Over the years, I've worked with countless businesses misled by previous SEO agencies and locked into contracts where little to no meaningful work was done. This is a frustrating reality for many small and medium-sized businesses, and they often come to me feeling desperate, with no leads, inquiries, or idea where to turn next. These cases are challenging, but I thrive on helping businesses get back on track.
One common challenge I see repeatedly is the condition of their websites. Often, the websites need to be updated, better optimised, or built on platforms that don't support the growth we aim to achieve. Trying to scale with these sites is like building a skyscraper on shaky foundations—it's impossible. Whether it's an outdated WordPress site or a platform like Wix or Squarespace, the first step is usually a complete rebuild.
The Importance of Starting Fresh
A solid website is the cornerstone of any successful SEO or digital marketing strategy. When I log into some of these older sites, it feels like playing Jenga—every small tweak risks breaking the whole structure. Instead of wasting time trying to work around these limitations, I often recommend starting fresh with a full rebuild. A well-structured, modern site provides the flexibility and foundation needed to implement advanced SEO strategies, improve user experience, and scale as the business grows.
While rebuilding a website is critical, it takes time to happen. Businesses need to find a way to afford to sit idle while waiting for a new site, especially if they're already struggling. I rely on an interim solution to keep leads flowing: creating high-converting landing pages and running Google Ads campaigns.
Generating Leads with Landing Pages and Google Ads
Setting up a simple but effective landing page is the key to quickly helping these businesses regain momentum. If the existing website is functional enough, I suggest adding the landing page as a subdomain. In cases where the old site is too outdated, I register a variation of their domain—such as switching from .com.au to .au—and use that for the landing page. This approach lets us start driving leads immediately without disrupting their online presence.
Google Ads is the perfect complement to this strategy. It's predictable, measurable, and, most importantly, fast. I've run enough campaigns to know what works and what doesn't. By setting up conversion tracking, unique phone numbers, and ads targeted at specific services or locations, I can instantly generate inquiries. Even if the cost per lead is initially higher than usual, getting the ball rolling is worth it. Leads create opportunities, and opportunities often lead to referrals and repeat business.
Building the Foundation for Long-Term Growth
While the landing page and Google Ads campaigns bring immediate results, the real work happens behind the scenes. Rebuilding the main website is where the magic truly begins. My process involves creating a clean, structured site that is visually appealing and optimised for search engines. This includes:
- Service and Geo Pages: Depending on the business, I create pages targeting specific services and the areas they serve. For example, a roofer might need pages for roof repair, roof leak repair, and roof plumbing, along with pages for each suburb or region they cover. These pages are built strategically, focusing only on terms with proven traffic potential.
- Preserving SEO Value: If the old site has pages that rank well or attract traffic, I preserve that value. This might mean carefully migrating content or setting up redirects to avoid losing SEO equity. However, many businesses I work with have been so poorly managed that their sites need to rank for something, making the rebuild process much simpler.
- Tools and Platforms: I prefer building sites on platforms that give me full control, like Elementor or Beaver Builder. This ensures the new site is easily managed and scalable for future growth.
The rebuilt site becomes the business's new digital hub, capable of supporting ongoing SEO efforts and delivering a better visitor experience.
Combining SEO and Paid Ads for Maximum Impact
One of my biggest lessons is that SEO and paid ads work best when used together. While SEO builds long-term authority and organic traffic, paid ads deliver instant results. The data from Google Ads campaigns, such as high-performing keywords and conversion metrics, can directly inform and enhance our SEO strategy. It's a cyclical process where both strategies feed into each other, creating sustainable growth over time.
For example, if I run ads for a pest control company, the data might reveal that "termite inspection near me" drives the most clicks and conversions. I'll use that insight to optimise the website, creating a dedicated page targeting that term and similar keywords. Over time, as that page starts ranking organically, the business will see results without relying solely on paid ads.
A Workflow That Works
What I love about this approach is its flexibility. While rebuilding the website, we can keep the old site up and running, maintaining the client's online presence while adding new elements like landing pages and Google Ads. By the time the new site is ready to go live, the business is already seeing results, which makes the transition smoother and more rewarding for everyone involved.
Sometimes, I create demo sites on related domains. For example, if I'm working with an electrician, I might build a site on a domain like electricalcontractors.com.au to showcase what a fully optimised site can achieve. Once the client is happy, I transfer the site to them, but I sometimes keep similar domains to develop my lead-generation assets. This strategy benefits my clients and helps me build a portfolio of high-ranking digital properties.
Turning Challenges into Success Stories
Helping businesses recover from years of mismanagement can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. I've turned around even the most desperate cases by combining landing pages, Google Ads, and a solid website rebuild. These businesses go from struggling to thriving; the transformation is always worthwhile.
For me, it's about more than just delivering results—it's about restoring trust and helping businesses believe in the power of digital marketing again. That keeps me going, no matter how challenging the weather or the campaign.
