From 0 to 300 Reviews: Local SEO Transformation

The Local Visibility Crisis

A local home services company came to us invisible online. Despite great service and happy customers, they were losing to competitors with worse service but better online presence.

**Starting Point:**

12 Google reviews (3.8 stars)
Page 3 for main keywords
7 calls/month from Google
No review management system

The Transformation Strategy

Phase 1: Foundation (Month 1-2)

**Google Business Profile Optimization:**

Added 50+ photos (before/after, team, equipment)
Wrote compelling business description
Added all service areas
Set up proper categories
Created Google Posts schedule

**Review Infrastructure:**

Automated review requests
SMS and email sequences
QR codes for on-site requests
Review response templates
Negative review intercept system

Phase 2: Acceleration (Month 3-6)

**Review Generation Campaign:**

Contacted past customers
Incentivized team for requests
Added review links to all touchpoints
Created video testimonials
Launched referral program

**Local SEO Optimization:**

Built 50 local citations
Created location pages
Optimized for "near me" searches
Added local schema markup
Built local backlinks

Phase 3: Domination (Month 7-11)

**Advanced Strategies:**

Competitor review analysis
Keyword optimization in reviews
Photo SEO optimization
Google Posts 3x/week
Local PR campaigns

The Results

**Review Metrics:**

**Total Reviews**: 312 (2,500% increase)
**Average Rating**: 4.8 stars
**Response Rate**: 100%
**Monthly New Reviews**: 28

**Business Impact:**

**Phone Calls**: 89/month (1,171% increase)
**Website Traffic**: 450% increase
**Direction Requests**: 380% increase
**Revenue**: 220% increase

Key Success Factors

1. Systematic Approach

Not random requests but automated systems:

Post-service automation
Milestone triggers
Happy customer identification
Multi-channel requests

2. Response Management

Every review got a response:

Within 24 hours
Personalized (not templates)
Professional for negatives
Keyword-optimized

3. Visual Content

Photos drove engagement:

Before/after galleries
Team member spotlights
Equipment and process
Customer success stories

Lessons Learned

**What Worked:**

SMS had 3x higher response than email
Asking at point of satisfaction
Making it incredibly easy (one-click)
Following up on non-responders
Incentivizing without violating guidelines

**What Didn't:**

Mass email blasts
Asking too soon after service
Generic review requests
Ignoring negative reviews
Buying fake reviews (never do this)

Your Local SEO Checklist

1. ✓ Claim and verify GMB 2. ✓ Complete every field 3. ✓ Add photos weekly 4. ✓ Post updates regularly 5. ✓ Respond to all reviews 6. ✓ Build citations 7. ✓ Create location pages 8. ✓ Monitor competitors 9. ✓ Track phone calls 10. ✓ Measure ROI

Ready to dominate local search? [Let's talk](/contact) about your local presence.