From 0 to 300 Reviews: Local SEO Transformation

The Local Visibility Crisis

A local home services company came to us invisible online. Despite great service and happy customers, they were losing to competitors with worse service but better online presence.

Starting Point:

12 Google reviews (3.8 stars)
Page 3 for main keywords
7 calls/month from Google
No review management system

The Transformation Strategy

Phase 1: Foundation (Month 1-2)

Google Business Profile Optimization:

Added 50+ photos (before/after, team, equipment)
Wrote compelling business description
Added all service areas
Set up proper categories
Created Google Posts schedule

Review Infrastructure:

Automated review requests
SMS and email sequences
QR codes for on-site requests
Review response templates
Negative review intercept system

Phase 2: Acceleration (Month 3-6)

Review Generation Campaign:

Contacted past customers
Incentivized team for requests
Added review links to all touchpoints
Created video testimonials
Launched referral program

Local SEO Optimization:

Built 50 local citations
Created location pages
Optimized for "near me" searches
Added local schema markup
Built local backlinks

Phase 3: Domination (Month 7-11)

Advanced Strategies:

Competitor review analysis
Keyword optimization in reviews
Photo SEO optimization
Google Posts 3x/week
Local PR campaigns

The Results

Review Metrics:

Total Reviews: 312 (2,500% increase)
Average Rating: 4.8 stars
Response Rate: 100%
Monthly New Reviews: 28

Business Impact:

Phone Calls: 89/month (1,171% increase)
Website Traffic: 450% increase
Direction Requests: 380% increase
Revenue: 220% increase

Key Success Factors

1. Systematic Approach

Not random requests but automated systems:

Post-service automation
Milestone triggers
Happy customer identification
Multi-channel requests

2. Response Management

Every review got a response:

Within 24 hours
Personalized (not templates)
Professional for negatives
Keyword-optimized

3. Visual Content

Photos drove engagement:

Before/after galleries
Team member spotlights
Equipment and process
Customer success stories

Lessons Learned

What Worked:

SMS had 3x higher response than email
Asking at point of satisfaction
Making it incredibly easy (one-click)
Following up on non-responders
Incentivizing without violating guidelines

What Didn't:

Mass email blasts
Asking too soon after service
Generic review requests
Ignoring negative reviews
Buying fake reviews (never do this)

Your Local SEO Checklist

✓ Claim and verify GMB
✓ Complete every field
✓ Add photos weekly
✓ Post updates regularly
✓ Respond to all reviews
✓ Build citations
✓ Create location pages
✓ Monitor competitors
✓ Track phone calls
✓ Measure ROI

Ready to dominate local search? Let's talk about your local presence.