How Damon Burton Builds His Agency On Delivering Value

Damon Burton owns one of the largest SEO agencies in the country, SEO National. A few days ago we spent a fantastic day in Las Vegas, not only racing sports cars but also diving deep into the complexities and immense potential of SEO. 

In this article, I want to go over the differences between what Damon does to help grow his agency compared to most other agencies, why what he’s doing is working, and how you can copy his lead.

Demystifying SEO

First off, let me say that SEO can seem like a mix of magic and mystery—like modern-day voodoo. But as Damon and I discussed, the key to mastering this art is learning from those who have repeatedly succeeded.

Setting the right expectations from the start is crucial, thus following LDT (learn, do, teach). SEO isn’t a quick fix but a strategic investment that pays dividends over time. It’s about patience and precision, understanding that results grow as your efforts compound.

Understanding that SEO is a strategic investment rather than a quick fix is crucial. For instance, when SEO National took on a new client in the highly competitive legal industry, they knew the results wouldn’t be instant.

They set clear expectations for the client: it would take months of building a strong foundation of optimized content and credible links to start seeing significant improvements in search rankings. This upfront communication helps set realistic timelines and reduces frustration.

Unlike most SEO Agencies, Damon understands that you can’t “do” SEO. Rather, it’s about making sure you own your own assets, do great work for others, and include EEAT content to maximize your chances of ranking.

Putting Clients First Is Damon’s Mission

Unlike other SEO agencies who spend most of their time on outreach, Damon vets clients beforehand to find if they’re a good fit before onboarding them.

When we were in front of the Las Vegas sign, he discussed turning down a toxic potential client, which resonated with another high-value client who appreciated his commitment to mental health and team integrity.

This example highlighted how values —beyond just business offerings—can attract clients who share similar values and priorities.

And when he gets clients or friends – he doesn’t just wait for them to churn or put in the bare minimum. Instead, he does everything he can to help others regardless if they’re his clients or not. This “people first” approach has no doubt helped him scale faster than any cold email campaign could.

A few months ago before we met in Las Vegas, Damon sent my cookies in the mail out of no-where. If that doesn’t prove a point of putting people first, what does?

Why send cold emails when you could send cookies?

Why send cold emails when you could send cookies?

Growth and Scaling of SEO National

From starting as a freelancer to running a successful seven-figure agency, Burton’s journey is a testament to what is possible in the SEO industry.

He highlighted that 95% of his revenue is recurring, which speaks to the sustainability and predictability of the business model he has built. The growth of SEO National from 15 to 50 employees in just 18 months, without spending on ads, underscores the effectiveness of his strategies centered around personal branding and quality service.

The emphasis on quality service cannot be overstated. In the SEO industry, where results and client satisfaction are paramount, delivering consistent, measurable improvements to clients’ search rankings has spurred word-of-mouth referrals.

These referrals are invaluable, as they come with a high level of trust and significantly lower client acquisition costs compared to traditional marketing channels. Each satisfied client becomes a champion of SEO National’s services, helping to attract new business.

The increase in workforce from 15 to 50 employees not only reflects the growing client base but also Damon’s commitment to maintaining a high service quality as the business scales. By investing in a skilled team,

SEO National can manage a larger volume of clients while upholding the personalized service that their reputation is built on. This strategy ensures that growth does not dilute the quality of the service, but rather enhances the company’s capacity to serve clients effectively.

Adapting to Modern Business Environments

We touched on how recent shifts in business norms have led to more relaxed and authentic modes of interaction. Burton mentioned the new acceptability of casual settings and attire in professional interactions, which has been influenced by changes in workplace norms due to the pandemic.

I mentioned how I’ll often visit a Kaqun Oxygen Bath and while taking a bath, have client meetings (with the camera off, of course).

This adaptability is crucial in today’s business environment, where authenticity often trumps traditional formalities in building trust and rapport with clients. Just a few years ago, it was expected that you wear business casual to a zoom meeting and have some corporate blurred background.

Now? It doesn’t really matter.

Damon and I both agree that what increasingly matters in the digital marketing and SEO world is competence and relationship building, not if you wear a suit to a zoom meeting. Which means, if the goal is to build the business, the best way to do that is by consistently delivering high quality work.

Leveraging Cutting-Edge Tools

We also discussed the role of advanced tools like Descript, which Damon uses for transcribing and polishing content created from natural conversation.

Descript is a powerful tool designed to transcribe, edit, and polish content derived from natural conversations. This capability is invaluable for SEO professionals and content marketers who want to leverage every piece of content they produce. For instance, consider a scenario where 

Damon and I recorded our entire discussion about SEO best practices and personal branding.

By using Descript, we could quickly transcribe our conversation, which could then be polished into a series of blog posts, social media content, or even an eBook.

This approach not only saves time but also ensures that the content is authentic and resonates with the audience, maintaining the natural tone that often gets lost in traditional content creation methods. Descript’s ability to edit audio as easily as text allows for the refinement of podcasts or video content, making it a versatile tool in a marketer’s arsenal.

Damon emphasized that, contrary to some claims that AI and social media are overshadowing traditional SEO, these technological advancements actually provide new avenues for boosting SEO strategies.

Tools like Descript utilize AI to streamline content creation, allowing SEO agencies to focus more on strategy and less on the mechanics of content generation.

For example, after transcribing a video into text, SEO enhancements can be directly applied—such as integrating targeted keywords, optimizing meta descriptions, and improving readability—which significantly boosts SEO performance without requiring additional content writing resources.

Consider a practical application: an SEO agency uses Descript to transcribe client testimonials recorded during a conference. The transcribed text is then polished and used to create compelling case studies, blog entries, and social media posts.

This not only helps in cementing the agency’s credibility but also in enhancing its SEO efforts by generating fresh, relevant, and engaging content.

Damon Scaled His Agency Because He Puts In Effort

When Damon messaged me a few weeks ago asking to hang out in Las Vegas, I agreed. It’s not everyday you can hang out with friends and go race cars.

I want you to think about what that means – Damon took time out of his very busy schedule to hang out with us. He didn’t have to, but did anyway to build our friendship and to have fun.

So many SEO and digital marketing agencies want to sell, sell, sell… And while that’s nice and good, don’t forget that business deals are relationships. Building a partnership with people you have fun with and trust makes all the difference.

Instead of flexing driving a Lamborghini like Ryan Davis, former owner of Service Legend, Damon actually cares enough to book a flight and plan a day to come see me!

Thanks for the great day Damon, hope to see you again soon.