Is Your Content Actually Making You Money?
I’ve sat down with countless business owners from Chermside to Coorparoo who all say the same thing: "I’m paying someone to write blogs, but I have no idea if it’s actually working."
Most marketing agencies will send you a fancy report full of graphs showing "impressions" or "engagement." Honestly? That’s rubbish. You can’t pay your mortgage with an impression, and a "like" on a post won't help you meet payroll on Friday.
If you are spending time or money on writing articles for your website, you need to know one thing: Is this putting more money in my bank account than it’s costing me?
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to measure the only things that matter for a small business owner. We’re cutting out the jargon and focusing on phone calls, enquiries, and sales.
The Trap: Measuring the Wrong Things
Most business owners get distracted by "vanity metrics." These are numbers that make you feel good but don't mean anything for your bottom line.
If a marketing person tells you that your latest blog post got 500 "sessions," ask them: "How many of those people called me to book a job?" If they can't answer, you're flying blind.
I’ve seen a Brisbane landscaping company spend thousands on beautiful articles about "The History of Gardens," which got plenty of readers but zero jobs. Meanwhile, a simple page about "How much does a retaining wall cost in Brisbane?" brought in three high-value quotes in a week.
You need to stop writing random blogs and start focusing on pieces that actually lead to a transaction.
How to Track Your Real Results
To know if your marketing is working, you need to track three specific things. You don't need a degree in data science to do this; you just need to ask the right questions.
1. The Phone Call Test
For most tradies and local service businesses, the phone is where the money is made. If a customer reads an article on your site and then clicks your phone number to call you, that is a direct win.You should be using a simple tracking system that tells you which page a person was looking at right before they hit the "call" button. If you see that your article on "Emergency Roof Repairs" is generating five calls a month, you know exactly what that content is worth to you.
2. The Enquiry Form Lead
When someone fills out a contact form on your site, where did they come from? Did they land on your homepage, or did they find you through a specific helpful article?When you answer customer questions directly on your website, you build trust before they even speak to you. A lead who has read your advice is usually much easier to sell to than someone who just found your number on a random directory. They already think of you as the expert.
3. The "Assisted" Sale
Sometimes a customer might read an article, leave your site, and then call you three days later. This is harder to track perfectly, but you can still measure it. Simply ask every new lead: "How did you hear about us?" or "Did you see the guide on our website about X?"What Should Content Actually Cost?
Let’s talk brass tacks. If you’re hiring a professional to write for you, you’re likely looking at $150 to $500 per article, depending on the depth and quality.
If an article costs you $300, and your average profit per job is $1,000, that article only needs to win you one job to pay for itself and put $700 in your pocket. Everything after that is pure profit.
If you’ve posted ten articles over six months ($3,000 investment) and you can’t point to at least three or four jobs that came from them, you are doing it wrong. You are essentially donating money to the internet.
How Long Until You See the Cash?
Content is not like a tap you turn on (that’s what paid ads are for). It’s more like planting a fruit tree.
Months 1-3: You’re planting the seeds. Google is figuring out that you’re an expert. You might see a few trickles of interest. Months 3-6: The tree starts to grow. You should start seeing regular phone calls or emails coming specifically from those articles. Month 12 and beyond: This is where the real money is. A good article written today can still be bringing you leads in three years' time without you spending another cent on it.
If you need money today to pay the bills, don't rely solely on content. But if you want to stop paying for expensive ads every single month, you need to build this asset.
What is a Waste of Money?
I’ll be blunt: most "social media management" for small businesses is a total waste of cash. Paying someone $500 a month to post "Happy Monday!" or a picture of a coffee cup on your Facebook page does nothing for your bank account.
Instead of shouting into the void on social media, you should focus on getting customers who are actually searching for your services.
Common money-wasters include: Generic articles that don't mention Brisbane or your specific service area. Content written by people who don't understand your trade (if a writer thinks a 'switchboard' is something you use for surfing, fire them). Articles that are too technical. Your customers don't care about the chemistry of PVC pipe; they care that their toilet isn't overflowing.
What Should You Do First?
If you want to start measuring your ROI properly, start here:
1. Identify your most profitable service. If you’re a plumber, maybe it’s hot water system replacements. If you’re a lawyer, maybe it’s estate planning. 2. Write (or pay for) one high-quality guide that answers every question a customer has about that service. Prices, timelines, what can go wrong, and why they should choose a local pro. 3. Put a clear "Call Now" button at the bottom of that guide. 4. Track it. Check your website stats once a month. How many people read it? How many clicked that button?
The Local Marketing Group Approach
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about "viral" posts or fancy design awards. We care about whether your phone is ringing.
We’ve helped Brisbane businesses—from electricians in the Western Suburbs to boutique shops in the Valley—turn their websites into lead-generating machines. We focus on the numbers that actually show up on your profit and loss statement.
If you’re tired of guessing whether your marketing is working, let’s have a straight-talk conversation about what will actually move the needle for your business.
Ready to get more leads from your website? Contact Local Marketing Group today.