I made a YouTube video
It's part of my local SEO domination plan
So I went ahead a made this:
I tailored the content to my hometown (Montreal)… but the principles I teach will still apply for your local service business.
Like this newsletter, and even local SEO as a marketing strategy, I’m following my intuition and experimenting. Trying new things out.
Give it a watch and let me know what you think.
Is SEO Still Relevant in 2025?
It’s a valid question.
One I’ve struggled with, and seen many others ask in recent years.
In fact, if you had told me I’d be building a local SEO marketing agency last year, I might have laughed in your face.
Because here’s what I see:
AI is replacing traditional SEO.
You know, where the whole idea was to write blog posts that answer your customers’ questions. Using Google to generate traffic to your site and begin the buyer’s journey.
AI summaries are answering most of those questions now.
Have a look at the latest question I asked Google:
The Buyer’s Journey Has Changed
For almost 20 years, the “buyer’s journey” looked like this:
Top of Funnel: Your Website
Middle of Funnel: Your Website
Bottom of Funnel: Your Website
Massive brands (like HubSpot) leaned all the way in, producing extraordinary volumes of content across all stages of the funnel, and they drove insane lead volume because of it.
But now?
The top and middle of the funnel are evolving. Fast.
Instead of visiting your website to answer their general questions, many buyers are now getting that information elsewhere.
Today’s funnel looks more like this:
Top of Funnel: Social Media & AI
Middle of Funnel: YouTube & more AI
Bottom of Funnel: Your Website 📍
Local SEO’s Unique Advantage
Notice how the bottom of the funnel is still your website. (I put a pin in it.)
That’s where local SEO lives.
It operates at the bottom of the funnel because when someone types in:
“Dog boarding near me”
or
“Best plastic surgeon in [city]”
They’re ready to buy. (Or at least, VERY close to buying.)
They’re shopping around.
And you best believe they want to see your website and where your business is located in relation to them.
It’s not about writing blog posts. It’s not even really about educating your buyers like you would at the top of the funnel.
The traffic you generate has a high buyer intent.
And because of the physical nature of local SEO (people need to physically come into your business), AI summaries aren’t going to replace people looking at Google Maps to find you.
In other words, it’s a worthwhile investment for the foreseeable future.
Your Competitors Aren’t Taking Advantage of This
The narrative is all about AI.
Everyone is scared. Most of your competition is creating content for social media and running Facebook ads…
…where people go to doom scroll and check out what their friends are up to.
The marketing that takes place over there is called Interruption Marketing.
They’re not actively looking for what it is you sell, so you have to interrupt them and grab their attention.
With local SEO (and Google ads), it’s On-Demand Marketing.
Your buyers are looking for you. Researching your services.
The only question is… are you showing up?
Thanks for Reading This Far
This week was kind of hectic and I strayed from the regular programming. I’m packing for Europe as soon as I finish writing this edition.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s content. If you found it useful, why not share it with a friend?
Stay tuned for upcoming newsletters.
Warmly,
Nicholas
P.S. Want a Free 30-Min Marketing Consultation From Me?
I need to start generating reviews for my marketing agency.
So in return for one, I’ll analyze your website, Google Business Profile, and scope out your competitors to uncover the #1 thing holding your business back.
By the end you’ll have practical, actionable insights you can implement immediately.
Again, completely free if you consent to leaving me a review on Google.