showcase professionalism and credibility

Registering your business as a US company will enhance our professional reputation in the eyes of clients from all over the world. In such a competitive digital market filled with amateurs and beginners, it makes a huge difference.

What’s more, having a clear business structure and documentation like an LLC will instill confidence, as it demonstrates a commitment to legal compliance. This gives potential clients the peace of mind they need to think of you as an appealing choice for their SEO needs.

Boost brand recognition and identity

You may think branding is not of the utmost importance when your business is only run by yourself. However, in the competitive arena of digital services, that’s not the case. In this context, one of the challenges you will face as a freelance SEO consultant is setting yourself apart. And, of course, having a strong brand is key to achieving it.

Now, how is an LLC involved in all this? Well, while your clients will still be dealing with you personally, an LLC lets you run your business legally separated from your private image. This separation can help boost brand recognition and identity: you can even add “LLC” to your business logo if you want!

Remember: having a strong brand identity can even give you more flexibility when pricing your SEO services. And, as mentioned earlier, branding as a serious LLC can also play an important role in building trust and fostering customer loyalty.

Offer better payment options

As a digital business owner, it is always a good idea to be up to date with different trends when it comes to payment options. You don’t want to lose clients just because you don’t have their preferred method of payment!

Offering diverse payment options is essential to accommodating client preferences and ensuring they keep requesting your SEO services. However, some online payment options, such as Stripe, which lets you work with debit and credit cards, are only available for legally registered businesses.

Setting up an LLC will allow you to offer this and other options on your website. A wider range of payment options will also make it easier for clients from different parts of the world to do business with you. As if that weren’t enough, it also allows you to open a business bank account in the US.

To sum up, landing payments and accessing your money will be easier than ever with a bank account and a reliable payment processor.

Establish your business global presence

You may be reluctant to jump into the global landscape because of the tax or currency limitations in your home country. However, in today’s digital market, the only limitation on your business's reach is someone’s access to the internet. And, as a Search Engine Optimization freelancer, you have the means to make your business easily found anywhere you like.

One way to avoid missing out on these new global connections is to have a registered company in the United States. Becoming an LLC will help you avoid many of these currency limitations, as you will be able to set up your own business bank account in the US. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Latin America or Asia. With an LLC, you will be able to pursue more clients and even providers or employees from all over the world.

Allow long-term vision and collaboration

Building an LLC will lead your SEO business to valuable networking opportunities with other businesses. An LLC structure also offers scalability possibilities in case you want to expand your business in the future, giving you a secure starting point to work with.

Why is scalability important? Because if your goal is to find more SEO clients, you may eventually find yourself taking on larger projects and working with bigger companies. Challenging projects may require you to accommodate hiring other freelancers or workers. If you already have an LLC in place, these growth opportunities can be easily tackled.

Other benefits of becoming an LLC

Besides broadening the potential client pool for your SEO services, setting up an LLC can help you in other ways by providing:

• Flexible taxation options and advantages
• Personal asset protection
• Business collaboration
• Easy ways of processing payments in USD
• Legal protection

All in all, establishing your business as an LLC for SEO services goes beyond expanding your client reach. An LLC will provide you with a solid foundation for your SEO freelancing career, enabling sustainable growth in the digital market.

From private individual to LLC

If thinking of engaging in bureaucratic procedures from a different country seems appalling to you, there’s no need to worry! There are plenty of ways you can easily set up your business abroad.

The safer way to set up an LLC in the US as a foreigner is by using an intermediary, like Firmaway. Just as an SEO freelancer helps other businesses grow, these kinds of agencies can help you achieve LLC status without having to worry about complicated red tape and deadlines.

Even if you feel adventurous and are willing to face the LLC opening process on your own, it’s advisable not to. Unless you’re an expert, mistakes will be made. And some mistakes are very hard to solve, expensive, or time-consuming.

Now, be mindful about the agency you choose. Some important things to keep in mind when looking for an agency are:

• To make sure its core service is opening LLCs and not other services that should be complementary, like accounting or legal counseling.
• They provide a direct communication link between you and an expert (not a robot!).
• If you’re a foreigner, make sure to hire a service focused on opening that type of LLC because the procedure varies significantly if you are a US resident.

Wrapping up

We have explored some ways to attract more SEO clients in a highly competitive environment and explained how transitioning to an LLC can help you unleash all these possibilities.

It doesn’t matter where your business is based or where you come from! If your focus now is on how to get SEO clients from all over the world, an LLC will help you. Showcasing your brand's credibility and professionalism to a broader set of clients in the global market is the key to success. And it will resonate not only with other small businesses but with big companies and corporations in particular.

You won’t need to deal with red tape, as there are options that can make this transition seamless. By embracing the benefits of an LLC, you will also be able to offer your clients more reliable payment choices and enable long-term collaboration. This will help with customer retention, and it can play an important role for clients who are choosing between different professional services.