The Truth About SEO: What Marketing Companies Don’t Want Plumbers to Know

Marketing is the lifeblood of any local service provider. It drives growth and keeps your phone ringing. But are marketing companies honest about their services? Often, when they talk, they don’t give you the full picture.

Roger Wakefield, the owner of Texas Green Plumbing, invested $47,000 in marketing firms, expecting his phone to ring off the hook. Instead, it went silent, proving these firms didn’t deliver. This experience led Roger to master social media and SEO on his own.

In this article, we will uncover what really works and what agencies prefer to keep hidden.

What is a knowledge panel?

When you search for Roger Wakefield by saying, ‘Hey Siri, search Google for Roger Wakefield,’ a knowledge panel appears with details such as Roger’s age, top videos, company, and locations he has visited, all drawn from Google’s database.

Google’s Knowledge Graph contains information on people, places, businesses, and products. When Roger and I share a photo on Google Maps, that location and those entities become linked.

When Google detects connections, like Roger and Tommy Mello appearing together on a live stream, it uses this data to understand how these entities relate and builds a profile of Roger.

SEO has shifted from focusing solely on website links to incorporating signals from social media and apps. Google now analyzes tweets, likes, shares, and comments to understand entity relationships.

How Long Does It Take to Access Your Knowledge Panel After Your Business Goes Live on Google?

To trigger your knowledge panel after your business is live on Google, search for your business name. If it doesn’t appear, improve visibility by adding relevant keywords.

If you see a knowledge panel stub, activation may take a few weeks to months. Once it appears, claim it through Google’s verification process by uploading your ID and other documents.

After claiming it, enhance the panel by building high-authority links, publishing content, participating in podcasts, and running targeted ads.

Roger emphasizes the importance of integrating your digital presence by connecting your website, personal page, LinkedIn, Google, and YouTube.

Google favors a unified online profile. For example, consistently discussing plumbing across platforms and linking them strengthens your authority.

Why Local Expertise Is Crucial in Marketing

Whether you work in plumbing, real estate, or another field, your marketing must reflect both your industry and local presence. Many marketing companies offer generic packages that include just a website, video editing, and basic SEO. 

For example, a garage door company in Phoenix should highlight its local expertise and connections. Your marketing should showcase your work and emphasize your knowledge of the Phoenix area.

Google looks for signals that confirm your geographical and industry relevance. If your marketing company isn’t familiar with Phoenix or garage doors, it can’t effectively communicate these signals to Google.

SEO involves more than ranking for specific terms. When hiring an SEO marketing company, you need to understand their strategy. Many create and optimize Location Service Pages (LSPs) for each city and service, using platforms like Duda for easier management.

While WordPress powers about 25% of websites, it carries a higher risk of errors due to its numerous plugins and customization options. As a result, marketing agencies often prefer platforms like Duda to avoid these issues and provide tighter control.

How Many SEO Companies Are Truly Doing the Right Thing?

The answer is almost none.

Imagine you step on a scale and see 223 pounds. You pay a “scale optimizer” $3,000 a month to make it read 165 pounds, but you still weigh 223. Why didn’t it work? The issue wasn’t with the scale.

SEO works the same way. You create and share content across various platforms that showcase your expertise, relationships, and customer support, just like industry leaders Roger and Tommy do. This content appears on your website, YouTube, and other channels.

Google evaluates your content alongside customer reviews, your location, and photos. It also considers what people search for related to your business. All these factors influence your SEO.

If an SEO expert is unfamiliar with your city or industry, like plumbing or HVAC, they will struggle to improve your online visibility.

Roger shares a real-life example of this. At Master Networks, he met an SEO consultant who quoted $5,000 to improve his plumbing company’s online presence. When Roger asked if she used her own strategies, she admitted she didn’t, which upset her.

Practical SEO Tips for Local Service Businesses

Google evaluates your credibility based on your content, reviews, and real-world experience. To build a strong digital footprint, link your YouTube channel to your website, a practice I call “digital plumbing.” Start by searching for “tankless water heater Dallas” and check the “People Also Ask” section for common questions.

Record your responses on your phone, and you can create 50 web pages or videos in about an hour, with each video also serving as a blog post or social media content.

Use tools like Descript and ChatGPT to streamline this process. Consider hiring a virtual assistant from Upwork or Fiverr for around $150.

Post your content on Facebook, YouTube, your website, and Google My Business, then run ads against it. The four stages of the Content Factory will efficiently maximize your content’s impact and serve as a cost-effective alternative to paying an SEO company $5,000

Focus on quality and relevance. Showcasing your expertise and including customer photos builds authenticity, which Google values. Remember, while spammers can generate content easily, Google looks for legitimacy through its E-E-A-T framework: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust.

The Importance of Backlinks in SEO

Backlinks are the heart of SEO, as Google uses them to assess your site’s credibility. Securing links from relevant local businesses and organizations is essential.

For a Garland tankless water heater company, backlinks from local entities and related industries build trust and relevance.

These connections help Google understand your site’s context without visiting it. However, links from unrelated or low-quality sites can harm your reputation and rankings. If all your links come from porn sites or spam blogs, Google will likely categorize your site as a porn site or spam.

Backlinks indicate who a business associates with. Purchasing backlinks can lead to penalties from Google, especially if the links are irrelevant. For example, buying links from Fiverr or similar platforms may boost domain authority but won’t benefit you if the site is unrelated to your business.

How Backlinks Can Hurt Your SEO

SEO used to be simpler. You could buy numerous links, and if rankings didn’t improve, you’d purchase more until they did.

However, Google started penalizing people for buying low-quality links. Then, some savvy individuals realized they should stop buying links for themselves because it was hurting them. Instead, they started buying those links for their competitors, which would tank the competitors’ rankings. This tactic is called Google Bowling.

