Today’s chat is withBodhi, the former "dumpster guy" turned Local SEO expert, now he build runs his digital marketing business and what explains what it takes to dominate Google's Map Pack. Here are the key takeaways from our chat:
🔹 The Goal: 1,000 Paid Subscribers – I’m on a mission to hit 1,000 paid subs. If you’re on the free plan, now’s the time to upgrade. I have a lot more I want to do with it to help you grow your business. More subs (free and paid is the key)
🔹 More Value for Paid Subscribers – We’re increasing the AMA calls from 15 to 30 minutes. If you're a paid subscriber, you get direct access to me for business questions.
🔹 Even more value for Paid Subscribers - Once we hit 1,000 paid subs, we’ll allow the paid subs to have a time where they ask the guest questions directly to the guests.
1. The Power of Google Reviews
Reviews are absolutely critical for local businesses. Bodhi won't even work with clients who have fewer than 25 Google reviews, noting that businesses need 100+ to really start "cooking" in competitive markets. When responding to reviews, include your service and city in your reply (e.g., "Thanks for using our plumbing service in Denton, Texas") to reinforce keywords.
2. Multiple Marketing Channels Win
Bodhi's business follows the "33% rule" - gaining customers equally from Twitter, Facebook, and word-of-mouth. This diversification is intentional: "If my Twitter account was shut down, we would obviously take a hit on business. Wouldn't be as big though as if I was all in on Twitter."
3. Partnerships Need Clear Leadership
After experiencing a failed partnership, Bodhi found success with his current partner by establishing clear leadership: "My partner Andy is the clear CEO of the company, clear leader of the company. And I am fine with that. Where most partners are battling out for who's the top guy, who's the number one guy - that's what goes wrong with partnerships."
4. Local SEO Is AI-Resistant
While many worry about AI replacing traditional search, Bodhi isn't concerned for local SEO: "AI still pulls stuff from Google Maps. My clients who rank on Google Maps still rank on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude. The guys who have to worry about AI are the SEOs who aren't in local."
5. The Right Client Profile Matters
As Bodhi has scaled to 30 employees, he's learned which clients work best: "The guys who are at $200,000 a year in revenue want to talk to me every day. They want to learn SEO. The guys that are about $750,000+ just let me do my job. They know I'm the professional."
Bodhi's journey from running a 20-dumpster operation to building a thriving digital marketing agency demonstrates how mastering one specific aspect of digital marketing can create massive growth opportunities. Check out Stryker Digital on YouTube, Bodhi on X, or go visit their website for more free local SEO strategies.
