How to start a rank and rent business in 5 steps: 

1. Look for a rank and rent business opportunity
2. Build the rank and rent asset
3. Optimize the asset with rank and rent SEO
4. Partner with a local business to take your leads
5. Scale the process

Starting a rank & rent business can allow you to own websites at the top of Google's search engine that generate free leads of customers seeking local services. Then, you can rent your websites out to small businesses that will pay anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per month for those leads. 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information, according to HubSpot. The rank and rent business model takes advantage of this fact by targeting local search intent and creating recurring revenue from it. By allowing a local business to rent out your website space and the leads it generates, you can receive monthly compensation for your digital marketing services. 

As companies that focus on lead generation, rank and rent businesses are typically compensated well for their services. In fact, the average cost per lead across industries is $198, according to data from the Demand Generation Benchmark Report. Imagine the value of a website generating just 10 to 20 leads per month, or multiple websites doing so. It’s no surprise that 7 figure internet entrepreneurs like Nick Wood, James Dooley, and Dan Klein have used this business model to build wealth in a similar fashion to traditional real estate investing. 

1. Look for a rank and rent business opportunity

Looking for a rank and rent opportunity entails choosing a niche and finding the right location. Fortunately, there are hundreds of niches and thousands of locations that are suitable for the rank and rent business model.

What factors make a good rank and rent niche?

Phone-driven businesses are businesses that go to their customers' locations to complete their work, such as roofers, plumbers, or electricians. The rank and rent business model exists because there are phone-driven niches that rely on digital marketing to get customers. For example, dry cleaning is a service business that is not phone-driven, as dry cleaners typically have an in-person store where customers drop off their clothes. Therefore, dry cleaning isn’t a suitable niche for rank and rent because there’s not really an opportunity to capture customer leads before they go to a dry cleaning business. 

The best rank and rent niches are also high ticket and high profit margin because it means the business owner can afford to compensate you well for your leads. High ticket means the service costs at least $500 and a high profit margin is at least 20%. For example, the average roof replacement costs $11,500 and the average profit margin for a roofing company is 20% to 40%, according to Joist. That means most roofing contractors will have the financial means to pay well for the leads they receive. 

Some niches are too competitive for rank and rent. For example, the real estate niche is dominated by big names like Zillow, Realtor, and RE/MAX. Outranking these kinds of national sites that are optimized for local search is nearly impossible. The best rank and rent niches are also those with low customer loyalty. Low customer loyalty means that instead of calling a service professional they already know, the potential customer is likely to call any business that can fulfill their need. 

What are some of the best rank and rent niches? 

These are just a few of the best rank and rent niches to choose from. 

What to look for when choosing a rank and rent city?

Look for population sizes between 75,000 and 250,000 when choosing a rank and rent city. Populations below 75,000 are likely too small to produce a suitable amount of leads for your business while populations above 250,000 are typically more competitive and difficult to rank for. 75K to 250K is the perfect sweet spot when just getting started because you can rank fairly easily and there are likely enough people to make decent money from a rank and rent website. 

I like to use this list by Wikipedia that ranks city size by population to quickly find cities I should potentially target with a new rank and rent site. 

You want to find a top 3 map pack with some weakness. I like to see 2 listings with 15 reviews or less. Avoid markets where the top 3 map pack is filled with listings with many reviews. 

The map pack listing is just one part of the equation. If you want a high-ranked map listing, you also need a powerful site that ranks on page 1 of Google that is attached to that map listing as well. 

Use an SEO tool like  Ahrefs that shows the amount of backlinks a site has to find out how powerful the sites are on page 1 of Google. Backlinks are a major ranking factor for Google because they tell Google that other websites respect a site as an authoritative source, which pushes a site up in search results.

Referring domains (RD) are a metric used by popular SEO tools to tell you how many websites are pointing backlinks to a particular website. Any website that has less than 50 referring domains typically isn't very competitive. There's a good chance you can outrank them in just 3 - 6 months of solid SEO work. 

