by Fistbump Media, LLC | Sep 3, 2025 | local seo strategy
Think about the last time you searched for a local service. Maybe your air conditioner stopped working, or you needed a roofer after a storm. You probably grabbed your phone, typed something into Google like “roof repair near me…” and within seconds, you clicked on one of the first few results.
Here’s the hard truth: if your business isn’t showing up in those top spots, you’re invisible to the very people who are ready to buy. Competitors with stronger local SEO are getting the calls, the website visits, and ultimately, the customers that could have been yours.
And yet, most small business owners don’t realize how close they are to fixing it. In fact, the biggest roadblocks to ranking higher in local search are not advanced technical issues; they’re a handful of simple, but costly mistakes.
In this article, we’ll break down the three biggest local SEO mistakes businesses make, why they matter, and most importantly, how you can fix them to start generating more leads.
Mistake #1: Ignoring Your Google Business Profile
If there’s one local SEO tool that can make or break your business, it’s your Google Business Profile (GBP). And yet, too many small business owners either haven’t claimed theirs or leave it half-finished.
That’s a huge missed opportunity.
When someone searches for “plumber near me” or “roof repair in Tampa”, Google often shows a map pack, the three highlighted businesses that appear right at the top of the page. Studies show that 93% of local searches include this map pack, and 75% of clicks go to those top three results. If your business isn’t there, you’re practically invisible.
I once worked with a roofing company whose GBP had no photos, no service categories, and barely any reviews. They were buried in the results. Meanwhile, a competitor who consistently uploaded project photos and asked customers for reviews was sitting pretty in the map pack… and getting all the calls.
The good news? Fixing this mistake is simple:
- Claim your Google Business Profile if you haven’t already at business.google.com.
- Fill out every detail… business hours, services, categories, website, and phone number.
- Upload plenty of photos… inside, outside, team members, projects, even your logo.
- Request reviews after every job and respond to each one (good or bad).
- Use Google Posts and Q&A to share updates and answer common questions.
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see before they ever click to your website. Make it count, and you’ll be miles ahead of competitors who neglect it.
Mistake #2: Targeting the Wrong Keywords
When it comes to SEO, many small business owners make the mistake of chasing the wrong keywords. They go after broad, high-volume phrases like “plumber” or “roofing services”. The problem? Those terms are insanely competitive, dominated by giant companies with million-dollar marketing budgets.
Even if you somehow managed to rank for them, most of the traffic wouldn’t be from people in your service area… meaning you’d get clicks, but not calls.
I once worked with a local plumber who was frustrated that he wasn’t ranking for the keyword “plumbing services.” When we looked closer, the results were filled with national directories like HomeAdvisor and Yelp, plus big-box competitors. No chance of breaking through. But when we shifted focus to phrases like “emergency plumber in Tampa” and “water heater repair near me”, his business started climbing the results and phone calls increased.
Here’s how you can avoid this mistake:
- Do keyword research with a local lens. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or SEMrush can show you what people search in your area.
- Target “service + city” combos. For example: “roof repair Lakeland FL”, “AC installation Orlando”.
- Use long-tail keywords. These may get fewer searches but often convert better (someone searching “24-hour plumber near me” is ready to call).
- Optimize metadata and content. Add these phrases to your page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and service pages.
- Create location-specific content. Blog posts like “How Much Does Roof Repair Cost in Tampa?” or “Top 5 Things to Do When Your AC Breaks in Orlando”.
Remember: keywords aren’t just about volume, they’re about intent. Focus on what your ideal customer is actually typing into Google when they’re ready to buy.
Mistake #3: Treating SEO as a One-Time Project
Another common mistake local businesses make is treating SEO like a box you can check off once and forget about. They’ll optimize their website, add some keywords, and maybe even set up their Google Business Profile… and then never touch it again.
The problem? SEO is not static. Google updates its algorithms constantly, competitors keep optimizing, and customer behavior evolves. What worked a year ago may not work today.
I once worked with a business that hadn’t updated their website in over three years. Their competitors, meanwhile, were regularly adding blog posts, uploading new photos to their Google Business Profile, and gathering fresh reviews. Over time, the stagnant site slipped down the rankings while competitors passed them by, even though this company offered excellent services.
