Algorithms are evolving. Zero-click SERPs are more common, through AI Overviews (AIO) and Search Generative Experience (SGE). And, consumers’ social awareness has shifted. Having a recognizable and trustworthy brand can make or break your local visibility in 2025.

In our recent Live Masterclass: How Important is Brand for Local Search Visibility in 2025?, expert panellist Elizabeth Rule unpacked how brand strength influences local SEO performance. 

Here are the top takeaways from Elizabeth’s session to help you align your branding efforts with your local SEO goals—and get found by more customers in 2025.

Watch the Replay

Brand Is As Important Now As It Always Has Been

Why is everyone talking about brand right now?

The hype of AIOs and SGE, alongside the increase in zero-click search has brought brand right into focus. A good example of this is how Forbes tends to rank across multiple AIO searches, and continues to show up after various algorithm updates. It feels like Google is favoring bigger brands with more domain authority over smaller brands. 

Alongside this, Google is launching a new brand profile through the merchant center (not all local businesses will be able to use this), which is a clear indicator that Google is shifting toward focusing on what a brand can bring to a topic or industry in search results. 

Tip 1: A Strong Brand Is More than Just Your Logo

Having a strong brand means people know and trust your business. They’re more likely to click on your listing or your website than a brand they don’t know.

Trust and awareness in your brand can come from the local community, your review profile and through zero-click search.

Tip 2: Tap into Communities

Offline communities, online communities, and social media are all great ways to get your brand out to your target audience. 

Brands that use more traditional marketing, such as billboards and branded vehicles, do a little better in SEO because more people are aware of and engaged with the brand in general. This engagement helps you rank better, and the more people click your website, the higher up in the SERPs you’ll show.  

Spread your marketing efforts beyond Google and your website. Local social media groups or community forums, like Facebook groups, Next Door, or local SubReddits, are great ways to get your brand out there. 

Tip 3: Your Brand Website Is Critical

Getting your website up to date is crucial, as it’s a valuable source of truth for Google. Mention the important information about your business—who you are, what you do, the services you offer, and where you do it. Make it easy for Google and your customers to understand all of this information. 

While this information helps Google build its organic results and customers move further down the funnel, it could also help your brand if and when it appears on AIOs. Though there doesn’t seem to be a known indication of Google’s ranking factors for AIO, or how they pull the information that appears from it, it is known that Google sometimes pulls through incorrect information.

Tip 4: Become an Authority in Your Sector

Showcase your authority, knowledge, and understanding of your website through your brand entity. For example, your website is a great place to put your well-crafted content and answer the questions that your customers and potential customers have. 

Tell your audience how to do things and show that you know how to do it best. (An example here would be a decorator—explain to your audience how they can decorate themselves, but also show your authority and expertise in case they’d prefer for you to do it for them.) Become the go-to brand for knowledge and education.

Tip 5: Should You Use Keywords in Business Names?

Your business name is a huge part of your brand, and you want to make sure your business profile appears at the top of search results. With that in mind, adding one or two top-converting keywords to your business name means you can have a keyword-rich Google Business Profile.

An example of this would be to add a unique brand modifier to your name. This could be ‘Tarquin Heating and Air Conditioning’ as opposed to ‘Toronto Heating and Air Conditioning’. 

An oldie, but a goodie… do not do this! 

Tip 6: Online Reputation Is Crucial for Brand

Your brand reputation shows potential customers how well you do business, and reflects your brand as a whole. That’s why reviews are critical for brand, and something you really shouldn’t ignore.

Getting new, regular Google reviews is a ranking factor, and according to the 2025 Local Consumer Review Survey, 27% of consumers would use a business if they can see new reviews from the past month.

So, while you don’t have full control over your Google reviews, you can control how you manage your reputation. Whether that’s responding kindly to a negative review, responding with gratitude for positive reviews, or asking your customers to leave a review for you, reputation can help build trust and conversions. 

All in all, brand-building isn’t a quick SEO fix. It’s a strategic, long-term investment that pays off in trust, engagement, and higher-quality traffic. Having a strong brand will impact the way potential customers perceive you, remember you, and engage with you. 

If you need help building your brand, get in touch with our local SEO services team to discover how we can support your goals. 

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter five of ‘Part 3: Retention & Growth’. 

What’s that? Google has put out another algorithm update. It’s OK, you’ve not been doing anything dodgy with any of your clients. You know the local search algorithm inside out. Nothing bad will have ha… wait, what’s that? Your best-performing client’s visibility has suddenly tanked? That can’t be right. Why is your phone ringing incessantly? Why is that email in all caps? What are you going to do?

Ok, that may be a bit of an extreme example, as things like this shouldn’t come as a surprise. But the truth is there’s no guarantee that an algorithm update won’t affect one of your clients. On some occasions, they may have done absolutely nothing wrong, but Google has decided that someone else has done something better, and this update has surfaced their content in place of yours.

Another example is when they add something to the algorithm, like changing how opening hours affect local rankings.

So having a process in place to respond to one of these situations is important. We’ve talked to a number of experts from across the local search industry to find out how they react when one of their clients has potentially been affected by an algorithm update.

Algorithm Response Plans from the Experts

We asked each local search expert “Google has launched (yet another) algorithm update. Your client’s been affected. What do you do?”. You’ll find their answers below.

"It should not be a surprise, but the first step is understanding what’s been hit and how it affects the business."

Tim Capper, Owner at Online Ownership

First off, this shouldn’t be a surprise. You should have seen the signs if you’re doing local SEO properly. Algorithm shifts rarely come out of nowhere, and clients should already have been prepped for possible turbulence.

Now, let me drop an old-school truth bomb: overreliance on automated “pretty” reporting instead of manual reporting here is what’s happening. And what I see happening probably landed you here in the first place. That’s why I prioritise manual, insight and “gut” driven reporting, focusing on what matters and what’s next rather than just painting a rosy (or panic-inducing) picture.

If you’re paying attention, you should already have seen early indicators, small but telling fluctuations in site performance, sections behaving oddly, or ranking inconsistencies. These “niggles” may not have a clear cause at the time, but they’re worth flagging. That’s why reporting should be proactive, not reactive. 

But now, here we are: algorithm update, impact, damage assessment.

The first step is understanding what’s been hit and how it affects the business. Sometimes, when you step back from the numbers and analyse the business’s core strengths and market positioning, the reality isn’t as dire as it first seems. Is it just this client’s business or all businesses within the same vertical mirroring this impact? 

Next, look at the type of update and what the SEO community is uncovering. Is there a clear recovery path? Can we adjust and bounce back, or is a fundamental rethink needed? 

And finally—be honest. If you don’t know exactly why the algorithm hit a particular site, don’t bluff. Say it straight: “This is new; I need to dig deeper, form a theory, test small, refine, and either roll back or roll out.” That’s how SEO should be done—not knee-jerk reactions, but thoughtful, calculated responses.

Algorithm updates will keep coming. The difference is whether you’re waiting to react or already anticipating the shift.

"As soon as you have that early context, the key is communication."

Rachel Ellen, Local Search Strategist at Croud

Firstly, don’t panic! Before rushing to react, calmly assess the situation by gathering insight from Google Search Console, Google Business Profile (GBP) insights, or other analytics. Data should give you a better idea of the scope of the problem if it’s affecting your client, and if so, how severely. Consider and observe how competitors and the wider industry have been impacted, too, as this helps paint the bigger picture. Look to the wider SEO community. Usually, there’s lots of early chatter that gives an idea of how big an update it’s been and who the early winners and losers might be.

As soon as you have that early context, the key is early communication. In an ideal world, you’ll get to your clients before they come to you. If they open up their email to find early comms or a call invite offering an update, this shows proactivity and instant reassurance that whatever has happened, they are in good hands. If they do come to you first, acknowledge their concerns, but reassure them that volatility is completely normal and that updates can take time to settle. Explain that you’re on the case and will come back promptly with clarity and a plan of action if needed.

From here, it’s good practice to spend some time validating the accuracy and optimization status of your client’s GBPs (including your reviews), their on-site EEAT signals, and their technical health, such as indexing or site-speed issues.

As said, updates can often take a good few weeks to settle, so it’s wise to closely track rankings and traffic patterns during this time. It may well be that things recover quickly, in which case—hurrah! You can update your client accordingly, and concentrate on reinforcing what’s working.  If it’s not so good news, prioritize time for deeper investigation, focusing on identifying content gaps, technical issues, or shifts in user intent.

In a nutshell, when an algo update hits, establishing context is key. Keep clients informed, stick to best practices, and avoid any reactionary moves. If you’ve prioritized quality and trust, you are far more likely to stay ahead.

"Our strategy to troubleshoot rankings post-algorithm update begins with a simple look at the current search results and weighing the top-ranking pages against our own."

Steve Wiideman, Owner at Wiideman Consulting Group

Too often, agencies and clients alike immediately jump to the conclusion that an algorithm update was the cause of any sudden drop in organic traffic or visibility. I think it’s important in any SEO effort that we start by following the same action plan as we would had there not been an algorithm update, but seen a drop in organic traffic. 

Before we dive in, we always want to reassure our clients that in general search engines are very forgiving if we break and need to restore content or attributes that have supported growth. We also want to remind our clients that user signals, and being the final destination users prefer to go to, are more important than content and links alone. Therefore, if fresh search results yield lower click-through rates, our listings will naturally rise back to the top over a few weeks as the search engine figures out that these new results weren’t very helpful. 

Our initial plan includes:

1. Running a full crawl of the website using whatever industry tools are at your disposal. We prefer Ryte due to its robust feature set and detailed insights. However, Screaming Frog, SEMRush, or SiteBulb would be a good runner-up. We’re looking for crawling and indexing issues. You wouldn’t believe how often we see development servers deploy to production with a Disallow: / in the robots.txt file.

2. Look for content changes at the site level, such as the replacement of heading tags with span tags, and the removal or programmatic replacement of titles, descriptions, and other metadata. Modifications of structured markup, XML sitemaps, and internal links. All of these can raise an eyebrow with Google and other search engines, which when made during an algorithm update have been known to emulate the “shaking of the Etch A Sketch,” almost like starting over with page-scoring. Best not to make updates during algorithm updates.

3. Navigate to Google Search Console and run a before and after comparison from the date of the drop-off, sorting by Click Difference first, then by Impression Difference. What types of pages lost clicks and impressions? Transactional, commercial, or perhaps both?

4. Lastly, we’ll look at spam and negative SEO, starting with new incoming links available in AHREFS and other link analysis tools. I’ll analyze the anchor text of recent links to see if competitors decided to fool Google into thinking our client was attempting to manipulate search results. If I don’t see a pattern, I’ll filter redirecting links to see if a competitor is attempting to force Google into thinking our pages are temporary using a 302 redirect, which often sends our listings into the dreaded Omitted Results. If I see a high spike in Google Search Console, despite conversion and traffic being down, it’s possible that a competitor is attempting to fool Google into thinking our client is manipulating search behaviors.

Once we have the all-clear from these four areas, only THEN do we look at the change in traffic being potentially caused by an algorithm update.

Our strategy to troubleshoot rankings post-algorithm update begins with a simple look at the current search results and weighing the top-ranking pages against our own. Here is a breakdown of these steps:

1. Based on the most affected pages, choose the top 3 to start with.
2. Run a search for the keywords for which the pages lost the most clicks and isolate the top 3 competitors.
3. Using a Google Sheet (or other workbook software), create a row for each SEO focal point to compare and columns for our client’s site and the top three competitors.
4. Fields might include File Name (pizza.html), Title, Meta Description, H1, Incoming Links, Internal Links, AI score, web vitals scores, image names and alt attributes, use of video, maps, reviews, etc.
5. Run a survey and ask participants which of two pages (your client’s vs one competitor at a time) is the most helpful and why.

Once completed, it’s a great idea to pow-wow with the team and break down the differences in your client’s page versus the competition. Sometimes, we learn right away what likely caused the drop in rankings. For example, after the “Medic Update,” we noticed Healthline’s survival and found a small Fact-Checked badge our client didn’t offer. Less than a month after testing and adding the badge ourselves, we saw nearly instant recovery.

If this becomes the case, no further testing should be required. However, if the team is still scratching their heads, run the other two competitors through this sequence until the problem becomes obvious. 

Reverse-engineering new search results after an update is by far the easiest and fastest way to identify what we believe Google suddenly cares about, and often enough, what they don’t. If, after all the testing and reverse-engineering, the problem still isn’t resolved, return to this page and find an expert (or experts) you would like to reach out to for their personal opinion or, if necessary, an audit. In most cases, traffic and visibility returns on it’s own within a few weeks, so if it’s possible, get buy-in to hold off on any immediate changes until the dust settles.

" I assess whether our clients are actually affected by the update."

Elizabeth Rule, SEO Analyst + Account Manager at Sterling Sky

First and foremost, I assess whether our clients are actually affected by the update, which can take several weeks, sometimes even a month or two, to determine.

For example, the Diversity Update that began rolling out in August 2024 didn’t show its full impact on our clients’ organic traffic until November and December. Because of this delay, we didn’t communicate any major findings to clients until we had concrete data, which was about two months post-update.

Once we’ve confirmed whether a client has been affected, and to what extent, we move into action planning. This includes developing strategies to recover lost rankings or traffic if necessary, or identifying opportunities if performance has improved (since not all updates are negative).

Communication is tailored based on the client’s level of SEO awareness and involvement. For clients who are highly engaged in SEO and likely to follow industry news, I’ll often reach out proactively when an update is announced, knowing they’ll want to discuss it. For others who are less SEO-savvy or are busy running their business day-to-day, we typically wait until we have meaningful insights and a clear plan before reaching out.

