Running a small agency has its fair share of challenges. Limited resources, tight budgets, and not enough hours in the day can make it hard to branch out into new services like SEO.
It’s not that you’re opposed to offering SEO, but it can feel heavy. The technical side of things, constantly changing Google algorithms, and now the rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) make it seem far-fetched.
Here’s the thing, though: AI-powered tools exist now. You no longer need to be an expert in every aspect or hire a whole team to start offering SEO services.
With the right tools, AI takes care of the time-consuming, technical work, leaving you free to focus on strategy (the real human value in the AI age, no matter the channel).
Here’s how to use AI tools to work smarter, not harder.
1. Leverage AI to Quickly Get Started with SEO Services
Automate Keyword Research with AI Tools
Keyword research has always been one of the more frustrating parts of SEO. However, AI tools take all the stress out of keyword research, helping you pinpoint profitable, low-competition keywords that align with actual user intent and search behavior.
They cut down on the manual searching and give you the data-driven insights you need to build a smarter, more targeted strategy.
Ahrefs
Instead of manually searching for keyword ideas and calculating competition, Ahrefs helps you generate thousands of keyword ideas in seconds, instantly cluster them based on relevance, and evaluate the most profitable options using accurate, real-time metrics such as:
- Keyword Difficulty
- Traffic Potential (which lets you estimate the amount of traffic you could capture if you manage to outrank the competition)
- Parent Topic (which helps you understand whether it’s more effective to target a specific keyword or a broader parent topic.)
- Search Volume, with up-to-date search volume data plus 12-month search volume trends to show how keyword popularity evolves over time.
Beyond that, it also offers:
- AI-powered keyword brainstorming
- Keyword clustering
- Six types of keyword reports, including “Also rank for” and “Also talk about”.
Semrush
Semrush’s Keyword Overview instantly gathers all the essential data for any keyword – like search volume, cost-per-click, competitive density, and keyword difficulty. You can assess the viability of a keyword before diving into optimizing or writing for it.
If you want to know how competitive a keyword is in your client’s niche, you can use the Bulk Analysis feature for a quick evaluation of multiple keywords at once, giving you a clear view of what’s worth targeting.
Semrush also offers other tools like:
- Keyword Gap Analysis
- Keyword Strategy Builder
- Keyword Magic Tool
- Topic Research
- And more…
Each tool serves a particular purpose in keyword research, so choose one or mix and match depending on your strategy.
Content Creation with AI-Powered Writing Tools
Outlining, drafting, editing…it could take hours or even days to get that perfect blog post or article ready to publish. Without an in-house content writing team, it can be borderline impossible.
Thankfully, there are AI tools. They can’t replace creativity or your level of knowledge, but they’re a serious boost to your productivity. And ssince these tools understand SEO best practices, you can optimize for keywords, structure your content the right way, and even target user intent.
In a fraction of the time, you’ll have a solid draft ready to polish.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT was an AI “first” for many of us. Its ability to draft content in seconds made it seem like we’d never have to write a single word again.
That said, as you dive deeper into using ChatGPT, you’ll start to notice its limitations. Sure, it’s fast, but it doesn’t always retrieve sources well, and referencing links can be a bit of a struggle – even if you’re using ChatGPT Plus.
Instead of being a replacement for an expert content writer, GPT is a collaborator that can save you many hours of weekly work!
Jasper
Unlike AI models like ChatGPT which provide generic responses, Jasper understands a company’s voice and unique style. It crafts content that sounds like your clients, making sure everything it produces is consistent and on-brand.
You can use it to write blog posts, email copy, product pages, and any type of marketing content.
A massive differentiator is that Jasper Chat is built specifically for marketers, so it’s trained on industry best practices and the ins and outs of different roles. It uses your agency’s knowledge and guidelines to make content smarter, more relevant, and aligned with your goals.
Copy.ai
Similar to Jasper, Copy.ai lets you quickly generate high-quality content, saving you time while keeping everything aligned with your brand’s voice.
Yes, that means you don’t have to remind the tool of your brand voice every single time, which might happen with certain AI models.
For those managing a go-to-market (GTM) strategy, Copy.ai is a great asset. GTM involves launching a product or service and getting it in front of the right audience. With this tool, you can automate the content side of things, freeing up time to focus on strategy and execution.
AI for SEO Audits and Optimization
You can also use AI tools to conduct SEO audits for clients, a service that generates quick revenue while also building credibility in the SEO space.
Automated SEO audit tools are especially helpful when you're just starting out or pitching. They scan your client’s website and identify a range of on-page issues like broken links, slow load times, or missing meta descriptions.