Here’s how to avoid falling into the “set it and forget it” trap:
- Update your website regularly. Add new blog posts, update service pages, and make sure all contact details are accurate.
- Refresh your Google Business Profile. Post updates, add new photos, and respond to reviews consistently.
- Track performance monthly. Keep an eye on rankings, website traffic, and calls. If something drops, adjust your strategy.
- Stay aware of Google updates. SEO evolves. Following industry blogs or working with a coach can help you keep up.
Think of SEO as a marathon, not a sprint. The businesses that commit to ongoing improvement see compounding growth: more visibility, more calls, and more customers… month after month.
Bringing It All Together
The good news is that local SEO isn’t rocket science. Most small businesses struggle not because they’re doing the wrong advanced strategies, but because they’re missing the basics.
By avoiding these three mistakes (neglecting your Google Business Profile, chasing the wrong keywords, and treating SEO as a one-time project), you’ll already be ahead of most of your competition. And when your competition is still invisible, even small improvements can mean big wins for your business.
The truth is, every day you delay fixing these mistakes is another day your competitors are getting the calls that could have been yours. Customers are searching right now for the services you provide. The question is: will they find you, or someone else?
You don’t need to master every detail of SEO to see results. But you do need a clear, consistent plan… and the confidence to know you’re working on the right things. That’s where having a coach in your corner makes all the difference.
Take the Next Step
If you’re tired of watching competitors outrank you, now is the time to act.
With my Local SEO One-on-One Coaching Program, you’ll get:
- A personalized strategy tailored to your business.
- Expert analysis and reports so you know exactly what to fix.
- Four weeks of direct coaching to implement quick wins and build lasting growth.
For just $400, you’ll walk away with clarity, confidence, and a roadmap to keep generating leads long after our sessions end.
⚠️ I only work with 5 coaching clients at a time, so spots are limited.
👉 Claim your coaching spot today and start turning Google searches into new customers.
by Fistbump Media, LLC | Apr 28, 2022 | blogging strategy
If you’re a blogger, then you know that acquiring email subscribers is key to growing your blog. But how do you go about doing that?
In this post, we’ll share some tips on how to increase email subscribers for your blog. So read on and learn how you can start building a great list of email subscribers today!
1. Know your audience
The first step to increasing your email subscribers is to know your audience. After all, you can’t grow your list if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach.
Think about who your ideal reader is and what they would want to see from your blog. Once you have a good understanding of your target audience, you can start creating content that appeals to them.
2. Create quality content
To increase your email subscribers, you need to create high-quality content that will appeal to your target audience. This means writing posts that are engaging, informative, and relevant to your readers. Additionally, it’s important to focus on creating content that is optimized for search engines, so that more people can discover and share your blog.
In addition to creating quality content, you should also experiment with different forms of content marketing such as infographics, videos, podcasts, and social media posts. By diversifying the types of content you produce, you can further promote your blog and reach a wider audience.
If you want to increase email subscribers for your blog, you need to create high-quality content that your readers will engage with. With consistency and persistence, you can build a loyal following and grow your email list over time.
3. Use a strong call to action
To increase email subscribers for your blog, it’s important to use a strong call-to-action (CTA) on your blog posts. This is the action you want your readers to take after reading your post.
Some common CTAs include asking readers to subscribe to your mailing list, leave a comment or share your content on social media. Whatever you choose, be sure to keep it short and simple so that it’s easy for readers to follow through with the action you’re encouraging them to take.
Make it easy for your readers to join your email list by including a strong CTA in every blog post. This way, they’ll stay up to date with your blog’s latest content. With these tips in mind, you can start growing your email list and increasing your blog’s reach today!
4. Try different methods to increase subscribers
There are several different methods you can try to increase email subscribers for your blog. Here are a few popular methods that have proven to be effective:
- Use pop-ups or slide-ins: Pop-ups and slide-ins are email opt-in forms that appear on your website after a user has been on the site for a certain amount of time or when they’re about to leave. This is a great way to capture leads who are interested in your product or service.