When a client raises concerns directly, we’re always transparent. We share where we are in the analysis process, what early signals we’re seeing, and what actions (if any) we’re taking on their website or Google Business Profile (GBP).

"Analyze competitor movements to understand if this is an industry-wide shift or specific to your client."

Myriam Jessier, Fractional SEO + Trainer at PRAGM

When a client’s local SEO performance takes a hit after a Google algorithm update, here’s my actionable framework for agencies to effectively manage the situation:

Immediate Response Plan

1. Assess, Don’t Panic

Don’t rush into making changes during the update rollout. Algorithm updates take time to settle, and what looks like a disaster on day two might stabilize by week three. Document the current rankings and performance metrics to establish a clear baseline for comparison.

2. Research the Specific Update

Each algorithm update targets different aspects. Identify what this particular update focuses on—whether it’s content quality, local engagement metrics, review management, or technical factors. Cross-reference the timing of ranking drops with the update rollout to confirm causation.

Sometimes, it’s not algorithmic but a problem client or agency side that caused the issue and you waste time searching for a needle in a Google update haystack. 

3. Strategic Client Communication

Contact the client proactively before they come to you in panic mode. Be transparent but reassuring – explain that fluctuations are normal, you’re monitoring the situation, and have a structured process for assessment and action.

Detailed Analysis Phase

1. Targeted Performance Audit

Use geo-grid rank tracking to identify precisely where and how rankings have shifted across neighborhoods or service areas.

• Are the ranking variations within the same city as expected?
• This helps you review things such as content, listings, etc. for specific neighborhoods—for example, Le Plateau in Montreal is famous for having many recent French immigrants, so keywords and content can’t be the same as for the rest of the town. 
• Find areas where your client has low visibility but could expand. 
• When an algorithm update hits, geo-grid tracking helps agencies to see if the effects are uniform across the entire service area, or if they’re localized to specific regions. This makes things more actionable for you as an agency. 

Analyze competitor movements to understand if this is an industry-wide shift or specific to your client. Check Google Trends to see if whatever you are ranking for is no longer trending.

Some industries like plumbing may have seasonal peaks, while others may simply be evolving (such as fitness coaches specialized in specific training programs). 

2. Identify Pattern-Based Impacts

Look for patterns in affected keywords, content types, or business categories. This helps pinpoint which aspects of the algorithm update are most relevant to your client’s situation. If you can’t find the red thread, chances are, it’s a bigger problem than a local SEO issue.

3. Local Listing Integrity Check

Verify all local listings for accuracy, consistency, and compliance with Google’s latest guidelines. Listing quality and verification standards have become increasingly stringent and your client may not be aware of that.

Recovery Strategy Implementation

1. Prioritize Google Business Profile Optimization

Update categories, attributes, and service offerings to align with current search intent patterns.

2. Enhance Local Content Relevance

Create or optimize hyperlocal content that demonstrates genuine community engagement. 

3. Review Management Recalibration

Implement a systematic approach to review generation and management if you haven’t already. Focus on genuine customer engagement rather than volume. If possible, try to establish a review scheme that matches other ones in the area.

4. Technical Local SEO Refinements

Review that structured data to make sure you avoid nightmares like this one. 

Client Retention Best Practices

1. Education Over Reassurance

Position your agency as a strategic partner by educating clients about the nature of algorithm updates. You could have a short newsletter that goes out or a phone call to help them understand that updates are here for a reason: to reward businesses that do things right… but sometimes, they do temporarily miss the mark and correct the course later. 

2. Implement Regular Algorithm Resilience Checks

Don’t wait for the next update. Establish quarterly reviews of local SEO fundamentals to ensure ongoing compliance with Google’s evolution.

3. Set Realistic Recovery Timelines

Be honest about recovery expectations. Major shifts can take two to three months to fully stabilize, if not more. Outline specific milestones to track progress and keep clients engaged in the process.

Successful local SEO agencies don’t just react to algorithm updates–they anticipate them by consistently aligning with Google’s fundamental goal: connecting users with the most relevant local businesses that genuinely meet their needs.

Communicate, don’t panic, and do your research

So there we have it. A thorough run down of how you can respond when the chips are down. The key to retaining your clients is through strong communication. This communication starts before the problem arises. A strong relationship that’s based on trust and education can do a lot to help when things get trickier.

Then, don’t panic. Remember that algorithm updates often take weeks to actually finish rolling out. Do some proper research of your own. Check whether traffic is actually down alongside rankings. See what the industry is saying. Work out whether the client has even been affected by an algorithm update. It could be something seasonal.

Then, once you’ve done all that research you can get a plan together. All the while, communicating what you’re doing to your client.

That’s where service area pages (SAPs) step in. They help service area businesses (SABs) appear for those region-specific searches without a brick-and-mortar location. SAPs act like local landing pages, spotlighting a business’s offerings in targeted cities, neighborhoods, or zip codes. BrightLocal’s Local SEO Handbook will guide you through the nuances of creating effective service area pages for local businesses that serve areas, not standalone locations.

We’ve tailored this resource for small-to-medium businesses eager to improve their presence in local search and appear more frequently in Google’s local results. Let’s get started with the basics: why do these pages even matter for service area businesses in the first place?

What Are Service Area Pages (SAPs)?

A service area page, or SAP, is a specific page on your website highlighting services for a defined geographic area. For instance, a plumber might craft a page titled “Emergency Plumbing in San Diego” to speak directly to residents in San Diego. Or an HVAC business might have “AC Repair in Scottsdale” to show users that it can travel there. Each SAP is a mini local landing page with details that address the unique needs of that location’s homeowners or businesses.

SAPs vs. Location Pages

Location pages often focus on an address where customers walk in, like a restaurant or a retail shop. SAPs, on the other hand, target professionals who drive out to serve customers. The plumber or HVAC expert may have a home-based headquarters or a small office, yet they travel all around a region. While both page types revolve around local searches, SAPs revolve around how a traveling business supports a region, not how a customer visits a store.

Why Service Area Pages Matter

No Physical Storefront, but Still Local

Many local businesses serve their customers at their homes, their businesses, or elsewhere. They go to their customers, not the other way around. There’s no busy store where the customer visits a check-out counter. These businesses drive to the site and complete the job there.

Traditional local SEO advice heavily features location pages meant for brick-and-mortar shops, but that concept isn’t a perfect fit for mobile teams. SAPs help to bridge that gap, giving businesses a digital foothold in the areas they cover without the need to list a physical building for each region.

Google’s Approach to SABs

Google treats SABs differently in Google Business Profiles (GBP). A service area business listing might hide the physical address and mention a service area radius, while a sit-down restaurant openly displays its physical address. SAPs give search engines the clarity they crave, showcasing the exact local content relevant to each region. That helps Google connect user searches like “emergency plumbing in Mesa” to the right business.

Building Topical Authority

Well organized SAPs expand a company’s local footprint beyond just having a GBP for potential customers to find in Google Maps or a local pack that pops up during a Google search.

Think of an HVAC provider that services four cities around Dallas. Without separate pages, the website might struggle to appear for searches in Fort Worth, Arlington, or Garland. With dedicated pages for each service area, the site signals to Google that it’s an authority in all these localities. This approach is particularly helpful for home service businesses that want more calls from users across different towns.

A Boost in Local Rankings

SABs often wonder why they don’t rank in the local 3-pack for certain cities, even if they do a lot of work there. Google’s local pack tends to favor businesses with addresses in that city, so if you’re an HVAC company based in Irving, you might not show up in the pack for Dallas queries.

Strong SAPs can potentially increase your visibility in organic results beneath that local pack. Combined with best practices for Google Business Profile, these pages improve your presence across multiple local searches.

Google Business Profile for Service Area Businesses

Read more

Who Needs SAPs?

Not every business needs a physical storefront to succeed, but every service-based business needs visibility in local search results. Service area pages are designed to help businesses that travel to customers or provide services at multiple locations without a fixed address.

Home Service Businesses

Businesses that travel to residential or commercial locations to perform installations, repairs, and maintenance services, such:

• Plumbers: Responding to emergency pipe bursts, leaks, and installations in different neighborhoods.
• Electricians: Wiring new homes, troubleshooting electrical issues, and upgrading panels on-site.
• Roofers: Handling roof inspections, storm damage repairs, and full replacements across multiple cities.
• HVAC technicians: Providing heating and cooling solutions tailored to local climate conditions.

Local SEO Tips for HVAC Businesses

Read more

Mobile Businesses

Professionals who operate on a mobile basis bring their services directly to customers, like:

• Locksmiths: Offering emergency lockout services, key duplication, and security upgrades on location.
• Mobile car detailing: Cleaning and restoring vehicles at customers’s homes, workplaces, or parking lots.
• Pet groomers: Serving pet owners who prefer at-home grooming services over salon visits.

Professional Services

Consultants and specialists who serve multiple locations without maintaining physical offices in each one, such as:

• Real estate agents: Representing buyers and sellers across different cities or neighborhoods.
• Mortgage brokers: Assisting clients with financing options tailored to their location and market conditions.
• Business consultants: Working with small businesses and startups in multiple metro areas.

Local SEO for Real Estate Businesses

Read more

Event-Based Businesses

Businesses that travel to venues, private properties, or event spaces for bookings and client engagements, like:

• Caterers: Providing custom menus and food services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties.
• Photographers: Capturing special moments at various locations, from engagement shoots to business headshots.
• Wedding planners: Coordinating logistics, vendors, and venues across different cities.

SAPs aren’t just about expanding search visibility. They help businesses establish credibility in multiple markets. Potential customers who see a business actively serving their area are more likely to reach out and book services. Without SAPs, service-based businesses risk losing potential customers who rely on local search to find reliable providers.

Google’s Perspective on Service Areas

Google’s guidelines for SAB listings mention radius-based coverage or city-by-city coverage for GBP profiles. They discourage listing addresses if customers do not visit that address. Creating SAPs that reflect your actual coverage areas complements those guidelines and clarifies your presence to both search engines and real people.

Why Service Area Pages Are Essential for Local SEO

A single office location won’t always help you rank for outlying areas. If a plumber in Chicago also serves nearby suburbs like Naperville, Oak Park, and Evanston, dedicated SAPs for those suburbs might let them tap into the local queries posted by homeowners outside city limits.

This strategy doesn’t violate Google’s rules when done correctly. It positions your brand as relevant for each specific suburb.

Heightened Relevance for Targeted Searches

Consumers often type queries like “AC repair near me.” If your site only references an address in Downtown Denver, the family in Boulder might not see you in their search results. SAPs with localized wording—like “AC Repair Services in Boulder”—help search engines connect the dots. You’ll start to show up for that narrower phrase and improve your presence for distinct neighborhoods, too.

Enhanced User Experience and Conversions

A homeowner wants to see that you know the local area. SAPs can mention local building codes or typical weather patterns, which fosters trust and helps visitors feel you truly serve them, not random addresses three hours away.

You can also highlight local reviews from their community, making the page feel specifically tailored to them. This approach increases your chances of turning a site visitor into a paying customer.

Standing Your Ground Against Directories

Search results for plumbers or HVAC pros often feature Yelp, HomeAdvisor, or Angi directories. Building well optimized SAPs on your domain can help you outrank these massive directories, so potential leads call you or fill out a form on your site, and not someone else’s platform. That means you capture direct leads rather than competing with ten other pros in the same directory listing.

How to Structure a High-Performing Service Area Page

Now, let’s walk you through creating a user-friendly and search-friendly SAP step by step. These tips will help to keep your pages purposeful and give you an idea of what to do when creating service area pages, no matter your business niche.

Target a Specific Area

No cookie-cutter approach. One big slip-up is to copy a single city page and swap out the name for “Memphis,” “Nashville,” or “Knoxville.” That’s stale and frowned upon. Speak about genuine local elements.

Let’s say your plumbing page for Midtown Memphis includes a few sentences about older historic homes that often have galvanized pipes. Or your HVAC page for a suburban Nashville community references typical humidity concerns with that local climate. This approach keeps the content unique while showcasing your familiarity with that area.

SEO-Friendly Page Title and Meta Description

Titles should incorporate the primary keyword, region name, and a unique highlight. For instance, “Dependable Plumbing Services in Eugene, OR | 24-Hour Emergency Help.” That pattern covers your main service (plumbing) plus the city (Eugene), plus a quick pitch or CTA (24-Hour Emergency Help).

Meta descriptions should be short, direct, and enticing. Something like: “Need fast repairs for your Eugene home? Our licensed plumbers handle drain cleaning, water heater installs, and more. Call us anytime.”

Engaging Header with Location Mention

Your header might say: “Reliable HVAC Tune-Ups in Pensacola – Quick Response & Fair Prices.” Keep it direct, include the location, and reflect a quick benefit. Lower-level headings (H2, H3) can be used for subtopics like “Top AC Problems in Pensacola” or “Why Pensacola Homeowners Trust Us.” This structure makes your content scannable and more welcoming to search engines.

Localized Content and City-Specific Insight

Here’s where you include neighborhood references, local events, or geographic quirks. For example, an HVAC page could mention the typical humidity levels in Mobile that stress AC systems. Or a plumber’s page for Colorado Springs might discuss freeze-thaw cycles in winter. This type of local detail signals authenticity to your audience and Google.

Services Offered in That Area

People might ask, “Does this plumber handle gas line repairs, or is that not part of their skill set?” Or “Does this HVAC tech handle commercial rooftop units, or only residential?” List all services you offer in that region. Here are some examples:

• Plumbing examples:
  • Drain cleaning
  • Leak detection
  • Sewer line replacement

• HVAC examples:
  • AC installation
  • Furnace repair
  • Indoor air quality audits

Separate them into short bullet points so visitors can quickly spot the needed service.

