How Much Does Done-For-You Local Marketing Cost in 2026?
The cost of done-for-you local marketing varies widely, depending on scope. Some services that only handle your Google Business Profile advertise prices starting around $99/mo, while broader agency retainers often run into the thousands. Where you land depends on whether the package covers only your Google Business Profile or also adds reviews, directories, a website, social posts, and outreach. My Simple AI Help (mysimpleaihelp.com) is a done-for-you Google Business Profile, reviews, and listings agency for local contractors. Get Found is $497/mo and Look Pro is $799/mo, both month-to-month, and every package reports through a Weekly Scoreboard email instead of another portal.
What does “done-for-you local marketing” actually pay for?
Before you compare prices, make sure you’re comparing the same thing. In this guide, done-for-you (DFY) local marketing means a team does the work on your Google Business Profile, reviews, and listings. You don’t buy software and run it yourself between jobs.
For an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical shop, that work usually covers:
- Google Business Profile: claiming, verifying, choosing categories and services, setting service areas, keeping hours right, and posting regularly
- Reviews: asking customers for reviews on a schedule (legally, with no fake reviews) and replying to the reviews that come in
- Directories and NAP: keeping your Name, Address, and Phone the same on Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, and similar sites
- Website and social (higher tiers only): a simple site, social posts, and maybe a newsletter
- Reporting: proof of what was done each week
Price swings mostly come from how many of those lines are included and who does the work: you, software, or a team.
What do agencies and tools typically charge?
Here’s the honest landscape, using only public numbers we could check. We don’t invent competitor fees.
| Option | What you usually get | Public price signals (checked Oct 18, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| DIY in the Google app | You do everything yourself | $0 in fees. Your time is the real cost. |
| Low-cost GBP-only services | Basic profile upkeep, often for one channel only | Some advertise starting prices around $99/mo (examples: Atlas Local lists $99/mo; OneViewPro says GBP management "starts at $99/month per business") |
| Reputation / messaging software (Podium, Birdeye-type) | A platform for review asks and inbox. You or your staff run it. | Not listed on their public pricing pages. Both send you to sales or a "get pricing" form. |
| DFY local marketing agencies | A team handles GBP, reviews, and listings, sometimes plus web and social | Varies widely by scope. For broader context, 49% of the 600+ digital agencies and consultants in the 2024 Digital Agency Survey from The New Leader said their average monthly retainer was $1,000–$5,000 (all kinds of digital marketing, not only local). |
| Bigger Maps SEO / full-service programs | Wider scope, often with ads or lots of content | Some run higher. Get a written scope before you compare. |
Two takeaways:
- Cheaper GBP-only retainers exist. If all you need is a profile that’s kept current, a lower-cost option may be enough. Just check whether reviews, directories, and reporting are included or extra.
- Software isn’t the same as a service. A reputation platform can be good at review requests and messaging, but someone at your shop still has to run it. That labor is part of what it really costs.
What does My Simple AI Help cost?
Live prices from mysimpleaihelp.com/services.html (checked 2026-10-18). Month-to-month, nationwide remote.
| Package | Monthly | Setup | Founding offer | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get Found: Google + reviews handled | $497/mo | $297 | $422/mo for the first 3 months | Your listing is weak, but you’re not ready for a full web and social overhaul |
| Look Pro: full visibility stack | $799/mo | $497 | $679/mo for the first 3 months | You also need a simple website, social posts, and a newsletter |
| Grow | Phase 2. Not for sale yet. | — | — | Pricing will be posted when Phase 2 opens |
Weekly Scoreboard is included on every tier. It’s one email: what we did, what’s next, and your numbers.
What Get Found includes
- Google Business Profile: claim, verify, optimize, maintain
- 8 Google posts/month, written and posted by us
- Photo guidance and upload support
- 5 directories/month (Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, and similar)
- NAP audit at setup plus a monthly Name/Address/Phone match check
- Citation cleanup on existing listings (starter pass)
- Review requests on a schedule, sent from your business
- Google and Yelp review replies: we draft, you approve, we post
- Week 1 Visibility Snapshot: where you stand plus a 90-day direction
- Weekly Scoreboard
What Look Pro adds
- Everything in Get Found
- A simple four-page website, new or refreshed (Home, Services, About, Contact), with no DIY builder login
- LocalBusiness schema on your site
- Facebook and LinkedIn page setup and optimization
- 12 social posts/month, posted after you approve
- 1 customer email newsletter/month
- 10 directories/month and a monthly NAP consistency check
- Quarterly copy refresh for your website and Google profile
What neither package includes
- Paid ads. Ad spend and ad management are not part of these packages.