- Offer content upgrades: A content upgrade is an additional piece of content that is related to the blog post someone is reading. If you’re writing a post about productivity tips, you could offer a free e-book or checklist in exchange for subscribing to your email list.
- Host giveaways: Running a giveaway is another effective way to attract new subscribers. This involves creating a contest with an enticing prize and asking participants to enter by subscribing to your mailing list.
There are many different methods you can use to increase email subscribers for your blog. Try out a few different methods and see which ones work best for you and your audience.
5. Analyze results and adjust strategy as needed
As you experiment with different methods for increasing email subscribers, it’s important to keep track of your progress and analyze the results. This will help you determine which methods are working and which ones need to be tweaked or abandoned altogether.
To track your progress, you can use Google Analytics or another similar tool to track the number of email subscribers you acquire over time. Additionally, it can be helpful to set up goals in Google Analytics so that you can track conversion rates and other important metrics.
By analyzing your results regularly, you can adjust your strategy as needed to continue growing your email list. With these tips in mind, you can start increasing email subscribers for your blog today!
6. Celebrate each victory, no matter how small
One of the keys to successfully increasing email subscribers for your blog is to celebrate each victory, no matter how small.
When you see an increase in subscribers or engagement in your emails, take a moment to celebrate your success. This can help you stay motivated and continue growing your email list over time.
Final Thoughts
With these tips in mind, you can start increasing email subscribers for your blog today. You can build a strong email list by using a strong call to action, trying different methods, and analyzing your results. This will help you to grow and engage your audience more effectively. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start growing your list!
by Fistbump Media, LLC | Feb 28, 2022 | blogging strategy
Everyone has a story to tell. It may be a story about your life, your family, or your experiences. Maybe you have a story that you’ve been carrying around for years, just waiting to be told. And maybe you’re thinking about writing that story down, but don’t know how to get started.
Don’t worry – starting is the hardest part! Once you get going, it will be easier and easier to keep writing. In this article, we will discuss how to find inspiration for your writing, how to set goals and stay on track, and how to understand the basics of grammar and syntax. We will also offer some advice on how to deal with writer’s block.
1. What is a blog and how do I start one?
A blog is a website where people can write articles and share their thoughts on a variety of topics. Blogging can be a great way to express yourself and to connect with other people who share your interests. If you are thinking about starting a blog, here are some tips on how to get started.
- Choose a topic that you are interested in. The best blogs are those that are written by people who are passionate about their topic. Choose a topic that you know well, or one that you are interested in learning more about.
- Decide on the tone of your blog. Are you going to write in a serious or humorous tone? Will it be personal or professional? You want to choose a tone that reflects your personality
- Starting on a free blogging platform like FistbumpPress can be a great way to get your feet wet in the world of blogging. It’s a great way to test the waters and see if blogging is right for you. Plus, it’s a great way to build up your writing skills and learn how to communicate your ideas effectively.
2. What should I write about on my blog?
What should I write about on my blog? This is a question that many bloggers ask themselves at some point or another. The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors, including your interests and personality.
A great way to find inspiration for your blog is to think about the topics that you are interested in. Are you a fan of fashion? Travel? Cooking? Gardening? There are endless possibilities when it comes to blogging, so don’t be afraid to choose a topic that you are passionate about.
Writer’s block can be a frustrating and debilitating experience. It can keep you from writing for days, weeks, or even months at a time. But don’t worry – there are ways to overcome writer’s block and get your writing flowing again.
- Talk to other writers. When you feel like you can’t write, talking to other writers can be a great way to get inspired. Talking to other writers can help you to get out of your own head and see things from a new perspective.
- Take a break. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck, it can be helpful to take a break from your writing. Maybe take a walk, watch a movie, or read something that you enjoy.
3. How often should I post new content to my blog?
Many bloggers agonize over how often they should post new content to their blog. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, and it really depends on your individual blogging style and the topic of your blog.
However, a good rule of thumb is to post new content at least once a week. This will help keep your blog fresh and ensure that your readers are always coming back for more. If you find that you are struggling to come up with new content ideas, try collaborating with other bloggers or brainstorming with your friends and family.
