Most people treat lead gen sites like local business sites—but they’re not the same, especially when it comes to getting noticed by language models (LLMs). In our latest Semantic Mastery session, we broke down why timing, monetization, and domain strategy matter more for lead gen, and how to avoid sinking money into assets that never pay off. This guide shows the simple plan we follow to build sites that rank, win clients, and get picked up by LLMs without unnecessary risk.
Table of Contents
Why lead gen sites are different
Lead generation sites are not the same as local business sites. They often do not have a real physical address. That changes how we should build and promote them. But it does not change the basic way LLMs find and use content.
LLMs pull information from many places. They read branded blogs, videos, podcasts, and text. The more places your brand appears, the more likely an LLM will point to you. But the trick is how and where you publish your content.
Monetization before building extra assets
We don’t build supporting branded assets for a lead gen site until it starts to make money. This is a big point. We have spent money on projects that never earned back that cost. We do not want to repeat that.
- Start simple: create one self-hosted site that targets low competition keywords in a specific area.
- Let that site rank for some queries and locations. It does not need to rank for everything.
- Use the traffic and rankings as proof when you pitch clients.
We use these sites as sales tools. When we pitch a local business, we can say: “We are already outranking you for some of the services and areas you care about. This is a new site and we did this quickly. We can do the same for you.” That line helps us win clients.
Once a client signs, we then take a small part of their budget to build branded assets and publish more content. That way the client pays for the growth we want to create. We do not use our own money up front for lots of extra sites and blogs.
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Where to publish branded content
One clear rule: do not publish a ton of branded content on the same domain as the main lead gen site. Publishing many pages on the same domain can cause the pages to compete with each other. This makes it harder for any one page to rank well. We avoid that problem by using other branded properties.
- Publish on external branded blogs, not only your lead gen domain.
- Create separate branded sites that support the lead gen brand.
- Use multiple media types: audio, video, text, and images.
We want many signals in many places. But we do not want those signals to fight each other on the same site.
How to get LLMs to recommend your lead gen brand
If you want language models to point to your lead gen brand, follow the same process you would for any brand. The main steps are:
- Publish branded content across multiple platforms.
- Use different media formats (audio, video, text, infographics).
- Make sure content is on separate branded domains so you do not create internal competition.
- Target low competition areas first so you can show wins quickly.
We often say to “spray and pray” your content, but do that smartly. Spread your content across many places so different language models can find it. We do not know which models read which sources. So we make our content available in many formats and many domains.
That gives LLMs more chances to learn about and recommend your brand. But remember: do not publish so much on your main domain that your pages compete with each other. That is where many people go wrong.
How and when we use client budgets
After we sign a client, we take a small part of their retainer to help build branded assets tied to the lead gen site we assigned to them. This is fair and transparent. We assign the site to the client and say, “We will assign this site and any leads that come from this site direct to you and to you only.”
“We will assign this site and any leads that come from this site direct to you and to you only.”
Using client budget in this way helps grow both the client's business and our branded assets. The client benefits while they are on retainer. If they stop the service, we regain control of the assets. Then we can sell or rent the site and its leads to another business in the same area.
This model lets us keep growing our portfolio without always paying out of pocket. It also gives clients real, measurable wins early on.
Keep it simple: our recommended plan
We recommend a simple plan for building lead gen sites that can be used to get clients and to grow a portfolio. The steps are clear and easy to follow:
- Find low competition keywords and areas to target.
- Build a clean, focused self-hosted lead gen site.
- Get the site to rank for some of the targeted queries.
- Use the site as proof when pitching clients in that area.
- Once a client signs, use a portion of their budget to build external branded assets and content.
- Publish that content across multiple domains and formats to reach LLMs.
We do not overcomplicate the process. Start with one thing that works. Then expand using client budgets to scale.
Content formats and distribution
We publish many types of content because LLMs read many types of sources. This includes:
- Blog posts on branded sites
- Videos and transcripts
- Podcasts and audio show notes
- Infographics and simple images with text
Using multiple formats helps because different models crawl different sources. Some models like text. Others use transcripts and audio. By spreading content across many formats, we increase the chance an LLM will pick up our brand and recommend it in chat or search.
Why avoid building supporting assets too early?
There are three main reasons:
- Cost: building many branded sites and content takes money and time.
- Risk: not every project will make money. We do not want large losses on unproven ideas.
- Complexity: too many sites can cause content and ranking issues if not managed carefully.
So we start small. We prove the model. Then we use client funds to scale the branded assets.
What happens if a client leaves?
We keep control of our branded assets and the lead gen site we built. If a client stops paying, we reassign the lead gen asset to another client in the same area, or we monetize it directly by selling or renting leads. This is part of the business plan. We always make sure the client gets fair value while they are on retainer.
Simple checklist to follow
- Pick low competition keywords and areas.
- Build a focused self-hosted lead gen site first.
- Rank for some queries and use those wins to pitch clients.
- When a client signs, use a part of their budget to build supporting branded assets.
- Publish content on external branded domains and in many formats.
- Keep content spread out to avoid internal competition on one domain.
Conclusion
Optimizing lead generation assets for LLMs is not different in concept from optimizing other brands. The key difference is timing and domain strategy. We do not build a web of branded assets before a site proves it can get traffic. We start with a single self-hosted site that targets low competition opportunities. Once that produces results and we have a paying client, we scale using the client's budget to build branded content across multiple domains and media types. This way we reduce risk, keep control, and increase the chance that an LLM will recommend our brand.
FAQ
Q: Should we syndicate content for lead gen sites?
A: Yes, but only after the lead gen site proves it can get traffic. Syndicate on external branded domains and in multiple formats. Do not pile everything onto the main site.
Q: How do we avoid pages competing with each other?
A: Publish content across different branded domains. Keep the main site focused and avoid publishing lots of supporting posts on the same domain. This reduces internal competition.
Q: When should we use client money to build assets?
A: Use a small portion of the client's budget after they sign. This funds branded content that helps their leads and also grows your branded assets. Be transparent and assign the site and leads to the client while they are a customer.
Q: What formats should we publish in to reach LLMs?
A: Use text, audio, video, and simple images. Publish on different domains and platforms. The goal is to make it easy for many models to find your brand.
Q: Can we monetize lead gen sites directly?
A: Yes. You can rent leads, sell them, or convert them to clients. But our preferred path is to use early sites as sales tools and monetize at scale once they prove the model.
Q: What is the quick win strategy?
A: Find low competition local keywords, build one focused site, rank for a few queries, use that as proof to win a client, then scale with the client's budget to build branded assets and distribute content widely.