What is a reasonable client to SEO specialist ratio?

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Roger Smith: Ok, this is not a "technical SEO" question so Mods please feel free to delete if it breaks any rules.
  
  I work for a small SEO firm (I have 35-40 clients) and I'm wondering what the average SEO specialist to client ratio is. You see, I AM the entire SEO department for the company.
  
  My clients are generally happy, and they each pay a considerable amount per month for services. However, I feel I could, and should be doing so much more for them given the amount each pays for services.
  
  My current SEO duties include:
  All the usual SEO duties: link building, monthly analysis & reports, content generation (including monthly blogs for a few clients), Google+ page management & postings. I could go on here but you get the idea.
  
  Additional duties include:
  Participation in all SEO sales meetings & site analysis, site page creation as required (this takes up a significant amount of time per month), PPC management for 4 clients including building landing pages, SMM planning and ongoing assistance as required (for many I handle all of their SMM), SMM training, new site SEO setup and all content generation for new sites. All client SEO communications.
  
  I've been doing SEO for approximately 4 years starting initially with my own company (not SEO related) and found I truly loved it so I decided to teach myself everything I could.
  
  I then started doing SEO for friends and acquaintances for free after work to gain more experience. I did the free thing for 2 years and had 8 clients who were all very disappointed when I decided to make a full time career of it and got hired by my current SEO firm.
  
  I work a lot. I go to my job daily and then usually work until 10-12 every night. Still, I feel I should be doing so much more for my clients. It also means I have little time to learn. As we all know SEO progresses at a blinding pace. It's why I love it so very much. ;
  
  I want to learn so much more. I want to be exceptional. I want to do the very best I can for my clients.
  
  I'd love to have more time to write and create content. I'd love to engage more on this incredible Google+ platform (oh yes fellow Googleplusers I drank the Kool-Aid deep).
  
  I've approached the owner about hiring more staff to no avail. His theory is if they aren't complaining there isn't an issue. But we all know 90% of all small businesses have no idea what SEO should  ;involve. ;
  
  So back to my original question. What do you all think a reasonable client to SEO specialist ratio is given the duties I've outlined above?
  
  Note to businesses looking to hire an SEO firm. Ask the firm how many clients they have and how many SEO people on staff they have.
  
  Yes, this is a ghost profile. This will likely be the only post I create on this account. I chose this group to post in as I know many people I follow and respect are members here.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my work. I just think know I could do it so much better.
  
  Thanks for your time. I know how precious it is.
• 
  Jim Munro: Thank you for your interesting question, "Roger Smith" :)
• 
  Roger Smith: You are welcome +Jim Munro ;and thank you for the group that allowed me to post it! I have a feeling I'm not the only one with this issue. I believe it happens a lot when a web design company includes SEO as a service but doesn't truly understand it. ;
• 
  Jack Risquéchamp: That's a ton of clients... If you feel bad about it, hire some help to make more of an impact. But if people are happy to pay for what they get, who cares! I can imagine that you feel like you're neglecting some of those guys though...
• 
  Cherisa Chapa: Education is key with any service delivery. In your current company , you don't have the control on the quality of work you could generate. Have you thought of doing on your own again?
• 
  Eleni Kofou: Roger, i don't think there isn't an optimum client to SEO specialist ratio. It depends on what kind of platform you are using for monitoring SEO KPI's, on the client's site-needs and so on. You are the only one who really knows how many more SEO people are needed at your office. "good luck" with your boss
• 
  Neil Hannam: That seems like a huge number of clients for one person to be working with. Just because clients aren't complaining doesn't mean you are offering them the best service possible but it sounds as though you're doing everything you can. If you're working that late every day then it's clear the work load is too great and you're boss needs to get you some help. It's only your extra efforts that are stopping clients complaining, work more reasonable hours and im sure pretty soon your boss will start getting calls from clients.
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  Tony McCreath: It must depend on what your company has offered these clients, how much time you can dedicate to client work and obviously how productive you are.
  
  I find 10 clients is about my limit.
• 
  Dave Elliott: I currently have 10 clients and that is a couple too many if i'm honest. I don't get the chance to go into enough depth for my liking. I would be a lot more comfortable with 6.
• 
  Matt Raynes: that's about an hour a week on each client... take out brew, boot up time and the occasional SEO update you may have to monitor then they're probably getting -(minus)20 hours a week from you. Do you have time to keep track of what's happening in SEO land with that much going on? What if you have a client with a 100 page website who needs meta updates? That's just mental, you should have at least a dozen staff combining copy writers, link builders and managers..  ;Tell your boss now!