Google Map Embed

An embedded map illustrates the radius you serve or outline the neighborhoods you cover. Some prefer to embed a map showing the general region or your main office with an overlay of the broader service territory. Google’s guidelines for SABs allow for a pinned map if you have an office, but if you operate from a private residence, you might show just a wide coverage area.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials from That Area

Nothing beats actual feedback from a neighbor. Insert short quotes from a local satisfied client. If your plumber page is for Glendale, maybe you can quote “Sarah in Glendale,” who praises your quick response on a Saturday night. The more local the mention, the stronger the trust. Photos of local homes or a short mention of a well-known Glendale landmark can add flavor. This is also an ideal spot to show star ratings or badges (like a 4.8/5 rating from local homeowners).

Internal Links and Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Direct users deeper into your site. If your site has a main “Residential HVAC Services” page or a “Commercial Plumbing Services” page, link it here. Provide a link to your Google Business Profile for that region if it exists. Wrap up the page with a direct CTA. “Request Your Free Quote in Glendale Today” or “Call Now for Fast AC Repairs in Pensacola.” Make it easy and compelling.

FAQs Section

Folks often have questions about pricing, scheduling, or service details. Adding a short FAQ block not only helps SEO but it boosts conversions. You might see queries such as:

• “How soon can you reach my home in Glendale?”
• “Do you offer same-day plumbing for broken pipes?”
• “Can you handle older AC systems in downtown Pensacola?”

Address them in plain language. That helps anxious customers get quick answers and fosters a sense of trust.

Schema Markup for Local SEO

Schema helps search engines interpret your page more accurately. You can integrate LocalBusiness or Service markup for your service area page by specifying your business name, phone number, and location details. This isn’t always mandatory but can supply extra clarity, potentially boosting the page’s search performance. If you have multiple SAPs, consistent schema usage across them can unify your local SEO signals.

Schema for Local SEO + Templates

Read more

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Service Area Pages

Thin or Duplicate Content

One of the worst pitfalls is a set of pages that swap out city names but keep everything else identical. Imagine a scenario where your site has 15 near-identical plumbing pages, each saying, “We fix water heaters in [City], call us!” That pattern gets flagged by Google’s quality systems as unhelpful. Each city or region page must feature distinct content, references to local conditions, local rules, or unique case studies. If the page is just filler text, it does more harm than good.

Keyword Stuffing

Have you ever read a page that says, “Need a plumber in Austin? Our plumber in Austin is the top plumber in Austin who can fix anything in Austin.” That’s unnatural and spammy. Instead, use the city name in headings, once or twice in the body, and maybe once in the CTA. Pepper in synonyms or references to neighborhoods. That approach flows better for the reader and avoids looking forced.

Overloading with Service Areas

Some businesses try to create hundreds of pages for every neighborhood in a large metro or 30 near-duplicate pages for every zip code in a 10-mile zone. This approach can produce “doorway pages,” which Google discourages. Stick to your main coverage zones that bring real business. If you truly serve a wide region, group some areas logically rather than listing each tiny corner with a separate page. Quality trumps quantity every time.

Missing Trust Signals

Few things scare away a homeowner faster than a generic page with no proof that you’re reliable. If you’re an HVAC brand licensed and insured in the state, mention it. If the local chamber of commerce recognizes your plumbing services, note that membership. Show relevant badges or partnerships. Then, add testimonials from real clients. People want proof that you’re a legitimate business, not a random fly-by-night outfit.

How to Measure the Success of Your Service Area Pages

Google Search Console (GSC) Performance

Check how your SAPs perform by looking at queries containing that city or region name. If your plumber page for Glendale references “emergency plumbing Glendale,” see if GSC data shows impressions and clicks for that phrase. Monitor the average position, click-through rate, and total clicks. A rising graph suggests your SAP is resonating with local queries.

GA4 Engagement Metrics

Open GA4 and see user behavior on each SAP. Are they sticking around or bouncing? Did they fill out a contact form or click a phone number link? This info tells you how well the content is holding visitors’ attention. If the time on the page is high and the bounce rate is low, that’s a promising sign that the page is helpful.

GBP Insights

If you have a dedicated GBP listing that targets a certain region (some businesses manage multiple listings if they truly have distinct offices, though many SABs only have one), see if impressions or calls from that territory are climbing. This approach helps you see whether better local SEO translates into real leads.

Local SERP Rankings

Some rely on rank-tracking tools such as BrightLocal or Semrush to monitor positions for local keywords. You can track “water heater repair Glendale,” “drain cleaning Glendale,” and “AC repair Glendale,” and see how your SAP pages climb over time. While ranking alone isn’t the end goal, it’s a sign you’re capturing more local interest.

Drive More Leads and Visibility with Optimized Service Area Pages

Service area pages aren’t a quick content or local SEO hack. They’re a genuine strategy for building local authority. As you plan or refine your SAPs, ask yourself: “Would a homeowner or business in this city find this page truly helpful?” If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track. Keep each page unique, highlight relevant information, and track your progress using GSC, GA4, and rank-monitoring tools. Over time, you’ll see more site visitors, calls, and local leads booking your service area business.

That’s the power of optimized service area pages. They draw in the right people and show them you’re the local pro they can trust. Put these tips into practice, and watch your business thrive in every corner of your region.

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter four of ‘Part 3: Retention & Growth’. 

In an increasingly competitive SEO world, client retention is becoming more important than ever. According to a recent Sparktoro survey of over 600 agencies and freelancers, a majority are reporting that their biggest challenge is their sales pipeline and new client acquisition. That means every client lost is going to have a bigger impact on agencies that plan to grow.

So, how can you improve SEO client retention? Well, as a previous freelancer and current agency owner who’s worked in the industry for over a decade, I’m going to share some of the biggest complaints I hear from business owners and what you can do to stand out in such a competitive market. Apply these not-so-common-sense principles, and I’m confident any freelancer or agency will not only retain clients longer but probably close more new business, too.

What is value beyond deliverables?

I’ve talked to a lot of business owners who have worked with SEO companies. In fact, on the GBP Help Community, where I volunteer as a Product Expert, I spoke to nearly 1,000 business owners in 2024 alone.

One benefit of this is it allows me to get a pretty good pulse on the industry and how business owners describe their problems (which I then, of course, incorporate into how I describe solutions). And if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, agency reputation is not at a high point among business owners, to say the least.

In my experience, many business owners are unimpressed with digital marketing agencies (generally speaking here). And aside from the obvious horror stories, I think there’s a fundamental disconnect between what clients hope to get and what they actually receive—even from the “good” agencies!

Let’s look at some noteworthy findings from the Sparktoro survey I mentioned. They report some pretty staggering numbers…

When agencies were asked what they expect their biggest challenge to be over the next year:

• 70% of respondents said new business sales.
• Nearly 40% said existing client retention.

When asked how they feel about the current state of the agency world:

• 44% said, “It’s a struggle right now.” 
• Just 10% said it’s “healthy.”
  

So what’s behind all of this? Why is it so hard to sell? And why do so many agencies think it’s a struggle right now?

It’s certainly not because businesses are spending less on digital marketing. Various reports suggest strong growth in digital spending in 2024, and digital marketing investments are projected to continue growing over 10% YoY and will be a $1 trillion industry by 2030.

I’ll tell you why most agencies find it hard to sell right now: the market isn’t seeing enough value from most agencies. Duh!

One problem I see frequently is that agencies try to “sell” the value of digital marketing, in general, rather than selling the value of themselves. And given the enormous worldwide investments in digital marketing, I don’t think anyone needs to be sold on the value of ranking on Google. It’s not 2001, people!

We’re at a time in the industry of nearly complete adoption. It’s akin to Apple trying to sell the value of cell phones. If that was their only value prop, I’m sure it would be a struggle for them, too.

This brings to mind a client who fired their previous agency even though the agency was producing great results.

The deliverables were there, the performance was there, and in fact the price was cheap too. Yet, the client wasn’t happy.

For this particular client, it came down to “soft deliverables” – mainly communication and basic customer service. They also had a hard time connecting the dots between their marketing performance and what the agency was actually doing (and the ROI of it all).

They were fully aware of the value of SEO and how important it was for their business. Nobody had to convince them of how important it was, nor did they need to be convinced they ranked well for some valuable keywords.

What they told me is that actually SEO gains were not a motivating factor for seeking change – that they were more concerned about understanding SEO, ROI, and digital marketing strategies.

So, with that in mind, if I had presented them with a pitch focused on the value of SEO and how I deliver SEO results, I’m sure it wouldn’t have been very meaningful for them.

Instead, my proposal focused on partnership, customer service, communication flexibility, meeting flexibility, how I could adapt to their operating style, what my work entails, and how my work ties directly to their bottom line. 

Rather than selling results, I was selling how I could tie my role to results (any results – good or bad).

They ended up closing on a deal that was priced 4x their previous agency – and they’re still one of my happiest clients. They’ve even referred multiple new clients.

I have a similar anecdote: I had another client who, after having strong SEO results, referred another business to me. I wasn’t surprised, given the campaign’s success, but what was surprising is what I learned from the new prospect: the client never even mentioned performance to the referral.

My client told this referral that the communication made it worth every penny and more.

And this was after he had worked with several marketing agencies for over the past 10 years.

I don’t believe these are flukes, either. I regularly hear complaints that clients feel neglected, they don’t understand where their money is going, that their strategy seems generic, they don’t fully grasp what agencies do for them, and they aren’t getting what they thought they were buying.

So, how can you counter these common pain points and stand out?

5 Tips to Close More Deals and Keep Clients Longer

1. Being a Partner vs Vendor

In my experience, most clients aren’t looking for a task rabbit. Many don’t even understand this stuff (that’s why they are looking for a partner). They don’t know what tasks need to be done, which ones will pay off, what’s the best fit for their business, and most importantly, what they mean to their bottom line. 

What I see is they are looking for a trusted expert to guide them on the best path forward and explain how things work, why it will work for them specifically, and how to measure the ROI of it all.

Having worked for agencies and as a customer of agencies when I was in-house, I’ve noticed that many operate more like vendors than partners. Whether it’s rate cards, packages galore, or templated reports and dashboards, it seems more like a product than a service—and I don’t think clients are looking for a product. At least mine aren’t.

Because of this, I tend to spend a lot more time one-on-one with clients. Is that scalable? No. However, customer service can retain a client through difficulty.

Vice versa? Not so much.

That’s why partnership and customer-centric values are top priorities in how I do business, particularly when most of my clients are doing local SEO. I know that local businesses meet their customers face-to-face, day in and day out, so weak customer service from me won’t be acceptable.

So, instead of selling effort and deliverables, I sell partnership (which just happens to include some deliverables).

Which brings me to my next point.

2. Stop Selling Deliverables

Aside from selling the value of digital marketing, another common problem is selling deliverables. According to a different agency survey from BrightLocal, over 50% of agencies said that their billing structure is based on deliverables.

Usually it looks like something like this:

• One blog per month
• One backlink per month
• Four GBP business posts per month
• And so on

Sound familiar? 

It’s worth considering that, at a time when most agencies are reporting trouble with their sales pipeline, most are also billing clients based on deliverables.

While this might be a case of correlation rather than causation, there are definitely a few issues with this approach:

1. Clients Aren’t in the Market For it

When was the last time you heard this from a potential lead: “Hi, um, so I’m looking for one blog per month, one backlink per month, and four GBP posts per month. Do you have any in stock?”

Right… so why do we sell this? In my experience, clients don’t know what that stuff is, but if it gets them more customers: “then sure?” And that’s a best-case response!

2. It Commoditizes SEO

If SEO is one blog per month, one backlink, or whatever, then why don’t they just go with the next agency that provides that stuff for less?

3. It Ties Your Work to Tasks

That means if those tasks don’t get done, then they aren’t getting what they paid for. So if calls are up 60% YoY, that doesn’t really mean anything if you didn’t deliver your deliverable (aka, that blog).

4. Your Work is Always Aligned Toward Meeting Deliverables Rather Than Clients’ Real Goals

That sets you up for a client who doesn’t see real value in your work because those deliverables were never their real objective to begin with.

I’ve learned this the hard way. It’s pretty frustrating when you’re producing results for a client, yet they’re unhappy because a blog wasn’t completed on time! 

I know some might argue that operational structure can prevent the issue of missing deliverables, but my point is that it’s actually quite telling if a client sees a blog deliverable as more important than calls. Clearly, they aren’t attributing my work to the call increase! 

And that’s a big problem, which brings me to my next point.

How to Create Better Local SEO Proposals

Learn More

3. Vanity Metrics vs KPIs

The same BrightLocal survey found that the most common challenge clients bring to agencies is revenue not meeting expectations. 

Interestingly, “needing one blog per month” didn’t make the list… but I digress.

Aside from undervaluing deliverables, clients also undervalue all sorts of metrics that are important in SEO.

They don’t see value in impressions, traffic, rankings, or any of those metrics (generally speaking). These are all metrics that only matter to marketers.

So unless your client is also a marketer, there really isn’t any value in showcasing it unless it is directly tied to actual KPIs (i.e., calls, sales, etc.). If a client comes to you and says, “Customers can’t find me online,” and you show them a rank tracking report, that actually doesn’t tell them anything about how many more customers found them online.

Let me put it this way: in my previous role, where I worked as an in-house Director of Digital Marketing for a healthcare chain, I reported directly to the CFO. And while I am indeed a marketer who uses all sorts of metrics to perform my job well, I can assure you I wasn’t going to the CFO end-of-year to report how impressions increased by a whopping 300%. CFOs don’t speak that language.

