[Top Agency Series] Mastering White Label SEO Success With Mark Herre

Mark Herre is the Co-founder and CEO of SEOgame, Inc., a pioneer in white-label SEO services since 1996. For nearly three decades, he’s helped digital agencies boost rankings and revenue through a performance-based, “no rank, no pay” model. Known for his innovative approach and agency-focused mindset, Mark continues to lead SEOgame in blending SEO expertise with AI-driven strategies — offering agencies a risk-free way to grow and scale.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [5:04] Mark Herre the shares story behind his bold “no rank, no pay” model that agencies love
• [6:43] How Mark’s 30-day free test drive helps agencies scale risk-free
• [12:48] Mark’s approach to keyword strategy and building results that last
• [15:38] Tracking real ROI through calls, web traffic, and performance data
• [21:14] The secret behind long-term success in white-label SEO partnerships
• [27:55] Mark’s timeless networking principle, “help others win first”

In this episode…

Success in digital marketing doesn’t just come from knowing SEO — it comes from mastering how to scale it. Many agencies struggle to deliver consistent results, retain clients, or grow profitably without overwhelming their teams. So how can agencies simplify SEO delivery while achieving measurable, lasting results?

As Mark Herre explains, achieving results requires performance-oriented methods and true cooperation with agencies. He highlights that SEO success isn’t about promises — it’s about proof through results, data, and accountability. This mindset has enabled him to establish long-term collaborations founded on trust and deliver measurable ROI. Mark also emphasizes embracing AI-driven tools and smart keyword strategies to stay competitive and deliver scalable growth in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Mark Herre, Co-founder and CEO of SEOgame, Inc., to discuss mastering white-label SEO success. They talk about his “no rank, no pay” model, the power of performance-based results, and how agencies can scale sustainably through trust and innovation. Mark also shares insights on AI integration and networking for long-term growth.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mark Herre on LinkedIn
• SEOgame
• Heatmap
• AgencyAnalytics
• Google Business Profile
• The Connective
• H7 Network
• BC Networks
• The Success Network

Special Mentions:

• Joe Mindak on LinkedIn
• Donnie Boivin
• Clay Hicks on LinkedIn
• Brian Kurtz on LinkedIn
• Titans Marketing
• Kim Albee on LinkedIn
• Steve Guberman on LinkedIn
• Carl Smith on LinkedIn

Related episodes:

• “[One Question] Building a Platform to Empower Others with Jason Swenk Host of The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast” on Inspired Insider Podcast
• “[Top Agency Series] Most Valuable Advice When Selling Your Agency With Todd Taskey of Potomac Business Capital” on Inspired Insider Podcast
• “[Top Agency Series] Navigating a Merger and Becoming an End-to-End Digital Partner With Kevin Hourigan of Spinutech” on Inspired Insider Podcast

Quotable moments:

• “I’ve been a performance-based SEO — no rank, no pay, no nonsense, no BS — for almost 29 years.”
• “The clients that we work with never say these words, ever: Stop sending me web traffic and phone calls.”
• “My job is to help digital agencies stay in business — I’ve just stuck with that model because I enjoy it.”
• “SEO is that quick win to help achieve phone calls and web traffic for agencies and their clients.”
• “We go bold. We start off with the best keywords that will bring in the most volume traffic.”

Action steps:

1. Develop risk-free offers: Create no-brainer deals, like a 30-day results-based trial, to build client trust and make saying “yes” easy.
2. Leverage white label partnerships: Collaborate with experts to expand your agency’s services and scale efficiently without adding overhead.
3. Communicate with transparency: Use clear reports and data-driven updates to show measurable results and strengthen client relationships.
4. Adopt AI and automation: Integrate modern tools to optimize campaigns, improve efficiency, and stay ahead in a fast-changing market.
5. Network strategically: Build genuine connections, give referrals first, and create lasting partnerships that drive consistent growth.

Episode Transcript

Intro 00:15

You are listening to Inspired Insider with your host, Dr. Jeremy Weisz.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz 00:22

Dr. Jeremy Weisz here Founder of InspiredInsider.com where I talk with inspirational entrepreneurs and leaders. Today is no different. I’m Mark Herre. You can check them out at SEOGame.com. And Mark, you can tell you’ve been doing this for a long time, since 1996, because it’s a really good domain name. SEO game. Before I formally introduce you, Mark, I always like to point out other episodes of the podcast. You know, people should check out because we’re going to go deep in I mean, you’re deep in the agency world. We’re going to talk about everything from SEO to offers to partnerships to AI.

Some other top agency interviews I did. You people can check out Jason Swenk. Jason Swenk I have two interviews with him. One, he built up his agency to eight figures and he sold it. And he started an agency, group, Agency 360, helping agency owners as well. And he talks about kind of your North Star and valuation is a really good episode. On the agency front. I also had Todd Taskey, Todd Taskey helps pair agencies with private equity and help sell agencies. And so that was really interesting on some of the, you know, some of the scenarios he’s seen and how you can get the highest value for your agency. And he has a Second Bite Podcast as well, Kevin Hourigan as well. This is in your camp, Mark. Kevin Hourigan had his agency since 1995, so it’s interesting to hear the landscape of the internet, business and agency life as well so people can check those out and more,InspiredInsider.com.

