What’s Actually Working in Local SEO Right Now: Blake Denman

From EMT to SEO: Blake’s Unlikely Start

Blake didn’t originally set out to become an SEO. He was heading toward a career as a paramedic until a serious bike accident left him with a traumatic brain injury. That incident changed the course of his life—and thankfully, set him on the path to build Rickety Roo. At first, he freelanced just to pay bills while recovering. There was no grand vision… until things started to grow.

What started as a means to an end evolved into a full-blown agency with a niche in local SEO, particularly for home service businesses.

The Early Days of Rickety Roo

In the early years, Blake took on a wide range of clients—from garage door companies and auto collision shops to personal injury lawyers and turf installers. One fun story? He got a PI firm to the top of search results in just six months… only to get fired because the job was “done.” (They came crawling back a few months later.)

Big lesson there: SEO is not a one-and-done service.

Why You Shouldn’t Fire Your SEO Agency After You Rank

This is a mistake a lot of business owners make. You hit #1 in the map pack and think you’re set—but local SEO is a game of maintenance. Blake laid it out simply: your competitors are always trying to outrank you. If you stop putting in work, you’ll get passed up. The keys to staying on top? Maintenance, content, and links.

The Rise of SXO (Search Experience Optimization)

Blake’s agency is now moving into what they call SXO—Search Experience Optimization. It’s about improving what happens after someone lands on your site. Their tests have shown that small tweaks (like moving a call-to-action up the page) can increase conversions by over 100%.

Takeaway: Getting traffic is great, but getting conversions is better.

Conversion Rate Optimization Tactics

What else works for boosting conversions?

• Make pages scannable: Use good formatting and avoid giant walls of text.

• Add visuals: Custom images perform way better than stock.

• Know your conversion benchmarks: Blake says a transactional page should convert at 5–8% minimum. If it's lower, you’ve got work to do.

• Avoid annoying pop-ups: Unless it’s extremely well-targeted, most pop-ups do more harm than good.

User Experience Is the Ultimate Ranking Factor

SEO isn't just about algorithms—it's about people. One of Blake’s favorite questions to ask clients is: “Why do you deserve to rank?” That answer shapes your messaging, your branding, and ultimately your SEO strategy.

Stop thinking like a robot and start thinking like a customer.

Local SEO Then vs. Now

Blake’s seen the whole evolution of local SEO. Here’s a quick then vs. now:

Then: Build citations → Rank
Now: Build authority → Rank (citations are table stakes)

Google used to rely heavily on NAP consistency and citation volume. These days, prominence and relevance matter much more. And unfortunately, keywords in the business name still work (though we’re all hoping that changes soon).

Does the Website Still Matter for GBP Rankings?

Short answer: Yes.

While the page you link from your Google Business Profile holds the most weight, your whole website plays a role—especially when it comes to authority and internal linking. Blake recommends testing different landing pages on your GBP based on seasonality or service priority. The results often show up in days.

Local Link Building That Actually Works

Forget just chasing high-DR backlinks. Blake’s team focuses on local relevance. They built a custom tool that benchmarks client backlinks against competitors—categorizing them as citations, local, topical, or spam.

One of the best strategies? Local sponsorships. Whether it's a Little League team or a nonprofit your customers care about, this builds brand equity AND earns great local links.

Pro tip: Ask your team what causes they care about and build partnerships from there.

Tools of the Trade

Here’s a short list of tools Blake’s team uses regularly:

• Microsoft Clarity (for behavior tracking)

• Search Console + Looker Studio

• Ahrefs and SEMrush (he prefers Ahrefs)

• BrightLocal, WhiteSpark, Sitebulb, Screaming Frog

• ClickUp (for operations)

• A custom tool called RUBOT that makes Search Console data actually usable

For local businesses without in-house SEO, Blake says the top priority is having a system for getting and managing reviews—because angry customers will leave reviews whether you ask or not.

What About GBP Posts, Products, Services?

• Posts: Not worth much for SEO, but can help with specials or limited-time offers.

• Services section: Low SEO impact but helps with completeness and conversion.

• Products section: More visual, potentially useful for showcasing services as products.

• Photos: Absolutely key. Humans are visual—Google is too.

SEO Testing: Blake’s Superpower

Blake is constantly running tests—from changing GBP categories to stuffing the title tag (in a very gray-hat kind of way… that works). One key test? Over-optimizing title tags by cramming them with keywords. It’s ugly, but it gets results.

Caveat: Don’t try this unless you know what you're doing. And don’t use tactics you wouldn't want your clients using either.

Final Thoughts: Is Local SEO Here to Stay?

Blake believes local SEO has strong longevity. While AI may dominate informational searches, people still trust Google when looking for local services. He doesn’t see that changing anytime soon.

And one final lesson from Blake’s 18-year journey? No matter how stable things seem, they can change instantly. Diversify your income, don’t rely too much on one client, and never take anything for granted.

P.S. Check out the full episode here: