Look, I get it. You’re running a business in Lawrence, and everyone’s trying to sell you on SEO. You’re probably thinking, “Is this just another way to waste money on something that doesn’t work?”

Fair question. Let me tell you why SEO isn’t just some buzzword—it’s the difference between being found by customers and watching your competitors eat your lunch.

Your Customers Are Already Searching. Are They Finding You?

Every single day, people in Lawrence are pulling out their phones and searching for businesses exactly like yours. “Pizza near me.” “Best plumber in Lawrence.” “Auto repair shop downtown.” Whatever you do, someone’s looking for it right now.

Here’s the thing: if you’re not showing up when they search, you don’t exist to them. It’s that simple.

I was grabbing coffee on Mass Street last week, and the guy next to me was frantically searching for an emergency dentist. He clicked the first result that popped up. Not the second. Not the third. The first one. That dentist got a new patient worth thousands of dollars because they showed up first on Google.

That could be your business winning those customers. Or it could be your competitor. Your choice.

The Google Map Pack Is Where the Money Lives

You know those three businesses that show up in a little box with the map when you search for something local? That’s called the Google Map Pack, and it’s absolute gold for local businesses.

Studies show that over 40% of clicks go to those top three map results. Think about that. Nearly half of all potential customers are choosing from just three businesses. If you’re not in that box, you’re fighting for scraps.

Most SEO agencies don’t even know how to crack the map pack. They’ll mess around with your website for months, change some title tags, write a few blog posts, and wonder why nothing’s happening. Getting into the map pack requires understanding Google’s local algorithm—something most “experts” couldn’t explain if their life depended on it.

SEO Beats Paid Ads Every Time (Here’s Why)

Sure, you could throw money at Google Ads. Plenty of businesses do. But here’s what they don’t tell you about paid ads:

The second you stop paying, the leads stop coming. It’s like renting versus owning. With ads, you’re just renting traffic. With SEO, you’re building an asset that keeps working for you month after month, year after year.

Plus, people trust organic results more than ads. When’s the last time you clicked on one of those “Sponsored” results at the top? Exactly. Most people scroll right past them to find the real results.

The businesses dominating organic search aren’t necessarily the best at what they do. They just hired someone who actually knows how Google works. While their competitors keep throwing money at ads, they’re getting free traffic that converts better and costs nothing per click.

Local SEO Is Different (And That’s Good News for You)

Ranking for “insurance” nationally? Good luck competing with State Farm’s million-dollar budget. But ranking for “insurance agent Lawrence KS”? That’s a fight you can win—if you know what you’re doing.

Local SEO is about showing Google you’re the best choice for people in Lawrence specifically. It’s not about having the biggest budget or the fanciest website. It’s about understanding exactly what signals Google looks for:

NAP consistency across hundreds of directories (and knowing which ones actually matter)
Review velocity and diversity patterns that look natural to Google’s algorithms
Entity associations that establish you as a Lawrence business
Local relevance signals that 99% of SEO agencies don’t even know exist

This is where most SEO companies fail. They treat local SEO like regular SEO with a city name slapped on it. Wrong. Google’s local algorithm is completely different, and if you don’t understand those differences, you’re just wasting time.

Your Competitors Are Already Doing This

While you’re reading this, wondering if SEO is worth it, your competitors are climbing the rankings. Every day you wait is another day they’re stealing your potential customers.

I see this all the time. A business owner comes to me after their competitor suddenly started dominating Google. “What happened?” they ask. Simple: the competitor hired someone who actually knows what they’re doing, not some agency that promises “page one rankings” to everyone who walks through their door.

The businesses ranking at the top right now? They’re not special. They just made the decision to dominate their market online before you did.

Real Results Require Real Expertise

Most SEO agencies are selling you hope. They’ll show you fancy reports, talk about “domain authority,” and send you meaningless metrics every month. But are you ranking? Are customers calling? That’s all that matters.

I don’t do reports. I do rankings. My sites are at the top of Google for “Lawrence SEO” and hundreds of other competitive terms. Not because I got lucky. Because I know exactly how Google’s algorithm works and how to manipulate it legally and effectively.

The same strategies I use to dominate search results? That’s what I apply to every client’s site. Not some cookie-cutter package. Not outsourced work to overseas freelancers. Real, proven tactics that Google rewards with top rankings.

The Truth About SEO Success

Here’s what nobody tells you about SEO: 90% of it is knowing what NOT to do. Most agencies will actually hurt your rankings because they’re using outdated tactics from 2015. They’ll build spammy links, stuff keywords everywhere, and wonder why you got penalized.

Google’s algorithm updates constantly. What worked last year might get you penalized today. Unless you’re obsessed with this stuff—unless you’re tracking every algorithm update, testing what works, and adjusting strategies accordingly—you’re going to fail.

I live and breathe this stuff. While other “experts” are reading blog posts about SEO, I’m running tests, analyzing patents, and reverse-engineering what actually moves the needle. That’s the difference between hiring a real expert and hiring someone who watched a few YouTube videos.

Why Most Lawrence Businesses Will Never Rank

Harsh truth: most businesses in Lawrence will never rank on Google. Not because it’s impossible, but because they’ll either:

Try to do it themselves (good luck competing with people who do this full-time)
Hire the cheapest option they can find (you get what you pay for)
Give up after a few months because they don’t see instant results

SEO isn’t a sprint. It’s a war of attrition. The businesses that win are the ones that commit to dominating, not dabbling. They understand that controlling Google means controlling their market.

Stop Leaving Money on the Table

Every day your business doesn’t show up on Google, you’re handing customers to your competition. They’re not better than you. They’re just easier to find.

Lawrence is growing. KU keeps bringing in new people. Young professionals are moving here. Tech companies are setting up shop. They’re all using Google to find local businesses. If you’re not there when they search, someone else will be.

The businesses that understand this—the ones that invest in real SEO from someone who actually knows what they’re doing—are the ones that will own their markets in the next few years. Everyone else will be fighting over whatever’s left.

The Bottom Line

SEO isn’t about gaming the system or tricking Google. It’s about understanding exactly how Google determines rankings and executing better than everyone else in your market.

Most agencies can’t do this. Most consultants can’t do this. That’s why most businesses never see real results from SEO.

But when you work with someone who actually understands the algorithm—someone who ranks their own sites at the top of Google—that’s when you stop competing and start dominating.

Want to own your market on Google? Email me at jack@lawrenceseo.org.

Just understand this: I don’t work with everyone. I only take on clients when I know I can get them to the top. Because unlike most “SEO experts,” my reputation depends on actual results, not smooth talking.

The question isn’t whether SEO works. The question is whether you’re serious about dominating your market or just playing around.