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Still works well for me, but yes, it has become much more difficult. You really have to be selective with the niche you pick. Trying to “rent and rank” a, let’s say, plumbing website in a big city is going to be damn near impossible. Just really hard to get the authority and trust signals you need to be represented well on Google and AI search.
You have to niche down to have any chance. For example, create a “toilet replacement” site and GBP instead of a generic plumbing site. Just as long as “toilet replacement” has decent search volume in your area. Far less toilet replacement companies around when compared to plumbing sites. So you need to go after “easy wins”. High search volume, low keyword difficulty.
It’s also much more difficult nowadays to get a GBP verified for a “rank and rent” setup. Not impossible, but it takes some consistent effort and creativity.
