SHS039: How To Generate Online Leads As A Freelancer WITHOUT Fiverr or Upwork With Prerak From NetMafia
Intro
When most people think about generating leads online…
They immediately think of:
Fiverr
Upwork
Freelancer.com
And while those platforms can work…
👉 They also come with limitations
In this episode, Elijah Bilel sits down with Prerak to break down:
👉 How to generate leads WITHOUT relying on platforms
👉 Why SEO is still one of the most powerful strategies
👉 And how beginners can compete online
Intro to Prerak
Prerak is the founder of Net Mafia, a web design and SEO agency focused on helping businesses grow their online presence.
He is also an educator on platforms like Udemy, where he teaches:
Web development
SEO
WordPress
Digital marketing
Prerak specializes in using AI-driven strategies to help small businesses generate leads and scale online.
👉 Check out his SEO SOP resource Here
Episode Overview
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The 4 types of search intent (and why they matter)
Why SEO still works—even with AI
How to generate leads outside of freelance platforms
The best beginner-friendly lead generation strategies
How to build long-term inbound traffic
Listen to the Episode
Check us out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! While you’re there, hit subscribe so you don’t miss our latest episodes!
Side Hustler’s Society Resources
The Personalized Side Hustle Starter Kit
The 4 Types of Search Intent (This Changes Everything)
One of the most valuable frameworks Prerak breaks down is:
👉 Search intent
There are 4 types:
1. Informational Intent
People are just looking for answers
Example: “How to start a side hustle”
2. Navigational Intent
People are trying to find something specific
Example: “Walmart near me”
3. Commercial Intent
People are comparing before buying
Example: “Best website builder vs WordPress”
4. Transactional Intent
People are ready to buy
Example: “Hire a web designer”
Why This Matters
Most people focus only on:
👉 Traffic
But the real goal is:
👉 Intent
Because:
Informational = awareness
Commercial = consideration
Transactional = MONEY
Why SEO Still Works (Even With AI)
There’s a big misconception right now:
👉 “AI is killing SEO”
But Prerak makes it clear:
👉 That’s only true for informational content
Why?
Because:
AI answers questions directly
People don’t need to click as much
BUT…
👉 When people want to BUY…
They still need to:
Visit your site
Book your service
Complete checkout
Translation
👉 SEO is still extremely powerful
You just need to target:
Commercial keywords
Transactional keywords
The Problem With Fiverr & Upwork
Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork:
✔ Give you access to clients
❌ But limit your control
Common issues:
High competition
Fees
Race to the bottom pricing
The Better Approach
👉 Build your own lead generation system
Instead of relying on:
Platforms
You focus on:
Your content
Your SEO
Your brand
How Prerak Got Started (Key Lesson)
Prerak’s journey started during the pandemic:
Learned skills online
Created courses
Used SEO to sell them
That led to:
👉 Freelance clients
👉 Agency work
👉 Business growth
Key takeaway
👉 Skills + visibility = opportunities
A Simple Online Lead Generation Strategy
If you’re starting from scratch:
Step 1: Pick a Skill
Web design
Video editing
Copywriting
SEO
Step 2: Create Content Around It
YouTube
Blog posts
Social media
Step 3: Target Search Intent
Focus on:
“How to…” (informational)
“Best…” (commercial)
“Hire…” (transactional)
Step 4: Convert Traffic Into Leads
Website
Booking link
Email list
Why SEO Beats Short-Term Strategies
Paid ads and platforms can work…
But SEO:
👉 Builds long-term assets
Instead of:
Constant hustle
You get:
Consistent traffic
Passive leads
Scalable growth
Final Thoughts
Elijah Bilel and Prerak highlight a key truth:
👉 You don’t need platforms to succeed
You need:
The right strategy
The right positioning
The right understanding of how people search
If you can master that:
👉 You control your leads
👉 You control your income