Marketing

The Outbound Strategy Your SEO Agency Needs to Stand Out

15 Sep, 2024

cold email delivrability

It’s no secret that the SEO agency space is more competitive than ever.

With countless agencies fighting for the attention of potential clients, it often feels like you’re shouting into a void.

You've tried all the usual tricks—cold emails, LinkedIn outreach, even ads—but getting responses is a constant struggle.

It’s frustrating, especially when you know you have the skills and knowledge to genuinely help businesses improve their SEO.

If you’re an SEO agency owner who feels stuck, you’re not alone.

But there’s good news: there’s an incredibly effective strategy that’s proven to grab attention, cut through the noise, and make your outreach nearly impossible to ignore.

This approach uses personalized video outreach with real-time SEO data from SpyFu to connect with prospects in a way that’s fresh, engaging, and highly relevant.

In this article, we'll explore how you can use this strategy to position yourself as an authority, build rapport, and turn cold leads into sales.

See full video on this here:

The Challenges of Outbound for SEO Agencies

Before diving into the solution, let’s take a moment to acknowledge why most outbound strategies fall flat.

It’s important to understand these challenges so you can appreciate why this new approach works:

  • Overwhelming Competition: Prospects are bombarded with messages daily from various agencies promising to improve their SEO. Most of these messages blend together, making it tough for your outreach to stand out.

  • Generic Messaging: One of the biggest mistakes agencies make is sending generic, one-size-fits-all messages. Prospects can sense when you haven’t taken the time to understand their business, and they’ll quickly dismiss your message as spam.

  • Lack of Visual Engagement: Text-only outreach lacks the visual impact needed to grab attention. In a world full of distractions, your outreach needs to be visually compelling to get noticed.

Understanding these pain points is crucial because it sets the stage for why a personalized, video-based approach works so well.

Data-Driven Prospecting

Data is the backbone of any successful outreach strategy and it’s especially crucial when trying to capture the attention of SEO clients.

By leveraging tools like SpyFu to gather detailed information about a prospect's website traffic, keyword rankings, and SEO gaps, you can build a highly targeted and relevant outreach campaign.

spyfu cold email strategy for SEO

This data-driven approach means you’re not reaching out blindly; instead, you're armed with insights that demonstrate you’ve taken the time to understand their business.

This level of preparedness not only enhances your credibility but also ensures that your message is tailored to address their most pressing issues.

In today’s crowded market, the agencies that win are those that use data as a foundation for crafting outreach that speaks directly to the prospect’s needs and goals.

Leveraging the Power of Video to Capture Attention

The effectiveness of video in outbound marketing can't be overstated.

Studies have shown that including a video in your outreach can increase response rates by up to 300%.

Why?

Because video adds a human element that’s often missing in traditional outreach.

It allows you to communicate your message in a way that feels personal, authentic, and engaging.

Imagine this: instead of sending a long email filled with promises, you send a short, personalized video that not only introduces yourself but also shows your prospect's own SEO performance using real data from SpyFu. It’s the kind of outreach that makes them stop and take notice because it's tailored specifically to them. This level of personalization is a game-changer in a world of generic outreach.

spyfu cold email strategy for SEO

To make videos like this at scale, all you need is a prospect list where you have their company name. See my video above to transform the company names into SpyFu links in just one click. Super fast and easy way to upgrade your approach. 

Step 1: Understand Your Prospect’s SEO Landscape with SpyFu

To create a truly impactful video, you need to start with research.

This is where SpyFu becomes an invaluable tool.

SpyFu allows you to analyze a prospect's website, uncover their top-performing keywords, and identify gaps in their SEO strategy.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Search for Your Prospect’s Domain: Begin by entering your prospect's website into SpyFu. This will give you access to crucial data such as their organic traffic, paid keywords, and backlink profile.
  2. Identify Opportunities: Look for areas where your prospect is underperforming. Are they missing out on ranking opportunities? Are their competitors dominating the search results for important keywords?
  3. Find Pain Points: Prospects are more likely to respond to outreach that addresses their pain points. Use SpyFu to identify where they’re losing traffic or where their rankings have declined, and use this as the basis for your video.

By taking the time to understand their SEO landscape, you’ll be able to craft a message that resonates with their current challenges.

Step 2: Create a Personalized Video with Real-Time Insights

Now that you have the data, it's time to put it to work. Use a tool like RepliQ to create a personalized video for each prospect, incorporating the link with the data from SpyFu. 

Here’s how to structure your video:

Introduction: Start by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re reaching out. Keep it friendly and genuine—let them know you’ve done some research on their website and have discovered insights that could be valuable to them.

