Where Should You Spend Just 2 Hours of Marketing Each Month?

Many small business owners ask the same question:

“If I only have enough budget for about two hours of marketing each month, what’s going to give me the best return on investment?”

It’s a great question—and one that doesn’t have the same answer for every business. However, after working with local service businesses across Wisconsin and Minnesota, we’ve found one strategy consistently outperforms the rest.

Focus on Marketing That Continues Working After You’re Done

Some marketing activities provide value for only a few days. Others continue generating traffic, leads, and customers for months—or even years.

Think of it like this:

• A Facebook post may reach people for 24–72 hours.
• An SEO improvement can help your website attract customers every day for years.
• A Google Business Profile optimization can improve your visibility in local searches for months.

When your budget is limited, it’s important to invest in marketing that keeps working long after the initial work is complete.

Ranking Marketing Activities by Long-Term ROI

Our Recommended 2-Hour Marketing Plan

If we only had two hours each month to help a local business grow, here’s how we’d spend it.

1. Onsite SEO (Approximately 45 Minutes)

Improving your website is one of the highest-return marketing investments available.

Each month, focus on improving one important page by:

• Optimizing page titles and meta descriptions
• Improving keyword targeting
• Adding internal links
• Compressing and optimizing images
• Adding FAQ sections
• Implementing schema markup
• Improving content quality and readability

Each improvement helps search engines better understand your website while making it more useful for potential customers.

2. Google Business Profile Optimization (Approximately 30 Minutes)

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing customers see when searching locally.

Monthly improvements may include:

• Publishing an SEO-friendly Google Business Profile post
• Uploading new project photos
• Updating products or services
• Answering customer questions
• Responding to reviews
• Monitoring local rankings

A well-maintained Google Business Profile increases visibility in Google Maps and local search results.

3. Review Generation (Approximately 30 Minutes)

Reviews are one of the strongest ranking signals for local businesses.

Every month:

• Request reviews from recent customers
• Respond professionally to existing reviews
• Make leaving a review as easy as possible with direct links or QR codes

Consistent review growth builds trust while improving local search rankings.

4. Offsite SEO & Local Citations (Approximately 15 Minutes)

Building your website’s authority doesn’t always require hours of work.

Monthly tasks might include:

• Adding your business to trusted directories
• Earning local backlinks
• Updating business listings
• Finding partnership opportunities
• Correcting inconsistent business information online

These improvements help strengthen your website’s authority over time.

Why We Don’t Spend Most of the Budget on Facebook

Facebook is an excellent platform for engaging with your community, sharing updates, and showcasing projects.

However, organic Facebook posts typically have a lifespan of only a day or two.

Compare that with improving a website page that moves from page two of Google to the top five search results. That single improvement could generate leads every month without any additional investment.

Facebook absolutely has its place—but if your budget is limited, it usually shouldn’t be your primary marketing investment.

When Email Marketing Makes Sense

Email marketing delivers an excellent return when you already have an engaged customer list.

It’s especially effective for:

• Seasonal promotions
• Special events
• Customer appreciation campaigns
• Referral programs
• Company updates

For businesses without an established email list, investing first in SEO and local visibility often produces stronger long-term results.

A Simple 12-Month Growth Strategy

Small improvements made consistently create significant results over time.

A simple yearly plan might look like this:

Month 1

• Optimize the homepage
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Month 2

• Improve Service Page #1
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Month 3

• Improve Service Page #2
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Month 4

• Create or improve a location page
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Month 5

• Build local backlinks and citations
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Month 6

• Publish an SEO-focused blog article
• Publish a Google Business Profile post

Continue repeating this process throughout the year.

By year-end, your business may have:

• 12 optimized Google Business Profile posts
• 12 website improvements
• Better keyword rankings
• Stronger local search visibility
• More reviews
• Additional backlinks
• Increased organic traffic
• More qualified leads

Instead of chasing short-term visibility, you’re building marketing assets that continue producing results month after month.

Our Recommended Marketing Formula

For most local service businesses—including contractors, landscapers, HVAC companies, electricians, excavators, attorneys, surveyors, and home service providers—we recommend allocating your monthly marketing time like this:

• 45% Onsite SEO
• 25% Google Business Profile Optimization
• 20% Offsite SEO
• 10% Reporting, Analytics & Strategy

This approach creates steady, measurable growth while maximizing every marketing dollar.

Final Thoughts

Marketing doesn’t have to mean doing everything at once.

When your budget is limited, consistency matters more than quantity.

A few strategic improvements each month can outperform dozens of random marketing activities.

If you’re looking for the highest return on your marketing investment, start by improving the assets you own—your website, your Google Business Profile, and your online reputation. Those improvements continue working for your business long after the work is complete.

At JJ Web Services, we help small businesses prioritize the marketing activities that generate lasting results. Whether you have two hours a month or a larger marketing budget, we’ll help you invest your time where it matters most.