Local business owners get pitched on SEO constantly. Most of those emails promise "page one rankings" and say nothing about the owner's actual business, so they get deleted. The templates below are built the other way around: one specific observation, one small offer, one easy question.
Every template uses merge tags written exactly as they must appear: {{params.name}} (business name), {{params.firstname}}, {{params.website}}, {{params.city}} and {{params.category}}. Anything in [square brackets] is a line you write by hand per lead or per batch. Do not skip those. The manual line is what makes the email worth reading.
Before you send anything
A good template sent to a bad list still fails. Spend ten minutes on these first:
- Pick one niche per campaign. Dentists, roofers and law firms care about different searches. Write [square bracket] lines per niche, not per lead, to keep it practical.
- Check the website exists and works. No point pitching SEO to a business whose site is down, or that has none (pitch a website instead).
- Verify emails and remove duplicates. Run through the lead list cleaning checklist before every campaign.
- Have something small to give. A short audit, a list of three missing keywords or a screenshot of their map ranking. See offer ideas for local businesses for more.
Template 1: The specific search observation
Best for: businesses with a website that does not show up for an obvious local search.
Subject: {{params.category}} in {{params.city}}
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I searched "[service] in {{params.city}}" and {{params.name}} did not show up in the first results, even though your site looks more established than [one or two of the ones that did].
From a quick look at {{params.website}}, it seems [specific issue, e.g. your service pages don't mention {{params.city}} at all].
I wrote down three fixes that would likely help. Want me to send them over? No call needed.
[Your name] [Agency name]
Template 2: The free mini audit
Best for: when you have already recorded a short audit or made a one-page doc.
Subject: quick notes on {{params.website}}
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I put together a short review of {{params.website}} focused on how people in {{params.city}} find {{params.category}} businesses on Google.
The biggest thing I noticed: [one concrete finding].
It's about a page long. Should I send it to this address?
[Your name]
Template 3: The Google Business Profile angle
Best for: businesses whose map listing is weak (few photos, missing categories, old posts).
Subject: your Google listing
Hi {{params.firstname}},
When I looked up {{params.name}} on Google Maps, I noticed [e.g. your listing has no services added and the last photo is from years ago].
For a {{params.category}} business in {{params.city}}, the map listing is often the first thing a customer sees before they call. A few of these fixes take under an hour.
Would a short list of what to change be useful?
[Your name]
Template 4: The niche specialist
Best for: when you have real experience in one industry. Only claim what you have done.
Subject: SEO for {{params.category}} businesses
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I run a small SEO agency that works mainly with [niche, e.g. dental practices]. I'm reaching out to a few in {{params.city}}, including {{params.name}}.
The work is usually [what you actually do, e.g. local pages for each treatment, the map listing and reviews].
If rankings in {{params.city}} matter to you this year, would you be open to a 10 minute look at where you stand now?
[Your name]
For niche ideas with clear search demand, see our pages on dentists and similar trades.
Template 5: The ultra-short opener
Best for: busy owners and mobile readers. Shorter emails are easier to answer, a point covered in why short cold emails win.
Subject: {{params.name}}
Hi {{params.firstname}},
Are you happy with how many calls {{params.website}} brings in from Google?
If not, I have two ideas specific to {{params.city}}. Happy to share.
[Your name]
The follow-up sequence
Send these as steps in the same thread. Rule of thumb: 3 to 4 days between steps, then a longer gap before the last one. More ready-made versions are in our follow-up email templates.
Follow-up 1 (day 3)
Hi {{params.firstname}},
Just bumping this up. The three fixes for {{params.website}} are ready if you'd like them. A simple "yes" works.
[Your name]
Follow-up 2 (day 7, new angle)
Hi {{params.firstname}},
One different thought: [e.g. a competitor in {{params.city}} has 40 more reviews than {{params.name}}, which can affect who shows in the map results].
Worth a quick chat, or should I leave it?
[Your name]
Follow-up 3 (day 14, the close-out)
Hi {{params.firstname}},
I'll stop here so I'm not cluttering your inbox. If SEO for {{params.name}} comes up later, just reply to this thread.
All the best, [Your name]
Sending them without the copy-paste mess
You can run all of this from any tool that supports merge tags and threaded follow-ups. In GetClient, you can pull {{params.category}} businesses in {{params.city}} from Google Maps, verify the emails, and build the sequence in one flow. Branches like If Opened or If NOT Opened let you send Follow-up 2 with a different angle to people who never opened the first email. Every email includes a one-click unsubscribe link, and unsubscribed addresses are skipped. New accounts get free credits; see plans and credits.
When replies come in, keep objection reply scripts open. And check the email rules that apply where you and your recipients are, since they vary by country.