Google Bowling is less effective now because Google can determine whether a site purchased the links or if a competitor did so to cause harm. Google also investigates whether an SEO agency was involved and if that agency subcontracted the work. You can hire virtual assistants (VAs) for digital marketing tasks.

Many digital marketers claim expertise without formal certification. Focus on working directly with those executing the work. AI tools are now so powerful that we can train specialists to take content directly from the client and implement it seamlessly.

What Will Help You Grow 10x Faster?

Here’s a powerful tip: use proven strategies and content creation techniques for faster results. Consistently create content and combine it with the Dollar a Day strategy growth.

Leverage successful strategies from others in your industry. Use Facebook Ads Library to see competitor ads and landing pages. If a strategy works well for them, it’s likely to work for you too.

Tools like SpyFu allow you to analyze competitors on Google, including ad spending, cost-per-click, keywords, and ad copy. This competitive intelligence helps you adopt effective strategies without starting from scratch.

While social media and YouTube content are beneficial, investing in ads with a strong return on investment (ROI) is crucial. For example, a $10 investment yielding $100 back is the return you should aim for consistently.

Start with Your CRM: Don’t Waste Money on Ads Until You Know What’s Working

To drive results, analyze your CRM data to identify call sources, value, and return on ad spend. If you’re not using a CRM, start with Google Local Service Ads (LSA). Increasing ad spend won’t help if you’re paying $70 per call without converting them into profitable jobs.

First, optimize your LSA. If it’s profitable, gradually increase your budget: $1,000 to $2,000, then $3,000. Once you’ve mastered LSA, move on to Google Ads, then SEO, and finally Facebook Ads.

Avoid investing large sums without knowing your call-to-job conversion rates. If your CSRs and technicians aren’t closing 80-85% of calls, you’re losing money.

If your phone rings 1,000 times a month, but you handle only 600 calls, you’re wasting 40% of your marketing budget. Ensure your team handles and closes calls effectively to maximize ROI.

To excel locally, align yourself with top industry experts. For example, if you’re in restoration, collaborating with the ‘Roger Wakefield’ of restoration can boost your authority. A guest blog or video from them about restoring an old home will help. Google recognizes this association as relevant to restoration.

By linking yourself with someone who already ranks for your target keywords, you leverage their authority. Ranking isn’t just about the 10 blue links anymore. For instance, search for Roger Wakefield on your phone, and you’ll see colored knowledge panels. This Search Generative Experience (SGE) is integrating AI like Gemini, showing dynamic panels for various searches.

You don’t have to be a celebrity to claim your personal or business name online. What matters is generating traffic and building a strong digital footprint.

After I argued with Zuckerberg on CNN, I gained significant exposure as a public figure discussing Facebook data privacy. This exposure led to extensive media coverage from major outlets like the Wall Street Journal and NPR, which drove traffic to my site.

Focus on driving traffic and building a strong digital footprint. A competent SEO company should build a comprehensive footprint for all your properties. Even if you’re not active on social media, claim your company and personal names across platforms and interlink them.

If you’ve made an hour of videos answering the 50 PAA questions, chop them up. Get someone on Fiverr to handle it, and push the content to Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, everywhere. Link it all back to your name. This creates a collaborative signal across all platforms, making it easier for Google to recognize your authority.

AI Phone Answering vs. Human Interaction

AI phone answering systems are advancing, but they still struggle with processing delays, making them less efficient than real human interactions.

In high-value situations, especially when dealing with potential customers, a genuine human touch is essential. Automated responses might reduce costs, but they risk missing significant business opportunities, something no business owner can afford to overlook.

Roger is also exploring digital avatars with Syby, which can help those hesitant to appear on camera. This technology lets him create content with his virtual likeness, maintaining a personal touch without being physically present.

Handling Similar Business Names in Your Industry 

Choosing a business name that’s too similar to an existing one can lead to significant issues. For example, naming your company “Dallas Plumbing” when there’s already a business with that name could cause confusion, especially if the other company’s reputation declines or they shut down. It’s crucial to select a distinct name to avoid these pitfalls.

When picking a name, think beyond your local market. Including your city’s name or generic terms like “Plumbing” might lead to trademark issues if the name is already taken. For instance, Tommy faced challenges with the name “A1 Garage” due to numerous similar names.

Instead, consider using your personal brand in the business name. A name like “Wakefield Plumbing” builds trust and creates a personal connection with customers. People often prefer businesses with a personal touch, which feels more trustworthy. 

However, if you plan to sell your business in the future, using your personal name might not be ideal. Buyers may be reluctant to purchase a business closely tied to someone else’s identity. For my business, I chose a name that reflects both my location and personal values, making the brand unique and meaningful.

If your business name is too similar to an existing one, reassess and choose a name that clearly establishes your unique identity.

Is It Wise to Build Tools Now for a Future Business?

Building domain authority and an online presence now can greatly benefit your future business, even years down the line. Start by documenting your work-take photos and videos of your daily tasks, and share your achievements. Showcase positive customer reviews on social media to highlight your expertise and build your reputation. 

By starting now, you’re laying a solid foundation for your future company, giving you a significant advantage when you launch.

Our goal is to cut through ineffective digital marketing and bring real accountability to the field. Partnering with schools, trade organizations, and experts like Roger Wakefield, we’re creating tools and training programs. The “Are You Googleable?” concept, is part of this effort to ensure effective digital marketing practices and accountability.

If you’re in business or planning to start one, staying on top of SEO changes and building your online presence now is crucial for long-term success.

Building your online presence and reputation now is crucial. Document your work, share updates, and showcase positive reviews. This will give you a head start when you launch your own company.