E46: How to Become the Go-To Authority in Your City (Even If Bigger Competitors Spend More)
If you want to dominate your local market, it’s not about having the best logo, the lowest prices, or the biggest team. It’s about authority.
The businesses that win are the ones that look trusted, established, and legit when customers search for them. In this episode, I break down what it really takes to dominate your local market and become the business people recognize, trust, and recommend.
This isn’t about fancy branding or chasing every new marketing trend. It’s about building real authority so when someone searches for your service, your business looks like the clear, credible choice.
If you’ve been doing “some marketing” but still feel stuck, this episode will help you see what’s missing and how to build a connected strategy that actually moves the needle.
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Sean Garner is a marketing consultant and Certified StoryBrand guide dedicated to helping small business owners grow and dominate their industries. He created the Marketing Domination podcast to teach people how to combine storytelling with strategic marketing to help businesses connect with customers and stand out online.
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MARKETING DOMINATION PODCAST
Introduction
Sean Garner [0:00]: "If you want to dominate your local market, you need more than just a nice logo and a Facebook page. You need authority. People in your city are already Googling businesses just like yours, but the companies getting picked are the ones that look like the trusted expert. Not the best, not the cheapest—the ones that look legit. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to become the go-to business everyone in your city recognizes, trusts, and recommends. You’ll learn the exact moves that make you look like the obvious choice, even if your competitors have been around longer, spend more on ads, or have a bigger team. This is the stuff no one teaches local business owners, but it’s the difference between being invisible and becoming the go-to authority in your town. Welcome to Marketing Domination."
Sean Garner [1:59]: "If you want to dominate your local market, you need more than just a nice logo and a Facebook page. You need authority. People in your city are already Googling businesses just like yours, but the companies getting picked are the ones that look like the trusted experts. Not the best, not the cheapest—the ones that look legit. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to become the business everyone in your city recognizes, trusts, and recommends. You’ll learn the exact moves that make you look like the obvious choice, even if your competition has been around longer, spends more on ads, or has a bigger team. This is the kind of stuff no one teaches local business owners, but it’s the difference between being invisible and becoming the go-to authority in your town. Welcome to Marketing Domination."
Building the Foundation
Sean Garner [3:32]: "All right, this is going to be the top ten. This video covers the ten things I believe every local service business owner should prioritize if they truly want to dominate their local market and build local authority. Number one is getting your directories and reviews set up. This is the foundation of local authority. If you skip this, nothing else will matter. This is where you need to lock things down. Everyone knows about setting up your Google Business Profile, but the other platforms you should focus on are Yelp, Facebook, and Trustpilot. The reason is simple: we want to make sure we’re everywhere potential customers could be looking for our service, with a citation or profile set up on each platform. Google Business Profile is critical for Google search specifically, but many large language models and search engines like Bing and Yahoo—which are growing in popularity—don’t rely on Google Business Profile because it’s a competitor. Instead, they pull authority from third-party review sites like Yelp, Facebook, and Trustpilot. These platforms are harder to get reviews on because users need accounts, but if you take the time to set them up, having directories and reviews there will help you significantly. A few tips: ask for reviews daily and reply to every single one to show you care, which encourages more people to leave reviews. Add photos to each profile when possible, like you do on Google Business Profile. Don’t overthink it—keep it simple. Build a basic automation, like we do for our clients at Sean Garner Consulting, so that when a job is finished or an invoice is closed, it triggers a request for a review. If someone has already left a Google review, you can then prompt them for reviews on other platforms like Yelp. The key point is this: you can outrank bigger competitors by doing this right."
Sean Garner [5:48]: "The point to understand is that you can outrank a bigger competitor simply by having more reviews, better responses, and fresher activity. One of the deciding factors in Google isn’t just the number of reviews, but review velocity. You might have a legacy competitor in your town with more reviews, but if they’ve gone stagnant, this is your opportunity to press the advantage. Get your automation set up so you’re collecting reviews faster than they are. That gives you a real opportunity to rank higher than them on Google."
