Strategy & decisions
Niche, national vs local, pricing, directories, multi-location — the calls to make.
On this page
The decisions that shape everything else. Several are still open pending a niche choice.
Niche down or not
| Niche down | Generalist |
|---|---|
| Cookie-cutter SOP, fast onboarding | New plan per client |
| Pricing easier (per-niche benchmarks) | Pricing harder |
| Per-niche cloud network reusable | Per-client / per-broader-niche network |
| Limited to the niche's economics | Different challenges keep it interesting |
| Easier acquisition (proof in niche) | Harder acquisition (no specific case study) |
Clint doesn't niche but acknowledges it costs him. Decide before pricing — Clint won't have the pricing conversation until a niche is picked. Leading candidates from the calls: med spa + chiropractor + general health → a Health Services cloud network; benchmark ~$1,500–$2,500/mo.
National play (e.g. aurawave.ai)
With NEO alone, plan for a year. Faster requires a paid-link budget. Get on-page right first (headings + Q&A), trigger the knowledge graph via DAS to socials, then go to Grindstone with ~$2K for 10 quality links per money page.
Pricing tiers (home-services reference)
- $750/mo: cheap clients, always complaining. Don't bother.
- $1,500/mo: home-services sweet spot.
- $2,500/mo: sell as the recommended middle option.
- $5K–$10K/mo: lawyers, professionals with budgets — different conversation.
- $20K+/mo: PI lawyers (drop $200K on PPC; $1,500 quotes get laughed out).
- $40K/mo: rare whales, expect strict SOPs + reporting.
Sales-page structure: 3-column table — Cheap (floor, anchors low), Recommended (target, most features), Crazy-expensive (anchors high). Goal: most prospects pick the middle.
Directories as the new PBNs
Worth pursuing IF you niche into health.
| Type | Lifecycle |
|---|---|
State directory (floridachiropractors.com) |
Lifestyle business while you do SEO. Not sellable. |
National directory (chiropractors.com) |
Long-term asset; the domain alone has exit value. |
Use directories you own as citation sources for your agency clients in that niche, instead of paying external citation services.
Multi-location decision tree
One brand + multiple locations + ONE website → 1 social ring + N GBPs + 1 entity/knowledge graph. Organization schema (parent) + LocalBusiness per location. Post unique content per GBP; general Facebook posts that work for all.
Franchise-style: separate brand names + separate websites → N social rings + N GBPs + 1 entity per brand. Each gets its own DAS sequence.
Entity fracture (Apple Maps / TripAdvisor etc.) → fix with schema (On-page), not by inventing fake separate brands.
You only ever get ONE entity/knowledge graph (the parent brand). Map listings per location are separate, handled by GBP — don't force a knowledge graph per location.
Margin reality with AI
- Content cost: near-zero with Claude (was the #1 expense in rehab).
- Web design: a WordPress site that cost $1,500 now takes ~3 days + $100 of Claude (see Build stack / Sonic).
- Backlink budget: still the largest line item. Plan accordingly.