Show Their Data: In the background of your video they will see their own SEO data using SpyFu. Highlight common denominators you found when making your prospect list. Make sure it feels personalized even if it’s done at scale. 

cold email strategy for SEO

Provide Recommendations: Based on the data, offer a couple of actionable tips they can implement right away. This demonstrates your expertise and gives them a taste of the value you can provide.

Call to Action: End with a clear call to action. Invite them to schedule a call, ask a question, or reply with their thoughts. The goal is to encourage engagement and start a conversation.

This video approach is highly effective because it feels like a personalized consultation rather than a sales pitch.

Step 3: Using the “SpyFu Effect” to Build Credibility and Trust

The real magic of this strategy lies in the fact that you’re using the prospect’s own data to create your video.

This makes your outreach feel highly relevant and credible.

It’s not about guessing or making empty promises—it’s about showing them real insights that matter to their business.

By using SpyFu data, you demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and that you understand their SEO landscape better than most.

This instantly sets you apart from the countless other agencies that send generic emails.

You’re not just another agency—you’re a partner who’s invested in helping them succeed.

Why This Works: The Psychology Behind Effective Outbound Outreach

Understanding the psychology of your prospects is key to successful outreach.

When you incorporate their own data into your video, it triggers something called the “endowment effect”—the psychological principle that people place higher value on things they feel ownership of.

By showing prospects their own SEO data, you’re tapping into this effect, making them more likely to pay attention and engage with your message.

cold email strategy for SEO

It feels like you’re already working with them, which creates a sense of connection and trust.

Additionally, the use of video allows you to build rapport in a way that’s impossible through text alone.

Prospects can see your face, hear your voice, and pick up on your enthusiasm and expertise. 

This human connection is often what makes the difference between a cold outreach attempt and a warm opportunity.

Step 4: Scaling Your Outreach Without Losing the Human Touch

One of the biggest challenges with personalized outreach is scaling it efficiently.

After all, creating a unique video for every prospect can be time-consuming. However, there are ways to streamline the process without sacrificing personalization.

Batch Record: Record your video that will be relevant across multiple prospects. The personalization  will be in their specific data in the background of your video.

Use Video Personalization Tools: Tools like RepliQ allow you to create personalized videos quickly by incorporating dynamic elements, such as the SpyFu background,  prospect’s name, logo, or website, into a pre-recorded video.

By finding a balance between efficiency and personalization, you can scale your outreach while maintaining the human touch that makes this strategy so effective.

The Follow-Up Process: Turning Interest into Action

Even the most personalized video outreach won’t always result in an immediate response. That’s why follow-up is crucial. Here’s how to stay top-of-mind without being pushy:

Send a Follow-Up Email: If they haven’t responded within a week, send a follow-up email referencing the video you sent. Mention any recent changes in their SEO landscape that might be relevant and offer additional insights.

Engage on LinkedIn: Connect with your prospects on LinkedIn and engage with their content. This keeps you on their radar and shows that you’re genuinely interested in their business.

Share Relevant Resources: Send them helpful articles, case studies, or insights that relate to their industry or challenges. This demonstrates that you’re a valuable resource, not just another salesperson.

Positioning Yourself as an Expert in the SEO Landscape

This strategy isn’t just about getting more responses—it’s about positioning your agency as a leader in the SEO space.

By sharing data-driven insights and demonstrating your understanding of their unique challenges, you’re establishing yourself as an expert who can be trusted to deliver results.

When you combine personalized video outreach with real-time data from SpyFu, you’re doing something that most agencies aren’t willing to do.

You’re investing time, effort, and expertise into your outreach, and that level of dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.

Conclusion: Implementing a Strategy That Works

The outbound landscape is tough, but it’s not impossible to break through.

By incorporating personalized video with real-time SEO data, you’re creating a strategy that’s hard to ignore.

This approach helps you stand out, builds credibility, and creates meaningful connections with prospects who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Don’t settle for being just another voice in the crowd.

Use this strategy to make your SEO agency’s outbound efforts impossible to ignore, and watch as the doors to new opportunities begin to open.

Step by step in RepliQ

  1. Log into RepliQ’s dashboard, choose “video”
cold email strategy for SEO

  1. Choose the SpyFu background
cold email strategy for SEO

  1. Upload your video
cold email strategy for SEO

  1. Upload your prospect list

  1. Choose your video options, add your CTA, Calendar, change to your branding colors, add your own logo
cold email strategy for SEO

  1. DONE! Download your file or integrate to your outreach tool
cold email strategy for SEO

Get started with RepliQ today.

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