Common Question: What if the search volume shows up as zero for a local search (according to Google Keyword planner)?

If the search volume shows up as zero for a local search, it's probably incorrect. Estimated monthly search volume for local keyword is not always accurate. In fact, I have proven this to myself over and over again with my own sites. Just because Google Keyword Planner shows zero search volume for "service + city" type of keywords doesn't mean there's no search happening.

For example, if I live in Novi, MI and type "tree service" on my phone, Google automatically knows I'm searching from Novi and will return local results. Therefore, not everyone is going to be typing the city after the service. Also, as long as you see 10 or more business map listings in the area, that is evidence that there are enough customers in the area to keep the businesses operational. 

2. Build the rank and rent asset 

Building the rank and rent asset includes creating a website and Google My Business profile. Starting with the website, there are many no-code website builders that enable you to create simple business websites, such as WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. However, these options really aren’t optimized for ranking websites in local search. 

The best website builder for building rank and rent websites is Snapps.ai. Snapps allows you to efficiently create and scale local SEO-optimized websites. It included access to advanced tools like AI website generation, AI content creation, and even a tool that lets you track Google Map Pack rankings for a competitive advantage in local search, called localgrids. Snapps even hosts your website on the premiere Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring minimal downtime and top of the line site speed. 

Regardless of the website builder you choose, there are some key aspects that every lead gen site should incorporate, including:

• Minimum of 1,000 words on the home page, optimized with relevant keywords
• Tracking phone number on the top left of the site
• Email quote form near the top of the site

Once the website is set up, create a Google My Business profile for the rank and rent property by going to : https://www.google.com/business/. Many find getting the Google My Business profile approved the most difficult aspect of the rank and rent business model. This is because you need a real address where you can receive a verification letter from Google. 

Some people are able to get their Google My Business profile approved using their home address, or an address of friends or family. However, this doesn't always work, especially if you're trying to set up a rank and rent in a city where you don't know anyone. 

In our lead generation coaching program, we have created a whole new system and network of people that can create these map listings for us and our students. I'd say our network of over 7,000 students is one of the most valuable assets of joining the lead gen program because it allows you to crowd source essential aspects like GMB addresses and website backlinks. 

You can also try using Craigslist to find people who are willing to verify their local address as your business address in exchange for a small fee of $50 or so. I've created plenty of GMBs this way myself.

3. Optimize the asset with rank and rent SEO

Once you’ve set up your digital assets, you need to optimize them in order to rank on the first page of Google and attract leads. Rank and rent SEO can be relatively simple. It includes factors like:

Of the local SEO tasks, building relevant backlinks can be the trickiest aspect because it usually requires you to coordinate with other website owners . 

5 Strategies to get backlinks for a rank and rent business

1. Guests posts and niche edits

Guests posts are writing full blog posts for other websites so that you can place a link back to your website while niche edits are just adding a minor section to an existing blog post where you can place a backlink. To get these links, you need to reach out to relevant website owners. Getting these links from websites with low domain authority between 10-30 typically costs around $50 to $100 per link, according to Digital Media Ninja. 

2. Fiverr links

Fiverr links are backlinks from freelancers on the Fiverr platform. Many are tempted into purchasing Fiverr links because they can be incredibly cheap, costing as little as $5 for 50+ links. However, cheap links are almost always low quality links that are more likely to negatively affect your website than improve it. For that reason, I recommend avoiding Fiverr backlinks because Google penalizes sites with low quality backlinks. 

3. PBN links

Private blog network (PBN) links are links that come from a network of websites, typically controlled by one publisher, that exist just to sell links. Google will penalize you if they find out you are trying to boost your website authority by using PBN links, but they won’t always catch you. PBN links typically cost $20 to $100 per link, according to Easy Blog Networks.

4. Link building agency 

A link building agency is an SEO agency that focuses on building backlinks for clients. Instead of you spending time doing backlink outreach, a link building agency can handle the whole process for you. According to linkbuilder.io, the average cost for a backlink from a link building agency is $400 to $1,500 per link.

