Searchlight
Local SEO for small businesses

Your next customer is searching Google. Will they find you?

I help local businesses, like restaurants, contractors, dentists, salons and other service businesses, show up higher on Google, build stronger reviews, and turn searches into calls. One specialist, not a call center: you work with me directly, and you'll always know what I did, why, and what it changed.

  • Work done by the founder
  • Plain-English monthly report
  • 90-day start, then cancel anytime
  • Proposal in a few business days
My own site, 90 daysReal numbers
Search impressions+185%
Clicks from Google+170%
From Google Search Console. See the full breakdown.
What I do

Two things, done well: show up on Google, get chosen when you do

Everything else on this page supports one of these two.

📍

Local SEO

Your Google Business Profile, website and listings, set up so nearby customers find you when they search for what you do.

From $299/mo
See details →
⭐

Google Review Management

An easy system to ask every customer for an honest review, plus a professional reply to every review, good or bad.

From $99 one-time
See details →

Also available as add-ons once the basics are working: technical cleanup, content and on-page writing, link building, and AI search optimization (GEO). Ask in your free audit which of these, if any, you actually need.

Why us

A solo local SEO specialist, small by design

No account managers, no hand-offs. Just one specialist doing the work and telling you plainly how it's going.

Many agenciesSearchlight
PricingHidden until a sales callStarting prices published on this page
ReportingDense PDFs full of jargonPlain-English monthly report
Who does the workSales team up front, junior staff afterThe founder, start to finish
Contracts12-month lock-in90-day start on monthly plans, then cancel anytime. One-time services: no contract
ReviewsSeparate vendor, if at allBuilt into your SEO plan
Google Review Management

Google review management that makes asking for reviews a habit

Recent, honest reviews help people choose you and support your local visibility. I set up a simple routine so every customer is asked, not just the happy ones, and every review gets answered.

  • Request: a short text or email with your direct Google review link and QR code, sent to every customer after a job
  • Respond: a professional reply to every review, good or bad
  • Monitor: alerts for new reviews and a monthly rating trend
  • Protect: help flagging reviews that break Google's policies

How I keep it clean: every customer gets asked, not just the happy ones. I never offer discounts, gifts or payment for reviews, never write or buy reviews, and never filter who gets the link. Google can remove reviews and penalize listings for all of these.

Audit my reviews

How it works

How local SEO with me works: four steps, no mystery

You always know where things stand and what happens next.

1

Free audit

I check your website, Google profile, local rankings and reviews, and send you what I find within a few business days.

2

Plan

A short, prioritized plan with the fastest wins first and a clear price. No pressure to sign up.

3

Do the work

I make the fixes, update your profile, write the content and set up your review flow. You approve, I handle the rest.

4

Report

Every month: what changed, what it means and what's next, in plain English.

See the full process, with a timeline →

Pricing

Local SEO and Google review pricing: start small, grow when it's working

Published prices, no sales call needed. Begin with a one-time setup, or go straight to a monthly plan.

Easy start One-time, no monthly commitment

Review Kickstart

Start collecting Google reviews this week.

$99 one-time
  • Google review-request link
  • Printable QR code
  • Reply templates for good and bad reviews
Get Kickstart

Review + Profile Setup

Kickstart, plus a tidy, optimized Google listing.

$199 one-time
  • Everything in Review Kickstart
  • Google Business Profile cleanup and optimization
Get Setup

Monthly plans 90-day start, then cancel anytime with 30 days' notice

Local Starter

Keep your Google presence and reviews looked after.

$299/mo
  • Google Business Profile upkeep
  • Review-request system and replies
  • 1 post a month
  • One-page monthly report
  • Month-1 website starter fix: homepage title and description, plus one service page tuned

Not included

  • Ongoing website SEO or new pages (that's Growth)
  • Link building or ad management
  • Ranking guarantees. Nobody honest can give one.
Get started

Growth (recommended)

SEO plus reviews, fully managed.

$699 $499/mo
Founding-client price for the first 3 clients, locked for 12 months. Regular price $699/mo. It starts with a 90-day minimum, and if you're happy with the work I'll ask for an honest testimonial (optional, and I'll never ask for a positive one).
  • Everything in Local Starter
  • On-page SEO
  • 2 short blog posts (up to 600 words) or 1 new service page a month, written from what you tell me about the work
  • Redirects and tracking set up
  • Monthly call
Claim a founding spot

Scale

Multi-location or competitive markets. Quoted per project.

Custom
  • Everything in Growth
  • Link building
  • AI search optimization
  • Priority support
Ask for a quote

One-time and extras No monthly commitment

SEO Cleanup

A one-off fix-up of the basics on your site.

