In a recent interview, Joe Davis, the founder of FATJOE, shared valuable insights into his journey of building a successful SEO agency that serves marketing agencies worldwide. With over 12 years of experience in the industry, Davis offers a unique perspective on entrepreneurship, team building, and effective SEO strategies.
SEO Strategies: The Birth of FATJOE
Davis started FATJOE about 12 years ago to address a gap in the market for reliable outsourcing solutions in the marketing industry. Working at a marketing agency at the time, Davis and his co-founder realized the need for a dependable service provider for outsourcing tasks like link building and content creation.
“We were trying Fiverr, Upwork, and we were trying people on forums,” Davis recalls. “We realized that there needed to be a solution out there, so we created it.”
The company quickly gained popularity, offering what Davis describes as “almost like the Amazon for marketing services.” Despite facing economic challenges and industry changes, FATJOE has managed to stay lean and adaptable throughout its journey.
The Importance of Complementary Partnerships
During the podcast, Davis emphasized the value of finding a business partner who complements your skills and personality. He suggests looking for someone who shares your values but differs in attributes:
- If you’re creative, find someone logical and process-driven
- If you’re extroverted, seek an introverted partner who excels at behind-the-scenes work
“Having that yin and yang is very important,” Davis explains. This balance has helped FATJOE navigate disagreements and make balanced decisions over the years.
Effective SEO Strategies
Davis shared some key SEO strategies for improving search engine rankings:
- Focus on brand-building activities like content marketing, press releases, and digital PR
- Build high-quality links to important pages using relevant keywords
- Create content that answers questions your audience is asking
- Use keyword research tools to identify popular queries in your industry
For content placement, Davis recommends using a blog or creating a dedicated informational database on your website to answer specific product questions.
Leveraging LinkedIn for Personal Branding
Davis stresses the importance of personal branding, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. He advises business owners to maintain an active presence on the platform, sharing insights and experiences from their entrepreneurial journey.
“If you founded a company, you’ve probably got something to say,” Davis notes. “You can be yourself and just talk about what’s going on inside the business.”
Growth Hacking SEO Strategies with Free Tools
One of FATJOE’s most successful growth and SEO strategies was creating a free Chrome extension called FatRank. This simple tool, which allows users to check website rankings for specific keywords, garnered 60,000 users and significantly expanded their mailing list.
Davis recommends building free tools for your industry as an effective growth hack. “Chrome extension or WordPress plugin is another good one,” he suggests. “Anywhere where you can get a tool in an ecosystem, you’re going to get free downloads and free marketing.”
Customer Acquisition and Team Building
For customer acquisition, FATJOE relies heavily on paid advertising, particularly Google Ads. Davis explains, “We know if we put a pound in, we get 5 back. So we spend as much as we can.”
When it comes to team building, Davis emphasizes the importance of company culture and nurturing talent from within. Many of FATJOE’s top team members started in entry-level positions and grew with the company.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Davis offers this advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Scratching your own itch is the best way to come up with a business idea. If you haven’t got an itch to scratch, then just do more stuff because you will find an itch to scratch.”
He encourages entrepreneurs to focus on solving problems and taking things one step at a time rather than planning too far ahead.
The Future of FATJOE
Looking ahead, Davis envisions FATJOE evolving into a comprehensive B2B marketplace, competing with platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. “Eventually, we want to go up against them as a B2B marketplace somewhere where businesses go to buy whatever they need for their business,” he explains.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is FATJOE, and what services does it offer?
FATJOE is a company that provides outsourcing services and SEO strategies for SEO agencies and marketing agencies worldwide. Their main offerings include link building, content creation, and video production services.
Q: How did Joe Davis come up with the idea for FATJOE?
Davis and his co-founder identified a need for reliable outsourcing solutions while working at a marketing agency. They created FATJOE to address the gap in the market for dependable service providers in areas like link building and content creation.
Q: What is Joe Davis’s advice for finding a good business partner?
Davis recommends finding a partner who shares your values but has complementary skills and attributes. For example, if you’re creative, look for someone who is logical and process-driven. This “yin and yang” dynamic can help balance decision-making and navigate business challenges.
Q: What growth-hacking SEO strategies does Joe Davis recommend for entrepreneurs?
Davis suggests creating free tools for your industry, such as Chrome extensions or WordPress plugins. These tools can provide free marketing and help build a user base that can be converted into potential customers. FATJOE’s success with its free Chrome extension, FatRank, is a prime example of this strategy in action.
