Every day, hundreds of people are searching for IT services in your local market. Many of whom have cash in hand and are looking for a partner they can trust to hold the keys to their IT environment. A strong MSP search engine optimization strategy ensures your business captures these high-intent buyers before your competitors do.
In your area, it is likely that 20-50 MSPs are competing for new business. Each is focused on growth in 2026 and wants easily convertible inbound leads. The reality is, there are only ten positions available in Google for any given search term. Of those, over 60% of clicks are captured by the first three results.
How do you get your MSP to the top of Google search results? This guide presents a proven, step-by-step framework developed by my team to help MSPs outrank competitors and generate leads through SEO
Managed service provider SEO is the process of optimizing an MSP’s digital presence across all search platforms. Put simply, whenever and wherever a buyer in your market searches for IT services, MSP SEO ensures your business is visible and positioned as a trusted guide.
Most MSPs obtain the bulk of their net-new customers from repeat referrals. From a sales perspective, these customers are the easiest to close. Most prospects enter the first meeting already trusting your business since it was referred to them by a colleague or a friend.
Repeat referrals are valuable for an MSP, but you can't control their volume, timing, or the types of services they are interested in. Relying solely on referrals means you lose control over your revenue velocity.
Inbound leads from SEO are the next best thing to repeat referrals in terms of lead quality. An inbound lead has a problem to solve and a budget to address it. By choosing your MSP over others, you begin the conversation with higher trust. This combination of intent, budget, and trust makes SEO a scalable engine for MSP lead generation.
For your MSP to gain visibility in search, you need a battle-tested strategy that, when followed to the T and with sufficient resources, can guarantee results.
There are seven distinct steps in the search engine optimization process. Each step addresses a specific aspect needed for effective SEO. These steps are outlined below:
This is not a one-and-done effort. These steps must be implemented, evaluated, and refined continually until the desired outcome is achieved.
Before we dive into the steps required for an effective MSP SEO strategy, it is important to first understand how Google works and how it determines who will rank for a query.
Google is an algorithm with one simple goal: to satisfy the searcher.
The searcher is looking for something, and Google uses its AI to determine what they are most likely searching for and which page will best satisfy their intent.
Our goal with SEO is to convince Google of two things: that your domain can be trusted to consistently satisfy the searcher’s query and that a specific page on your website is the best answer for the specific query that was given.
Take HubSpot as an example. HubSpot's Domain Authority is 77 (the highest is 100; anything over 40 is objectively high). They have over 3 million monthly visitors and hundreds of thousands of pages on their website, full of incredible content. But yet, they cannot rank for everything.
If HubSpot writes an article on “Which dog should I get if I am allergic?” will it rank?
No.
Wester Ville Pets, which has a DA of 28, is ranking for this query.
This is because HubSpot does not have Topical Authority in veterinary care or pet health.
On the flip side, if HubSpot writes an article on the “Best CRM Software for Small Businesses,” will it rank?
100%.
That’s because HubSpot has loads of Topical Authority around CRM and marketing software. Topical authority is influenced by your website’s content and by how other websites link to or reference it.
Think of it like this: for a given query, Google identifies its topical category. It then selects the top authoritative domains within that category. Next, it chooses 8–10 pages for the search engine results page (SERP) that it believes will satisfy the searcher’s intent.
So there is a domain-level component where you need topical authority to rank, and a page-level component where you need to demonstrate that a specific page is the best answer.
Going back to the query “Which dog should I get if I am allergic?”
On page 5, there's an article by Animal Humane Society (DA 60) called “Signs your pet has seasonal allergies.”
Though this domain likely has more topical authority than West Vets, the article doesn’t address “Which dog should I get if I am allergic,” which is why it's on page 5 and not 1.
This is an oversimplification of what is required to rank on Google, but it should be sufficient to act as a building block for the rest of the strategy. In MSP SEO, we are in a race to outperform our competitors in both domain-level Topical Authority and page-level Topical Relevance.
About 90% of search queries are on Google. Before 2023, when ChatGPT came out, this number was closer to 95%. Google is, and will stay, the dominant search engine for most online queries. The first step is a technical and on-page SEO audit to optimize your site for search. Think of it like prepping a race car before a race.
