When clients ask for SEO and you don’t do it yourself, you have two main ways to earn from that demand: resell it, or refer it. Both can work. They lead to very different businesses.
The two models at a glance
| SEO reseller (white label) | SEO affiliate / referral | |
|---|---|---|
| Whose brand the client sees | Yours | The SEO company’s |
| Who owns the client relationship | You | The SEO company |
| Who sets the price | You | The SEO company |
| Who bills the client | You | The SEO company |
| Typical earnings | 50–65% of the retail fee | 10–20% commission (varies) |
| Your workload | Sales + account management | Introduction only |
| Risk if the provider underperforms | Your reputation | Shared, but the client knows it wasn’t you |
| Risk of losing the whole client | Low | Higher: another company now has a relationship with them |
How earnings compare
Take a client paying $1,600 per month for SEO.
Reselling with a $799 wholesale plan: you keep $801/month, or $9,612 a year.
Referring at a 15% recurring commission: you earn $240/month, or $2,880 a year. Many programs pay less, or pay only once.
Across 10 clients, that’s roughly $96,000 a year from reselling versus about $29,000 from referring, assuming the same retention.
The case for reselling
- Much higher earnings per client
- You keep the relationship. No other agency gets a foot in the door with your client.
- Your brand grows. Results build your reputation, not someone else’s.
- Cross-selling stays with you. PPC, web, social and more.
The trade-off is work. You handle sales conversations, onboarding, monthly reports and client questions. A good white label partner makes this manageable with branded reports, sales materials and the option to join calls as your team. See our reseller program.
The case for referring
- Almost no work after the introduction
- No delivery risk on your reputation
- Good for leads outside your niche or below your minimum budget
The trade-off is control. The SEO company now has a direct relationship with your client and may offer them services you also sell.
Which should you choose?
Choose reselling if:
- SEO is a natural part of what your clients need from you
- You want recurring revenue and a sellable agency
- You’re comfortable managing client relationships
Choose referring if:
- SEO requests are rare and outside your core business
- You have no capacity for account management
- The lead isn’t a fit for your agency anyway
A middle path: white label with full support
Many agencies avoid reselling because they worry about explaining SEO to clients. A strong white label partner closes that gap with plain-English branded reports, ready-made proposals and specialists who can join client calls as part of your team. You get reseller margins with nearly referral-level effort.
Want to see what that looks like? Request a free branded audit for one of your clients.