My reports were always tied directly to new business, revenue, and specific attribution year over year, and that’s how I operate with clients as well. While I know impressions and clicks are valuable, my clients simply do not speak that language either.

They speak:

• Phone calls
• Appointments
• qualified leads
• Sales
• Revenue
• ROI

Rankings and traffic are just how you get to the metrics that actually matter.

I know my clients will never see value in a vanity metric, no matter how “up and to the right” or shiny it may look to me or another SEO.

The good news with this approach is you also don’t need to have case-study-level homerun ROI every time. The mere fact that you helped a client implement attribution and tie SEO efforts directly to business outcomes will make your services stand out in a big way! Because that in and of itself is highly valuable, even if performance didn’t end up as strong as you hoped.

4. The Problem With Account Managers

While some clients like account managers, I’ve heard and seen enough of the bad not to have them at my SEO agency.

Don’t get me wrong—some account managers are great! But the term just doesn’t make the most sense in the agency world. It also has a negative connotation for many business owners who are unhappy with agencies (many of whom have account managers).

AMs make perfect sense in the SaaS world, for example. They can help clients make the most of the product and are often a valuable asset since they are experts in it.

That’s the issue I have: in the agency world, clients aren’t looking for a product. Even if digital marketing strategy were a product, then the AM would need to be the person who actually developed and implemented the strategy to be a true expert in that client’s particular “product.” 

Clients generally don’t need to be convinced SEO is valuable, nor are they looking for high-level general concepts and the deliverables involved. They aren’t stupid. They might not completely grasp SEO, but most of them certainly know when they are getting blown smoke. 

In my experience, what they are actually seeking is a deeper understanding of what exactly is the plan for them, why, what’s next, and whether or not they are getting a return from a particular task (or if it’s just a waste of time).

To some marketers, this might come off as needy, hence the solution of handing clients an account manager so the client knows things are getting done and has a person to talk to.

But that won’t fix anything if the “problem” you are trying to solve via an account manager isn’t even the real problem to begin with.

What I’ve heard from a number of business owners is that they have perceived some account managers as a sort of “buffer” between them and the people actually running the strategy and doing the work. Which makes sense… Because that’s exactly what it is (generally speaking).

This all goes along with point #1 above – clients want a partner, not a vendor. Account Managers seem more like a vendor thing. I mean, it’s even just the name… Account Manager.

I think most of my clients would be quite offended if I referred to them as an “account.”

5. Proactivity vs Reactivity

The last place I want to be with a client is when they are wondering where I am or what I’m up to. In fact, I’d prefer they have as little opportunity as possible to reach out to me first. At my agency, we’re always looking for excuses to talk to clients. I know they are less likely to be compelled from a cold outreach if they are in constant contact with me!

For example, we recently noticed an SEO client was trying to post links in their Instagram posts. We don’t work on their social media, nor have we sold it or even intend to. That said, we decided to create a LinkTree for them and give some suggestions on Instagram marketing best practices. It was very quick, easy, and only cost us a few dollars. And those few dollars very well may end up paying off more than we could ever quantify! You never know when an agency might come along and approach my client with, ” Wow, your current provider never told you that!”

Wrapping Up

Selling SEO is becoming more difficult, which means keeping your current clients is more important than ever. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of business, which means freelancers and agencies can continue to grow if they can better understand their customer’s pain points and deliver more value beyond a deliverable. By focusing on customer service, ROI, and communication, agencies can position themselves to stand out in a crowded market and retain clients longer.

Do you know a freelancer or agency struggling right now? Be sure to share, save, or bookmark this page if you’ve found it valuable. That way, we can all help businesses get more back from their SEO investment – which will build a happier & healthier SEO industry for everyone.

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter three of ‘Part 3: Retention & Growth’. 

SEOs are always sharing advice, so if you keep up with newsletters or articles, you’ll be regularly running into something new to try. Whether it’s trying to get your website or businesses included in a new SERP feature, testing out a method to appear in AI Overviews, or even connecting social media posts to SEO strategy. Lots of things are changing, and many SEOs are sharing their insights, testing new strategies, and refining what works in real time.

Clients who like to educate themselves on SEO aren’t ignoring the new information, either. They want to keep up with the times, read about case studies, and see what SEOs with big followings are sharing. There’s nothing wrong with that.

When you’re client-facing, you’ll inevitably have one come to you about a new thing they read about, and they want to know why you haven’t tried this new thing out for them. It causes FOMO (fear of missing out), and whether that new thing is right for them or not, they can make an impulsive decision to do it anyway.

So, how do you cut through the noise and get the client to focus on what really matters? How can you make your point and get the win, both for yourself and the client?

It’s all about education, managing expectations, and preparing for the aftermath if you can’t get the client on board. 

“Shiny new object” syndrome

“Shiny new object syndrome” occurs when businesses jump on new trends without fully evaluating their impact or necessity. With the SERPs and AI changing up the SEO industry on a near-weekly basis, there is a lot more trepidation around what makes for the best approach and a sense of urgency to hop on to the latest new thing someone’s shared. Many companies see a new approach, hear a success story, and assume they must implement it immediately without considering whether it fits their needs.

A great example of this is programmatic SEO (a method that uses automation and technology to create search-engine-optimized web pages at scale). As of December 2024, ChatGPT had 300 million weekly active users worldwide. With the possibility of making things easier, faster, and more efficient, you’ve likely had or will have clients who want to figure out how to use ChatGPT for everything. The popularity of ChatGPT and the allure of programmatic SEO can lead a client to think that just because this technology exists and works for some companies, it can be the perfect opportunity to use this method for creating hundreds of business location pages, for example, at once.

However, just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should. By blindly following the promise of hundreds of local landing pages created instantly that can rank, clients overlook many factors: no consideration of content quality, risks around duplicate content, and the fact they’re likely to be creating a negative experience for their potential customers. The example below from this excellent guide on the pitfalls of programmatic SEO highlights what can happen after the initial short-term gains.

Another example of “shiny new object” syndrome with local business clients is the rush for SEO testing. The client may have seen a recent case study or even read something you’ve published about another client’s results with testing and want to know why they haven’t been given the same plan. But the truth is that they don’t even have their foundation set up in such a way that testing is justified. It could be a brand new site, or there could be a lot of work to be done just redoing the work of the previous agency. 

When clients are showing you other people’s success and recommendations, managing their “shiny new object” syndrome can be overwhelming. You must be prepared to discuss and handle requests for random things like the examples mentioned. 

How to Say No

Saying no to a client’s idea in the best possible way isn’t just about managing the rejection they’ll feel—it’s about guiding them toward a better decision, too. By approaching the conversation with clear explanations, relevant data, and a focus on their long-term success, you can turn a tough conversation into an opportunity for education and trust-building.

Explain

When a client wants to try something new, the best approach is to help them understand whether it’s truly beneficial for their site. Just because a strategy worked for one business doesn’t mean it will work for another.

The industry they operate in, the current state of their website, and the competitiveness of their market all impact whether a tactic will deliver results. A strategy that helped a large eCommerce brand won’t necessarily translate to success for a small local business.

It’s also important to explain the risks. Some trends might bring short-term success but cause long-term damage. For example, a client might see a case study about a website ranking quickly by purchasing many links and assume they should do the same. 

First, you would want to address the case study, social media post, or idea they’ve shown you. Be specific in your approach to debunking its success, and explain that search engines can detect and penalize manipulative link-building tactics. Cite your sources, and if you can find the same source or publication making a debunking argument, then all the better! Google Search documentation is your friend in explaining away any of these spammy tactics they might bring up. 

Educating clients about the potential consequences of trend-chasing helps them make more informed decisions. If you tell them they’ll lose out on money, they aren’t likely to suggest this again. 

Tie it Back to Business Goals

When clients are uncertain, reassurance always comes from connecting SEO efforts to their business goals. A local business’s goals are to drive local traffic, improve leads, and increase revenue. Showing how the current strategy supports those objectives is key. When they push for a trend that doesn’t align with their goals, put things into perspective by comparing the return on investment of their existing plan versus the new idea. Sometimes, the numbers alone are enough to shift their thinking.

Data-driven insights work wonders in these conversations. Instead of simply telling clients that a strategy won’t work for them, showing them performance trends, competitor insights, and past case studies provides concrete evidence. This shifts the discussion from opinion to fact, making it easier to keep it on track.

Reassure

Managing clients is all about proper communication and developing and executing an SEO strategy that actually works. Part of your job is empathy and understanding your client’s situations and requests. Their SEO budget can be everything to them, especially when you’re working with small-to-medium-sized businesses. Every dollar matters, and they are bringing these new ideas to you because they just want to get a return on their investment as soon as possible. 

When discussing this with the client, keep the client’s perspective at the top of your mind. Remind them of the past results you’ve achieved for them and that they have trusted you before to create the best path forward for them. Align yourself with their point of view and match their communication style in your approach. 

What if they insist?

Even with the best explanations, some clients still insist on trying a new trend. Instead of fighting them on it, finding a middle ground can help them see the reality of their choice without risking their entire SEO strategy.

Compromise  

Sometimes, a client just won’t take no for an answer. In these cases, a compromise can be the best way forward. If the new idea isn’t likely to cause harm, framing it as a test allows the client to explore it while maintaining control over the outcome. Setting clear metrics and a defined time period ensures the results are measurable and actionable.

Going back to our programmatic SEO example, if a client insists on this approach for location pages despite you sharing your concerns, testing a small batch of pages first allows for an assessment of performance without making large-scale changes. If the results are positive, adjustments can be made before expanding further. If they are negative, the impact is contained, and the client can see why the approach may not be the best fit.

Let Them See the “Fruits” of Their Labor

If a client is determined to move forward with a risky idea despite your warnings, sometimes the best approach is to let them see the results firsthand. When performance declines or the expected results don’t materialize, presenting this information objectively makes it easier to guide them back to a more effective approach. 

Letting a client fail isn’t necessarily the best approach, but in some extreme cases, it’s the only way for them to understand a trend’s limitations. Instead of debating opinions, the conversation becomes centered on real-world outcomes, making it easier to refocus on proven strategies.

It’s About Educating, Not Just Explaining

By balancing education, expectation management, and strategic compromise, you can help clients navigate the “shiny new object” syndrome. The goal isn’t just for you to say “no” and have the client accept that—a client engaged with your work and industry is always a good thing—instead, it’s to educate clients with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions that drive real results.

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter two of ‘Part 3: Retention & Growth’. 

Whether you’re launching a local SEO strategy for a new client or planning the next quarter for a long-term term one, stakeholder buy-in is essential. For most marketing professionals, at some point in your career, you’ll need to present to executives to gain support for your initiatives.

This is especially important when finalizing marketing budgets or securing resources from other teams within a company. This could be prioritizing web tickets for technical updates or ensuring that content writers will be available to help with on-site optimizations. Gaining support beyond your direct client contact and team, including company executives, is key when SEO efforts require cross-functional collaboration and is a general occurrence when planning programs.

Stakeholder approval is often necessary for timelines, budgets, and resource allocation. These conversations typically happen during quarterly brand reviews (QBRs), annual planning sessions or strategy check-ins focused on “what’s next” or program progress against planned goals. Since time is limited, success depends on effectively communicating SEO’s value, defining key success metrics, and aligning SEO with the company’s broader goals. 

Why Getting Buy-In Is a Key Part of the Process

How can you prepare for a meeting with leadership? It starts with understanding the importance of the conversation ahead. Remember, SEO is an investment for a business that takes resources, time, and often cross-team collaboration to be effective. You may have already worked diligently with your direct client team to put together an SEO strategy focused on meeting all of the established KPIs.

Getting buy-in from key team leaders can be beneficial in a couple of ways:

• Resource allocation: This helps ensure that SEO initiatives have the proper resources for projects, such as developers, content writers, or analytics support.
• Prioritizing updates: This can ensure that SEO-related tasks are prioritized against other marketing initiatives and into workflows such as IT or development backlogs. Often, this can lead to faster implementation of items identified as having a high impact on SEO.
• Cross-team collaboration: Support from leadership can ensure that the SEO team is brought in during projects or planning conversations that might impact organic results, such as making changes to the navigation, content updates, web planning, or UX testing.

Understanding Your Audience

When putting together a pitch or presentation, you must tailor your message to the people you are presenting to. This boils down to understanding what stakeholders and executives care about, often high-level business outcomes, and how SEO contributes to them. Some questions that might come up regarding SEO might include:

• How does the ROI of your SEO program compare to other marketing channels?
• Is organic traffic translating into leads or long-term customers?
• How do we adapt to changes such as Google algorithm updates, LLMs, or AI?
• What risks are there for not investing in SEO?
• Is SEO contributing to revenue growth?

Keep in mind that executives don’t need SEO deep dives. Your main point of contact needs to understand those types of in-the-weeds details.

Instead, when tailoring presentations for executives and stakeholders, remember that they want clear insights on how SEO will help to reach business goals and support growth. Yes, the two audiences are different, making it important to know your audience so that you can anticipate questions and touch on important points in front of them.

Stakeholders & Executives vs. Marketing Teams

For example, stakeholders and executives care about:

• Staying aligned with the market, beating competitors
• Company growth
• Revenue growth
• Efficiency and resource allocation

Defining What Success Looks Like

As a marketer, defining success helps ensure that strategies align with business goals, providing clear metrics to measure performance and ROI. Defining success can help gain stakeholder support by showing how initiatives align with overall company objectives. This sets expectations for the SEO program and shows how projects align to reach the set goals. 

Defining success starts with identifying some of the key metrics that your team will report on. These can include metrics that are reported monthly to the marketing team and KPIs that can relate to the larger goals set out by the company. 

