About Us & About You

Rule #1. DIY Websites without SEO - 95% Fail to Rank

Local LeadGen marketing is intimidating at the very least- however, the whole online world these days is trying to sell us on how easy it is to market our own businesses.

Wix, GoDaddy, SquareSpace, WordPress and SiteGround, to name just a few, are selling easy peasy website "solutions" we can build "within 30 minutes" or less.

We are shown beautiful successful entrepreneurs taking on the online world by storm. . . shedding 

their shackles from the tyranny of technology and website designers (like us) . . and with just one click of a mouse!

Can we really DIY "do it yourself"?   Yes & mostly No. 

How can I say this without sounding like a total x!%@. You can try- but SEO experts like me will totally decimate you and make your business invisible- if you ever have the misfortune to go up against us in a local Search.  Yep, it's that bad.

Rule #2. Make Friends With The Big Kids

I'm going to lose many of you, I know by being so up front and in your face- but a few of you (although you might think I'm bit unorthodox) are going to read on a bit further so. . .

I'm going to give it to you straight. I'm going to try and sum it all up in one page. It won't be easy. Here is a preview. . . *You Need Friends, *Online buddies, *Nothing is free,  and don't pick fights with the big kids- because they will take your lunch money.

The Basics of Local LeadGen Marketing

• Google Maps
• Website
• YouTube
• FaceBook/Instagram
• Marketing Funnels

So Why didn't Google Ads make the list? Because once you head down that road you are paying the Google Mafia protection money for the rest of your life. I avoid Google Ads. . . but not always!

Step 1. Google Maps

The first step is Google Maps. We need to get our businesses up on the Map ASAP. We want to rank in "The Three Pack". The top three in the Google Maps Search.

Example: You Search "carpet cleaning near me" and three options are going to pop up (The Three Pack).

Google Maps is (was) Google's way of helping out the little guy who is/was up against a 'Goliath' with a $10,000 per month advertising budget. There was no way David was ever going to be able to win a fight, for Google turf, against a Goliath and so Google created a way for the little guy to show up in a Google Search. It's called Google Maps Listings.

That's changing rapidly- but we still need to get on it ASAP. An old Map listing with no 'Reviews' and no images and nothing much can still, many times, out rank a Map listing with Five Star Reviews, 25 images and a smoking website. Us keyboard nerds call it a "Seasoned" Map listing.

We need to put this beef shank in the pot, turn on the fire and get this soup cooking right NOW! Not tomorrow- Now!! But unlike a simple beef bone egg noodle soup that's pretty predictable. . . Google could potentially derail our 1st, 2nd and even 3rd attempts at doing so successfully.

Yes, Google can and often does "Suspend" perfectly lagit Google Maps Listings. It could happen. So when's the best time to start the process? Three years ago!  Get is listed today.

Step 2. Website

Now don't lock me down on this. . . YouTube could easily be Step #2. . . because I'm a big believer that a website without a YouTube video is just a billboard. I put videos on almost all of my websites and YouTube videos bring big mojo to the ranking table with Google. Google owns YouTube.

Now if your website is older you will need to check if its *Phone Friendly and SSL protected (security).

• *Phone friendly means it works on ALL devices- even little phones. 80% of all "tacos near me" searches are going to be on a phone. Can they see the phone number, can they get directions and is it pleasant to the eyes?​

• *SSL (Security): Does the URL (address up top) start with http://www.MySite.com or https://www.MySite.com? It has to be https: or Google will slap your hands hard!​

Google bots want to find everything in very short order or their Crawlers are not going to stick around and "crawl your content". Just like the mother of a five year old (who needs to pee) wants/needs to find the bathroom ASAP; or the mom is going to leave and look elsewhere.
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​Keywords: All content (text/words) should be determined by a healthy research of the keywords people are searching for. 

I have a carpet cleaning business, a roadside assistance business and a website/SEO business. If my 'content' does not match the keywords people are searching for on Google- I GO BROKE.

MY PHONE DOESN'T RING. I make No money!

All the free websites in America do not and cannot provide us with the keyword research we need to be found online. Can you learn this on your own? Absolutely, yes you can. But do you have the time?

Which brings us to our next point. . .

Building Websites with Good Content takes Time: Lots and lots of time and that's why LeadGen Experts, like us, can beat the pants off of our competition- even if they have big marketing budgets. We have the time and patience.

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The stuff that goes in the website- the "Off Site SEO, the "On Site SEO", the Design layout, the "restroom signs" and the content takes a whole boatload of time! *SEO = Search Engine Optimization.

That's why real web designers charge hefty fees followed by monthly maintenance fees. Because it takes hours and hours of time. Most SEO companies DO NOT put the time in to do so.