There is no wrong way to blog, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find a posting schedule that works best for you.
4. How can I make my blog stand out from the rest?
If you want your blog to stand out from the rest, you need to make it unique. Here are a few tips on how to do that:
- Choose a unique blogging platform. There are many different blogging platforms out there, and each one has its own unique set of features. Choose a platform that appeals to you and that offers the features that you need.
- Use a unique layout and design. If all of the blogs on your topic look the same, your readers will quickly lose interest. Be creative with your layout and design, and think about ways to make your blog stand out from the rest.
- Post interesting and original content. This is probably the most important factor in making your blog stand out. Readers want to connect with you, so try staying away from copying what others are doing and only using stock images.
5. What are some tips for creating great content for my blog?
Creating great content for your blog can be a challenge, but it’s worth it in the end. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Make sure your posts are well-written and edited. Nothing turns readers off faster than poor grammar and syntax. Make sure to proofread your posts before publishing them, and ask a friend to help you catch any errors.
- Use high-quality images and videos. A great way to engage your readers is to include interesting images and videos in your posts. Make sure the images you use are relevant to your topic, and that the videos are of good quality.
- As a writer, it is important to understand the basics of grammar and syntax. This will help you to create clear and concise sentences that your readers will be able to understand. Here are a few tips on how to use good grammar and syntax in your writing:
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- Use proper grammar. Make sure to use proper verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation.
- Use clear and concise language. avoid using complex words or phrases when simpler words will do.
- Keep your sentences short and simple. Long, convoluted sentences can be difficult to follow and can often be confusing for your readers. Try breaking up your paragraphs into shorter, easier-to-read chunks.
- Proofread your work. This cannot be stressed enough. Always proofread your work before publishing it, and ask a friend to help you catch any errors.
6. Should I use images or videos in my posts?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the decision of whether to use images or videos in your blog posts depends on a variety of factors, including your blog’s topic and the type of content you are publishing.
However, here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to use images or videos in your blog posts:
- Images can be a great way to engage your readers and make your posts more visually appealing. Make sure to choose images that are relevant to your topic, and that are of high quality.
- Videos can be a great way to add visual interest to your posts and share information in a more engaging way. Make sure the videos you use are of good quality, and that they are relevant to your topic.
7. How can I promote my blog and get more readership/traffic?
One of the best ways to promote your blog and get more readership/traffic is by using social media. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer a great way to connect with your audience and share your content with a wider audience.
Another great way to promote your blog is by writing guest posts for other blogs. This will help you reach new readers, as well as build relationships with other bloggers.
Finally, be sure to use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to help people find your blog online. This includes using keywords in your posts and title tags, as well as optimizing your images.
Final Thoughts
If you want to start writing, but don’t how how, these 7 tips can help you get started. As a starting point, find inspiration by taking the time to brainstorm with friends and family or collaborating with other bloggers in your niche.
Once you’ve found an idea for a blog post that interests you, set goals like creating compelling content and making sure it’s well-written before publishing it online.
Finally, use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well as guest blogging opportunities to help promote your website or business. These easy steps can be used no matter what type of writing project is at hand – from crafting articles for blogs or books all the way up to marketing plans for companies!
And if you want to keep up with more writing tips and trends, then subscribe to the #WritersInsight newsletter!
by Fistbump Media, LLC | Sep 23, 2020 | social media marketing strategy
Did you know that 73% of American adults use YouTube? Businesses grow more when using social media marketing as part of their customer acquisition strategy. Regardless of your business size, you stand to gain more. But should your business use social media?
Don’t dismiss it yet.
With this guide, you’ll learn about how social media marketing improves your business. Read on and find out more:
1. It Improves Brand Awareness
Marketing using social media platforms is relatively stress-free and profitable. It’s a digital marketing platform used to make your business more visible. It’s easy to start since all you need is to make your business profile and network with other people.
Apply social media strategies to increase your brand recognition by a wide margin. It’s a proven fact that spending a few hours each week dabbling in social marketing heightened their customer experience.
The key to succeeding in this is to be consistent. An active social media profile means producing a wider audience for your establishment. That requires commitment, but it’s enjoyable either way.