For example, some typical key metrics of an SEO program can include:

• Organic traffic: Sessions, new users, clicks, website visits
• Engagement metrics: Pages per session, engagement rate, engaged sessions, GBP profile actions
• Leads/Conversions: Form fills, free trials, click-to-calls, survey completions, newsletter sign-ups
• Visibility: Impressions, overall keyword rankings, captured SERP features, profile views

Examples of items that may be called out in a presentation to show the scale of projects, but not used as performance measurements, include:

• Number of pages that were optimized or updated.
• Number of net new content written and pushed live.
• Number of web tickets created and resolved.
• Number of broken links fixed on the website.

Understanding Company Goals and Key Objectives

Company goals and key objectives are typically going to be tied to growth, revenue, maximizing ROI, market share, and edging out competition. Depending on your business, this can include driving more website traffic to a specific site section, creating an expansion plan to help with business growth in new markets, or driving more sales/conversions for a specific product or service.

Examples of some company goals can include:

• Increasing online sales for X product by 10% this year. 
• Increase the number of returning customers.
• Opening new locations and increasing visibility in those markets.
• Increase web traffic by X% this year.

Aligning SEO Goals With Company Goals

Once you understand the company goals, it’s important to show how organic efforts can help reach those goals. Tying SEO goals directly to revenue growth and key business objectives can help show the impact on the company’s bottom line, which in turn can make it easier to get buy-in and resources.

Example Goal: Growth In New Markets

The company plans to open up new locations in a market where a top competitor already has a footprint. With this expansion, the company’s goal is to grow business visibility, reach new audiences, increase market share by cutting into competitor’s share, and drive more traffic to the website.

To achieve this goal, the SEO team plans a couple of key initiatives:

• Creating and optimizing local listings such as Google Business Profile to secure top positions in the local pack, grow localized keyword rankings, drive engagement to profiles, and attract branded and non-branded search traffic. 
• Conducting a competitor backlink audit and targeted acquisition strategy will help establish local authority, increase brand visibility where competitors are already listed, and drive referral traffic from local sources.
• Working with web and content teams to develop optimized local landing pages with strong call-to-actions can improve organic rankings, drive additional traffic, and generate leads through on-site form fills.

These initiatives work together to strengthen the company’s local presence in the market, compete effectively, and drive business growth.

Building The Case For SEO

To start the conversation around SEO, there needs to be a clear understanding of what SEO is—and what SEO isn’t. It is critical to explain its role in the marketing mix and how investing in SEO can drive more traffic, capture different audiences within the customer journey, reach new users, increase brand visibility, and support business growth.

Another key point is that, unlike other marketing channels, such as paid, SEO is a long-term strategy and may take time to see the full impact of efforts. Setting these expectations upfront helps navigate discussions around performance impact and timelines. 

When building your case for SEO, it’s important to touch on a few key items:

• Define value and business impact by demonstrating how SEO supports company goals.
• Present a high-level SEO strategy or roadmap focusing on main initiatives and how each project ties back to established company goals. 
• Focus on the big picture rather than getting lost in tactical details.
• Communicate ROI by outlining expected outcomes, explaining KPIs, and showing how success will be measured. 
• Be transparent about the resources and budget required for specific initiatives, clearly explaining why they are necessary and how they will be used. Executives will want to understand the rationale behind these allocations.
  • Example: You need content writers to assist with updating on-site content for product pages. This should improve keyword rankings for a specific product to help drive more traffic to pages and reach those ready-to-purchase audiences. Learn more about this in Melissa Popp’s guide to mastering content creation for client success.
• Set a project timeline, ensuring you cover everything from planning to execution.

Delivering Local SEO as Part of a Wider SEO Strategy

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Client Relationships & Partnerships

Before preparing to present strategies and goals to executives and stakeholders, ensure you’re fully aligned with the marketing team that you’re directly working with. This is the team you’re directly working with to solve their problems and achieve the goals you’ve set out together. They should be aligned on upcoming initiatives and serve as your partners and/or advocates during the conversation with larger teams. 

Whether it’s a newly signed client or one you’ve worked with for years, data can support an SEO strategy. Highlighting past success—whether with the specific client or when implementing a similar strategy—can help show opportunities and ease doubts. This could include successful past initiatives within your SEO program or a case study highlighting effective tactics for a similar client. A proven track record of success and a strong client relationship built on trusted recommendations help establish credibility and reinforce the effectiveness of your approach. 

Getting Ready For Your Next Presentation

Building a strong case for SEO is essential to securing the resources and support needed to reach goals and drive meaningful business impact. Gaining stakeholder buy-in ensures alignment with company goals, helps with implementation efforts, and fosters cross-team collaboration, which can drive long-term success for an SEO program. 

When planning your next presentation to executives and stakeholders, remember the audience, what they care most about, how your SEO strategy aligns with company goals for the year, and the effort required to reach those goals. When executives understand the value of SEO, the team can be better positioned to executive strategies, adapt to the changing search landscape, and sustain growth in competitive markets. 

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter six of ‘Part Two: Processes and Workflows’.

Foreword: Saving the Dream

Why did you start on this little mission of yours in the first place? I’m assuming you’re not a classic movie villain, and you’re not going after power for power’s sake. You probably did it for promises of freedom or a better life. A little green in the bank probably caught your imagination too, but even that, I would say, comes from a desire to have more control over one’s life. After all, what do we want money for if not for spending our time and energy in more fulfilling ways?

But every company reaches what Michael E. Gerber calls the “Adolescence” phase. You’ve realized you can’t do it all alone, so you start delegating and hiring new people. And too often, when people reach this phase, that promise of having more control over one’s life starts to feel a bit like snake oil. Your team’s problems haven’t really stopped being your problems, and now new challenges seem to be forming in places you didn’t realize existed.  Not only is your sense of control not improving, but it’s actually made worse by an exponentially increasing number of questions to answer, crises to avert, and futures to plan for. You may feel like you have anything but control over your life.

The solution is process.

Now, those of us who work in SEO, local SEO, or any form of digital marketing, for that matter, hate being put into a box. We’re a proud people. We’re battle-hardened from years of explaining to clients why the strategy they’re suggesting is overlooking important nuance and why all of those KPIs they want to focus on aren’t as clear-cut as they want to make it out to be. And every time a new trainee asks a question about SEO theory, we’re always happy to provide them with the infamous “it depends.” Additionally, the mad scientist in us is often a perfectionist who doesn’t want to sacrifice quality in favor of an assembly line approach.

But I want to stress to you that creating a process for your work does not have to be the death of quality. On the contrary, I hope to show you that implementing processes will help you regain control and even help you deliver a better service.

Vision

If your team doesn’t know where the company is going, how are they supposed to help you achieve your goal? How could they possibly think outside the box and provide creative solutions if they don’t even know there’s a box to begin with? And how are you supposed to prioritize anything properly? You need to create something tangible to latch on to.

The Definition of a Vision

There is a strange amount of debate on the definition of a company vision and how it relates to things like a mission statement. Personally, I believe those arguments are mostly about semantics. What really matters is that there is a clear and compelling future that you and your team are working towards.

Think of it this way: The most important part of developing a good local SEO strategy for a client is researching and determining your core terms. Is that not the case? Without them, you’re just guessing, and any optimizations may turn out to be futile. You might get lucky, but you might also be that guy building a strategy primarily centered on ‘near me’ keywords in 2024.

Determining a primary topic and the terms associated with it will guide the nuances of the rest of your strategy. The clarity that comes from your long-term vision for your client’s success will answer many of the open-ended questions about how to approach aspects of your on-page, linking, or Google Business Profile (GBP) strategy. You, your organization, and your processes are no different.

Defining Your Positioning and Choosing Your Niche

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Define Your Ideal Customer

A good vision of success should include a vision for who you will be helping and how. Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) are nothing new, but too often, I see people companies trying to service every type of customer that sends them an RFP. If that’s you, I highly recommend re-evaluating that reality.

It can be hard to turn down a potential source of income. At the end of the day, you’re trying to bring in revenue. And maybe, in your current state, you’re struggling to believe you could say no even if you wanted to. If that’s you, and now isn’t the best time to start saying no to RFPs, then maybe you at least begin the process of defining an ideal customer profile and make it a goal to strive for. 

What’s required of you and your team can vary wildly already before introducing entirely different client types into the mix. Suppose you’re being pulled in too many different directions. In that case, you’ll eventually reach a point in your growth where effectively pricing your service, setting boundaries, and setting up processes for better efficiency for your team becomes impossible.

This doesn’t mean you can’t expand into services for more than one vertical or client type. But you should try to own your backyard first. Focus on what you’re best at and who you have the most rewarding experience with first. To use another SEO analogy, it’s like trying to overcome the proximity bias with your map rankings. Owning your backyard first will give you the strength and footing necessary to overcome the next obstacle. But if you don’t start there, you leave a lot to chance.

Building and Organizing Processes

You’ve likely heard the phrase, “You can lead them to water, but you can’t force them to drink.” But are you leading them to water? Is there even a watering hole to go to? Or is everyone wandering through the woods until they find a stream on their own? 

Self-reliance is an important attribute to look for in a good recruit, and I’m as big an advocate for that as the next guy. Everyone wants a team of rock stars. But as a leader, it’s your job to bring people together and align their goals. And that starts with the processes you use to achieve those goals. If everyone has their own way of doing everything, there will be a lot of unnecessary bottlenecks and arguments about best practices. You may all want what’s best for the client, but what that looks like to each of you is not always going to match up. And while it’s always good to challenge ourselves and be willing to improve, if there isn’t a standard to measure your work against, your discussions will just go in circles. 

A Process for Creating Process

Is it meta to have a process for creating process, you ask? 1000% it is. But if you don’t use one, you’ll likely fall into any of the countless traps that await your inner perfectionist. So, your first and most important process is a process for creating process. (Say that five times fast)

It’s super simple: Gather, Simplify, Capture, and Document.

Gather 

Start by gathering the information for a rough outline of what your organization does. It’s really important that you don’t get ahead of yourself here. Adding some detail can be helpful; after all, we’re mostly brainstorming right now. But during this step, you should focus on boiling things down to their major pivot points.  

When I’m first getting started with this, I usually prefer to go analog and use a large whiteboard before transferring things over to my computer. It gives me the freedom to get a little chaotic as I brainstorm, allows me to see the whole “picture” at once, and requires less effort to make adjustments when I reach the “Simplify” step. However, depending on your needs and preferences, using something digital like a Google Doc or even something more sophisticated like a mapping tool may make more sense. In either case, just make sure to pick one and stick with it. 

If you’re worried about missing something important, remember you can always break things down into more detail later. Don’t make it harder on yourself than it needs to be. Get it all together as best you can first and go from there.

Simplify

Before we start documenting anything, take some time to look at what you have and see if there are any ways to organize better or simplify the outline’s structure. One of the ways I like to approach it is to ask myself how well someone would retain this information if I used the same structure to create a sales pitch. This helps me stay concise (as the incessant, rambling ADHD-er that I am), and it helps me quite literally later when building a pitch for our sales conferences, training programs for new employees, and presentations for onboarding clients. 

This is also a stage at which I recommend having someone look at what you’ve got with fresh eyes. 

Capture

Now it’s time to start recording yourself. Start capturing the “How-to’s” of your major services. For example, if you have a periodic audit for a client set every month, have whoever’s best suited on your team record themselves going through the process and explaining it along the way.

There are  various tools you can use for this. Anything that records your screen and audio will do. My personal recommendation is Loom. We originally started using it to help with remote work collaboration but found it worked even better for training videos. It’s simple to use and has some really convenient features, including easy integration with our training manual program.

Document

Now for the Pièce de résistance. Now that we have an outline and videos to go with it all, we want to write down the essential goals, how-tos, and anything else that can clarify or support the training video. This is where I recommend getting the most detailed. Some of the best details you can provide here are any useful sources or references that further explain your reasoning or provide an easy path to the tools needed to complete the process. 

I highly recommend getting a good training manual software like Trainual to document everything. It’s not required, though. If you’re pressed for cash or would prefer an alternative, you could always go the simple route and use something like Google Docs or Slides. The first SEO Manual I ever made was a Google Slides deck with videos and diagrams. Eventually, that slide deck got too big (hundreds of slides too big) and increasingly harder to maintain and keep organized. As time progressed, people had an increasingly harder time going through them.

Using good software has made it easier to keep things up to date and divvy up lessons in a way that’s far more user-friendly. As a bonus, making it more user-friendly for my team has made it more engaging, which has led to better knowledge retention and, therefore, fewer unwanted opportunities to repeat myself. 

The Anatomy of a Good System

When you begin evaluating your systems or are just creating a new one from scratch, I recommend having a framework for that approach, too. Call this a second process for creating. Supplemental to the documenting process we just went over, it can help define current processes better and ensure that any new processes you create are done efficiently. 

The best framework I’ve found to help me in my thought process is to define what you do, when you do it, how you do it, and who is doing it. The key for me is to force myself to answer these questions as much as possible to keep myself from getting lost in the weeds. 

What You Do

Start with the value being provided. This will become more difficult as you get into smaller actions, but always start with what the client is actually getting out of it, or at least what provided value the task is feeding into. Then,  define the deliverables. 

For example, instead of “GBPs tasks” or even “Optimize GBP’s,” I would label it “GBP Management” at the very top. “Optimize GBP’s might be a part of it, but it’s not the overarching value you’re providing if you’re also taking care of suspensions, appeals, and the like. “GBP Management” provides a better umbrella to fit your current systems under and a framework any new ones you create can funnel into easily.