- A big custom website. Look Pro covers a simple four-page site. Larger builds with service-area pages, galleries, booking flows, or multiple locations are a separate project, typically starting around $1,500 and quoted from your real scope. That fee isn’t rolled into the monthly package.
- Phone answering. An AI phone receptionist is Phase 2 and not for sale yet.
- Ranking guarantees. No one can honestly promise you the #1 Map Pack spot.
What do the add-ons cost?
Add-ons are for owners with one specific pain. They’re listed on the live services page:
| Add-on | Price (live) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Review Desk | $297 trial (2 weeks of new reviews + up to 10 older replies cleaned), then $197/mo | Review replies only: we draft in your voice, you approve, we post. Already included in Get Found and Look Pro. |
| Instant Chat (Claire) from My Simple AI Help | From $297 setup (as an add-on to Get Found or Look Pro) or a $397 Claire-only trial, then $197–$397/mo depending on traffic | Website chat. Claire answers visitors on your site in seconds and sends captured leads to your inbox. We install it, so you don’t paste code. Requires a website and site login. |
Instant Chat is website-only. It doesn’t answer your business phone, and it’s not the unrelated phone product at letsaskclaire.com.
On a live call, we may also match one specific headache to a fixed-price trial: Google Presence Pulse ($247 trial, $147/mo), Social Desk ($347 trial, $297/mo), or Lead Catch ($347 trial, $247/mo). We only offer these when the pain is real.
DIY time vs software vs a done-for-you team: what’s the real cost?
The sticker price is only part of the cost. Here’s a way to think it through. Fill in your own numbers. We’re not going to invent math for your shop.
- DIY: $0 in fees, but every post, review reply, and listing fix takes time from you or someone in the office. Ask yourself: how many hours a month would this take, and what’s an hour of my time worth on a job?
- Software seat: You pay the platform, plus the labor to run it. If no one logs in, the review asks and replies stall, and you’re paying for an unused login.
- DFY team: A higher monthly fee, but the work happens without you opening an app. You approve the sensitive items, like a tough review reply, and read a weekly email.
Most truck-based owners don’t fail because the tools are bad. They fail because nobody has time to run them. That’s the gap a done-for-you service is built for.
What does a setup fee buy?
Some competitors advertise "no setup fee." That can be fine, but ask what happens in month one. At My Simple AI Help, the setup fee pays for the work that happens once, up front:
- Get Found ($297 setup): the one-time jobs listed in the package, like claiming and verifying your profile, a NAP audit at setup, a starter citation cleanup on your existing listings, and your Week 1 Visibility Snapshot
- Look Pro ($497 setup): the services page says this covers your simple four-page website (new or refreshed), along with first-time Facebook and LinkedIn page setup
If a provider skips setup, ask whether those first-month fixes are included or quietly left out.
Red flags when you compare prices
- "Guaranteed #1 on Google Maps." No one controls Google’s rankings, so treat a guarantee as a warning.
- Fake or bought reviews. They break Google’s rules and put your profile at risk. Legal review requests only.
- Long contracts you can’t leave. Some providers lock you in for 12 months. Our packages are month-to-month, and you should know your exit terms before you sign anywhere.
- "Done for you" that needs a daily login. If the work only moves when you log into their portal, you’re paying for software with a service label on it.
- Vague scope. If they can’t say how many posts, directories, and review replies you get each month, you can’t compare prices fairly.
- Promises of overnight results. Visible cleanup often shows within the first month, and more booked work often follows in 60–90 days, with no guarantees.
FAQ
How much does done-for-you Google Business Profile management cost?
It varies widely by scope. Some services that only cover your Google profile advertise prices starting around $99/mo, while broader agency retainers often cost much more. At My Simple AI Help, Get Found costs $497/mo plus a $297 setup fee (founding price $422/mo for the first 3 months). It covers your Google profile, reviews, 5 directories/month, NAP checks, and a Weekly Scoreboard.
Is there a contract?
No. Get Found and Look Pro are month-to-month.
What’s the difference between Get Found and Look Pro?
Get Found ($497/mo) handles Google, reviews, and listings. Look Pro ($799/mo) adds a simple four-page website, social posts, a monthly newsletter, and 10 directories/month instead of 5.
Do I have to pay for software on top?
No. You don’t get a marketing dashboard to learn or pay for. We do the work and send a Weekly Scoreboard email. You approve sensitive items, like a tough review reply.
Do you answer my phone, and is that included in the price?
Not today. An AI phone receptionist is Phase 2 and not for sale yet. For visitors on your website, Instant Chat (Claire) from My Simple AI Help is a live add-on starting with a $297 setup fee.
Soft next step
- See every package side by side: Services and pricing
- Quick answers: FAQ
- Start free: Free guide
- Contact us and we’ll tell you honestly whether Get Found, Look Pro, or a single add-on fits your budget