5. Forum and blog comment links

Forum and blog comment links are when you place a link from a forum like Reddit or the comments section of a third-party’s website blog post to your own website. These links aren’t super powerful, but they can provide a minor boost and add to your overall backlink portfolio.

6. Link circles

A link circle is when a handful of similar websites come together and exchange backlinks. For example, the rank and rent group I’m a part of helps to match rank and rent websites owners in the same niche to exchange backlinks. This is basically the same strategy as buying links from a PBN, except it’s free because everyone in the link circle is doing the exchange to boost their website ranking. It’s also easier to guarantee that link circle links are highly relevant and more likely to boost your website ranking because they are coming from websites in the same industry that you’re targeting.

4. Partner with a local business to take your leads

Once your website starts ranking, it’s time to partner with a local business to take the leads and monetize your website property. Before you can partner with a local business, you’re going to want to set up a call tracking software like Callsling so that you can forward calls directly to the business you partner with. 

When you start getting calls, you should forward these calls to local businesses for free to allow them to test out the leads. This enables you to establish a trusting relationship with the business owner and showcase that your leads are legit before approaching them with an offer. 

You don’t need high-level sales skills to pull off this strategy because your leads can basically sell themselves. Once a business owner sees the value your leads can bring to their business, they’ll often elect to stick with your services for the long-term because they want the extra revenue and they don’t want another local competitor to get your leads instead. 

That’s right, if one business owner doesn’t want to work with you, you can easily find another business that will be happy to pay you for the leads.

5. Scale the process

You can scale this entire process to earn 5-figures or more per month in recurring revenue. Once you get a website ranked and partner with a local business, rank and rent sites require very little maintenance, allowing you to make mostly passive income. Earning passive income allows you the time to focus on building out more of these rank and rent website properties. 

After you hit 5 to 10 properties that are earning you recurring revenue, you’re earning a fairly substantial paycheck each month. You can outsource all but the most high level tasks to continue expanding your business at a faster rate. 

Here are a few tips I’ve garnered from scaling my own rank and rent business to over $50K/month.

How much money does it cost to start a rank and rent business?

It costs $500 to $1,000 to start a rank and rent business. The primary costs when starting a rank and rent business include:

• Website domains: $10-$20/year per domain
• Web hosting: $2.95-$50+/month for shared website hosting (host multiple sites)
• Backlinks: $0-$200+ for backlinks for one site
• SEO tools: $0-$99+/month (depending if you use free tools like Google Keyword Planner and MozBar or paid like SurferSEO, Ahrefs, and SEMRush)

Can you make money with rank and rent? 

Yes, you can make money with rank and rent. The rank and rent course by Dan Klein has over 7,000 students making money with rank and rent businesses. I make over $50K/month in recurring income myself from rank and rent. If you want more proof, consider the story of UK entrepreneur James Dooley, founder of PromoSEO. James started his rank and rent SEO agency back in 2011. Today, it’s worth over $20 million, according to The Independent. 

2 Rank and rent website examples

Example #1: Tree service rank and rent website

This tree service rank and rent website targeting Grand Rapids has been generating me $2,000/month since 2015. 

Example #2: Limo service rank and rent website

This limo service rank and rent website has been earning me $750/month since 2015 as well. These are just a few rank and rent website examples from my own portfolio of sites. 

Does rank and rent still work? 

Rank and rent does still work. In fact, it’s probably the best opportunity in search engine optimization for the foreseeable future. Things are changing rapidly on the internet, with Google leading the way. For example, Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) uses artificial intelligence to scrap the web and provide an AI answer to informational search queries. Gartner predicts that Google SGE will contribute to 25% less website clicks by 2026 as people rely on AI to provide the answer they are looking for rather than clicking into the website. Although this affects most websites targeting national and international search intent, like affiliate marketing blogs, it doesn’t affect websites targeting local search. An AI result really doesn't fulfill the search intent of someone looking for a local business, which is why you don't really see Google SGE responses for these queries. 