They suggest fixes, so you don’t need to be an expert in every aspect of SEO to get the job done.
SiteGuru
Many technical SEO issues might seem minor at first glance, but they quietly chip away at your client’s SEO performance if left unresolved. Even if a website initially ranks well, neglecting these details can slowly drag down rankings and user experience over time.
Thankfully, AI-powered features in SiteGuru make this process easier – especially when it comes to internal linking and creating optimized meta descriptions and titles.
Internal linking is powerful, yet many agencies overlook it because it takes time and a keen eye for content connections. SiteGuru's AI identifies orphan pages (pages with few or no internal links) and suggests the best pages to link them to, based on relevance and actual performance data from Google Search Console
Writing engaging meta descriptions and effective page titles isn’t exactly fun. The AI generates optimized meta descriptions and titles meant specifically for each page and its targeted keywords. With just a click, you get ready-made suggestions you can either use directly or tweak to perfectly match your client’s tone.
RivalFlow (by SpyFu)
If your (new) clients have existing content, the first thing you can get started with is polishing it up with new information so it can rank as high as possible.
In the past, this meant a project of its own: you’d have to spend days poring over competitors’ content to see what your client’s content was missing.
Not anymore.
RivalFlow looks at your rankings and other competitors’ rankings, runs an analysis, and shows you all the content gaps. It’ll even provide content for you, but this is where we recommend having a good writer who can take it with a grain of salt.
Ultimately, it saves a lot of time while giving you a whole new productized service to offer to your clients!
Scaling SEO Services without In-House Expertise or Overhead
Partnering with Specialized SEO Agencies and Freelancers
If you’re an agency looking to scale your SEO services but don’t have in-house technical expertise (like backlink building or handling complex technical SEO issues), partnering with specialists is a great idea.
But don’t worry – this doesn’t have to mean hiring full-time staff. These could be experienced SEO agencies or freelancers who are well-versed in the areas you need help with. You can find these professionals on LinkedIn, as well as in specialized Slack or Facebook groups.
However, even though you’re outsourcing, it's important to manage these partnerships well to make sure everyone stays on the same page.
Using AI Tools to Manage and Track Collaborations
Managing collaborations can quickly get messy without the right tools, especially if you're juggling multiple partners or clients. You might find yourself trying to track progress manually across different platforms, which eats up your time.
That doesn't have to be a problem anymore.
Every tool you probably used before, whether it was Asana, Trello, or Monday.com, now has some AI integration, which is incredible. These tools now handle things that used to take hours and bore us out of our minds.
Let’s take a look at Trello, which now is AI-powered:
Trello
Trello’s AI makes it easier to manage freelancers by pulling out action items from your scattered notes or communications with your team.
Whether you're working with a freelance copywriter, an SEO expert, or a remote developer, the AI helps you break down complex tasks into actionable steps. This, in turn, keeps everyone on the same page, without wasting time on back-and-forths or having to clarify vague instructions.
Offer Retainer-Based SEO Services
Build recurring revenue streams as early as possible. They’re essential for long-term growth and stability, especially after you use the tools we’ve mentioned to demonstrate value within the first month.
With tools like Copy.ai for generating content, SiteGuru for technical audits, and Ahrefs or Semrush for backlink analysis, small agencies can automate and streamline virtually every process, keeping clients happy with consistent results without the need for 24/7 attention.
Remember to choose your headquarters, be that your Slack or a project management tool like Asana. From there, integrate your HQ tool with the rest of the services, so all your information filters into a central repository.
Automate Reporting and Client Communication
If you're pulling reports from different tools or systems for each client, you might miss key details or waste time trying to make sense of all the data.
AI tools like Google Looker Studio and SiteGuru simplify this. You can generate real-time performance reports that are easy to read and share with clients, saving you hours of manual work.
With Looker Studio, you can easily connect all your relevant data sources, like Google Analytics, Google Ads, social media platforms, and even custom CSV files. This allows you to gather data from multiple touchpoints and present it all in one place.
Once you’ve created your report, you can automate the distribution by sending real-time email updates, scheduling reports, or sharing links with your clients so they always have the most up-to-date insights.
On the other hand, SiteGuru will keep track of all the issues and opportunities that have popped up, as well as the actions you’ve taken. From there, it’s easy to generate a comprehensive report for your clients!
And, as a bonus, you can even track and send clients a report for each Google algorithm update:
Upselling Existing Clients with SEO Services Using AI
Leverage AI-Generated Content for Faster Results
AI can help you provide a whole new suite of services to your existing clients who already trust you with PPC, social media, or other marketing services.
