Anyone Else Feel Like SEO Isn’t Working for Local Businesses Anymore?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Forum
1

I run a small local business, and for the past few years, we’ve been pouring money into SEO. Back in 2021 and 2022, it felt like things were moving in the right direction—good rankings, organic traffic was growing, and we saw solid leads coming in. But 2023 hit, and everything fell apart. Now, I’m starting to wonder if SEO is even worth it for small businesses like mine. Here’s what happened:

1. Freelancer/Agency Dropped the Ball

We worked with a freelancer who started out great. But then his focus shifted to other projects, and we stopped being a priority. As his attention drifted, so did our rankings. It felt like we were forgotten, and when things started slipping, they didn’t catch it.

2. Google’s 2023 Update Tanked Us

That summer, Google rolled out a core update, and our rankings fell off a cliff. Worse, the freelancer didn’t notice. They didn’t send reports for three months, and we had to call it out. Our top services never even cracked the top 50 rankings—pretty brutal realization.

3. SEO Agencies Made Big Promises… But Delivered Nothing

After leaving the freelancer, we tried hiring another agency that promised the moon, offering SEO and PPC services together. They sounded good, but it became clear they didn’t know how to set up effective landing pages. After wasting more time and money, we moved on.

We tried working with an expert from Denver—$2,500 over three months—but no change. No traffic increase, no ranking improvements. When I told them I wasn’t happy, they weren’t too bothered about keeping us as a client.

4. Tried a Ukrainian SEO Company… Same Old Story

Hoping for a fresh take, we hired an SEO firm from Ukraine. We paid $1,800 for link building and SEO. But now it’s almost the end of the year, and still, no results. The reports look nice, but the numbers haven’t moved. Makes me wonder if I got scammed or if the war affected their focus.

5. PPC Seems to Be the Only Thing Working

The only success we’ve had this year has been from PPC. Finding someone good at PPC wasn’t easy, either—hired a few people from Upwork, but most didn’t deliver. SEO just feels like a huge money pit at this point.

So, is SEO still worth it for small businesses, or are we all just wasting our time and money? Has anyone here actually had any luck with SEO this year? I’m thinking of just sticking to PPC since it’s the only thing giving me results so far.

And no, I won’t respond to any DMs offering your SEO services. You’ll get blocked.

2

We manage SEO for three local businesses, and one of them is now pulling in 90 leads per month. It’s not magic, but combining high-intent keywords with good design makes a difference.

3

What are you doing with UX? I feel like it’s an overlooked part of SEO.

4

Yeah, UX isn’t exactly SEO, but it has a big impact. We focused on things like form design, making sure the CTA buttons are clear and actionable, and cutting out filler content. It’s about guiding users smoothly through the page to take action. For example, if a button says ‘Book Now’ but people were expecting a quote, they’ll leave—even if the form is perfect.

5

Totally agree—UI/UX plays a huge role in keeping rankings steady.

6

Did any of the SEO people you hired focus on link building? Backlinks are key. If you’re only working locally, try adding your city name to your domain—like ‘CompanyNameCity.ca.’ It makes a big difference.

7

Backlinks are important, but relevance is more critical nowadays.

8

True, but I hope he’s already creating relevant content.

9

How do you even get backlinks on relevant websites? Do you pay them?

10

You either create content worth linking to or buy links. The first option is harder and more expensive, but the second carries risks—your traffic might disappear overnight.

11

Backlinks don’t matter as much as people think. Read Google’s guidelines.

12

SEO is still working—it’s probably either your website setup or strong competition in your area. Or it could just be bad service that’s costing you sales.

13

It’s working great for my clients.

14

Sounds like you’ve had a string of bad hires. SEO isn’t dead, but it’s changed a lot. With AI updates, Google is reducing organic traffic by showing AI-generated summaries, which makes SEO tougher across the board.

15

You need someone who understands your area. Hiring someone overseas for local SEO usually doesn’t work.

16

What made you trust those agencies enough to pay them? Were there any red flags you missed?

17

SEO still works if you know what you’re doing. But it’s hard to find people good at both SEO and PPC—different skillsets. Maybe hire in-house instead of relying on freelancers.

18

Stick with PPC and get someone to audit your website for conversions. CRO is just as important—PPC works best when the site is ready to convert traffic.

19

Honestly, this isn’t the best place to ask. Most replies you’ll get are from SEO people trying to sell services.

20

Sounds like you’ve been hiring on a budget. Low-cost SEO agencies won’t give you their full attention. Next time, start with a clear plan and ask for monthly reports.