Sean Garner [6:23]: "The second thing we want to do is build our digital storefront. We need to make sure all of our social accounts are built out. I know you may hate social media and don’t want to be on all these platforms. I get it—I don’t like it either—but it’s a necessary evil. People look at social accounts to decide if you’re legit. Even if you’re not actively posting, you at least need to lock down the usernames and exist everywhere. That means Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, and even platforms like Nextdoor. You don’t have to post everywhere, but you do need to exist everywhere so you’re not a ghost business when people search for you. I recommend getting all those profiles set up with your company logo, a completed About section, and your contact information—your website, phone number, and maybe an email address. Once that’s done, create at least one post on each profile that clearly explains the problem you solve and how customers can reach you. If you’re especially active on one platform, you can even point people there. One thing we like to do, since most people don’t want to post everywhere, is build this into our StoryGrowth Funnels. We set up an automation where Google and Yelp reviews—like we talked about in the first point—are turned into social graphics and automatically shared across social platforms. That way, even if you’re not posting manually, your five-star reviews are still showing up as content. The goal is to create the appearance of being everywhere, even if you’re not. Having this digital storefront with fully built-out social profiles is one of the key ways to build local authority."
Local Backlinks, PR, and Community Authority
Sean Garner [8:23]: "The third thing you need is local backlinks. If you’ve listened to me talk about SEO at all, you know backlinks are important, but localized backlinks are even more important for local service-based businesses. They’re far more powerful in the eyes of Google. For example, if you’re a local business and you have a local Chamber of Commerce link, even if that site has lower authority than a big national directory or press release, it sends a strong signal to Google that you’re a real local business serving a specific market. Local backlinks are pure gold for SEO and authority. The goal is to show Google and your community that you’re the real deal and that you’re plugged into the local area. Some places to get these links include the Better Business Bureau, where you can set up a profile. We’ve also seen success just by setting up an Indeed profile and posting local job listings in your area. One of the most overlooked opportunities is local Chamber of Commerce links. You don’t need to be heavily involved for the logo on their site—you’re doing it for the local backlink. We’ve seen clients, especially those in suburbs of larger cities, improve rankings by joining multiple local chambers. If your city has one and your county has another, joining both can help. We’ve found that when clients join chambers in the specific cities they want to break into, their rankings in those cities start to improve because of those local backlinks. Other opportunities include local networking groups, Rotary clubs, local charities, nonprofits, youth sports teams, local schools, church sponsorship pages, local podcasts, blogs, local business directories, and real estate agent resource pages. This has been especially effective for service-based businesses like home services. Building relationships with local real estate agents can get your website listed on their resource pages, which they share with clients. When you’re doing sponsorships, remember it’s not just about the logo. Yes, branding matters, but the backlink is far more valuable digitally than having your logo on a pamphlet or a low-traffic page."
Sean Garner [10:47]: "One way to supercharge this is to use those partnerships as opportunities for digital press releases. If you sponsor a local sporting event or get involved in another community opportunity, leverage that by creating and distributing a press release. That amplification helps boost your authority even more."
Sean Garner [11:17]: "Number four is local PR and media features. Most small businesses never tap into this, which is why the ones that do instantly look like industry leaders. This is actually very simple. You can connect with local newspapers, magazines, lifestyle publications, local TV morning shows, radio stations, podcasts, and online news outlets. What I’ve found is that in almost every town, there’s some kind of digital magazine that isn’t the big newspaper or major media player."
Sean Garner [12:07]: "In some of the local markets we work in, we’ve found directories where you can pay for sponsorship opportunities for less than a hundred dollars a month, and it instantly gets you thousands of backlinks because of how their local websites are structured. You pay to have your logo on their site, and because their website is massive with thousands of pages, your logo appears across all of them. That increases your local topical authority and relevance. On top of that, it’s local, so you’re likely to get actual business from it as well. But the real value is those local backlinks. It positions you as the trusted expert instead of just another business trying to sell something."
Sean Garner [12:58]: "The fifth thing is community involvement that actually builds authority. Not everything you do locally will grow your brand, so we want to focus on opportunities that give you both visibility and authority. You’re already a busy business owner, so we’re not looking to add busywork. We want activities we can leverage for real business value. This will vary by industry. If you’re an accountant or financial advisor, hosting Q&A sessions at local chambers or small business workshops is a great option. If you’re a service-based business, having a booth at a farmers market or similar event can be very effective. You can also partner with local schools, nonprofits, trade shows, or volunteer as a team for a local cause. The key is finding ways to get involved that can be leveraged digitally, whether that’s getting your logo on a website or earning local PR. Authority is built in public. We want to show up where people can see that we’re not just trying to sell something, but that we’re truly plugged into the community and building local roots."