Instead of simply focusing on one-off content pieces, you can offer content creation as a recurring service. This means faster turnaround and more options for your clients, all while adding more value to your ongoing relationship with them.
As you’ve seen, tools like Jasper, automatically help you optimize the content for search engines as you go, making sure it’s not just good writing but also primed for Google. But the best part is that you can cross-sell with ease!
If you’re already running PPC campaigns or handling social media for your clients, offering content creation is a natural add-on. It fits right into the services they’re already paying for, and it shows them that you can handle their entire digital presence.
Use AI to Automate Outreach for Backlinks and PR
Backlinking and digital PR are crucial for building your clients' SEO authority. But contrary to what you’ve heard, you don't need a big team or a huge budget to run effective outreach campaigns.
That's where AI tools can do much of the heavy lifting, from identifying the right PR contacts and guest post opportunities to finding relevant websites for backlinks. They can even send out personalized outreach emails in bulk!
You can level the playing field with the following tools:
BuzzSumo
Instead of spending countless hours manually searching for influencers or journalists to target, BuzzSumo helps you pinpoint exactly who is shaping the conversation in your industry. It tells you which headlines are trending, which content is getting shared the most, and who’s responsible for the “buzz” in the first place.
With an extensive database of 500,000+ journalist profiles, finding the right media contacts for your campaign is much faster. You can browse by topic, audience, or location to find journalists that align with your brand.
BuzzSumo also has an “Alerts” feature that notifies you whenever a journalist writes about your brand or relevant topics. You can jump on new opportunities instantly!
Pitchbox
PitchBox takes the drudgery out of outreach, automating much of the work while improving your results. No need to send out generic emails anymore, as PitchBox uses AI to analyze websites, assess their relevance, and create personalized messages automatically.
PitchBox’s AI Reply tool takes it a step further by instantly generating thoughtful, contextually relevant responses. It’s trained on millions of link-building emails, so it knows exactly how to move conversations forward without the endless back-and-forth.
The ROI of AI in SEO Services for Small Agencies
Measure Success Using AI Analytics
Clients want to know their investment is paying off, but tracking SEO's effectiveness isn't always straightforward.
SEO results are often far from immediate – ranking improvements and traffic growth take time, and it can be tough to tie these long-term gains directly to a specific action or strategy.
Tools like SiteGuru and Google Analytics make it easier to measure and report on the real impact of your SEO services. They can track KPIs like traffic growth, conversion rates, and ranking improvements, giving you the insights needed to demonstrate tangible results.
For an all-encompassing example, let’s take a look at…
Google Analytics 4
GA4 brings you relevant insights in clear language – insights you’d have to assess manually a couple of years ago.
When it spots unusual changes or emerging trends, it will display a notification on your Insights dashboard.
You can also set your own rules based on what matters most to your business. If something hits the conditions you’ve set – like a shift in conversions or user behavior – you’ll see it right away.
You can create up to 50 custom insights per property, which gives you a lot of flexibility to track exactly what you care about.
Now, speaking of tracking…
It's important to keep in mind that tracking AI rankings can be difficult. Since there’s no Google Search Console-like tool yet for AI rankings, it’s actually best to look at referral data in
Offer Value-Based Pricing
With AI tools speeding up your SEO work significantly, the classic hourly pricing model starts to look less appealing. If you can now complete tasks in a fraction of the time it used to take, charging by the hour could mean earning less despite delivering the same (or even better) results.
But clients aren’t paying for your time – they’re paying for the value your work delivers. AI lets your agency do more, faster, but that doesn't reduce the value you provide to clients. In fact, using AI usually improves outcomes because it frees your team to focus more on strategy and quality, rather than repetitive tasks.
Shifting to value-based pricing makes sense here. Instead of charging for the hours you spend, price your SEO services based on the tangible value you create for your clients.
Things like increases in organic traffic, improved rankings, or growth in conversions are all measurable results your clients genuinely care about.
Tracking ROI is essential for pricing your services as well. All the tools we’ve discussed can give you detailed insights into how your efforts are impacting client success. And when you prove your value with data-backed reports, you can confidently adjust your pricing and build long-term relationships based on trust.
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert to Work Smarter
SEO can seem like too high of a leap, especially if it’s not your agency’s core offering. And while investing in training or additional staff can help, there’s an easier, faster way to get started right now. And that’s AI.
AI tools are here to do a lot of the professional work as you evolve. If you stick to them, you’ll naturally get better – and create a new income stream in the meantime.
So, if you’ve been thinking about offering SEO services for a while, we’ve got good news. Now’s the perfect time to jump in!
