How I Rank Service-Based Businesses from Scratch (Even in Competitive Markets)

The SEO Problem Most Businesses Don’t Realize They Have

SEO IS NOT A CHECKLIST

Whenever people want more traffic for their website, they almost always think, “We need SEO.”
You’ve heard of it. You know your competitors are doing it. So, why not jump in?

You go on Upwork or OnlineJobs, hire someone who says they “do SEO,” and give them access. A few weeks later, they’ve edited your H1s, added some meta descriptions, maybe even tossed in a few keywords and blog posts.

Then… nothing happens. This is exactly the kind of situation most clients are in by the time they find me. They’ve spent the last 3–6 months hiring someone who’s only doing 10% of what SEO actually involves.

Let me be clear:
SEO is not just a checklist of titles, H1s, meta tags, and some keyword stuffing. That’s the bare minimum. That’s like painting over rust and calling it a restoration. If you really want to rank—especially in a competitive market—you need a full-stack approach.

Here’s what that actually looks like:

 On-Page SEO

• Keyword targeting
• Title tags, meta descriptions, header structure (H1s, H2s)
• Schema markup (local schema, review schema, article schema)
• Categories, tags, internal linking
• Strategic blogging (pillar posts, service content, supporting clusters)
• SEO-structured pages: Services, Location Pages, Completed Projects

Technical SEO

• Page layout & structure
• User experience (UX)
• Mobile responsiveness
• Page speed optimization
• Indexing & crawlability
• Sitemaps, robots.txt, and canonical tags
• Hosting configuration, backups, and security
• Core Web Vitals optimization
• Plugin and theme performance (especially if using Elementor or WordPress)

Off-Page SEO

• High-authority backlink outreach
• Niche and local citation building
• Google Business Profile optimization
• Anchor text distribution and link velocity
• Brand mentions and forum visibility (Quora, Reddit, niche communities)

Do you really think one random freelancer with a Fiverr gig or a $5/hour rate can handle all of that?

That’s where most businesses make the mistake. They want to rank #1, dominate Google Maps, and generate leads on autopilot—but they expect it to happen with a $5/hour hire who barely understands how WordPress works.Let me be real with you: If that’s your budget and mindset, I wouldn’t even take you on as a client.

Not because I’m arrogant—but because it shows me you’re not serious. You want #1 rankings for $5/hour? That tells me everything I need to know.

Here’s a better idea: Call up your #1 competitor. The one showing up at the top of Google every time you search your service. Ask them how much they’ve spent on SEO in the past 2–3 years.

I guarantee you—it’s thousands. Not once, but consistently. That’s the level of investment and commitment it takes to win online today. SEO isn’t for everyone. It’s for the businesses who are ready to play the long game—those who understand that visibility, trust, and leads are built over time with the right person driving the whole thing.

Here’s the truth: Only 1% of SEO professionals actually understand and can execute the entire ecosystem—from tech setup to backlink strategy to content that actually ranks and converts. I’m part of that 1%.

The Foundation: What Every Service Business Needs Before Ranking Is Even Possible

Build your Foundation! Before you can talk about backlinks, blogs, or map pack rankings, you need to build the foundation. Most businesses skip this part entirely. They jump straight into tactics—posting on social media, asking for reviews, or paying someone to write blog posts—without making sure the core of their website is even ready to rank.

That’s like trying to pour concrete on top of sand. It might hold for a little while… but eventually, it crumbles.

Here’s what actually needs to be in place first:

1. A Proper Audit.Not a one-page checklist. I’m talking a real audit that looks at:

• Site structure
• Crawlability
• Indexing issues
• Broken links
• Redirects
• Page load speeds
• Mobile usability
• Local SEO signals
• Content gaps

You can’t fix what you haven’t measured.

2. Keyword & Intent StrategyMost freelancers will toss in keywords without thinking about search intent.But ranking for “electrical tips” is different from ranking for “commercial electrician in sydney.” (You can actually search this keyword right now, Lightspeed Electrical is #1 for this ranking– That’s one of my happy clients ya’ll! )

Your keyword strategy should be built around buyers, not browsers.

3. Google Business Profile (GBP) Setup
   If your GBP isn’t optimized—filled with services, photos, posts, service areas, and FAQs—you’re missing 60% of your local visibility potential. I’ve seen businesses double their call volume just by properly structuring their GBP.

4. Tracking Infrastructure
   You can’t scale what you can’t see.That’s why I set up:

• Google Analytics 4
• Google Search Console
• Keyword ranking dashboards
• Call tracking (optional)

Before we even touch content or links, we should know what’s working and what isn’t.

5. Technical Health
   Think of this as your site’s immune system. If your website is slow, unstructured, or cluttered with unused plugins—Google will not trust it. I fix:

• Mobile performance
• Hosting configuration
• Site backups and security
• Theme/plugin bloat
• Core Web Vitals

Because a healthy site ranks faster, stays indexed, and builds trust with search engines.

The truth is simple:
Before you rank, you need to earn trust from Google. That starts with your foundation—not shortcuts.

On-Page SEO: Structure, Intent, and Local Signals

Most service businesses think that once they’ve added some keywords and meta tags, their on-page SEO is “done.” Wrong. That’s like hanging a business sign outside your building and assuming customers will flood in—without checking if your address is even on the map, or if your storefront is open.

On-page SEO is foundational, and when done right, it sends a clear signal to Google about what your business does, where you operate, and who you serve.

But here’s the issue:

According to a 2023 SEMrush study, over 70% of local business websites lack optimized H1 tags, clear internal linking, or schema markup. Even worse—most small businesses use the same generic service page across every location, stuffing city names into sentences that don’t even make sense to humans. Google notices. And penalizes.

Here’s what real on-page SEO looks like:

Service Pages That Match Buyer Intent
Each service deserves its own page. If you’re a roofing company offering repairs, installs, and inspections, each one should be structured around what people are searching for—not a bloated catch-all page.

I optimize service pages with:

• Strategic headings (H1, H2s that match long-tail search queries)
• Local intent phrasing (e.g., “affordable roof repair in Houston” vs. “roofing service”)
• Internal links to related services and blog content
• FAQs based on real customer language (great for featured snippets)

Location Pages That Don’t Sound Robotic
Stuffing “Plumber in Chicago” 12 times into one page won’t cut it anymore. Google has evolved—and so should your copy.

I structure location pages with:

• Unique city-specific content (landmarks, service radius, local reviews)
• Embedded maps and driving directions
• Google Business Profile links
• Local business schema + NAP consistency

Internal Linking That Flows Like a Site Map Internal links aren’t just for SEO—they’re for users.

They help Google crawl your site, build topic relevance, and boost time-on-site.

I use internal linking to:

• Connect service pages to blog content
• Support clusters under pillar content
• Guide visitors toward conversion pages
• Structured Data (Schema) That Builds Trust with Google

  Schema tells Google exactly what each page is about. Yet it’s one of the most neglected parts of SEO.

My process includes:

• LocalBusiness schema with full contact info
• Review schema for testimonials
• FAQ schema to enhance rich snippets
• Service schema to clarify offerings in the SERP

The Bottom Line:

If you want Google to trust you, you need to show them structure—not keyword spam. Most websites I audit are missing 50% of this at a minimum. That’s not a guess—it’s data. And that’s why even well-designed websites sit on page 5, invisible to the customers who actually need them.

Want to rank? Fix your foundation—and then fix your on-page.