A technical SEO audit makes sure the engine runs, the tires are aligned, and nothing is broken or dragging on the ground. An on-page SEO audit makes sure the driver knows the course, the controls are intuitive, and the car is set up to win a specific race (the search term). You can have the best strategy and content in the world, but if your website is not mechanically sound and properly tuned, it will never compete.
A technical SEO audit checks if Google can easily crawl, understand, and trust your website. This is the foundation. If technical issues exist, they create friction that limits all your other efforts.
Key areas evaluated in a technical SEO audit include:
The goal is not perfection, but removing anything that would prevent your site from competing once content and authority come into play.
An on-page SEO audit evaluates how well each page communicates its purpose to both Google and the searcher. This is where relevance is established.
Key areas reviewed in an on-page SEO audit include:
Make it unmistakably clear what each page is about, whom it serves, and why it deserves to rank for a specific query. Once technical soundness and on-page clarity are in place, every additional piece of content and every link earned compounds more effectively.
MSP website optimization doesn't stop at traffic. Your website could have all the traffic in the world, but if it doesn't lead to sales, it's meaningless. Ensure your site provides a good user experience. Its structure should be intuitive, branding consistent, and every page optimized for mobile. Chances are, several of these gaps were identified previously in the on-page and technical audits.
Now we want to optimize your website for the desired actions users should take. There are two primary actions that we want to encourage: submitting a form to download a gated piece of content or scheduling a meeting with sales.
It's important that your website offers both types. Some visitors will be ready to speak with sales immediately, whereas others are still in the information-gathering phase. Your website should have call-to-actions that are visible and easy to identify for both offer types.
Local SEO for MSP businesses starts with the map pack. When a potential customer searches for terms like “managed IT services near me” or “IT support in [city],” Google often displays a map pack before traditional organic results. These map listings dominate the screen, especially on mobile, and capture a disproportionate share of clicks.
If your MSP is not visible here, you are effectively invisible to a large segment of high-intent buyers in your market.
In competitive markets, dozens of MSPs may be targeting the same service keywords. However, far fewer are actively optimizing for local relevance. This creates an opportunity.
Google uses a different set of signals to rank businesses in local results than it does for traditional organic listings. Proximity, relevance, and prominence play a much larger role. This means that even MSPs without massive websites or large backlink profiles can compete effectively in local search if their local signals are strong and consistent.
For most MSPs, local SEO delivers some of the fastest returns in the entire SEO process because it aligns perfectly with local businesses' buyer intent.
Optimizing your Google Business Profile goes beyond claiming your listing and filling out basic information. To compete consistently in local results, your profile must be complete, accurate, and actively maintained.
Key areas of optimization include:
Reviews deserve special attention. They act as both a ranking factor and a trust signal. A steady stream of recent, positive reviews tells Google that your business is active and tells prospects that others trust you. Equally important is consistency. Inconsistent information across listings creates confusion for both users and search engines. Clean, accurate local data reinforces trust and improves your ability to appear in map results.
Your competitors that are ranking for your money keywords (IT Services in {city}) are ranking for a reason. In step 4, we want to uncover the secrets that have brought them to the top of the search so we can use them in your campaign.
Start by running a few queries for IT Services in your city, and note the domains that appear. After a few queries, you will start to see patterns of the same 3-4 domains consistently appearing. These are your main organic competitors that we want to focus on.
Using SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, or an SEO tool of your choice, conduct a keywords gap analysis to identify the keywords that their domain is ranking for that your’s isn’t and make a list. If you don’t have an SEO tool, you can either message me (a link to my LinkedIn is below) and I can pull a report for you, or you can copy and paste the specific URLs that they are using to rank for your target keywords.
If you search the site:{domain.name} for each competitor, you will be able to see all the pages on their site that are indexed with Google. This is another way to identify the types and amount of content they are publishing.
If you hover over tools at the top of the SERP, you can see the total number of indexable pages they have for their site. To outrank your competitors, you don’t necessarily need to have more content than they do. But it does serve as a rough reference point for the gap between where they are and your site.
At this point, your website has been fully optimized, and we have information on what your competitors are doing to rank. Developing and executing a content plan will be crucial to building our Topical Authority and targeting high-value keywords.
Based on our experience, we recommend developing service pages for each core offering, location pages for the cities you serve, and educational blog content to further support your geo pages. Every page on your site should have a specific set of target keywords it aims to address.
