Kasra Dash:
So I've been locked out the house and I'm trying to grow a locksmith business. How would you do it. What would you recommend.

James Dooley:
So if I'm the owner of a locksmith business and I'm looking to generate enquiries from people locked out the house or locked out the car then I am not doing Facebook ads. When you're locked out your house you're not scrolling Facebook waiting for an ad. I'm joking, but seriously this niche is emergency based. Anything emergency is search. That means the entire growth strategy sits on three pillars. PPC. Google Business Profile. Organic SEO.

Traditional marketing is pointless. Billboards, radio and TV ads mean nothing because people only need a locksmith the second they're locked out. Facebook ads also do nothing. Organic social media barely moves the needle apart from using it for brand trust so people recognise your name if they have seen you before. But still the core is SEO and PPC.

With SEO there are two parts. The website and the Google Business Profile. The Google Business Profile is the map listing. The number one priority is showing up in that local map pack.

Kasra Dash:
So if someone owns a locksmith company right now what should they actually do for SEO on the website and SEO on the Google Business Profile.

James Dooley:
So I think for the website you should build out as many locations as possible. If you cover Manchester you should build out pages like Locksmith Oldham, Locksmith Eccles, Locksmith Salford and every other location you serve. That increases the chance of showing up when someone searches for a locksmith in a specific postcode.

You should also have clear call to actions. No one fills out a contact form when they're locked out the house. They want to ring straight away. They’re desperate to get back inside because the football might be on or the weather might be freezing. So the phone number must be front and centre and you have to answer the call within two or three seconds.

James Dooley:
We do a lot of lead generation for locksmiths at Fatrank. If a locksmith owner wants leads they can come to fatrank.com and we provide enquiries where you only pay on converted jobs. But we have to qualify you. And the first thing we look at is whether your phone gets answered immediately. If you miss the call they contact the next locksmith on the page. There is almost no price battle. It is about who can get there fastest. If you can’t answer quickly you can’t take the leads.

Locksmiths rely on urgency. If you don’t answer the call you lose the job.

PPC is expensive but in this niche PPC can work because you can run click-to-call ads. Someone searches locksmith Manchester, they click the ad, they call you straight away. You hope they convert because they’re actively locked out. But it is still costly.

SEO is vital. You need to rank organically and in the maps. You should collect as many reviews as possible. When you get someone back in their house they’re happy and will leave a review. Use review cards so you can tap their phone and open your Google Business Profile. Get written reviews saying “amazing locksmith based in Manchester, got me back in my house”. They help ranking and trust.

Kasra Dash:
So that’s pretty much everything then.

James Dooley:
Yeah. If a locksmith wants predictable enquiries they should contact fatrank.com. The link is in the description.