What is actually different about marketing in London
London is the service centre for southwestern Ontario. The hospital network, the university and the professional services around them draw people in from a catchment several times the size of the city, which means the market you can sell into is much larger than the population figure suggests. A specialist practice, a legal firm or a distributor in London that targets only the city limits is competing for a fraction of its own natural market.
That regional pull has a second effect worth planning around. Someone driving 40 minutes into London for a service has already decided that local is not good enough, which makes them a considered buyer rather than an impulsive one. They compare, they read, and they arrive with a shortlist. That is a strong argument for putting real work into what they find when they research, rather than relying on being the cheapest click.
The economy underneath is stable in the way institutional economies are. Health care, education and financial services anchor employment, with manufacturing and agriculture across the surrounding counties. Steady demand, moderate competition, and a search market where a well built account can realistically own its category rather than rent a corner of it.
Three ways to grow a London business, run by one accountable person
Same three services everywhere I work. What changes in London is that the first question is usually how far your customers will travel, because that answer sets the targeting, the budget and which channel is worth starting with.
Google Ads Management
Effective in London for urgent services and for the specialists that draw from the surrounding counties. Rebuilt account structure, targeting drawn around your real catchment rather than the city limits, conversion tracking that counts booked work, and spend cut off searches that were never going to convert.
$1,500/month + ad spend
SEO Consulting
The channel that suits a considered buyer, which is most of the London regional market. Technical fixes first, then the pages that answer the questions people ask before they drive into the city, including pages for the surrounding towns you actually serve. Slower than ads and it keeps working after you stop paying.
$1,200/month
AIO Consulting
Being the London business ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews name when someone in the region asks for a recommendation. Cheapest of the three, one-time, and very few London competitors have started, which makes the gap unusually easy to open right now.
$1,800 one-time
Where in London I work
Across London
I take on clients throughout the city, in downtown London, Old North, Byron, Masonville, White Oaks, Hyde Park and Wortley Village. Everything is run remotely over video and email, so where you are in London makes no difference to the work or the price.
- downtown London
- Old North
- Byron
- Masonville
- White Oaks
- Hyde Park
- Wortley Village
And across southwestern Ontario
The catchment is the point. I work with businesses in St. Thomas, Strathroy, Woodstock, Sarnia, Chatham, Ingersoll and Tillsonburg on the same terms, and for most London businesses mapping that catchment accurately is the single most valuable change available in the account.
- St. Thomas
- Strathroy
- Woodstock
- Sarnia
- Chatham
- Ingersoll
- Tillsonburg
Questions London businesses ask
Do you have an office in London?
No. I am based in Toronto and work from home, so there is no London office and I am not going to imply there is. Everything is run remotely over video and email, which is how I run every account.
How wide should we target around London?
As wide as people will genuinely travel for what you sell, and no wider. For a restaurant that is a few kilometres. For a specialist clinic, a legal practice or a distributor it can be the better part of southwestern Ontario. Getting this right is worth more than a budget increase in most London accounts, and it takes about an hour to work out properly.
Which service should a London business start with?
If your customer has an urgent problem, Google Ads. If your customer researches and compares before travelling into the city, SEO first, because that is where their research actually happens. AIO is cheap, one time, and nearly untouched by your local competitors.
Do you work with businesses in the surrounding towns?
Yes, on the same terms. Everything is remote so the town makes no difference to the work or the price. Businesses outside the city often have the clearest opportunity, because the competition thins out quickly once you leave London.
What does this cost?
Google Ads management is $1,500 a month plus your ad spend. SEO consulting is $1,200 a month. AIO consulting is $1,800 one time. No setup fees and no long contract.
Tell me where you are stuck in London
Twenty minutes, free, no pitch. Tell me how far your customers travel and I will tell you what I would build first.
Book 20 free minutes