When You Do It

This is the step I see overlooked the most. Everything seems simple on paper until it’s put into practice. That’s because context is what pulls your system apart. Consider onboarding a client as an example: When does your team begin and finish optimizing a GBP? What about On Page? Links? The simple answer is when the client signs the contract, but what about the accesses you need to entities like the site? Clearly defining the “When” of one process often clearly identifies the “What” of another. The GBP example did so by outlining what was needed on the Client Success Managers’ part to ensure onboarding went quickly and smoothly. 

How You Do It

This is the step most people naturally tend to start with, but it’s important to do it after What and When. Because how you do something is what evolves the most. If your company grows, you’re going to need to make changes at some point. If you add to your service offering or make addendums to your company vision or identity, the How is more likely to change. But the What and When, while still subject to change, are much more rigid in comparison. Doing it after What and When also provides the perspective you need to question the current How and refine it if necessary.

Who is Responsible

While perhaps the most important part of the process, choosing who is responsible is easiest when you realize the scope. If you’re a one-man show, I would still recommend creating some form of title or label so that if the day comes that you need to delegate it out for one reason or another, it’s a seamless transition.

An Ongoing Process

Not only do you not need to document everything now, you shouldn’ t. 

The most straightforward reason is that your time is limited, and this is supposed to help you with that, not make it worse. These steps are also meant to help you improve your processes, not just record them. Seeing how your organization functions in a clearer and more concrete format makes decisions to modify it easier. Paired with your company vision, you’ll be able to see more clearly if certain secondary procedures in the fine print of your strategy are worth your time or not. But if you spend all your time in the fine print, you’ll never get around to that.

This is an ongoing process. If I were to compare it to anything, it’d be dieting. No amount of extreme calorie deficit in the short run is going to erase the need for long-term consistent habits. For most people, it’s better to start by building a few good habits at a time and build on top of that consistency one piece at a time.

Practical Principles for Process

All the process documentation in the world won’t fix anything if you don’t take the time to simplify, organize, revise, and optimize them. In this section, we’ll review a few ideas that can get you pointed in the right direction. At the end of the day, you’ll have to create your own systems that fit into your business model and best serve your clients. But these can serve as inspiration and a good place to start.

Some examples include the use of task management software. Project management tools like Asana, Click Up, or even Notion can be really helpful in speeding up delegation and organization. However, they are not required to implement these principles.

Choosing the Best Project Management Tools for Your Agency

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Using Targets Instead of Tasks

Let’s set the scene: I was a new manager, still young in my experience in SEO. My team was comprised primarily of college students who first heard about SEO when they applied for the job. I felt like I was losing a lot of time creating and following up on Asana tasks, so I decided I was going to automate some of it.

I wasn’t sure how, but I knew I needed to eliminate the monotony for my own and my client’s sake. But how was I supposed to create a linear process for something as ambiguous as SEO? And how would I structure it so I could easily delegate it to a very inexperienced team? I didn’t have the benefit of hiring “rockstars” like so many business gurus on YouTube suggest. We hired great people, but we were a small start-up and didn’t have pockets deep enough for experienced professionals. 

I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I knew I had to try something, so I started with onboarding. It was the most straightforward process we had, and we even had a checklist of sorts already. So, I organized it and automated it with an Asana project template. It covered everything we needed to do when we took on a new client, including collaboration tasks with our client success department, content team, and design team. I thought I was a genius.

Then, all of the reasons “it depends” in SEO started showing up in my Slack inbox. Mistakes started rolling in, and millions of questions came with them. Externalities weren’t being taken into account or were even being ignored because someone assumed it was someone else’s responsibility. In many cases, I had a hard time arguing with that assumption. If I were in their shoes, I think I would have done the same.

You Can’t Templatize Everything

Despite my best efforts to automate the process, I ended up more overwhelmed than when I started. So, in a stroke of genius (otherwise known as panicking), I tried to templatize everything even further. Clearly, the problem was that I hadn’t used enough skip logic in my process, so I started looking for every opportunity I could to create an if/then statement and create more preventative measures.

Surprise, surprise, it only got worse. Everything was turning into what Dan Martell calls Transactional Leadership, and I was pounding my head against the “Tell-Check-Next” ceiling. I’d tell them what to do, check that it was done correctly, and then tell them what to do next. I thought that’s what I was supposed to do as a manager.

However, the problem with a transactional approach is that the only way it can scale is by adding more transactions. This can only translate into more time lost and more quality compromised. In this framework, all your team’s problems don’t stop being your problems, and you’re eventually consumed by the endless pit of QC-ing everything, everywhere, all the time. And that’s time you and your client don’t have. 

The Definition of Done

Everything took a turn for the better when I stopped focusing on all the things that could go wrong and started focusing on prioritizing my end goals for each project. The tasks on my onboarding template became a list of areas that needed to be covered rather than a list of every step to complete. I started defining what “done” looks like at the highest level for those areas (also an idea I stole from Dan) and introduced stewardship to the system by making the assignees responsible for the outcome instead of just the tasks. If they were waiting on assets from a client or another department in the company, it was on them to follow up and solve the problems.

Of course, I still provide training and answer questions. But when I do, I often start by asking, “Well, imagine I didn’t exist. How would you handle this?” Ultimately, it’s my job to give them the tools they need, a destination to reach, and assistance as necessary along the way. 

This mindset can and should be applied in every stage of your process. When you work in something more creative or analytical, like SEO, it’s better to use targets instead of tasks. Otherwise, your “process” will just be one big juggling act.

“Once you set the outcome instead of telling your employees “how,” they start talking about results, not tasks. They begin offering their energy, not just their skills. They start asking themselves, ‘ Is there a better way?’ instead of asking you, ‘ How do we do this?” – Dan Martell, Buy Back Your Time

Process Beats Paranoia Every Time

A scenario pretty much every SEO provider has had nightmares about at some point is the dreaded morning phone call from a client asking why something on the website is broken, or the GBP is set up wrong. “How did we miss this?” you ask yourself. You know the person you assigned to the project wouldn’t knowingly leave that behind for someone to find. So how’d it happen?

Simple: They’re human.

Fun fact: we all are, and that’s not changing any time soon. And while emphasizing the importance of not making mistakes to your team is important, “Don’t Make Mistakes” is not a strategy. You can’t stop biology from doing its thing. So what can we do about it? It’s here where most fall into the trap of thinking they must QC everyone’s work. But while QC-ing is also important, I urge you to remember the Tell-Check-Next loop I mentioned earlier. That’s a ceiling you cannot break through. Besides, nobody wants a helicopter parent, and nobody wants to be one, and it’s not effective anyway. But the good news is, you don’t have to be one. 

Set up Routines Based on the System You Already Have

Instead of checking everyone’s work all the time, create routines for checking or auditing clients periodically. This doesn’t always have to be a major QC audit, either. My team’s smallest QC checkpoint is a final QC at the end of onboarding from the SEO, Design, and Content teams. Everyone is already there, and it’s hard for something glaring on a page to get past three individuals in a single sitting. It’s simple and takes little to no extra time because it’s just a part of the Asana task template we have set up. 

For larger QC measures, I’d recommend starting with any routines or systems you already have and simply adding to them. You probably already have periodic check-ins every week or month where you evaluate rankings and any other metrics you’ve deemed top priority. Introduce some QC-ing into them.

What’s likely to get overlooked? Grammar, for example, is an easy one to forget when you’re worried about keyword density, word count, backlinks, etc. It seems small, but it’s no less embarrassing when it comes up on a phone call with one of your biggest clients. Make it a routine to check that, along with some other on-page optimizations, when building location pages or anything that involves the written word for a client, once a month when your team is already there.

This allows you to show your team you trust them while still putting in some countermeasures to support their humanity.

Minimum Viable Product

There’s no law for how long these intervals should be; it’ll depend on your time and resources. So, just start with something. Processes are iterative anyway. You’ll probably reach a point where some of the intervals feel a little too far apart. In that instance, remember two things:

1. A little too far apart is better than the alternative.

   You do not have the time to check everything all the time, and you won’t break through the Tell-Check-Next ceiling.

2. You can always improve it, but you can’t do that if you don’t try something.

   Theory only takes you so far. Once you get a process down, you can find ways to speed some of it up or simplify it.

Simple System Examples

Improved Collaboration

One of the best changes I made was to my weekly 1:1’s with my team. I had actually discontinued the meetings for a time because I felt like they were a waste of time and always got too convoluted with all of the objectives I tried to tackle every meeting. But not having a scheduled time meant I just wasn’t getting around to talking with my team members enough. So, I re-implemented them and changed how I approached them. Keeping the idea of transformational leadership in mind, I changed my meetings to be oriented around outcomes rather than just task instructions. We still discuss tasks and questions as necessary, but the primary goal of every meeting is to answer the following questions:

1. Were there any notable improvements in rankings?
2. Were there any notable drops in rankings?
3. What are you doing about it?
4. What do you need from me?

There’s always more that could be discussed, but ultimately, this is what they’re responsible for. Everything else hangs off of these questions. Keeping simple, quantifiable markers of success at the forefront of the discussion keeps the meeting focused, helps prioritization, and makes it clear to your team members what they’re responsible for. It also gives them the ruler they need to measure their own day-to-day priorities against, helping to eliminate the extra busy work that might otherwise get in the way.

Quarterly Link Planning  

The most dreaded phase of service for me has always been what I call the “Now what?” phase. You’ve been working on a client for some time now, and you’ve achieved the primary objective of your contract to rank for the core terms you’ve selected, and now there are no obvious next steps. Now what? We know all of the things we could do. But what should we do? What will be the best use of our time and the client’s money? How do we make sure something is always being done while also making sure it’s beneficial for the client and not just busy work? These are just some of the questions I always found myself trying to answer.

One of the deliverables I decided to tackle first was link building. I started by trying a rigid schedule for certain deliverables like backlinks. I needed to make sure things were happening without having my hands on every lever in the machine. However, the problem was the same as the onboarding template. It was too rigid, it didn’t scale nicely at all, and, most importantly, it ignored the unique needs of the client. So, I replaced it with a simple planning phase that we now go through every quarter. This made the schedule the rigid pivot point rather than the deliverables themselves and created a balance between consistency of process and quality of service. And there was no need to introduce automations to do it. This thought process is beginning to guide how we approach most of our ongoing services.

Conclusion

Implementing structured processes within your agency is not about stifling creativity or turning local SEO into an assembly line—it’s about reclaiming control, improving efficiency, clarifying directives, and ultimately delivering better results for your clients. Without clear frameworks, scaling becomes chaotic, decision-making slows, and your time gets consumed by unnecessary firefighting. But by defining goals, setting measurable targets, and building adaptable processes, you empower your team to operate with autonomy while maintaining quality and consistency.

The key takeaway? Processes should evolve alongside your agency. Start small, document what matters, and refine over time. Prioritize outcomes over rigid task lists, foster accountability within your team, and establish systems that reduce errors without micromanaging. When done right, these systems won’t just improve your SEO services—they’ll give you the freedom and control you originally sought when you started this journey. Your agency’s growth doesn’t have to come at the cost of your sanity—process is the answer.

More than just a seasonal service, HVAC companies now see year-round demand as consumers prioritize maintaining comfortable indoor environments, especially with extreme weather becoming more common.

But with this demand comes fierce competition. Without targeted local marketing, it’s easy for even the best HVAC companies to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why focusing on building a strong local and digital presence is so important in this industry.

What’s more, the first port of call people often have when they have a heating issue is Google. So, showing up in local searches is crucial. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to consider when you’re performing local SEO for your HVAC business.

Understanding Your Local HVAC Market

To run a successful HVAC business, it’s important to know your local market well. This means understanding who your customers are, what they need, and what other HVAC companies in your area are offering. 

Here’s how understanding your local market can help your HVAC business succeed:

Know Your Local Customers

Every community is different, and understanding who lives in your service area helps you market your HVAC services more effectively. For example, think about the age, income levels, and homeownership rates in your area:

• Age: Younger homeowners may be looking for energy-efficient systems, while older homeowners might care more about reliability and comfort.
• Income: Areas with higher incomes may be willing to invest in premium systems, while others may prefer budget-friendly options.
• Homeownership: Homeowners tend to invest more in long-term HVAC systems compared to renters, who may only need quick fixes.

By understanding these details, you can make smarter decisions about how to advertise your services and what types of systems or maintenance plans to promote.

Know the Local HVAC Needs

Like other home services businesses, your region’s climate and types of homes greatly impact the demand for HVAC services. For example:

• Warm climates will likely have more demand for air conditioning repairs, replacements, and routine maintenance.
• Cold climates might see more calls for heating system services.
• Older homes may need system upgrades, new ductwork, or other improvements.

Knowing the common HVAC issues in your area can help you focus your marketing efforts on the services that people are most likely to need.

As you can see in the image above, in our work with Cold Factor, we use this information to inform the messaging for that particular area, hitting home the importance of cooling systems in Texas.

Keep an Eye on Your Competitors

It’s always helpful to see what other HVAC companies in your area are offering. Are they focusing on repairs? Do they offer promotions or maintenance plans? By understanding what your competitors are doing, you can identify areas where you can do something different or better. For example, if most companies offer emergency repairs, you might stand out by providing energy-efficient upgrades or flexible financing.

It’s not just about their services, either: you need to see what they’re doing to get ahead in their marketing efforts. Has one of them doubled down on reviews, or have they obtained some local SEO services that have seen them jump up the rankings? It’s good to know what you’re up against.

Optimizing Google Business Profile

If you want your HVAC business to stand out locally, having a solid Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must. It’s one of the easiest ways to get in front of potential customers who are searching for HVAC services in your area. It’s also the quickest thing you can do to start on your local SEO.