$400 to $600 one-time
  • Title tags and meta descriptions
  • A few service pages tuned
  • Redirects for old or broken URLs

Price depends on site size. I confirm it before any work starts.

Ask about Cleanup

Add-ons

Extra one-off jobs on top of any plan.

$75 to $150 each
  • Small, defined tasks
  • Scoped and priced up front
Ask for a quote

Not sure which fits? Request a free audit and I'll recommend one. Results vary, and I never guarantee rankings.

Results

My Own SEO Experiment

Before asking anyone to trust me with their website, I did the work on mine first. Here's the before, the after, and what I actually changed.

Google Search Console chart: impressions up 185% and clicks up 170% over 90 days
Over 90 days (Aug 11 to Nov 7, 2026): impressions reached 45,407, up 185%, and clicks reached 1,446, up 170%, per Google Search Console. This is one site, my own, so treat it as a proof of process rather than a promise of your numbers.

What produced it: the same things above, on-page fixes and tuned service pages, a cleaned-up Google Business Profile, and a steady review-request routine, tracked the whole way in Search Console instead of guessed at.

Google Search Console page indexing chart: 128 pages indexed, with the indexed share growing from mid-August to November
Indexing: 128 pages indexed against 78 not indexed, with the indexed share growing steadily since mid-August and a jump in mid-October (Google Search Console, Page indexing).
Google Search Console chart: average search position improving from around 8 to around 6 over 90 days
Average position: across all search queries, improved from the high 8s in mid-August to the mid-6s by early November, per Google Search Console. Lower is better here: it means pages are landing higher in search results on average, not just getting seen more.
Google Search Console chart: average click-through rate trending up and holding mostly in the 3% to 5% range over 90 days
Average click-through rate: noisy day to day, as CTR always is, but trending up and settling mostly in the 3% to 5% range by October and November, versus a choppier 1% to 3% in August (Google Search Console).

These are real numbers from my own personal website, not a mockup or an invented example.

FAQ

Local SEO and Google review questions, answered

What do I actually get from the free audit?

A short written report: your top 3 priority fixes, in plain English, and a recommended plan with its price. No obligation to buy anything. You'll have it within a few business days.

Do you guarantee rankings?

No, and be wary of anyone who does. Google decides rankings, not us. What I guarantee is the work I do, clear monthly reporting, and honest advice.

How long until I see results?

Often early movement within 2 to 3 months and stronger results from 4 to 6, depending on your market and starting point. Review and Google profile fixes can show sooner. Results vary.

Do I need a blog and keywords?

Not always. Many local businesses win with strong service and location pages, a well-kept Google profile and good reviews. I use keyword research to find what your customers actually search for, and only recommend articles when they would help.

What do you need from me to start?

Access to your website, Google Business Profile and analytics (I'll guide you through it), plus a little time to tell me about your services, customers and areas. I'll then ask for quick approvals as work goes live.

Why choose a new agency?

Fair question. I'm new, so I show my work: my own site's Search Console results are above, prices are published, and you deal with me directly. The first 3 Growth clients get a founding price locked for 12 months, and I'll ask for an honest testimonial if they're happy with the work.

Why a 90-day start, then monthly?

SEO needs a few months to show anything, so 90 days gives the work a fair chance. After that you can cancel anytime with 30 days' notice. No 12-month lock-in. One-time services have no ongoing commitment.

How do you get Google reviews without breaking the rules?

I make it easy for every customer to leave an honest review with a direct link or QR code. I never pay or reward for reviews, never write them, and never send only happy customers to Google.

Can you remove a bad review?

Only if it breaks Google's policies, such as spam or fake reviews. I flag those and help you reply calmly and professionally to the rest. A good reply often matters more than the review.

Do you use AI, and who does the work?

Yes. I use AI tools, including Claude, to move faster on audits and drafting, and I review all work myself before it goes live. I used the same approach on my own site.

What is the founding-client price?

The first 3 Growth clients pay $499 a month instead of the regular $699, locked for 12 months. It starts with a 90-day minimum, and if you're happy with the work I'll ask for an honest testimonial.

What does it cost?

Monthly plans start at $299. One-time options: Review Kickstart $99, Review + Profile Setup $199, SEO Cleanup $400 to $600. See the pricing section above. Scale plans are quoted per project.

Get your free SEO & review audit

Tell me about your business and I'll send a short written audit, your top 3 priority fixes and a recommended plan, within a few business days.

I use your details only to prepare and send your audit. I never sell your information. No spam.