Local SEO is an area of digital marketing that every business needs to think about. The following is an illuminating interview between SEO and digital marketing consultant Rik Snuiverink from FDMA Ltd and Nick Ponte, a local search specialist who runs a digital marketing agency in Hawaii.
Today I am talking to Nick Ponte. Nick runs his own digital marketing agency and he’s going to give us the low down on local SEO. Nick, thanks for your time today. Why local SEO?
Hi, thanks for having me. Well to me, local search is an area that can be massively powerful, yet it’s something that local businesses overlook time and again. People think first about other areas. There’s lots of talk about PPC or social media marketing, for example. But local search is always a bit of an afterthought, something they might think about if there’s a bit of spare time and budget. Yet take a step back, and the idea of “supporting local businesses” is something that most people want to get behind. The unprecedented events of 2020 and 2021 made us all rethink how we engaged with and attracted new clients, and it prompted a lot of businesses to shift their focus to the local market.
Before we dive into that in more detail, let’s just take a step back and find out a bit about you. Can you just tell us a little about your background, Nick?
Sure, I’m the owner and founder of Nick Ponte Marketing, a digital agency located in Hawaii. In brief we work with a portfolio of about 50 local clients across local search, SEO, web development and ecommerce solutions. I’m lucky enough to work with a fantastic team of highly skilled and creative professionals, each of whom have their own specialties. We are passionate about delivering a personalized and tailored service to each client, not just “off the shelf” solutions. I’m personally involved in every project that comes through the door.
And have you always been involved in digital marketing?
Well, not quite. I actually started out as kind of a backyard mechanic, repairing people’s cars. Then I decided to take that a bit more seriously. I got some qualifications and started a two year apprenticeship, but let’s just say it didn’t work out. Then someone I knew said they wanted a website. Now at that time I knew zero about building websites, but I thought “how hard can it be?” I literally Googled “how to build a website” and I took it from there. To cut a long story short, that was my first web design commission and I built the business from there.
Nick talks more about how he started in web design and SEO here:
You mentioned a moment ago that you have a portfolio of 50 clients. That’s impressive, are these large chains or local SMEs or a mixture?
I work with a mixture of different clients, but the majority are local Hawaii companies like Maui Babe, which is a family-owned business in Maui that sells beauty supplies, Krank Cycles, a local bike business, and Timpone Surfboards. That’s operated by Jeff Timpone; he’s a living legend in the surfing world! We work with numerous other businesses across Hawaii, not just in Maui but also in Honolulu, and in tourist hotspots like Kailua, Pearl City and Lahaina. Obviously local SEO is really important for these businesses.
That’s impressive, and it sounds like quite a broad portfolio spread across multiple locations. Is there a broad brush approach to local SEO?
Well, yes and no. Obviously there are some basic truths about local SEO that apply across the board. Here’s the thing: local search has always been something that businesses need to think about. The biggest change in recent years is that people are really starting to recognize and understand that. The business landscape never stands still, so there’s always an aspect of “evolve and adapt” in every area of business strategy. But setting aside some time, budget and focus for local search is the first important thing, and that in itself can demand a change in mindset. Some people still think local SEO begins and ends with getting a Google business profile and having it listed on Google Maps.
Changing mindsets, that’s never easy. If you’d like the local businesses who are reading this interview to walk away with one insight, what would it be?
Oh, that’s a good question. I think it’s this: Regardless of whether they are “doing” local SEO, or how well, the important thing is to open their eyes and appreciate that local business is an absolute goldmine with huge potential. Take our client Pacific Energy, for example. Before we started working together, they were a small business with just a couple of employees and after investing in SEO, we quickly ranked their business to the number one spot for the keyword Maui Solar. This search term alone has allowed them to generate multiple millions of dollars in solar deals alone.
You sound quite passionate about the topic. Why does it mean so much to you?
Well, I guess there are two reasons. From a pragmatic business perspective, local SEO is an area where Nick Ponte Marketing can add massive value for its local clients in Hawaii, and elsewhere come to that. So it’s good for my clients’ businesses, which means it’s good for my business. But it goes beyond that, too. People joke about the distinction between business and “real life,” but local search really bridges that gap and helps businesses to connect with real people. Businesses have always been a crucial part of any community’s lifeblood, so that sort of engagement is vitally important. I’m hugely fortunate to live and work in Kihei, and if you can’t be passionate about local SEO here, then we need to talk about what it means to run a business with a remote team of experts! But seriously, the idea of meeting and shaking hands with people, putting faces to the names of those Google reviewers, that’s got to appeal to people and spark their enthusiasm.
I’m convinced! So is local SEO your area of specialization within your organization?