Here’s how to get started and make sure your GBP profile is working hard for you:

1. Set Up and Verify Your GBP

First things first—if you haven’t already, go to Google Business Profile and set up a profile for your HVAC company.

It’s pretty straightforward, but one important step is verifying your business.

Google will send you a verification code, usually by mail, to confirm you’re the real deal. Once verified, your HVAC company will pop up in Google searches and on Google Maps when people in your area are looking for services.

2. Optimize GBP for Your HVAC Services

Now that your profile is up, it’s time to fine-tune it so customers can find you easily. Here’s how:

• Use Keywords: Think about what customers are typing into Google when they need HVAC help. Are they searching for “air conditioning repair” or “heating installation”? Make sure you use these keywords in your business description and services section to show up for the right searches.
• Define Your Service Areas: Be clear about where you work. List all the areas you serve so that people in those neighborhoods can find you when they’re searching for local HVAC services.
• Pick the Right Categories: Choose categories that match the services you offer, like “HVAC contractor” or “air conditioning repair service.” This helps Google connect you with people who need exactly what you do.

You can see how we’ve done this for Cold Factor’s GBP:

3. Keep Your NAP Consistent

This might sound simple, but keeping your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistent across the internet is super important. You want the info on your GBP profile to match exactly with what’s on your website, social media, and other places like Yelp or Angi. Why? If Google sees different addresses or phone numbers floating around, it can get confused, and your rankings might drop. Plus, customers need to be able to reach you without any confusion!

A simple way to do this is to enlist the help of a citation building service to save you time and hassle.

4. Get and Manage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews can make or break a business and are especially important for local services like HVAC. Encourage your happy customers to leave a review on your GBP page—maybe send them a link or a quick follow-up message after a job. Reviews help build trust with new customers who are checking you out for the first time.

And don’t forget to respond to reviews! Whether they’re glowing or not-so-great, replying to reviews shows that you care about your customers.

By optimizing your GBP profile, you make it easier for local customers to find your HVAC services, trust your business, and choose you over the competition.

Local SEO Strategies for HVAC Companies

Google Business Profile is just one part of the local SEO puzzle, though. Focusing on other areas of local SEO is a smart move, too. Local SEO helps ensure your business shows up when people in your area search for heating or cooling services.

Target Local HVAC-related Keywords

The first step in local SEO is targeting the right keywords. You want to include HVAC-related terms combined with the cities or areas you serve in your website content. For example, instead of just writing “AC repair services,” say “AC repair in [Your City].” Be specific! Whether you offer air conditioning repair, heating services, or maintenance, make sure you’re using location-based keywords where appropriate. 

For example, if you serve multiple areas, make sure to mention each one: “We provide AC repairs in [City 1], [City 2], and [City 3].“

If you only target one area, this could be across your website, but if you have several service areas or specific locations, you can create dedicated pages for those, too. 

Create Location and Service Area-specific Pages

If your HVAC business serves multiple towns or neighborhoods, create a separate landing page for each location. These pages should focus on the specific HVAC services you offer in each area and, of course, use local keywords. Not only does this help with SEO, but it also lets your customers know that you’re familiar with their area and ready to serve them.

For example, you might have pages like “Furnace Repair in [City A]” and “HVAC Installation in [City B].” Each page can highlight the services specific to that location and the unique needs of the area, like hot summers or cold winters.

You can see how we do this for Cold Factor with specific ‘areas we serve’ pages.

Optimize Meta Descriptions and Titles

Your meta titles and descriptions are what potential customers see in Google search results, so it’s important to include local terms here too. This not only helps with SEO but also makes it clear that you’re a local business ready to help people in your community. Use phrases like “Air Conditioning Repair in [Your City]” in your page titles and meta descriptions to attract more clicks from people in your area.

For instance, instead of “Expert HVAC Services,” try something like “Reliable HVAC Services in [Your City] | Heating & AC Repair.”

This can help improve your click-through rate, but it’s unlikely to improve your rankings specifically. Standing out in the results is important, though, as ranking alone isn’t always enough to guarantee a click.

Building Relationships with the Local Community

At Risely, we want our HVAC clients to get more involved in their community. Which is why we help them build relationships with local nonprofit organizations. Getting involved locally can increase your brand’s visibility and create lasting relationships that drive new business. 

Sponsoring local events, sports teams, or community programs is an effective way to increase your brand’s presence. Whether it’s sponsoring a youth soccer team or getting involved with a local charity, showing your support for the community helps build goodwill and trust. People are more likely to choose a company that actively supports the community they live in.

If you’re more of a hands-on person, you could even consider helping out with your van in the community. It would get you known as someone who wants to help and get your van all over the place.

All of this helps get your name out there and have people remember your business when they need HVAC services.

Running Localized Paid Advertising Campaigns

If you’re looking to boost your HVAC business and bring in more local customers, running paid advertising campaigns is a smart way to get your name out there. Paid campaigns let you target the people in your area who are most likely to need your services, whether they’re searching online or browsing social media. Here’s how to make the most of localized paid advertising:

Geo-targeted PPC Campaigns

One of the most effective ways to use paid ads is through geo-targeted Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads only to people in your specific service area. That way, your budget is focused on reaching local customers who are actively searching for HVAC services.

For example, if you offer AC repair or heating installation in a particular city or neighborhood, you can set up your ads to only appear to users in those areas. This helps ensure that your ads are seen by the right audience—people who are nearby and need your services.

For local searches, these ads are called Local Service Ads. You can see an example of the ones we’ve set up for our client below. For these ads you need a Google Business Profile.

Leveraging Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads are a powerful tool that allows you to reach people who have already visited your website or Google Business Profile. Maybe someone checked out your HVAC services but didn’t book an appointment right away? Retargeting ads keep your business front and center, showing reminders to potential customers as they continue to browse the web or social media.

For example, if someone visits your website to look at furnace repair options but leaves without making a decision, retargeting ads can show them a promotion for furnace tune-ups when they’re on Facebook or Google later. It’s an effective nudge that can turn interest into action.

Leveraging Social Media to Grow Your HVAC Business

Social media is a powerful tool that HVAC companies can use to connect with local customers, build brand awareness, and generate leads. Here are some tips on how to leverage social media for local engagement:

Share HVAC Tips and Promotions

One of the easiest ways to engage your local audience is by sharing helpful HVAC tips and advice. Posting content that offers value, such as how to maintain your air conditioning system in the summer or quick fixes for a faulty heater, will position your company as an expert in the field. 

In addition to tips, share promotions and seasonal offers to attract customers. For example, post about discounts on winter heater tune-ups or summer AC servicing. These posts encourage followers to book your services and share deals with friends and family.

Interact with Local Customers and Businesses

Take the time to interact with your followers by responding to their comments, answering questions, and engaging in local conversations. If someone comments on one of your posts with a question about their HVAC system, offer a helpful response. These small interactions can build trust and make people more likely to choose your business when they need HVAC help.

Tracking and Measuring Local Marketing Success

Set Up Local Analytics and Use Call-tracking Software

Use tools like Google Analytics to track important data like phone calls and website visits. There’s a dedicated tool in GBP too, known as Google Business Profile Performance. This helps you see how potential customers are finding and interacting with your business online. 

Call-tracking software like CallRail allows you to monitor the calls coming in from your local marketing campaigns. By assigning unique phone numbers to different ads or landing pages, you can track which campaigns are most effective at driving calls and, ultimately, new business.

Review Local SEO Rankings Regularly

Your local SEO rankings are a key indicator of how visible your HVAC business is in your area. Use local rank tracking tools like BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid to check your rankings for important keywords like “AC repair in [City]” or “heating services near me.” Regularly review these rankings and adjust your marketing strategies as needed to stay competitive and improve your visibility in local searches.

Regular SEO rank trackers won’t cut it when you’re tracking these sorts of searches.

By tracking your marketing efforts and making data-driven decisions, you can continually refine your strategy to attract more local customers and grow your HVAC business.

Last Thoughts

Local marketing is essential for HVAC companies looking to stand out and grow in a competitive market. By implementing strategies like optimizing your Google Business Profile, focusing on local SEO, engaging with your community, and running targeted ads, you can attract more local customers and boost your business.

If you’re an HVAC business owner, now is the time to start using these strategies to stay ahead in your local market.

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter four of ‘Part Two: Processes and Workflows’.

Content marketing has come a long way from the days of simple blog posts and social media updates. Today, it’s about delivering a seamless, data-driven experience that resonates with an audience—and the right technology is what makes it all possible. Whether you’re scaling up your agency’s content strategy, aiming for more efficient processes, or just trying to keep up with the demands of the digital world, finding the right tools is crucial.

But let’s be real: managing large-scale content projects gets messy fast. Without the right technology and tools, you’re looking at bottlenecks, missed deadlines, and all the headaches of misaligned workflows. That’s where leveraging the right tools comes in. They’re here to handle repetitive tasks, reduce errors, and free your team to do what they do best: create meaningful content that connects with its target audience.

If you’re looking for an article on shoving a few prompts into an AI and generating some quick content, this isn’t the guide you’re looking for.

In this guide, we’re diving into how technology can help you tackle these challenges head-on. We’ll walk you through essential tools—from content management systems to collaboration platforms and analytics dashboards—that can take your content strategy to the next level. So, if you’re ready to build a more efficient, agile, and impactful content operation, let’s get started with the foundational tools every content team should have in their toolkit.

Content Management Systems (CMS)

Content management systems (CMS) are the backbone of any successful content strategy, providing the infrastructure to create, manage, and publish content efficiently. A CMS helps centralize your client’s content and streamlines your workflows, enabling your team to focus on creating impactful pieces that engage your audience. Whether managing a blog, website, or multi-channel campaign for a client, using the right CMS can make all the difference in your content’s reach and effectiveness.

When working with clients, it’s essential to consider how access to their CMS will impact your team’s ability to execute content strategies efficiently. In many cases, agencies may not have direct access to the client’s CMS, or access may be limited to a single point person on the client’s team. This can create bottlenecks if that individual is unavailable or if content needs to be updated urgently.

It’s also common for clients to prefer uploading content themselves, which means extra coordination is needed to ensure accuracy and timing. Establish clear communication with your clients from the start to navigate these situations. Discuss access levels early on and set up workflows that account for these limitations, such as providing detailed content briefs or setting up approval processes that help ensure a smooth handoff, even if you’re not managing the CMS directly.

Benefits of Using a CMS

A CMS brings a handful of benefits to content teams and clients alike, from enhanced organization to improved collaboration. With the right CMS, your team can produce high-quality content more efficiently for clients, making it easier to meet deadlines and stay aligned with content goals. Here’s how a CMS helps your team work smarter, not harder:

• Streamlined Content Management: A CMS centralizes content storage, making it easy to organize and retrieve articles, images, and other assets. This saves time, reduces clutter, and ensures that everything you need is just a few clicks away.
• Enhanced Collaboration: With a CMS, multiple users can work on content simultaneously, tracking changes in real-time. This not only enhances teamwork but also ensures content consistency across the board.
• Efficient Publishing Workflows: A CMS automates publishing schedules, allowing you to plan and post content on various channels with minimal manual intervention. This is essential for ensuring timely content delivery, especially when juggling multiple campaigns.
• Scalability for Growing Teams and Content Needs: As your content needs grow, so can your CMS. Many platforms are built to handle increased content volume and complexity, making it easier to scale up without losing efficiency.

Popular CMS Options

There are many CMS platforms available, each with its own strengths. With so many options out there, choosing one that aligns with your team’s technical abilities and the complexity of your content needs is essential. When working with clients, it’s essential to consider that you may be navigating their chosen CMS, which is not one your team is familiar with. However, recommending user-friendly platforms, known for their intuitive interfaces and flexible permissions, can make collaboration smoother and ensure that your team and the client can efficiently manage content updates without unnecessary delays.

Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular options and when to use them:

Consider whether open-source or proprietary CMS solutions best fit your team’s or your client’s needs when choosing between these options. Open-source options like WordPress and Drupal offer flexibility and community support, while proprietary CMS platforms like Wix often come with dedicated customer support and additional features.

Considerations for Selecting a CMS

Selecting the right CMS means understanding your team’s and your client’s needs and the platform’s capabilities. It’s not just about the features but also about how the CMS integrates into your team’s workflow and scales with your business or your client’s business as it grows. Here are some key factors to keep in mind:

• Ease of Use: A CMS should be intuitive enough for all team members and clients to use, regardless of technical skill level. Platforms with user-friendly interfaces can help speed up adoption and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Scalability: Look for a CMS that can grow with your and your client’s business. Your platform should accommodate increasing content demands, allowing you to expand seamlessly without switching systems.
• Integration Capabilities: Ensure the CMS integrates well with your and your client’s existing tools, from analytics platforms to social media schedulers. This connectivity helps create a unified content ecosystem, minimizing manual work.
• Cost: Budget is always a consideration. Weigh the CMS’s features against its cost, factoring in potential expenses for plugins, upgrades, and technical support.
• User Support and Community Resources: If your team lacks in-house tech expertise, consider a CMS with robust support and active user communities. Having access to forums, tutorials, and customer support can make a big difference, especially for smaller teams.

Choosing the right CMS can empower your content team and your clients, simplifying day-to-day tasks and enhancing collaboration. With the right platform in place, everyone will be equipped to produce and manage content that meets an audience’s needs and supports growth goals.

Content Collaboration Tools

For content teams, especially those spread across multiple locations or managing various clients, seamless collaboration is essential. Without the right tools, it’s easy to lose track of updates, miss deadlines, or experience inconsistencies in content quality. Content collaboration tools bring your team together, fostering better communication, task management, and file sharing, all in one place. By utilizing these tools, your team can work more efficiently, ensuring that projects stay on track and content meets your quality standards.

