Update: BrightLocal Clarifies Its Local SEO Industry Survey Findings

Last week, after reporting on BrightLocal’s recent local SEO industry survey, some readers were skeptical about the survey’s findings, specifically that 37 percent of local SEOs were earning less than $30,000 in “revenue turnover.” While some commenters questioned the location of the survey’s participants, BrightLocal clarified in the comments that over 85 percent of the […]

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Last week, after reporting on BrightLocal’s recent local SEO industry survey, some readers were skeptical about the survey’s findings, specifically that 37 percent of local SEOs were earning less than $30,000 in “revenue turnover.”

While some commenters questioned the location of the survey’s participants, BrightLocal clarified in the comments that over 85 percent of the respondents came from the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia.

(In a email exchange with BrightLocal, the company also clarified that its “turnover” figure represented net revenue.)

In addition to addressing questions about where the survey’s participants were located, BrightLocal posted updated charts, including the one listed below defining revenue turnover by type of business.

According to BrightLocal, over 50 percent of the freelance SEOs polled and 35 percent of local agencies generated less than $30,000 in net revenue.

BrightLocal survey types of business vs turnover 2014

BrightLocal noted that in-house SEOs were not included in its original revenue turnover charts. The company also noted in its first post outlining the survey’s findings that the majority of respondents were SEO freelancers, small digital agencies and web designers. “So the results are indicative of this audience,” claimed BrightLocal.

The BrightLocal local SEO industry survey included 19 questions and was sent out in August to the firm’s client base — which BrightLocal says is 90 percent US-based agencies and consultants.

In addition to Search Engine Land posting an announcement that the survey was open, BrightLocal also promoted the survey via its social networks and in its email marketing efforts.

You can find BrightLocal’s full report on its survey here: Local SEO Industry Survey 2014.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Amy Gesenhues
Contributor
Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land, MarTech and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.

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