I wouldn’t say that, exactly. As I mentioned earlier, I started out designing web sites, and then launched my digital marketing agency in 2016. I’ve assembled a great team of professionals around me and those are the guys with the specialist expertise across web design, ecommerce and, of course, SEO. So really, my main role is to focus on strategic partnerships, new streams of revenue, hiring additional experts to our team, and the long-term vision of the company.
It’s interesting, the concept of focus has come up a few times now. Is getting that right a major challenge?
Absolutely, I think that’s inevitable, and it goes with the territory. Everyone has a finite budget for SEO and marketing, and there are all the usual pushes and pulls with paid versus organic and so on. So when I then come along and say to a client, “well you’re in a unique environment here in Hawaii, you need to ringfence some of this budget for local SEO,” it’s not surprising that people need a bit of time to think about it – to really understand what’s right there under their noses. So sure, it’s a challenge. But there is plenty of noise and evangelism in the SEO community about it, and that certainly helps get the message out. So I’m not just this lone voice on the west coast of Maui.
Does that mean you sometimes have difficult conversations with clients, telling them you want to divert budget from other areas and spend it on local SEO?
I wouldn’t really say “difficult.” It’s the same as anything else, I’m there to offer advice and explain why a certain course of action makes sense. So in the example of local SEO for businesses in Hawaii, I might show them what strategies their competitors are pursuing and how it is working for them. I’m there to offer guidance and that has to include some tangible real-world examples. The great thing about local SEO is it’s firmly embedded in the real world. It’s easy to see things from the customer’s perspective, because local customers are real people you see all around you when you’re on the drive to work or walking on the beach or having a coffee in a café. So you can think “what are my thought processes going to be if I want to buy a surfboard or go on a biking tour or take my mother out for a coffee.” Think of it like that, and you kind of see your customer think “Ah, right, that makes sense.”
I agree with you that it’s a really intriguing topic. People think of search as something global that transcends borders. Here, though, you’re using online search but zeroing in on the local community.
Yes, that’s right. It’s also a really good way to help beginners to “get” SEO. I think anyone who’s new to SEO and is looking to specialize in a particular area should think about local. In an ever-changing industry, it’s something that is always going to be important.
Let me put on my hard-boiled business hat for a moment. You’ve explained the importance and relevance of local SEO. But when the Marketing Director goes to the CFO asking for budget, he’s going to have to demonstrate ROI. How do you go about that?
It can be challenging. Obviously, it depends on the business model, but to some extent, you’ll still have that digital footprint – click throughs, conversions and so on. But when you’re developing offline footfalls, you have to find other ways. Sometimes it’s as simple as having a conversation with the customer – “how did you find out about us?” – you can also monitor other microconversions, such as appointments booked or visitors making content by phone or webchat. Obviously, you then have to apply some sort of multiplier. For example, a retailer might reasonably assume that seven out of ten people who phone in will pay a physical visit to the shop within the next few days. So yes, demonstrating ROI sometimes needs a bit of thought, but it is certainly achievable.
What makes you smile about doing local SEO for your clients in Hawaii?
Well, again there are two answers here. Local SEO is a real goldmine so it’s always gratifying to see a client really make a difference to his or her turnover by boosting local business. Who wouldn’t smile at that? But I also love seeing clients have that Eureka moment that I experienced myself when I started building a portfolio of local clients. That moment when they think “Yes, we’re all in this together.” Contributing to the local economy is something that benefits us all – our business associates, our neighbors, even our kids. As I said earlier, it makes it very real.
One last question, I’m sure there are plenty of local businesses who would like to find out more about local SEO and maybe ask a few questions. How can they do so?
I’m always excited about forging new relationships with other local businesses, so anyone who wants to hit me up via my website or LinkedIn is very welcome to do so. I’ll also be visiting DigiMarCon on July 18-19. I’m really looking forward to it some of the big hitters in digital marketing will be speaking there, so I’d definitely recommend people to get along to it if they can.
So it’s not just for digital marketing experts?
No indeed, there will be topics accessible to everyone, and I hope everyone will be able to walk away with something, whether they are new to the topic or they’ve been working in the digital marketing and SEO space for years. As I said, it should be a fun event, very welcoming, and usually the networking is just as important and valuable as the presentations.
Sounds like a perfect place to meet up over a coffee.
The coffee station is one of the best places to be – it’s what I love about these events, people are always so friendly and just start chatting. Local SEO is tied up with that sense of community engagement, so I hope it will be a really hot topic that captures everyone’s imagination.
Nick, I want to thank you for your time, it’s been a real pleasure talking to you. Perhaps we can just finish with you leaving some contact details for those who want to get in touch?
Sure, probably the easiest way is via my website, – from there, anyone can access my social handles on LinkedIn and so on. Or of course, as I said earlier, grab a ticket for DigiMarCon in July and come say hello there!