2. It’s a Cost-Effective Method
Social marketing is one of the most cost-effective methods of advertising strategies. Making a social media account is free for almost any networking platforms around. The issue lies on which platform to focus on since it can become hectic otherwise.
Once you decide to commit, try out paid advertising on your chosen network. But it’s always important to make a small investment first. That way, you’ll know what to expect as you work with them.
With social marketing, you get a greater ROI. That means you’ll have bigger budgets for other marketing methods and business payments. You need only invest a small sum each time to increase your conversion rates.
Protect your social media presence. It’s all about methods of succeeding in social selling. That way, you’re more persuasive and natural.
3. It Helps with Customer Engagement
Social media gives a great avenue for your business to interact and engage with both prospects and existing customers. For example, marketing with Facebook is lucrative because of its sheer number of active users. On average, 2.45 billion people use the platform per month, making it the most populated social media network in the world.
With more audience communication, the better chances of conversion you get. It’s a two-way avenue enabling your audience to reveal their wants. That way, you can cater to their interests easier.
Also, customer engagement helps to win their attention. It helps them understand your brand’s message better. With that, your brand becomes more established with less hassle.
4. It Improves Brand Loyalty
Having a social media presence allows your customers to easily find and connect with you. This enables you to get a higher level of customer retention and loyalty. Remember, making a loyal customer base is one of your main goals as an establishment.
In most cases, brand loyalty and customer satisfaction complement each other. That’s why you must engage your customers regularly. This lets you develop a deeper bond with them.
Social media isn’t a platform exclusively for product introductions. It’s also for cultivating promotional campaigns. Customers see this platform as a means of getting direct communication with their chosen business.
5. It Makes Customer Satisfaction Healthier
Your networking and communication platform won’t work without social media as one of its components. Your company gets a voice if you use these platforms. That’s why it’s an important method for improving your brand’s image.
Customers are appreciative when you reply when they comment on your page. It’s miles ahead than replying with an automated message. If you give the effort and compose your personal messages, customers will know you value them.
6. It Increases Marketplace Awareness
It’s more efficient to look at social media marketplaces to know what your customers want and need. Knowing what drives the sales without directly communicating with your target audience is one of the most valuable benefits of social media. You need only to observe their activities on your profile.
With this, you’ll know what interests your customers. The knowledge you gain from here isn’t obtainable anywhere else. It’s valuable data only achievable by having a social media presence.
Social marketing works as a complementary research tool. It gives insight into the current state of your chosen industry. After getting a larger following, you’ll gain access to more tools for examining other aspects of your consumer demographics.
7. It Helps Your Business Gain More Brand Authority
Brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction play major roles in increasing your business’s power. Achieving this often depends on how well you communicate with your chosen audience. When customers see you posting on your social media profile, they get a better impression.
When you reply to their questions and post original yet valuable content, customers build a more positive image of your company in their minds. It becomes proof that your company cares about what they have to say. That’s why building an audience of satisfied customers is important.
With these gruntled customers, they become more vocal about their positive experience. That will drive them to advertise your company to people they know. The best part is that these advertisements are genuine and credible.
8. It Increases Website Traffic
Social media marketing is also a great method of increasing organic customer traffic to your website. If you have a blog on your website, share the links on your social media account. This gives interested users something to click on and enjoy.
Ensure the content you share on your social media account has high quality. This ensures you get more inbound traffic from both new and existing customers. It also plays a major part in increasing your conversion rates.
Use Social Media Marketing Today!
These are eight concrete benefits of using social media marketing. It’s all about communicating with customers, so it’s easy to do. Think about these advantages if you’re deliberating whether it’s good for you.
Are you looking for a small business internet marketing company? Do you seek professional aid when it comes to social media marketing? If so, contact us today and let us help you. Or book a free consultation, and we’ll analyze your social media strategy and help you develop a plan to reach your goals…
by Fistbump Media, LLC | Sep 16, 2020 | seo strategy
How many times have you turned to a search engine when trying to find information? Google gets 63,000 search requests each second. So, that number is probably too high to count. Search engines have become our go-to places to find information, search for products, and locate businesses. Which is why SEO strategy is absolutely critical for businesses.
