Co-founder · Strategy & SEO
Clay Tobin, co-founder of Local Rankings SEO
The self-taught engineer behind Local Rankings SEO. The person who audits your market is the person who does the work. I dig in, build the plan, and put a number on it.
Who I am
An engineer by instinct, obsessed with one main street at a time.
I never went to engineering school. I learned by building, the same way I learned everything that ever stuck. That’s how I approach local search: take the thing apart, find where the leads are leaking, and rebuild the path so the right neighbors find you first.
I’d rather go deep on one good local business than spread thin across a hundred. So when I take a client on, I run the whole thing myself: the audit, the Google Business Profile, the search strategy, the proof. No junior hand-offs, no black-box retainers, no reports full of vanity metrics. Just booked jobs you can see on your calendar.
I write here to put the same thinking in your hands: how local search actually works right now, what’s changing as AI starts answering questions for your customers, and the moves that move the needle for a Gulf Coast med spa or wellness business.
What I write about
Articles by me
How Do I Get My Business Recommended by ChatGPT and AI Search?
Nearly half of consumers now ask AI for local recommendations. Here is what controlled studies say actually gets a business named by ChatGPT and AI search.
Read article →Do I Need a Website If I Have a Google Business Profile?
A Google Business Profile gets you found; a website is where you win trust and turn visitors into customers. Here is why most businesses need both.
Read article →How Long Does Local SEO Take to Work?
Most local businesses see meaningful SEO results in 3 to 6 months, with stronger gains through 6 to 12. Here is the real timeline and what changes it.
Read article →How Much Does Local SEO Cost?
Most small businesses pay $300 to $2,000 a month for local SEO. Here is what drives that range, the real pricing models, and how to tell if it is working.
Read article →How Much Does Web Design Cost?
Most small businesses pay $2,000 to $8,000 for a professional website. Here is what drives the price, the real pricing models, and how to get value.
Read article →How Do I Get My Business to the Top of Google Maps?
Google ranks Maps results on relevance, distance, and prominence. Here is what each means and the concrete steps to climb toward the top.
Read article →How to Rank Higher on Google in a Small Town
Small towns have less competition, which makes ranking faster and cheaper. Here is the local SEO strategy that wins in small and rural markets.
Read article →Why Did My Google Rankings Drop?
Sudden ranking drops usually trace to a handful of causes: an algorithm update, a Google Business Profile change, lost reviews, or a site issue. Here is how to find yours.
Read article →Why Isn't My Business Showing Up on Google in Tampa Bay?
The real reasons a Dade City or Tampa Bay business disappears from Google Search and Maps, how to check each, and how to fix it fast.
Read article →Why You're Not Showing Up in Google's Map Pack
The local 3-pack runs on factors you control, and one big one you don't. Here's why proximity isn't your fault, and the levers that actually move you up.
Read article →How Many Google Reviews Do You Actually Need?
You don't need 500 reviews. You need enough recent ones to clear the trust bar, and most owners get the recency part wrong. Here's the honest threshold.
Read article →How Much Is a Missed Call Actually Costing Your Business?
The real cost of a missed call isn't one lost job; it's the speed math behind it. Here's how to figure out your own number instead of a borrowed scary one.
Read article →What Is GEO and Why Every Local Business Should Care
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is getting your business named when AI answers 'best near me.' Here's what it actually means for a local business.
Read article →AI Search Is a New Layer on Top of Google: It's Quietly Deciding Whether Your Business Gets Mentioned
AI search isn't a new place to rank; it's a new reader on top of Google's index deciding whether your business gets named. What the shift means for local.
Read article →Our promise
Want me to look at your market?
I’ll show you the local trust gaps, profile issues, and search patterns that may be costing you calls, and the booked-jobs number I’d guarantee in 90 days.
On your free audit you’ll get:
- ✓ Where you rank now vs your local competitors
- ✓ The profile gaps quietly costing you calls
- ✓ The 90-day number we’ll put in writing
Takes ~30 minutes. No obligation.