Starting a Local SEO Agency? Read this First (7 Tips)

If you’re building a local SEO agency, you’ve probably heard every “growth hack” under the sun. Contracts. Cold calls. Overpromising. Churn and burn.

But here’s the truth. You don’t need a bloated service list or a pushy sales team to grow. You need a smart, sustainable strategy that actually delivers results.

 I’m breaking down the exact strategy I used to grow Sterling Sky and the seven tips I wish every agency followed.

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Tip 1: Skip the Contracts

We don’t use contracts. Not because we like to live dangerously, but because if we’re doing our job right, clients want to stay.

Our average client stays for 2.5 years. Not because they’re locked in, but because they’re making money.

Clients don’t want handcuffs. They want results.

Tip 2: Play the Long Game for Leads

When I started Sterling Sky, I already had a built-in audience through social media, a blog, and a newsletter. That made lead generation much easier.

But what if you’re starting from zero? You’re going to have a tough first year. That’s just the reality. I hear from people every week who want to build an agency without any kind of following. Spoiler alert: it’s not easy.

One long-term investment we made was into YouTube. We hired a coach and spent over a year making videos before we saw even one lead. Currently, it’s one of our top three lead sources.

Tip 3: Acquire Assets (Not Just Clients)

When we make acquisitions, we’re not buying for a client list. We’re buying for long-term lead generation.

In 2019, we acquired LocalU, a conference series focused on local SEO. Then the pandemic hit, and in-person events disappeared overnight. So we pivoted to virtual conferences. That one move has continued to generate leads to this day.

We also acquired the Local Search Forum, a community built around discussions on local SEO. It didn’t explode with ROI instantly, but now it’s another reliable source of leads.

Not every acquisition will pay off quickly. And not all of them will work as planned. When we acquired Classy Brain in 2022, most of the clients left. They weren’t loyal to the brand. They were loyal to the founder.

I learned a big lesson: clients are loyal to people, not companies.

Tip 4: Pick a Niche and Stick to It

You can’t be great at everything. If you try, you’ll end up being mediocre, or worse.

We specialize in local SEO and PPC. That’s it. No social media. No web design. We tried both and  it bombed. Miserably. While we’ve been extremely successful with social media for our own company, I’ll approach it way differently next time we offer it to clients.

One of our strongest niches is personal injury law. We know the competition, the terminology, and the path to results. That focus has made all the difference.

You can’t be great at everything. Pick something and be exceptional.

Tip 5: Hire Experts, Not Beginners

My first hires weren’t entry-level. They were experienced specialists. One was a Google Ads expert. The other was a technical SEO. Both had about 10 years of experience. That meant no training wheels, no babysitting, and no wasted time.

Hiring experts let us hit the ground running. It also let me stay focused on strategy instead of constantly training.

Tip 6: Report on Leads, Not Rankings

When I started in this industry, I used to work at a company that celebrated first-page rankings like they were trophies. Problem was, those rankings didn’t drive traffic or leads for their customers.

When I started my agency, I knew we had to focus on results that matter. Our reports track leads, not positions.

Rankings are a nice byproduct. Leads are the goal.

7. Don’t Have a Sales Team

This might sound crazy, but we don’t have a dedicated sales team. The same people who manage accounts also handle sales calls.

That way, clients talk to people who know what they’re doing. No fluff. No empty promises.

As someone who came from agencies that were insanely sales-driven, this was something I didn’t want to budge on. It has definitely turned out as good as I anticipated. 

While I could probably talk for hours on running an agency, I’ll stop now. Let me know what points hit home for you, or ask me a question in the comments.