Key Features to Look for in Collaboration Tools

The right collaboration tool will streamline your team’s workflow, reducing friction and keeping everyone aligned on goals. Here are some essential features to look for when selecting a tool to support your content team:

• Real-Time Communication: Effective collaboration depends on timely communication. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams allow for instant messaging, video calls, and group chats, ensuring everyone can stay updated and connected, even across different time zones.
• Task Management: To keep projects organized and on schedule, choose tools that offer task assignment and progress tracking, such as Trello or Asana. These tools provide clear visibility into who’s working on what, helping prevent overlaps and missed deadlines.
• File Sharing and Document Collaboration: Seamless document sharing is critical for content teams. Platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox allow multiple users to edit and comment on documents simultaneously, facilitating real-time collaboration and reducing back-and-forth email chains.
• Project Management Integration: Look for tools that integrate with project management systems to create a unified workflow. For instance, Asana and Trello integrate well with platforms like Slack and Google Workspace, making it easier to manage projects, track updates, and store files all in one place.
• Security and Compliance: Content often involves sensitive information, so it’s essential to choose collaboration tools that prioritize security. Tools with robust encryption, access controls, and compliance with data protection standards ensure that your content and client information remain safe.

Using the right collaboration tools improves team efficiency and enhances content quality by promoting consistency and accountability. When your team has the resources to communicate effectively and manage tasks seamlessly, it allows them to focus more on creativity and less on logistical headaches.

Content Analytics and Reporting Tools

Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of effective content marketing. By analyzing key metrics, you gain insights into what resonates with your audience, allowing you to refine strategies and improve performance over time. Content analytics and reporting tools provide the data you need to make informed choices, helping you understand which pieces drive engagement, conversions, and overall business goals. With these tools, you can track content performance, identify trends, and ensure your content remains aligned with audience interests and company objectives.

GA4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) offers a comprehensive view of user behavior, allowing you to track website performance across multiple touchpoints. GA4’s capabilities include tracking page views, user engagement, and conversion events, providing a robust data set for understanding how visitors interact with your content. Key metrics to track include sessions, bounce rate, and conversion rate, which offer insight into how well your content engages visitors and drives desired actions.

SEO Tools

SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush are essential for tracking keyword performance, backlink profiles, and competitor strategies. For teams focused on local SEO, BrightLocal’s rank-tracking tool is perfect for monitoring the impact of location-specific content. While not a keyword research tool, it offers valuable insights into how your content performs in local search results, helping you track visibility and improve local rankings.

These tools allow you to monitor your site’s search engine rankings, optimize relevant keywords, and identify areas for improvement. Key metrics to focus on include organic traffic, keyword rankings, and backlink quality, which provide a clear picture of your content’s SEO health and visibility in search results.

Social Media Analytics

Tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social are invaluable for tracking social media engagement. These platforms let you monitor likes, shares, comments, and overall reach across various social channels, helping you understand what content resonates with your social audience. Key metrics to track include engagement rate, follower growth, and social reach, which show how effectively your content engages and expands your audience on social media.

Content Optimization Tools

Content marketing tools like ContentHarmony and Clearscope provide insights into user interaction with your content, helping you optimize for relevance and user experience. These platforms analyze how well your content aligns with search intent, suggest improvements, and provide keyword recommendations. Key metrics to track include content score, readability, and topic relevance, which indicate how well your content is optimized for users and search engines.

Reporting Dashboards

Custom reporting dashboards consolidate data from multiple sources, offering a real-time overview of key performance indicators (KPIs). Platforms like Google Looker Studio allow you to create customized dashboards that visualize metrics relevant to your content strategy, from engagement to conversion. Key metrics to track can include traffic trends, goal completions, and ROI, giving stakeholders a clear view of how content contributes to broader business objectives.

Looker Studio Dashboards for Local SEO

Learn More

Integrating Content Analytics Tools into Your Workflow

To fully leverage analytics, making data review an integral part of your content planning and optimization processes is crucial to your workflow. Start by scheduling regular analytics check-ins to review key metrics, identify trends, and adjust your content strategy as needed. By aligning your content goals with the data, you ensure your team consistently moves toward desired outcomes.

Best Practices for Leveraging Technology in Content Marketing

Integrating technology into your content strategy can dramatically improve your team’s efficiency, creativity, and output. However, with the wide range of tools available, it’s essential to follow best practices to ensure you’re getting the most out of your technology investments.

By strategically selecting and using content tools, providing adequate training, and regularly assessing their impact, your team can streamline workflows and optimize content performance without sacrificing creativity. Below, we explore key best practices to help you effectively harness technology’s power in your content marketing efforts.

Integrating Content Technology and Tools

Selecting tools that integrate well with each other creates a seamless content management ecosystem. When your CMS, analytics, collaboration, and project management tools are connected, it reduces friction and improves workflow efficiency. For example, choosing tools that allow data to flow smoothly from your CMS to your analytics platform makes tracking performance and making quick adjustments easy.

An integrated system also makes it easier for your team to work within a unified framework, simplifying everything from content creation and publishing to tracking and optimizing. Aim to build a cohesive toolkit where data flows easily, enabling you to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time creating impactful content.

Training and Adoption

Even the most powerful tools are only as effective as those using them. Invest in thorough training and onboarding for your team to fully leverage new technology. This ensures that everyone is comfortable with the tools, understands their capabilities, and can use them to their full potential. Consider hosting hands-on training sessions, creating step-by-step guides, or offering ongoing support through internal workshops or documentation.

Encouraging tool adoption across your team is also crucial. Strategies like incentivizing early adopters, recognizing power users, and assigning “tool champions” who can provide guidance can help increase buy-in. When everyone is on the same page, it fosters a culture of efficiency, consistency, and confidence in using the technology available.

Regularly Reviewing Content Tools

As your content strategy evolves, so should your toolkit. Regularly reviewing the tools and platforms you use ensures they meet your team’s needs and remain aligned with your content goals. Set aside time every quarter or semi-annually to assess the ROI of each tool, considering aspects like cost, usability, and feature updates.

Keeping an eye on emerging technologies and trends in content marketing is also essential. Many tools regularly roll out new features that can enhance your workflow, so staying informed helps your team remain competitive. By conducting these periodic reviews, you can avoid tech bloat, reduce unnecessary expenses, and ensure your toolkit evolves with your content strategy.

Balancing Automation with Human Creativity

While automation can handle repetitive tasks and increase productivity, it’s vital to maintain a human touch in your content. Tools can help with scheduling, analytics, and optimization, but creativity should always be at the core of content creation. Avoid over-relying on automation to the point where it stifles originality or dilutes your brand voice.

Automation is most effective when it frees your team from mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on storytelling, crafting unique perspectives, and connecting with your audience in meaningful ways. Aim to strike a balance that maximizes efficiency while ensuring your content remains authentic, engaging, and reflective of your brand’s personality.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Content Tools

Implementing new content tools often comes with both financial costs and time investments, so evaluating the return on investment (ROI) for each is necessary to get stakeholder buy-in. Consider factors like subscription fees, onboarding costs, and potential productivity gains. To assess a tool’s value, compare its benefits (such as improved workflow, time savings, or increased output quality) against its costs, both in terms of money and team resources.

Performing a cost-benefit analysis for your tools justifies the investment to stakeholders and helps you make informed decisions about which tools provide the most value. This analysis can guide you in determining whether a tool is indispensable, nice to have, or an unnecessary expense. The goal is to build a toolkit that maximizes productivity and delivers tangible benefits to your content strategy without overextending your budget.

Streamline, Optimize, and Thrive with Content Technology

If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready to elevate your content game. By leveraging the right technology, you’re setting up your content team for smoother processes, better collaboration, and results you can measure. Think of these tools as more than just features on a dashboard—they’re the fuel that keeps your content engine running efficiently so you can focus on what truly matters: creating engaging, authentic content that resonates with your audience.

Now’s the time to look at your current content workflow. Where are the bottlenecks? What could be more streamlined? The tools we’ve covered are designed to help you tackle these challenges head-on, making sure your team spends less time on repetitive tasks and more time on the creative work that drives results. Start by picking one or two tools that make the most sense for your team and roll them out on a trial basis. This lets you test the waters and get real feedback without overwhelming your team with new processes right off the bat.

Integrating new technology doesn’t have to mean overhauling everything overnight. A pilot program allows you to experiment, adapt, and find out what works best before committing to a larger rollout. It’s all about finding a rhythm that suits your team and fits your strategy. The goal here isn’t to become a tech powerhouse overnight but to build a sustainable, efficient content strategy that grows with you.

So go ahead and embrace the tools that will make your life easier and your content better. With the right approach, you’ll be well on your way to turning insights into action and action into results that make a real impact.

This article is from our Agency Growth Handbook—a collection of guides created to help local SEO agencies grow and succeed. It is chapter five of ‘Part Two: Processes and Workflows’.

A busy agency can thrive or merely survive on its choice of project management tools. Old-fashioned spreadsheets and clunky time-tracking apps can seriously hinder your team’s creativity. Too many tools can lead to duplication of effort, cause confusion, and potentially lead to completely inaccurate billing.

Keeping your projects organized and accurately tracking your billable hours is key to working effectively and efficiently. Having the right tools in place also means you can confidently manage your resources and consistently deliver client work on time.

There are two distinct categories of tools you want to look out for: project management tools (to help you keep track of your overall project and enable effective communications) and time-tracking software. Many project management tools include time-tracking, but for many, you’ll need something extra.

So which marketing project management software tools will make your life easier and help you scale your agency business? With so many tools on the market, identifying the best fit is easier said than done.

Why do you need marketing project management tools?

Juggling multiple client projects, incoming briefs, various deadlines, and a team can be a recipe for disaster. Unless that is, you have logical processes for everything from content creation to client reports and actually useful tools in place to do some of the heavy lifting for you.

Project management and time-tracking tools aren’t just nice to have. They can make a noticeable difference to how seamlessly your agency operates:

Organize client briefs

Different clients have different priorities, service agreements, and briefs. A dedicated project management tool makes it easy to keep track of each specific client and their associated briefs, no matter how many projects you currently have on the go. This is especially useful if you often receive ad-hoc or last-minute requests and need a better way to stay on top of them.

Streamline resource planning

A good tool will give you a clear view of each project and its upcoming deadlines so you can allocate resources accordingly. This isn’t just a way to make managing your team easier. It can also go a long way toward controlling costs and optimizing how your agency business operates.

Efficient task management

Assigning specific tasks to individual team members is another way to manage your team’s productivity. It also encourages accountability by making it easier for each person to manage their workload and maintain a clear view of what they need to deliver.

If your chosen tool has status tracking, you can quickly see who’s on track and who’s in the weeds. From there you can intervene, if needed, or assign additional resources to keep client deliverables flowing.

Enhanced communication

The right project management software will enhance collaboration and communication. This isn’t restricted to internal comms, either. Many tools will allow you to control permissions at an individual user level, so you can also grant limited access to your clients. That access could speed up project approval or open up productive new lines of communication between your agency and your clients.

Features to Look Out For in a Project Management Tool

The specific features your agency business needs will depend on the size of your team, the nature of your client projects, and your style of working. That said, some features are pretty much essential:

• Automations: Automations make it easier to scale workflows and quickly complete recurring tasks by pre-populating certain fields.
• Calendar: An essential for managing upcoming to-dos, a built-in calendar can help you stay on top of annual leave and client meetings for easier diary management.
• Task management: The ability to set up a task, schedule a start and end date, and assign someone from your team to complete that task is non-negotiable.
• Document management: You should also be able to upload documents like keyword research reports and client briefs to support your team.
• Status tracking: Is a task in progress? Ready for review? Or, with the client for approval? Status tracking allows you to answer those questions and keep your project momentum moving in the right direction at a glance.
• Messaging: Whether internally or with your client, messaging improves collaboration and speeds up the delivery and approval process.
• Client view: Having a dedicated client view means you can grant controlled access to your clients. This view provides them with direct access to their account team while ensuring internal communications remain private.
• Time tracking: Accurate time tracking is essential for client billing. It can also be helpful if you routinely work with subcontractors and need to keep track of their working hours for payment purposes.
• Integrations: Plugging in other apps can be a serious time saver and add additional functionality that makes it easier to get the most out of your team.
• Customizable dashboard: A customizable dashboard gives you complete control over what you see, so you can create an optimal view based on how you (and your team) work.

Top Project Management Tools

Time Tracking Software for Marketing Teams

Time tracking is one of those agency staples that’s easy to take for granted. But it’s also easy to get wrong. Real-time tracking and reporting can seriously bolster your transparency credentials with clients. If you’re managing a team, intuitive tracking also helps you to stay on budget and easily handle contractor payments.

So, what should you look for when shortlisting time-tracking tools for your agency?

• Real-time tracking: Tracking billable hours in real-time can nurture client confidence in your agency and help with retention. It’s also invaluable when it comes to getting the most out of your team and pinpointing productivity drains.
• Reporting: Any decent time-tracking tool will have extensive reporting capability. You need this feature to manage client invoices and see how your team is spending its time.
• Integrations: Integrations just make life easier. Look for tools that can connect with other platforms you use daily to manage your agency workflows. 

Top Time Tracking Tools

Choose Wisely and Choose Early

Embedding this sort of tool into a growing business can be easier said than done, especially if you’re trying to do it retrospectively. Adding a project management tool and defining clear processes early can be really beneficial and save a lot of time down the road.

As with any tool, whether that’s a local SEO tool or a project management tool, the key is to find the one that works best for your agency’s needs. Make sure it benefits your work rather than adding more steps for the sake of it.