Hairdresser, electrician, personal trainer, photographer, private tutor, bookkeeper. People who sell their own work have one advantage a company does not — word of mouth is strong — and one plain disadvantage: where word of mouth does not reach, there is nothing in its place.
1. An address that is yours
A social-network profile does not show up well in search, and it belongs to the platform. A simple page with your name, your specialty, the area you cover, work you have done and how to reach you already solves it. It takes a weekend.
2. Name and specialty together
“Maria Silva” is not what people search for. “Maria Silva — physiotherapist in Leeds” is. The title of your page needs the profession and the town in it, because that is how the search actually happens.
3. A Google Business Profile with a service area
A self-employed person can have a profile without exposing a home address: register a service area instead. It is free, and among everything free it brings contact the fastest.
4. Reviews from people who have hired you
For work delivered by a person, a review is worth more than anything you can write about yourself. Ask every time, on the day of the job.
5. Being where your kind of work is looked for
Professional directories, city guides and trade search sites bring direct enquiries and leave links pointing at your page — which also helps that page show up on Google.
The common mistake
Relying on a social network alone. It is excellent for showing your work to people who already follow you, and nearly useless for someone who is looking for a professional right now and has never heard of you. That person is on Google.
