With the competition in the SEO services space, the small search engine optimization firm struggles with how to demonstrate value and retain customers. To be sure, your customers are being bombarded with solicitations from competing SEO firms daily. If you are not aware of this, you will be shortly. As in any business, defending your customer base from competition is key. You know how hard it was to find and sell to those customers. Now you need to keep them.
The first important realization is that retaining a customer is much cheaper than attracting a new one. Many SEO services companies miss this idea entirely. With such an emphasis on new business, it is easy to overlook the importance of your current customers. So how exactly do you defend your customer base? Especially if you are selling affordable SEO services (read: Low cost) - you don't have the budget to do client-specific hand-holding. What can be done to retain your hard-earned business?
Fight the competition with strong business results. This one may seem entirely obvious, but it is so central it should be tattooed on your forehead. Business results win. Always. People will pay for value. Real value. I know the term value is over-used, but if you really concentrate on what it means, you can find pearls of business truth. If what you are selling solves a critical problem for a business, they will remain your customer. 
SEO services is no different in this regard than any other business. Again, there is a problem here for the affordable SEO sellers. Because their price points are so low, they are not likely to have the budget to really create good results for their customers. But do what you can to squeak out every ounce of result from the money you do have. This will keep the customers around.
Use technology to broadcast your success. Another big mistake made by SEO services firms is not harnessing technology to clearly demonstrate the value you bring to your clients. You need a very easy way for your client to know how much you are helping them. Expecting the customer to stay intimately involved in every detail of your search engine optimization campaign is not realistic. These folks are busy. They outsourced SEO for this reason. This is why you need technology to help you communicate your activities and success succinctly. Many SEO firms also fall into the blackbox trap. Don't hide your activities. Make them transparent.
In summary, the SEO services business is competitive. This means your hard-earned customers will be lured away by competitors. As frustrating as this is, it is a fact of business. The smart SEO firms will implement strategies for strong customer retention that include an emphasis on business results (the obvious one) and an investment in technology to clearly demonstrate activities and value to the client. If you don't have the resources in-house to build such a technology platform, consider a white label SEO solution (also know as private label SEO) from firms like us.