The primary role of your service pages is to convert. Speak into the specific pain points your ideal customer faces and show them a path to a better alternative with your solution. Keep in mind that most prospective buyers aren’t knowledgeable in IT and don’t understand the difference between ITDR and MDR. Communicate in a way that is easy to understand, regardless of the viewer's level of expertise.
Most MSPs should have the following service categories.
If your business offers other services, great. Add them in. But keep your site's navigation simple so you don’t overwhelm the viewer.
The majority of your conversions will occur on your geo pages. Similar to your service pages, they should be designed to speak to specific pain points and include a clear call to action. The primary difference between a geo page and a service page is that your geo page should discuss all your services at a high level.
For example, getithelp.com, based in Los Angeles, would have a service page: getithelp.com/managed-it-services
And they would have a location page.
getithelp.com/managed-it-services-los-angeles
The content of both pages may be very similar in what they communicate, but they should still be unique. On the managed-it-services-los-angels page, it would make sense to include a section that discusses your other services (cloud, cybersecurity, etc). Depending on the competition within your local market, additional pages to support your main geo page could be created, such as:
getithelp.com/cybersecurity-services-los-angeles
Or
getithelp.com/cloud-and-colocation-los-angeles
The objective is to make it unmistakably clear to both Google and the searcher where you operate and whom you serve.
The last component of your content strategy is your knowledge base, which is made of blogs, glossaries, case studies, videos, testimonials, and other helpful, relevant content.
Functionally, your knowledge base should be used to nurture and educate your visitors so that, in time, they view your MSP as the go-to authority in your market.
Tactically, from an SEO perspective, your knowledge base will play an important role in building your site's Topical Authority. By answering questions that people have (even if they are outside of your market), Google will see that you are writing content that other people enjoy. This helps you build a solid track record with Google.
Ultimately, the content is written for people. To rank, it needs to be developed in a way that meets Google's criteria. But to build enough trust with a prospect to convert, they need to appreciate your content. StoryBrand SEO is a great framework you can use to guide your content creation process to ensure both objectives are met.
Internal linking and site structure play an important role in SEO. As a general rule, do what feels natural. Link related content so visitors can easily move from one relevant topic to the next.
One of the most common internal linking strategies is the hub-and-spoke model. In this approach, a central pillar page, such as a geo-specific page, serves as the hub. Supporting pages, or spokes, link back to that pillar page. This structure helps signal to Google that you have depth of expertise on a topic, supported by a strong set of related content.
Off-page SEO strategies are essential to building topical authority, and backlinks are the most important among them. Think of backlinks as 'votes' from other websites saying that a specific piece of your content is authoritative. The more votes your website has, the more authority Google will attribute to it.
Be warned, not all votes are created equally. If Forbes or CNN links to your content, that is a lot more valuable than if a local dental office did.
To get started, consider reaching out to vendors, partners, or customers to build relationships and offer to write a guest post for their website. In the blog, reference your site in a nonsalesy way. Add the link to a phrase like “IT services in [your city]” to give Google additional context.
A word of caution: in most competitive markets, it will require a more intensive, creative outreach process to build enough links to rank your website. Our agency, for example, has a designated team focused 100% on building backlinks for our clients. Building strong backlinks takes time and resources, but they are worth it.
Most B2B decision makers are using ChatGPT and other LLMs in their research process. In 2026, it is vital that your MSP shows up in this area as well.
There is significant overlap between conventional SEO and GEO (generative engine optimization). In fact, most LLMs search the web for authoritative, high-ranking content. Meaning that if you can influence what content ranks on Google, you can influence what appears in ChatGPT.
When searching for the best IT services providers in {your city}, ChatGPT often uses third-party listicles such as Yelp, CloudTango, and Clutch. Your business needs an active, optimized presence on all platforms. Depending on the competition in your local market, you may want to expand your review acquisition strategy outside of Google and include one or two of these third-party sources.
The search landscape is rapidly changing with the rise of AI. In 2026, it has never been more important for your MSP to be visible online. Regardless of the size of your MSP, you can get started implementing an effective MSP search engine optimization strategy by following the principles outlined in this guide.
During the journey, if any questions or needs arise, please message me. As a small token of friendship, I am happy to help however I can.