We take out all the rocks, weeds and trash. . . we landscape the property. . . and we maintain it. SquareSpace just cannot do that. Your nintendo brother-in-law isn't going to maintain anything- let alone rank it. Someone has to have skin in the game. We will clean out your garage if you pay us to do so; and we will Rank You at the Top of Google if you pay us to do so. Is that a harsh truth to swallow?

​But here's the good news, if I don't make my client's phone ring they stop paying me money. I have skin in the game. You have skin in the game. Wix already has your money and they know most of you are not going anywhere soon because. . . who wants to start all over again?

Step 3. YouTube

Ah, the last great frontier. Nobody locally is taking advantage of this cash cow. I'm talking specifically about our town- but the same thing goes for all towns/Cities.

YouTube Marketing is still in its infancy and still very affordable. A FaceBook presence is powerful medicine but its not always easy to maintain engaging post. Post with no comments, Likes or emojis looks pretty desperate- but everyone of your customers or potential customers is watching YouTube!

If you serve a great ribeye breakfast steak- than what better time is there to put a video of your happy customers (eating steak) in front of potential local customers than right before they go to bed on a friday night? My wife and I watch a little news on YouTube before bed. Are you after CNN or Fox watchers? We can target one or both!

Are they boaters? Are they women between 35 and 60 years of age? YouTube allows you to target them down to a square inch. . .

We can make up a video on anybody- including you. Angelo was just one of many restaurants before Cda SEO took over and now Angelo's is the final word on authentic Italian food anywhere in the area. If you just landed on Planet Earth- you would go to Angelo's for Italian food!

Angelo's has YouTube Videos on their website and non-YouTube video uploads on their Facebook pages. Google loves YouTube videos on website pages- but Facebook prefers direct uploaded video files because they don't want people to leave Facebook by clicking over to YouTube.

Step 4. FaceBook/Instagram

Now a word should be said about daily FB or Instagram post. Angelo had hired a "Social Media Expert" agency before we came along. Facebook owns Instagram. Are your customers/clients younger or older? Are your customers Facebook users or Instagram users or both?

We can target all of Angelo's "Likes" and place very cool short videos of Angelo's Salmon Fettuccine in front of all of his customers whether they visit Angelo's Facebook page or not.

But ultimately it was just some kid watching Angelo's FB page with 20 other client pages- and all the post were obviously generic and nothing like Angelo at all!

​Your clients can tell if it's you or not. Don't insult their intelligence. Angelo had to step up to the plate and stay on posting pictures of his events and replying to comments. Angelo's diners are not customers- Angelo's diners are a Tribe- and they want an online and offline relationship with Angelo!

We help Angelo stay on top of things and we help post videos and such- but Angelo is Angelo and no one but Angelo can keep this Tribe of Fine Diners engaged like Angelo. Beware of "Social Media Experts".

​A Social Media Marketer is not the same as a Social Media Manager pretending to be you. Are we clear on this one?

Step 5. Marketing Funnels

Yep, scary stuff- or a mystery at best right? Sounds expensive! Big words can generate a lot of cash flow for people with titles like 'Marketing Expert' and 'Social Media Expert'. All a funnel is. . . is the online sales process (or steps) a potential customer goes through before they pick up the phone and call you. It can take many forms. . .

But let's cut to the chase and look at the ingredients of a successful marketing funnel.

People will do anything for those who:

• Encourage their dreams
• Justify their failures
• Allay their fears
• Confirm their suspicions
• Help them throw rocks at their enemies ​​

This is a book you must read by Blair Warren called 'The One Sentence Persuasion Course". If your SEO/marketing/expert has never heard of this classic little book- YOU SHOULD BE SCARED!

All of our marketing funnel planning should contain at least two or more of these selling propositions.

If you go buy this book and read it- you should send me a check. . . "because I'm the man who named you Sue". Look up the reference Gen X :) Why should they and why would they want, need or buy your product or service? 

Confirm their suspicions: The reason your carpets look crappy isn't because you're a lousy housekeeper- it's because the wet carpet cleaners left a bunch of residue muck in your carpets!
Justify their failures: It's not your fault there are unsightly stains in your carpets- it's those nasty wet hacks who sprayed a bunch of water and crud deep down into your carpets and it wicked back up! It's Not your fault.

One Last Thought

I can't believe you are still here. You must really care about SEO or Local Marketing or Web Design or Marketing Funnels or whatever people will call it next week. . .

Look, Search Engine Optimization is big scary stuff to a lot of people and it isn't easy to learn without putting in a huge amount of time or paying someone money- that's just the way it is.

But more than any one thing. . . you have to be able to trust your "expert". I would say over 80% of all SEO experts/agencies out there could and do take your money, put in some work and then put young adults or overseas virtual assistants in charge of maintaining your business.

Many businesses pay for months and even years not really knowing what they are paying for and it sucks paying for things we do not fully understand.

If you decide to become a client of ours we will deliver- and we will make your phone ring- or we will gladly step aside and help you find the magic mojo that will take your message to The Top of Google.