Maxime Mendiboure won the Best SEO Expert trophy at the first edition of the Codeur Awards which took place in January 2024.
An employee, company owner, then independent, he looks back on his path to share his experience and explain how he started freelancing on Codeur.com!
Codeur.com: Could you introduce yourself to our blog readers?
Maxime Mendiboure : After studying business management and gaining varied professional experience as a laborer and a salesperson, I started working in digital at Pages Jaunes in a call center. That taught me a lot about teleprospecting, targeting, and marketing. I quickly moved on to another company as a salesperson in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and eventually co-founded a web agency specialized in SEO with two partners.
We developed that company for two years, but for various reasons we ultimately decided to close the joint business and each focus on our own micro-enterprises, even though we still work closely together.
Codeur.com: Did you join Codeur.com with the company, or when you went solo?
Maxime M.: I joined Codeur.com to grow our first SAS. After the company closed, I kept the account for my micro-enterprise. As a freelancer, I now specialize exclusively in natural search (SEO) and website creation. Codeur.com gives me the opportunity to audit many websites thanks to the numerous projects available every day.
Codeur.com: What SEO services do you provide? Only audits or also the services that stem from them?
Maxime M.: The audit is a starting point. I sell other services, but to sell them you need to prove to the client that you have the technical expertise and above all offer the services they need, which you identify during the audit.
I offer services covering all aspects of SEO: content, on-page optimization, internal linking, external links, technical SEO… I explore everything. Based on the weaknesses detected during the audit, I make recommendations and can address any issues encountered.
I also help my clients have a faster website with reliable, secure hosting, and I offer them website maintenance.
Codeur.com: What made you start on Codeur.com back then?
Maxime M.: I started on Codeur.com on the advice of one of my partners. At first, I did cold calling. But telephone solicitation is exhausting. Even with the techniques, it remains very tiring. So I signed up on Codeur.com and quickly realized it was a real opportunity, because you get highly qualified contacts. You have to know how to sell yourself and put yourself forward to convince prospects.
Today I'm on Codeur.com and I stay because I have complete trust in the platform, since it's what allows me to grow my business.
Is most of your new client acquisition related to our platform?
Maxime M.: I increasingly favor Codeur.com. I have long-standing clients and I always make sure to get referrals through quality work, but it's true that the business generated by Codeur.com must represent 70% of my activity.
I tried other platforms, but they brought me nothing. Or at least very little compared to the volume I do on Codeur.com! Your platform has a real human dimension. The team behind it seems committed and works hard to ensure its longevity. I particularly appreciate your responsiveness.
Codeur.com: Thank you! We work daily to help freelancers find clients easily so they don't waste time prospecting. By the way, do you remember the first project you completed thanks to Codeur.com when you went solo?
Maxime M.: Yes, absolutely. It was a company abroad, a skipper offering Mediterranean excursions. That project actually served as a springboard for me to move from the company to my micro-business. It was the very first project I invoiced through my micro-business thanks to Codeur.com!
Codeur.com: What motivates you in your daily life as an entrepreneur?
Maxime M.: What excites me is getting referrals from former clients, because that's truly authentic. I like it when the working relationship goes well with my clients. Also, I appreciate the mediation that Codeur.com offers to avoid disputes between freelancers and clients when there is a misunderstanding about a project.
It's really my clients' satisfaction that drives me. The reviews they leave are a real reward for me.
Codeur.com: Do you use Codeur.com exclusively as a service provider or also as a client?
Maxime M.: I haven't recently used it as a client, but my former partner occasionally hired copywriters or graphic designers. It's indeed an advantage to be able to call on a specialist in a particular field or CMS that you don't master to successfully complete a project.
Codeur.com: What is your view on the latest developments in SEO and the web in general?
Maxime M.: I believe artificial intelligence is a real turning point. It causes concern, but you have to know how to use it. It’s revolutionary. It feels like Google is being overtaken, but the search engine will remain the leader and will adapt. Today, you need to know how to use AI so you don’t get left behind.
Algorithms evolve; I strive to stay up to date at all times. Alone, you can do nothing. I rely on former collaborators and regularly work with other people who have supported me for many years. It’s important not to work alone, to form a family or community where we can share tips, test them on our personal sites, and then apply them to our clients’ sites.
This shift toward quality and relevance criteria in search results offers an opportunity for online marketers to stand out. By investing in high-value content, providing accurate and useful information, and adopting ethical SEO practices, professionals can not only improve their online visibility but also strengthen trust and credibility in their brand.
This quality-focused approach helps retain users, increase engagement, and generate higher-quality leads, while also contributing to building a solid reputation in their field. Ultimately, it’s the commitment to integrity and excellence that sets serious players apart in a constantly evolving digital landscape.
Codeur.com: Now, moving on to the Codeur Awards 2024! What was your initial reaction to learning about your nomination?
Maxime M.: I was very surprised. Pleasantly, of course! Especially since this is the first edition. I think the initiative is great, both for you and for us providers. I never imagined I would reach first place because there was tough competition, with people who’ve been on the platform for a long time.
Codeur.com: You learned about your victory live—what was your reaction?
Maxime M.: Yes, I learned about it live on YouTube. I thought, “How did that happen?” I was very surprised and it really took me a few days to process it. For me, Codeur.com is one of the biggest platforms in France and even beyond. The business opportunities are significant. I recently closed a deal in Portugal, and I had contact for a project from America from a French-speaking founder. So yes, I was surprised to be the winner among all the providers on the platform!
Codeur.com: Are you planning to keep your title next year?
Maxime M.: I hope so; in any case, I won’t let the momentum drop. I think it’s like anything else—it’s an ongoing battle. I imagine many factors play into selecting the winners, but in the end, those who work hard have the best chance of being nominated. So I’ll do everything I can to keep my title!
I remain humble nonetheless, because I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without meeting my former collaborators, with whom I’m still in contact and who I consult when I have very specific issues or face technical challenges. I also work with a network administrator, thanks to whom my clients’ sites are very smooth and high-performing. So this victory is also a collective win for my partners.
Codeur.com: Any final words to share with our readers or clients who might want to hire your services?
Maxime M.: To keep it simple, I’d just like to remind people that I adapt to each client’s needs. Sites never have the same requirements, and neither do project owners. For me, the basis of business is adapting to the client’s needs. Whatever the requirement, I can adapt to help my clients create and optimize their websites for search.
SEO aimed at generating qualified leads represents an important goal. However, I can also design and develop a website in a way that optimizes it from the moment it’s created!
For those who want to start out as freelancers, I’d tell them to never give up, believe in themselves, surround themselves well, and above all develop skills before launching. Employment allows you to develop skills and use them later to build your own long-term project.
Improve your SEO with Maxime
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