Content, Website, and Partnerships
Sean Garner [14:25]: "Number six is creating content that makes you the local expert. Your website and social channels should position you as the teacher, not the salesperson. This includes content like three-tip videos, behind-the-scenes looks at your process, customer success stories, transformations, FAQs, myths, mistakes, and ‘five things to know before hiring’ videos for your industry. We want to create content that delivers value to the local market we serve. It’s not about ‘look at me, buy my stuff.’ It’s about positioning yourself as the trusted authority before someone ever reaches out. That way, when they call, book a service, or schedule an appointment, they already see you as the expert."
Sean Garner [15:15]: "The seventh thing is that your website must look like the authority. It honestly breaks my heart when someone reaches out for help and says, ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years, I have all this expertise,’ and then I go to their website and it looks like a step above a Craigslist listing. It looks outdated, like one of the first websites ever made, and it doesn’t reflect the authority they actually have. Your website has to feel like the leader. When someone lands there, does it use clear StoryBrand messaging that articulates the problem you solve, how you make their life better, and why they should hire you? Do you have professional photography? I see this all the time—shaky iPhone videos or low-quality images—and people wonder why it’s not working. Bad iPhone photos are better than generic stock photos, but let’s be honest: you can hire a local photographer for under $500 and get assets you can use on your website and across social media for a year. Take the time to do it. Get professional photography and make your website stand out. Feature your awards, certifications, embedded Google reviews, press mentions, media features, and case studies. All of that belongs on your website. When people are digitally window-shopping and comparing you to competitors, if their site looks new and polished and yours looks like you built it yourself 20 years ago, they’re going to assume the newer-looking business has more authority. Perception is reality, especially online. Make sure your website looks as professional as you are."
Sean Garner [17:30]: "Number eight is partnering with other local leaders. This is a powerful networking opportunity and a way to build out your Dream 100 list. There are people in your local market who already have the audience you want to reach. For example, plumbers partnering with real estate agents, medical spas partnering with wellness clinics, fitness coaches with chiropractors, or contractors with home inspectors. Think strategically about local partnerships where you can leverage each other’s authority. When another trusted business promotes you, you instantly gain credibility. Everyone says they’re good, but when someone else recommends you, that trust transfers and positions you as the local authority."
Sean Garner [17:47]: "Number nine is showing up everywhere, especially on Google. We did a full podcast episode on the five places you can show up on Google. First is the Map Pack, which is the most important for service businesses. Then you have the SERPs, or search engine results pages. After that are AI Overviews, which a lot of businesses struggle with because they haven’t built enough authority—and you can’t trick AI. You need real authority for that. Digital press releases and local backlinks play a huge role here. Then you have Local Service Ads for eligible businesses, and finally PPC, or pay-per-click ads. The goal is to show up everywhere on Google. When people are searching for services like yours, you want as many opportunities as possible to appear. A lot of businesses won’t even take the time to set up a basic PPC budget or an LSA account simply because they don’t understand it. That’s where agencies like us come in to help you get those set up so you can show up wherever your competitors are showing up—and more importantly, where your customers are looking. We also need to fully optimize your Google Business Profile. We’ve done entire episodes breaking down exactly how to do this, so go check those out. When this is done correctly, you’re not just showing up on Maps—you’re dominating across Google."
The Local Authority Flywheel That Drives Long-Term Growth
Sean Garner [19:14]: "The final piece, number ten, is understanding that all of this works together to build your local authority flywheel. Everything connects. Reviews lead to social content. Social content builds trust. Backlinks boost your rankings. Higher rankings drive more traffic. More traffic leads to more leads. More leads turn into more customers, and more customers generate more reviews. Then the cycle repeats. This is why so many small businesses struggle—they have pieces in place, but they don’t have a complete system. At Sean Garner Consulting, we built the Marketing Domination system to plug our clients into a fully connected process. We help them build, fill, and optimize their entire sales funnel so they can stand out as the clear industry leader. If you’re looking for an agency to implement these systems into your local service business, go to seangarner.co and book a call with me. We’ll do a complete audit of your current marketing, identify blind spots, and show you how to implement these strategies so you can dominate your local market."
