How Web Designers Offer SEO to Clients Without Doing It Themselves

If you build websites for clients, you already know the truth.

They expect SEO.

They judge performance by rankings and traffic.

And at some point they ask the big question.

“Do you do SEO too?”

Here is the good news.

You can offer real SEO for web designers without doing any of the work yourself.

I’ll walk you through how agencies pull this off, the steps that make it simple, and the exact systems that help you deliver results without building an SEO department.

Let’s get into it.

Step #1: Understand What Clients Actually Expect From SEO

Most clients are not asking you to run a full scale SEO campaign.

They mainly want:

• Basic on page setup
• Clean site structure
• Fast load times
• Meta titles and descriptions
• A link building plan
• Someone who explains things clearly

Google confirms that helpful content and strong site quality are core ranking factors. You can read their guidance on Google Search Central.

Clients care about these basics because they directly affect visibility.

You do not need to run everything yourself.

You just need a process.

Step #2: Offer On Page SEO as Part of Your Web Design Build

Here is the simple version.

You handle the on site basics because they fit naturally into web design.

I do it like this:

• Set title tags and meta descriptions
• Install analytics
• Add schema templates
• Fix site speed issues
• Set clean internal links
• Make the site mobile friendly

These are low lift tasks that most clients assume come with their site anyway.

And here is the important part.

This lets you charge more while keeping control of the project.

Step #3: Outsource the Hard Stuff to Specialists

This is where SEO for web designers becomes easy.

You outsource the parts that take too much time or require deep expertise.

Things like:

• Link building
• Keyword strategy
• Content creation
• Competitive analysis

Most designers do not want to run outreach campaigns or negotiate guest posts.

I do not blame you.

A study from Ahrefs shows that 66 percent of pages have zero backlinks, which is one reason most sites never get search traffic. You can check their data here: Ahrefs Search Traffic Study.

Moz’s research also found that pages with strong link profiles consistently outperform pages with weak link profiles. Their link authority breakdown is here:
Moz Link Authority Study.

Backlinks drive the rankings.

Trying to build them yourself is a full time job.

This is why white label SEO exists.

Step #4: Use a White Label Partner Who Handles Everything

This is how web designers offer SEO without doing SEO.

You let a partner do the actual work while you stay the main contact for the client.

Here is what a good partner covers:

• Site audits
• Content planning
• Link building
• Technical cleanups
• Monthly reporting

Your job becomes simple.

Collect requirements.

Send them to your provider.

Deliver the results to your client.

If you want a partner that focuses on high quality link building and full SEO done for you, Rankifyer is one of the strongest options. They handle outreach, site selection, content, audits, and detailed reporting so you never have to manage SEO tasks yourself.

This gives you the easiest way to offer SEO for web designers without hiring staff or losing design hours.

Step #5: Package Your SEO as Add Ons

Make SEO simple for clients.

I package my offers like this:

• On Page Setup
• Monthly SEO
• Link Building Only
• Local SEO Add On
• SEO + Content Bundle

Clients choose what they want.

No confusion.

No custom plans unless you want them.

Step #6: Use Data to Show Clients Why SEO Matters

Clients trust SEO more when you show numbers.

Here are a few that work well:

• 68 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine according to BrightEdge
• Moz confirms that links remain one of the strongest ranking signals
• HubSpot reports that SEO leads have a 14.6 percent close rate compared to 1.7 percent for outbound leads

Share these in your proposals.

It increases trust right away.

Step #7: Stay the Designer, Not the SEO Worker

This is the whole point.

You stay focused on design.

You keep your time free.

You offer better service because you are not juggling SEO tasks.

And your client still gets real SEO results.

Step #8: Put Everything Into a Simple Workflow

Here is the system I recommend:

1. Build the site
2. Add the on page basics
3. Offer an SEO add on
4. Hand the work to your white label partner
5. Deliver your reports

Stay available as their main contact. Nothing complicated.

Clients want results, not a lecture.

Step #9: Make SEO a Profit Center, Not a Headache

This part matters.

When you outsource the work, SEO becomes easy money.

Your only job is communication and reporting.

Everything else is handled behind the scenes.

This is why so many designers quietly earn more from SEO than from the site build itself.

Final Thought

Offering SEO for web designers is simple when you stop trying to do everything alone.

You focus on design.

Your partner handles the SEO.

Your client gets better results.

And you win back more time while adding a steady revenue stream.

If you want a partner you can hand everything to, Rankifyer is one of the best options for white label link building and full SEO support.

You can do this even if you have never run an SEO campaign in your life.

Keep it simple.

Keep it structured.

Let your partner do the heavy lifting.