A SEO Consultancy Side Hustle

My name is Alex, and I run a part-time SEO consulting service that helps small businesses optimize their online presence. I work primarily with local shops, entrepreneurs, and service providers who want to rank higher on search engines like Google. I started this as a side hustle about three years ago while working full-time as a digital marketer. It’s now grown into a business where I work with a handful of dedicated clients each month, balancing it with my primary job.

What I do involves everything from keyword research and content optimization to improving site speed and addressing technical SEO issues. My goal is to simplify SEO for clients who might find it overwhelming or don’t have the time to focus on it themselves. Over time, I’ve been able to help businesses significantly boost their website traffic and attract more customers, which is incredibly rewarding.

I’ve always been fascinated by how search engines work. Back in college, I helped a friend improve their blog’s visibility just as a fun experiment, and I got hooked on the process. Later, when I started working in digital marketing, I noticed a huge gap: small businesses often struggle with SEO because it feels technical and intimidating. Many of them don’t even know where to start.

The inspiration to turn this into a side hustle came when I helped a local coffee shop double their foot traffic through a well-optimized Google My Business listing and a few on-page SEO tweaks. Seeing the tangible impact of my work on a real business motivated me to help others achieve the same results. It’s incredibly satisfying to see clients go from feeling lost about SEO to experiencing measurable success.

For me, success is all about results and relationships. If my clients are seeing measurable improvements—whether it’s higher search rankings, more website visitors, or increased leads—then I consider my work successful. But it’s not just about numbers; it’s also about making SEO understandable and accessible to them. When clients tell me they finally "get it" or feel empowered to handle parts of it themselves, that’s a big win.

Another way I define success is by maintaining a balance. Since this is a side hustle, I’ve structured my business to avoid burnout while delivering real value. Knowing that I can consistently help businesses without compromising my full-time job or personal life is a benchmark I’m proud to maintain.

If I could go back, I’d focus earlier on building a clear niche and pricing structure. In the beginning, I tried to be everything to everyone—offering a wide range of digital marketing services instead of specializing in SEO. That made it harder to market myself effectively, and I sometimes felt stretched thin trying to do things outside my expertise.

Another thing I’d change is investing more time upfront in learning tools and automation. Early on, I did a lot of manual work that could have been streamlined with tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even simpler spreadsheet templates. By embracing these tools sooner, I could have scaled my business faster and spent more time focusing on strategy rather than repetitive tasks.

My advice is to start small and focus on delivering real value to a niche audience. Don’t try to target everyone; instead, figure out who you can serve best and tailor your services to their needs. For example, if you’re passionate about working with local businesses, dive deep into local SEO. Learn everything you can about tools like Google My Business and how to optimize for local search.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth referrals in this industry. Deliver exceptional results to a few clients, and they’ll become your best advocates. Finally, be patient. SEO is a long-term game, and the same goes for building your consulting business. Celebrate small wins and keep learning—you’ll be amazed at how far you can go.

Currently, I earn anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000 per month from my SEO consulting, depending on the number of clients I take on. Since I keep my client roster intentionally small to balance with my day job, this has been a comfortable and sustainable range for me.

The great thing about this side hustle is that it’s highly scalable. If I ever decided to take it full-time, I know I could increase my income significantly by adding more clients or offering additional services, like content creation or advanced analytics. For now, though, this income gives me the flexibility to invest in my future while maintaining a stable work-life balance.