As an SEO professional, you know white hat tactics offer long-term benefits, but they don't work instantly. Your client will have to wait three to six months to see any benefit from from your efforts. They may see backlinks or new blog posts, but it takes a while for them to see their website rank better in Google.
It's up to you to explain how long the process takes. Large SEO agencies often ask for six-month contracts upfront for this reason. It's harder if you're a freelancer, as someone may not have enough trust in you to commit for this long. Clients want results now, but it's usually the spammy tactics that produce quick results and then get the site penalized by Google.
Clients may ask you to do things that will not help them. Freelancers have had clients that wanted them to comment on blogs, lots of blogs. One or two blog comments are okay, if the comment adds value to the discussion and does not promote the client's site. Clients may also want their name in every directory on the web, even the ones that get no traffic. Local directories are good for local businesses and certain industry directories, like Justia Lawyer Directory, are good options. However, there are many directories that are just a waste of time.
Great content is what clients should pay for, but it's expensive. Blog posts, infographics and video content take time to research and produce. Eventually, stellar content earns backlinks, but it takes time. You have to convince clients that these are backlinks that count more than spammy blog comments.
It's up to you to educate your clients on SEO. If they still feel buying backlinks off Fivver is a good idea, you're better off without clients like these. You deserve someone that pays for your knowledge as well as your time. For more information click here https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/lfxsp6/imlostdontknowwhattodo/.