Neil Patel: What Local Businesses Need To Know in 2025

Jan 6, 2025

Hey there, it’s Danny Leibrandt and I recently had the honor of interviewing Neil Patel—yes, the Neil Patel—for my podcast. We covered a ton of ground about local SEO, AI, social media marketing, influencer marketing, and so much more. Neil’s accolades speak for themselves—named a Top 10 Marketer by Forbes, recognized by President Obama as a Top 100 Entrepreneur under 30, millions of followers across social media, the list goes on. If anyone knows the ins and outs of the marketing world, it’s Neil Patel.

In this blog post, I’ll break down some of the key insights from our conversation, share a bit about how Neil got started, and highlight his best advice for growing a business through digital marketing. Let’s jump right in!

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How Neil Patel Got Started in Digital Marketing

Neil mentioned that he was first introduced to digital marketing at just 16 years old. He launched a job board, thinking it would be a quick path to riches—but then no one showed up. He hired a marketing firm that didn’t deliver, ran out of money, and realized the only solution was to learn SEO and marketing for himself.

That experience kickstarted his entire career in digital marketing. Years later, his firm NP Digital operates globally in 19+ countries, offers a full suite of marketing services, and employs over 1,000 people. It’s a testament to how powerful that initial “DIY marketing” lesson really was.

Key Takeaway

Sometimes your biggest failures spark your biggest breakthroughs. Neil’s failed job board forced him to learn marketing from the ground up—and the rest is history.

NP Digital: Helping Companies of All Sizes

Neil’s agency, NP Digital, helps everyone from small mom-and-pop shops to massive global enterprises. They focus on what he calls “search everywhere optimization,” meaning they optimize for Amazon, Instagram, Google, the App Store—anywhere people are searching.

Why “Search Everywhere” Matters

If someone searches for a purse on Instagram, Neil believes Louis Vuitton should be popping up. Why only focus on a single search channel when your customers might be using a dozen others?

Local SEO: What Businesses Are Missing

Because I work so closely with pest control companies, I had to ask Neil about local SEO. According to Neil, local businesses often overlook the power of ratings and reviews. Not only should you gather detailed reviews on Google, Yelp, or Nextdoor, but you need them on as many platforms as possible. Detailed, thorough reviews help with visibility, user trust, and can even boost your ranking in local results.

Quick Tips for Better Local SEO

Google Business Profile: Make sure you’re fully optimized with up-to-date info.
Directory Listings: Don’t forget about directories; keep them updated and consistent.
Detailed Reviews: Encourage customers to leave specific information about their experience. This seems to help local rankings immensely.

AI’s Impact on Marketing and SEO

Everyone’s talking about AI, so it’s no surprise that topic came up. Neil acknowledges AI’s importance and how it’s woven into almost every platform out there—Google, Instagram, Siri, Bing, you name it. He also emphasized that while AI can automate some content creation, the best content often still needs a human touch. Research or outline your content with AI, but refine it yourself for the best results.

Ranking in AI-Driven Searches

Traditional SEO still matters. Quality content, links, user engagement—none of that goes away.
Brand Mentions and Reviews: AI seems to factor in your overall brand presence online.
Optimize for Bing: Since ChatGPT pulls from Bing, ranking well on Bing can help your AI visibility.

Social Media Marketing: Where to Focus in 2025

Neil is very bullish on YouTube. It’s a platform where quality, long-form content can thrive, and with the right approach, channels can grow significantly over time. But for B2B or enterprise deals, LinkedIn is Neil’s main workhorse.

Creating Content for Each Platform

YouTube: 10–20 minute videos, consistently posted and well-optimized.
LinkedIn: Focused, professional updates—especially good for B2B.
Instagram & TikTok: Short, visually engaging content.
Repurposing: It’s okay to reuse content, but tweak it to fit each platform’s style and audience.

Influencer Marketing: An Underused Strategy

Neil believes the most untapped form of paid advertising is influencer marketing. For a local business like a pest control company, you can partner with local influencers who talk about parenting, home care, or local lifestyles. Let them share a genuine story about how your service or product solved a problem. You get targeted reach, brand awareness, and trust by association.

Why Influencer Marketing Works

People trust real-life testimonials more than ads.
Influencers have built-in audiences who mirror your target market.
It can be more cost-effective than traditional PPC campaigns if done right.

The Future of SEO and AI

Neil predicts that mundane tasks will be heavily automated. But creative, strategic tasks—like unique copywriting, brand storytelling, and content ideation—will still rely on humans. He also expects marketing to go beyond screens. Think about your smart fridge recommending a certain brand of milk or your car’s infotainment system suggesting local service providers.

Key Takeaway

Embrace AI now. If you don’t, you risk getting replaced by those who do.
Stay Agile. This tech evolves daily, so real-world experimentation is more useful than formal training.

Building a Personal Brand vs. Company Brand

While personal branding can work wonders for marketers and thought leaders, Neil reminds us that a corporate brand is often more valuable if you’re planning to sell your business down the road. If you own a local business, focus on building a recognizable company brand that can function without you.

Podcasting: Still a Wide-Open Market

I was surprised when Neil said podcasting isn’t nearly as saturated as blogging or social media. He recommends:

Post Consistently (preferably at least once a week).
Get High-Profile Guests by reaching out and offering value.
Encourage Subscriptions and reviews, which helps with rankings in Apple Podcasts and other directories.

According to Neil, if you’re going to start a podcast to grow your business, go broad enough to capture a sizable audience, but stay close enough to your industry to attract the right listeners.

Final Thoughts

Interviewing Neil Patel was a blast and a huge learning experience. From local SEO to AI to influencer marketing, he covered it all. My biggest takeaway? Consistency and quality still rule. No matter how advanced the tools become, genuine, useful, and well-promoted content will always win out.

So if you’re a local business owner—especially in pest control, but really any service industry—focus on building a strong digital presence, gathering detailed reviews, leveraging influencer partnerships, and staying ahead of AI-driven trends. There’s no better time to refine your marketing strategy.

P.S. Check out the full episode here: