WRITTEN BY:
SEO Expert & 4x SaaS Founder
Former CTO who built and sold Officient ($500k+ MRR). Now running LinkDR and MagicSpace SEO. Creator of the Blitz SEO framework.
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Rank & Rent SEO: Build and rank local lead gen sites, then rent them to businesses. Generate passive income through rentals, ads, or lead sales. Perfect for SEO agencies looking to boost revenue!
Want to grow your SEO agency revenue? Rank and Rent SEO lets you build profitable lead generation assets.
Create geo-targeted websites, rank them in search results, and rent them to local businesses. Here's what you'll learn:
Table of Contents:
This guide shows you how to build a Rank and Rent SEO business step-by-step. Learn how to create assets that generate passive income through local lead generation.
Let's get started.
Rank and Rent SEO is a lead generation model where you rank a website for a local keyword and rent it out to a business in that niche.
The model offers the perfect low-cost, high-return business model to diversify revenue streams. Renting out sites you've ranked for localized keywords provides benefits such as:
While client SEO retains higher lifetime value, Rank and Rent is an ideal cash flow money machine. The extra passive income can fund your other projects.
It also provides lead flow to convert into long-term SEO contracts. As a bonus, it shows your SEO abilities in action to prospects.
The model only thrives with a good SEO strategy. Let's break down how to start Rank and Rent SEO the right way.
Choosing the right keywords and locations is crucial for Rank and Rent success. Here is what to look out for when looking for keywords to rank and rent:
Let's break down each of these criteria in more detail with actionable insights.
To identify low-hanging fruit, here are some factors that indicate a good SEO difficulty score:
Low Keyword Competitiveness: Target keyword difficulty (KD) scores under 30. You can check metrics like search volume, CPC, and competition on tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush.
No Industry Leaders Ranking: If major brands and aggregators like Yelp don't rank for the term, it signals opportunity. They dominate the rankings for ultra-competitive keywords.
Lengthy Local Keywords with 3-4 words are easier SEO targets than shorter, broader queries.
Low Word Count of Ranking Pages: If top results have skimpy content under 1000 words, you can likely out-optimize them without massive content efforts.
Spotty Local Optimization: Many low-competition locations lack sophisticated SEO. If you see inconsistent NAPs (Name + Address + Phone), linking issues, and other local optimization opportunities, capitalize on them.
Shoot for cities with roughly 100k to 500k residents. This "not too big, not too small" approach optimizes for volume and achievable rankings.
At under 100k population, the searches don't provide enough volume for local businesses to convert well. But metro areas over 500k have excessive competition from national brands.
Medium-sized cities let you operate under the radar. Industry leaders neglect the long tail of local SEO. But even 300 searches a month can convert into $1000s in profit.
You can use tools like SEMrush to filter keywords by city size, volume and niche selection.
The ideal renter is small businesses and service companies in profitable niches with ongoing customer retention and repetitive sales. Selecting service companies in the right keywords and niches is key. Some top options include:
Home services provide emergency help in their local area, so customers contact every lead. And issues like clogged pipes and AC repairs come back regularly, creating recurring business.
Other renter targets like lawyers, contractors, electricians, and auto shops also work well. Avoid renting to "one and done" businesses like furniture sales or event planning.
Understanding the average profit per service in different niches is crucial to maximizing ROI in your rank and rent strategy. Here are some examples of the average profit per service in different niches:
Locksmith Services:
Towing Services:
Home Cleaning Services:
HVAC Services:
Pest Control Services:
Electrical Services:
By assessing the profitability of services like locksmithing, towing, home cleaning, HVAC, pest control, and electrical work, you can identify the most lucrative niches to target for your Rank and Rent properties.
To validate niches, run detailed audits of existing sites ranking for your target keywords.
Create spreadsheets tracking:
Look for quick SEO wins like:
Regularly run this exercise across different locations and keywords. Soon, you'll have a pipeline of low-hanging SEO fruit.
The fastest way to rank new sites is acquiring an existing aged domain, a backlink strategy that provides immediate authority to outpace competitors.
Watch for expired domain names that used to rank for similar keywords. However, avoid domains with toxic backlinks or previous spam.
Here are strategies to secure high-quality digital real estate and become a digital landlord, with domains costing $50-500 on auction sites:
Tools like ExpiredDomains.net and GoDaddy Auctions let you find and sort by digital real estate - domains that previously ranked well but have since dropped off.
Often, the domains expire due to forgetful owners. But the site still retains rankings equity you can recapture for rent SEO.
Analyze backlinks pointing to the domain using Ahrefs or SEMRush. Avoid domains with suspicious links from past violations.
Watch for obvious red flags:
Quality previous links from aged directories and niche edits are ideal. You want "squarely white hat" domains.
Use Moz's Domain Analysis and Majestic's Trust Flow data to check the website authority.
Higher DA, DR, and TF scores generally equal quicker rankings velocity. But always manually review link profiles first.
With an aged domain in hand, now it's time to launch your starter Rank and Rent site. The goal is to create a conversion-focused single page:
No need for fancy templates or expansive content. Optimize the site for lead captures over engagement.
For the page's body content, research competitor pages and use SEO tools like StoryChief and Jasper to assist with content creation optimized around your target keyword quickly.
Focus on driving organic traffic rather than crafting novel content. Pack sections with your main keywords like "Services Offered in [City]" and "Why Hire a Professional [Service] Company" with semantic keywords.
Over-optimize to beat the thin content ranking. But avoid overt keyword stuffing that raises spam suspicions.
The most valuable real estate is above the fold, where users first look. Place your CTA form front and center with high-quality content above the fold to immediately capture clicks.
For home service rentals, use a contact form allowing visitors to request quotes or schedule service.
Lawyer site rentals work well with a case review form. Or add a generic "Contact Us" form if the business offer varies.
Make sure the form is mobile-friendly for optimal conversions. Services like Tally integrate directly with CRMs and have many valuable integrations.
Since Rank and Rent targets local SEO, proper schema markup with your specific keywords is essential. Follow Google's guidelines for LocalBusiness schema data.
At minimum, include marked-up data for:
This helps Google understand the page's geography-specific relevance. As a bonus, the rich snippets can boost CTR.
Site builders like WordPress have plugins to auto-generate local schema markup. But adding it manually also works.
Install Facebook Pixel, Google Tag Manager, or LinkedIn Insights Tag to attribute conversions on your Rank and Rent sites. This allows accurate tracking of ROI from various monetization channels.
When renting the site, provide conversion attribution instructions to partners. They can tag form submits and calls with UTM codes or URL query parameters.
Now you've got a barebones yet high-converting Rank and Rent site ready to drive leads. Time to rank it!
Creating and launching the site is easy. The real SEO sweat comes from scaling link acquisition to grab those coveted page 1 ranking.
Shoot for a tiered approach combining:
Tier 1: Manual outreach for featured guest posts on authority sites
Tier 2: Manual outreach to the directory and niche sites
Tier 3: Automated low-authority links
Let's break down strategies for each tier:
Landing featured guest posts on authority sites related to your niche provides a ranking rocket boost. But manual outreach is required to earn these placements.
Start by researching and compiling a target list. Identify sites that:
Outreach templates should highlight your expertise and how you can create a custom article tailored to your audience.
But don't explicitly request a link. Offer to mention their brand to provide value.
When they accept, craft posts closely aligned with the site's niche and past content. Then subtly link brand mentions to your site.
Aim for one Tier 1 link per month as a starting goal. You can use a tool like backl.io
Local directories like Chamber of Commerce sites and regional business journals are strong bets for Tier 2 links.
Also, search for niche sites tangentially related to the service you offer. For example, real estate blogs for your lawyer site rentals.
Focus link outreach on geo-specific directories first. Then, broaden to loosely relevant blogs and resource pages where you can provide value.
When placing these links, request they use proper LocalBusiness schema markup. Also, make sure they pass authority and avoid nofollow tags.
Shoot for ~5 new Tier 2 links weekly in different locations.
Web 2.0s, blog comments, social bookmarks, and profiles add ranking metrics. But avoid overusing these “automated” links.
They often raise spam suspicions if overdone. Plus, Google discounts most as low-quality signals.
Think of Tier 3 links as a seasoning that complements but doesn't overpower your overall strategy. Don't rely on them solely.
Once you secure the first rank on page 1, it's time to rent your site to potential customers. This part requires sales hustle.
Here are strategies and best practices to find the best way to monetize your Rank and Rent properties:
Your best bet to close deals is by contacting companies already bidding on keywords through Google/Bing Ads or those trying to rank organically.
They won't care it's a rented placeholder. Most high-demand niches will gladly pay for quality traffic and leads.
Many local business owners in niche markets won't understand Rank and Rent's value prop. Offer a free 7-14 day trial sending exclusive leads to them.
Once they see conversions first-hand, the next step is charging a monthly licensing fee for ongoing access to leads in their service area.
Install call trackers like CallRail, or PhoneWagon to attribute conversions from phone calls on your Rank and Rent sites.
This builds credibility by showing true ROI on traffic and forms you deliver. Businesses pay more when you quantify performance.
Research what specific companies rank for your terms. Then explicitly reach out to their competitors.
Competing website owners will eagerly rent your site if you secure high rankings and outrank a dominant regional plumber. Beating entrenched brands convinces new renters.
Explore forums, associations, events, and networks frequented by your niche targets. Build connections and share case studies before pitching them.
Join relevant Facebook Groups and communities to connect with your target audience before promoting rentals. For example, join a regional HVAC Facebook Group to communicate with AC companies
Instead of endlessly cold calling, work through business brokers already plugged into niches to maximize your passive income and rental fee.
For example, BizBuySell and Quiet Light Brokerage, connect you with buyers happy to pay for a valuable asset like a site with proven traffic and leads.
Working with business brokers is a great way to connect with buyers who are happy to pay for ranked sites with proven traffic and leads.
Beyond renting out sites, here are a few options to monetize Rank and Rent traffic yourself:
Rent out ad space: Services like Ezoic let you rent site ad space through their marketplace and share revenue.
Flip for a profit: Once rankings are stable, list your site for sale on EmpireFlippers, Acquire.com or FEInternational. You get a lump sum payout.
Resell leads to networks: Instead of renting the full site, send form leads to networks like LeadDyno that pay per lead. Much less management.
Upsell services: Make site an effective top-of-funnel play to convince visitors to use your other services. For example, pitch consulting calls or access to SEO tools. Site traffic provides social proof.
Retarget visitors: Install pixels to build audiences, then promote other sites/offers through platforms like Facebook and Google.
Test different options when launching a new website based on effort required versus profit generated.
As with any business, analytics and financial tracking are musts to optimize profits. Make sure you:
Crunch numbers, analyze KPIs, and constantly work to increase efficiency. The overarching goal? Maximize your effective hourly rate.
That wraps up our comprehensive guide to Rank and Rent SEO!
You have a complete game plan to find profitable keywords, launch high-converting sites, rank them swiftly, rent your properties for passive profits, and scale success.
The model does require hustle to find buyers and sustain momentum. But in time, your portfolio can blossom into five and even six-figure months!
Or utilize Rank and Rent as a side income generator while you continue client SEO work and other projects—added profits without excessive time burdens.
The opportunity is ripe - an excellent place to stake your claim and pitch potential clients. Just avoid getting too cocky before smashing goals left and right! Good luck!
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