We’ve already documented the deceptive tactics of others like Lane Houk and Jumper Media. If you want to see how these claims fall apart, check out our articles on them. We also have videos and articles explaining why Answer Engine Optimization is a joke and isn’t really possible. For a legitimate approach to getting visible, learn about our Content Factory process.
On Facebook, I saw an ad from Openly promising automated SEO. They claim that by subscribing to their tool, you can monitor competitors, track rankings, and grow traffic effortlessly. The pitch preys on local business owners who want a quick fix, ignoring the reality that SEO is an outcome of reputation and activity. Good search rankings are earned by generating signals: reviews from happy customers, expertise shared through content, and engagement on your site. Believing that a subscription to a tool will magically move your business up the search results is like paying for a weight‑loss service that promises you can shed pounds automatically without changing your habits. It’s a scam that appeals to the desire for easy results.
Look– “zero manual work required” is their claim.
And your traffic skyrockets!
Our Content Factory process teaches that building authority means making your reputation visible across multiple channels: social posts, blogs, videos, and community engagement. This cannot be automated away by a script.
The irony is that Openly doesn’t rank for its own name. Their primary method of promotion is paid social ads, not organic search. If their SEO is so strong, why do they need to advertise to get your attention? Many of these AI‑powered SEO tools rank mainly for negative posts about them. This reveals what they really excel at: marketing to unsuspecting business owners rather than delivering lasting results.
Here are the keywords that Opinly ranks on themselves, which aren’t relevant. And the SEO tools easily spot and mark their content as AI-generated:
Instead of falling for these schemes, focus on creating real value and letting your customers’ voices build your reputation. Share your expertise generously, encourage testimonials, and engage authentically. That’s what moves the needle for search and for AI recommendations.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.