Hey there, Vendpreneur!

Welcome to Becoming a Vendpreneur—where every week I help you navigate the challenges of running a vending machine business, whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your operation.

This week, let’s dive into why SEO matters for your vending business. I’ll cover:

1. Real results from SEO: See how it’s driving growth and success.

2. How I use SEO: The strategies I use to bring in leads and secure new locations.

3. How you can use SEO for your vending business: Simple steps to start seeing results.

But before we jump into more details, I want to share a few quick updates on my two vending businesses, Pod Plug and Vending Machine LaunchPad (VMLP):

Business Updates

• 🎯 First off – wild to think that after just 10 months of putting myself out there online, we're about to hit 2k followers on X/Twitter! Really appreciate everyone who's been following along on this journey.

• 📊 One of my proudest moments this week was sending out Pod Plug's first ever investor update (titled 🍫 Pod Plug Investor Updates // October 2024). If you're curious about what we're building or interested in potentially investing, reply to this email – I'd love to share both the update and our pitch deck with you.

• 🤝 Had some incredible mentorship moments this week too. Got to chat with Rich Moyer from Hoppin and Luke Bazely from Driverseat – both absolute legends in the franchise world. The coolest part is that they both run their franchises using EOS!

• 📈 Speaking of EOS – we just pulled the trigger on ninety.io to keep our team aligned with weekly scorecards, rocks (that's EOS-lingo for quarterly goals), and todos.

• And while we're leveling up our systems, I also pulled the trigger on Sandler sales training which kicks off Tuesday!

• 👥 The team is growing too! Super excited to welcome:

  • 🎨 Kevin, our first ever Art Director

  • 🔍 Gee, joining next week as Pod Plug's Procurement Specialist

  • 💻 A (potentially) new Business Development Manager who's building out a custom HubSpot sales and marketing CRM for Pod Plug

• ⚡ And for my VMLP fam – we're putting the finishing touches on our Go High Level CRM, aiming for a pre-Thanksgiving v2 launch next week!

Feeling incredibly grateful for all this momentum. More updates coming next week! 🚀

Now, let’s dive into this week’s newsletter!

🔗 Best Links

Curated picks for vending entrepreneurs

📱 Top Reads

• How To SEO A Vending Machine? Discover the SEO hacks to get your vending machines noticed online. (Search Engine Land)

• To Hire or Not to Hire a Vending Locator? Here's what you need to know. (Vending How)

😱 Trending Now

• M&M’s just took vending to the next level. Personalize your candy mix and watch the magic happen. 🍬✨ (TikTok)

• Fresh fruit at your fingertips! This vending machine is revolutionizing healthy snacking with perfectly sliced fruit. 🍓🍊 (TikTok)

In our recent live session in our private Vending Machine LaunchPad community, we talked all about how to find vending location leads, organize them, and reach out.

One big takeaway? The power of SEO. 📈

Take my business partner, Jaime Ibanez, for example. His SEO game is next level. He gets crazy results from it (like tons of leads every month!).

He gets around 50 leads per month. And out of those, about 15 are highly qualified!

That’s an incredible conversion rate. It also means Jaime can be super selective about which locations he wants to do business with.

And recently, I’ve seen this work at Pod Plug too. Since the launch of our new website a month ago, I’ve been getting 3 organic SEO leads per day.

So if you’re serious about scaling your vending business, you can’t afford to skip SEO. Stick around to see exactly how I’m using it (so you can copy my exact formula) 👇

SEO is essential for any business to stand out online.

And for vending businesses, it’s a powerful way to attract potential locations and decision-makers.

The goal is simple: drive organic traffic to your site from businesses actively looking for vending solutions.

To make this happen, using the right keywords (on your site and in the backend) and earning positive Google reviews are key steps to improving your rankings.

Here’s what’s working for me and can work for your vending business too:

🔍 SEO Strategies That Drive Leads in 2024:

1. Long-Tail Keywords Beat High-Competition Terms - Instead of chasing broad, popular keywords, I focus on niche phrases with clear intent. These bring in less traffic but convert way better.

2. Content Depth Over Length - Google doesn’t care about hitting word counts. It rewards content that answers questions thoroughly and provides real value.

3. Regular Updates Keep You Ahead - Stale content means missed opportunities. I refresh my best-performing pages often and post weekly blogs to stay current.

4. Relevant Backlinks Matter Most - Links from vending-related sites, like supplier blogs or small business networks, boost credibility and rankings far more than random backlinks.

5. User Experience & Site Speed Are Critical - A fast, easy-to-navigate site keeps visitors engaged and boosts your rankings.

SEO isn’t fading away. It’s evolving, and those who adapt are seeing big results.

🎯 The Role of Google Ads

One of our VMLP members recently landed a location through Google Ads.

It worked, but it came at a cost. Setting up the campaign took a lot of time, and closing the deal ended up costing him a few hundred dollars.

While the ads generated plenty of leads, many weren’t a good fit. Instead of asking about placing a vending machine, a lot of people assumed he was selling machines as a supplier/manufacturer (instead of an operator).

Google Ads can deliver quick results, but they can be pricey. Without proper targeting, you risk spending money on leads that won’t convert.

The solution? Combine paid ads with a strong SEO strategy for long-term, sustainable growth.

SEO starts with the right keywords.

For example, phrases like “vending machine services in Dallas” or “healthy snack vending near me” can help the right people find your business. These local and long-tail keywords are essential for attracting quality leads.

You don’t have to write blogs if that’s not your thing, but consider adding an FAQ section to your site.

Even building backlinks (links from other websites to yours) can make a big difference in boosting your SEO.

The takeaway is simple: use Google Ads wisely for immediate results, but don’t overlook the power of SEO.

SEO + Cold Calling + In-Person Visits = The Ultimate Growth Hack

Here’s the secret: combining SEO with direct outreach can dramatically increase your success.

For my in-person meetings with decision-makers I have a 75% close rate. It’s one of my favorite and most effective ways to land new vending machine locations.

When you mix this with strong SEO efforts, you create a powerful system for attracting and closing leads. The steady stream of online inquiries pairs perfectly with the personal touch of direct outreach.

Think of SEO as a long-term investment.

It keeps bringing in leads month after month, laying the foundation for consistent growth.

Now, add proactive strategies like cold calling or face-to-face meetings. This creates a well-rounded approach that’s hard to beat.

The result? More vending machine locations, less downtime, and a business that grows both online and offline.

P.S. I shared my 5 cold outreach methods that actually work! Check them out below and see how you can pair them with your SEO for even better results.

And That’s a Wrap!

Thanks to consistent SEO work, Jaime brings in 10–15 inbound leads every single month.

In my case, our organic lead growth strategy is even driving 2-3 franchise inquiries daily. These come straight from my website, podplug.com.

What does this mean for your business? It means you can grow without constantly chasing leads or relying only on vending locator services.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter.

Hit reply and let me know what you found most helpful this week—I read every single reply and I’d love to hear from you!

See you next Saturday!

-Ethan