Mastering SEO In-House: How Moffitt Services Can Take Control

SEO can be a game-changer for any business, especially for niche industries like fuel delivery, where visibility can directly impact customer acquisition and retention. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your online presence in a competitive market, you’re not alone.

I recently had a video conversation with Landri Clair, the marketing lead at Moffitt Services, a Texas-based fuel distributor, who echoed these same concerns. She was particularly worried about bringing SEO in-house, concerned that without the agency they’d been using, they might lose ground or face risks. Her challenges may sound familiar if you’re navigating similar decisions for your own business.

By taking control of their SEO strategy, Moffitt Services would actually be in a stronger position, saving money and delivering better results. Here’s how we broke it down and what other businesses can learn from it.

The Benefits of Copying Successful Location Pages

Why Copy-Paste SEO Works

Moffitt Services had enough authority to extend this by simply copying their location service pages to rank for fuel delivery services in even more cities.

For instance, they already ranked for terms like “diesel delivery,” so she could apply this strategy across multiple cities, essentially creating a side business by monetizing referrals from those leads. 

Landri asked what steps she would need to take, and I explained that it was as simple as copying the existing landing pages and links for cities they don’t serve.

We looked at an example, Elko, Nevada, where Moffitt doesn’t have a physical location. The page itself didn’t have much customization specific to Elko, so she could add some localized content. Every location service page was essentially a copy-paste, only swapping city names. I told her that I’m not advocating for mass-produced spam content, but with a few local details added, each page could offer more value. 

The Elko, Nevada Location Service Page

For instance, adding information about a local partner or specific fuel usage trends in different cities could make the content unique and beneficial. Landri asked if she should add cities within each state they service. I advised her not to go overboard with a thousand cities, but adding an extra 20 or 30 would be beneficial. Since she’s already making money on referrals, it made sense to expand. 

We also discussed the keyword difficulty, which was quite low, meaning these terms were easy to rank for because of minimal competition. Moffitt’s website already had a trusted reputation with Google, thanks to its long history, so this would only enhance their performance.

Expanding to More Locations

Referring Domains for Moffitt Services

When Landri asked if she should add cities across every state Moffitt serves, I cautioned her not to go overboard. She doesn’t need to add a thousand cities, but an extra 20 or 30 would make a big difference. Since Moffitt was already generating revenue through referrals, expanding this strategy would only increase their reach and profitability.

Improving the Weak Spots

Fixing the Content

As we continued reviewing, the Midland, Texas, location page was really weak. It doesn’t say anything about the location, which is why it doesn’t rank. All that was on the page was a form, just like the other location pages. I joked that maybe the agency’s “tool” was just generating more generic pages, but it was clear that this approach wasn’t working.

Ranking Issues and Solutions

When we checked the page’s rankings, I explained, “The Midland page doesn’t rank for anything significant. They’re not linking to it, there’s no external link-building happening, and there’s barely any content.” I was confident that Landri could fix this quickly and do a better job than the so-called SEO experts. She agreed and felt more confident about tackling it now that things were clearer. You can also read this for further insights into SEO agency tactics. 

SEO Is Easier Than You Think

Ranking for Easy Keywords

One of the key things I highlighted was the keyword difficulty. The terms were incredibly easy to rank for because there was almost no competition. Moffitt’s website already has a strong reputation with Google, so expanding their SEO footprint in low-competition areas like these would be an easy win.

Improving Domain Rating and Backlinks

Landri asked if improving Moffitt’s domain rating (DR) and building more backlinks would help. While it could certainly provide a boost, I pointed out that the site was already performing well without much effort.

Recent traffic growth was likely due to Google penalizing spammy sites, which worked in favor of legitimate businesses like Moffitt. Google recognizes that Moffitt is delivering real services, so they continue to rank well, not because of some advanced SEO trick but because they are a trusted company doing what they say they do.

Bringing SEO In-House: The Plan

Hiring the Right People

Given the amount of work and potential growth, I recommended a full-time content person since managing SEO, PPC, and digital strategy is more than a part-time role. Landri was hesitant because of the agency’s long-standing relationship with her boss, but I reassured her that she was more than capable of handling it. She can make a strong case to bring SEO in-house by showing her improvements, and even negotiating a raise.

Salary and Budgeting

We talked about budgeting for an in-house hire, and I suggested around $60K a year for an entry-level content person. That’s a reasonable amount for the level of work involved, and it would be a solid investment in Moffitt’s future growth. Landri agreed and mentioned that the owners were likely willing to pay that based on prior discussions. I encouraged her to put together a clear plan and timeline, with specific dates for hiring and transitioning SEO responsibilities. 

Hiring in the Right Order

Landri asked about the right order for hiring people to handle various roles. I advised her to start with a content person who could manage WordPress and basic SEO tasks. As the business grows, the next hire should be someone who can handle social media and video editing, followed by a third hire to manage ads and analytics. Once the content strategy is working well, paid strategies can build on that momentum.

Avoiding the SEO Trap

Focus on Quality Content

When Landri asked if her content person should be focused on SEO, I clarified that I prefer hiring people who are focused on creating quality content. SEO often implies shortcuts or tricks. If the content is good, the SEO will follow naturally.  

What Moffitt needed wasn’t someone who claimed to be an SEO expert, they needed someone who understood their industry and could produce valuable, legitimate content that resonates with their audience.

Taking Control of SEO at Moffitt Services

Landri had always wanted to bring SEO in-house, and after our discussion, she had a clear path forward. Here are the key takeaways:

• Copy successful location pages with a few local tweaks and expand into more cities.
• Low-competition keywords are easy to rank for, use them to your advantage.
• Bring SEO in-house by hiring a full-time content person and gradually building a team.
• Budget smartly: $60K a year for a content person is a solid investment.
• Avoid the SEO trap: focus on creating high-quality, valuable content, and SEO will follow.

By taking these steps, Moffitt Services can save money, improve performance, and take full control of their SEO strategy. Now is the time to start building an in-house SEO team and see the long-term results that come with it.

Ready to take control of your SEO like Moffitt Services? Start by evaluating your current strategy. If you’re an employer looking to hire a virtual assistant, the article “Dennis Yu and Jacob Hastings on What It Means to Be a Successful Virtual Assistant” will help you understand what a successful and promising hire looks like.

Additionally, you can enroll in our VA Hiring Course to learn how to hire your first VA in just seven days. “Let’s build a strategy that grows your business organically.”