Besides Google SGE, there’s also the Reddit issue. Reddit has been rising rapidly in search engines since the end of 2023. Google is giving experience-based online forums like Reddit more authority as the search engine tries to combat the plethora of bad AI content being published to the internet. Furthermore, Google has formed a $60 million partnership with Reddit for access to the forum’s data for AI training, indicating that Reddit is likely to dominate Google SERPs for the foreseeable future. Although affiliate and Ecommerce sites are likely to lose substantial traffic to Reddit going forward, rank and rent sites aren’t affected by this. Google is still returning Google Map Pack and local website results for local search queries, not Reddit posts. 

Is rank and rent legal?

Yes, rank and rent is legal. Although you should be sure to incorporate standard online marketing protections into your websites, like a disclaimer and privacy policy, owning a website and selling the marketing results is a legal and common business model. 

FAQs

1. Can this business be built outside of US?

A: Absolutely, we have students all across the world building this business. As long as you have a laptop and internet connection you can be anywhere in the world and get clients in your country or get US clients. We know how to guide foreign students through this. In fact, some students are finding out that there's some countries out there with much less competition.

2. What if the business owner already has his own website?

A: Doesn't matter, most of my clients do have their own website but they're treating my lead gen site as a separate marketing channel similar to owning another billboard property, they're essentially treating it as if they own two separate companies in the same town, just like how Starbucks will have multiple storefronts in the same city. (More properties = more leads)

3. Is this really the best business model?

A: I believe it is, just look at this quick infographic I made explaining what all the main things I love about Rank & Rent or we like to call it the lead generation business.

Conclusion: Should you join the rank and rent coaching program by Dan Klein? 

You should join the rank and rent coaching program by Dan Klein if you want access to a proven step by step process for creating passive income with rank and rent, weekly accountability to achieve your goals, and access to a community of thousands to exchange ideas, backlinks, and GMB addresses. 

Sure you can research all you want including using this guide to start your own rank & rent business, so why should you invest in this coaching program?

Here's a quick run down of things that's only available to our students that I'm still benefiting from ever since I joined back in 2014. Making this investment worth its weight in Gold many times over.

1. Video Training - It's one thing to read about this business model and a whole another thing to watch 30 hours of video, that allows you to simply follow along the entire business step-by-step. We've been improving and updating this training since 2014. Everything is covered & more.

2. Private FB Group - We have over 5000 students inside our private Facebook group with daily testimonials for continued motivation & ability to connect & learn from other students that's much further along in this business. Also we are educating each other on the newest techniques & changes that occur in Google's search.

3. Full Time Support - On top of the coaches that's constantly available in the group, we also have dedicated full time support (former students) 7 days per week.

4. Lots of Experience - We have been coaching students since 2014, which means experience is on our side. We have so much data on what works and what doesn't in the Rank & Rent model plus you can use the search bar in our FB group to find answers to questions you may have that most likely have already been addressed. This leads to faster learning curve.

5. 2x Weekly Coaching Calls - We also have the coach Dan that's also very activate in the Facebook and he also does live coaching call twice per week, where you can ask questions to him directly, live. Dan's also an excellent motivator and has a great mind for entrepreneurship, I continue to learn a lot from him. We also continually innovate new ways to monetize this business such as creating a backend promotional products business with our clients.

6. Outsource Services Available - We have "done for you" services that can build out entire lead-gen websites & rank them for you, basically you can outsource every step of this entire business to us if you want.

7. Leverage Power of the Group for Backlinks - We have a powerful network that allows us to get backlinks you can't find anywhere else that gives us a massive boost in the search engines

8. Live Events - We have mastermind events where you can form lasting relationships and business partnerships with other students in the program (including regional events throughout the country and one big event we do every year in Vegas), I've achieved many breakthroughs in my business by attending these events & forming new connections.

Join the rank and rent coaching program to start taking action on building a passive income business online alongside thousands of like-minded people doing the exact same thing.