These tactics help you to be seen more often by the right type of customer. But nailing your strategy down can be a bit tricky. There are a lot of options and ways to go about boosting your SEO. That’s why you have to be sure to pick the right ones.
Follow our tips for a successful digital marketing strategy.
1. Stay True to Your Brand
As you’re working to create a digital marketing strategy including SEO tactics, the most important thing is to stay true to your brand throughout.
Your business’ branding and story are what connect your audience to your service or product. Creating a clear view of who you are and what you’re about generates brand loyalty, which drives up revenue.
There may be marketing tactics that have seen some success for other businesses but if they’re not in line with your brand’s story, you should steer clear of them.
Every move you make should be conscious to target an audience and bring them in by being true to who you are.
2. Focus on Keywords
The whole idea behind SEO is to add keywords that will bring up your site during regular online searches.
These keywords are ranked based on their ability to bring people in and the frequency of use. They are added into regular blog posts, product descriptions, and other online content. As people search for those keywords, they’re more likely to find your site.
Finding the right balance in keywords is a critical part of a good SEO strategy. You want to add in keywords that will draw people in but don’t want to stuff your content too full to become too generalized.
A little research upfront will help you to develop a list of a few keywords that will be most beneficial for your business. Stick with those to begin with.
Suggested Resource: Discover the best keywords for you using our $5 gig on Fiverr…
3. Build Page Authority
After you’ve created your list of keywords, it’s time to start implementing them and building page authority.
Page authority is an important marker of successful SEO strategies. It’s a measurement of how well a website page will do in search results, meaning how often it will come up high in the search results.
There are many factors to getting a good page authority score but it will ultimately look different for every company. But keeping this score in mind and making changes to improve it can help you get where you want to be.
4. Pay Attention to Image
We’ve already discussed how the content you’re putting out (especially the keywords) needs to be representative of your brand. But everything you put out as a whole needs to send the right message.
It doesn’t do much good to work hard to get great SEO strategies going and drive traffic to your site to then have people immediately leave it.
There are many elements to a successful website (design, content, images, ease of navigation to mention a few) and they all need to portray the right message to any visitors.
One of the biggest benefits of SEO is that it draws people in who will actually be interested in your company. So you need to keep them around with the full package.
5. Work with a Professional
On the surface, SEO strategy seems very simple and a straightforward way to getting your company more customers.
But in reality, there are so many nuances and details that it can be easy to overlook something that would make a big difference. This is why it’s often very helpful to work with a trained SEO and marketing professional.
These professionals have a very clear, educated understanding of all of the factors that go into a successful campaign.
They can help you to narrow down your focus, give you the tools to write engaging content, and put your brand on the map. Having an outside perspective can help give you a clear understanding of where you’re at and where you can go.
6. Track and Measure Traffic
There’s no way to know if your SEO efforts are working if you don’t take regular measurements. And there’s really no point in making such efforts if you don’t know how helpful (or not) they’ve been.
One of the key elements to track is the traffic your site or page is getting after it has been optimized.
Most website hosts have backend options to handle all of the tracking and measuring for you. But you need to know how to read and analyze them beforehand to get a real, accurate picture of the progress you’re making.
7. Keep Current on Trends
The online business world is always changing. It evolves with new technologies, current events, and popular business operations. To stay current you have to stay updated on trends and changes in more efficient marketing strategies.
You can do this by attending or participating in seminars, webinars, and classes focused on digital marketing strategy.
Sometimes it’s easy to think that once we’ve done something for our business it’s permanent and the only option. But in reality, things are much more fluid and can change often. Being flexible for changes to adapt to trends can help keep you current and in the public eye.
Building a Strong SEO Strategy
Getting your name, brand, and product into the world for new customers to discover you is critical to success. SEO strategy is a great way to grow your audience organically by making sure people can find you.
Each company will need to utilize different strategies and tools to get to their goals. But the key is to make conscious efforts to be putting out quality content that boosts your traffic.
If you’re interested in getting started and working with a professional to develop your unique strategy, contact us today!
