In SEO, the strategy you choose can make all the difference. A common question I get is whether my Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for ranking work in high competition areas. The answer is yes, but let’s unpack why low competition areas are often the focus of my teachings.
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The Power of Targeting Low Competition Areas
The essence of my approach is to target low competition areas. Why? It allows you to achieve results with less time, energy, and financial investment. When you focus on low competition, you can rank your sites faster and start monetizing them without heavy upfront costs.
Bootstrapping Your Success
Once you start to see revenue from these low competition niches, you can reinvest that money into building links and enhancing your SEO in more competitive areas. This method is all about bootstrapping—using client payments to boost your assets. It’s a hybrid agency model that combines local lead generation with traditional retainer-based services.
How It Works
When you sell retainer-based services, you can use the local lead generation assets as sales tools. By showcasing sites that you've ranked in low competition areas, you can effectively demonstrate your capabilities to potential clients. This approach not only brings in revenue but also establishes your authority in the market.
Does It Work in High Competition Areas?
Absolutely. The main difference is that in high competition areas, you’ll need more links and brand authority to rank effectively. The strategy remains the same: start with low competition to build your assets, and once you have a steady revenue stream, you can tackle higher competition areas with the funds you’ve generated.
Building Brand Authority
Typically, the local lead generation assets I build do not have Google Business Profiles (GBPs). The goal is to create organic-only assets that rank well without needing a GBP. Once you've established these assets, you can then assign a GBP to a project, further increasing your brand authority.
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Conclusion
To sum it up, targeting low competition areas first allows you to monetize with minimal investment, and the revenue generated can help you scale up to more competitive niches. This strategy works across the board; you just need to understand the additional off-page work required for higher competition areas.
FAQ
1. What is the benefit of targeting low competition areas?
By focusing on low competition, you can rank faster and generate revenue with less investment, which you can then reinvest into more competitive areas.
2. How does bootstrapping work in SEO?
Bootstrapping involves using the revenue generated from low competition assets to invest in building links and improving your SEO in higher competition areas.
3. Can the same strategies be applied to high competition areas?
Yes, but it requires more links and brand authority. It’s essential to start with low competition to build a foundation before moving to more competitive niches.
4. What about Google Business Profiles?
While many local lead generation assets don’t initially have GBPs, they can be assigned later to further enhance brand authority and visibility.
Resources
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