This episode is brought to you by Rise25. At Rise25, we help businesses connect to their dream relationships and partnerships. We do this in a few ways. Okay, one we’re an easy button for a company to launch and run a podcast. So we do the strategy, the accountability, the full execution and production, everything that makes a podcast successful and gets ROI. Number two, we’re an easy button for a company’s gifting, so we make gifting and staying top of mind for clients, partners, prospects, even staff. From a culture perspective. Very simple, easy and affordable. You just give us a list of people and we do everything else behind the scenes. And Mark, we kind of call ourselves the magic elves that run in the background to make it stress free for companies to build amazing relationships.

You know, because for me, the number one thing in my life is relationships. I always look at ways to give to those best relationships, and personally, I found no better way over the past 15 years than to profile the people in companies I admire in my podcast and send them sweet treats in the mail. So if you have questions, go to Rise25.com or email us at [email protected].

I’m really excited to introduce Mark Herre. He’s been in his current role as CEO at the SEO game since 1996. Before that, he was a bookkeeper for a Japanese cook living in Seattle. He’s got a wife and three daughters. Fun fact is, you know, really, he first started networking in the 90s for another company he founded called 123.net. I wonder who owns that domain now. Mark 123. It’s over. Net and he was fixing fax machines at the time. And people are asking him all types of questions like how do I get online? How do I, you know, all sorts of business questions? He was helping people get himself with the lightning speed of dial up at that point. Right. So Mark, thanks for joining me.

Mark Herre: 03:58

Yeah, that technology company was something, wasn’t it? In 1996, I was a Chamber of Commerce networker, and it takes me back to the days of networking almost 29 years ago. So thank you, Jeremy, for having me on your show.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 04:15

Yeah. And I just want to start off with there’s so much we’ll dig into in this episode, but one thing that sticks out to me when I really research you is offers what I’ve seen some of the most successful people, whether whatever business, they have a very, very compelling offer. And so I’d love to talk about your offer. You kind of as a no brainer offer, and I’m not going to I’ll have you explain what that is and how that works. But I feel like that’s just a key thing to get people on board, right? I mean, we could start with the free report offer and then go to how it works for people to work with you because it’s yeah it’s compelling.

Mark Herre: 05:04

Yeah. The offers in partnerships. So the digital agencies I service are constantly looking to renew their offers because they’re out there selling hitting the pavement. And they’re saying, Mark, let’s evaluate this website. What are we missing? What keywords do we need to be number one to help, you know, in achieving number one rankings. So on my homepage you’re looking at it. The SEO game has the opportunity to get a free keyword audit and ranking analysis report. Once you sign up for that, it will just be an email to me. I’ll follow up with the ideal keywords that will help traditional search, which is going to still make up 99% today in 2025.

You know, we’re in October. Hopefully that offer will still be able to attribute phone calls and web traffic once we achieve number one ranking. So that’s basically the offer is a 30 day test drive. Once we’re ready to get started on working together on a website to focus on how we’re going to get those number one keywords ranking for traditional search and then acquire attribution phone calls, web traffic leads. And hopefully it’s enough in that 30 day trial to help the digital agency get their act together. Because I am a white label SEO provider and then they can close the deal, and then I can then come in and then invoice. Finally the client. The client is the digital agency in most cases. So does that make a little sense?

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 06:43

Yeah. So let me just break it down for a second. Let’s say there’s digital agency. They do websites for dentists or something like that. They don’t do SEO. They can go to your site and be like, listen, I’m wondering if we can offer this SEO service. We don’t want to build out this whole separate branch of our team. We just want someone else to do it, which would be an SEO game. They can go in, get some keyword reports from you for free, and then the offer is, hey, like, let us work on this for 30 days, see what results we can get. How is the payment after the fact? Is it before? How do you structure that?

Mark Herre: 07:21

Yeah, I’ve been a performance based SEO. No rank, no pay, no nonsense, no BS, kind of a rank delivery specialist now for almost 29 years. And that’s my offer to use that scenario of the dental implant. Dentist. Well, if a marketing agency has a relationship with a dentist, they’re going to want a $20,000 keyword number one ranking that would be dental implant because the dentist is going to have a butt in the chair, and they’re going to be pleased to have a button. A new button in the chair every, every week if that phone call rings. And dental implant procedures really make a dentist happy.

I mean, and it makes the digital agency happy because then they have a lifetime client. And SEO is that quick win to help achieve. Phone calls and web traffic. And if that lifetime client is that dentist and that relationship with that agency, the agency can then keep the retainer going on the SEO. But then more or less also focus on the redesign of the website every five years or more. Focus on content marketing, focus on everything related to what the dentist is going to need to get more phone calls on web traffic. But SEO is that key component to the whole model, in my opinion.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 08:49

So people don’t pay till after the 30 days?

Mark Herre: 08:53

That’s correct.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 08:54

Yeah. That’s, you know, it’s risky on your part, obviously. Absolutely. Right. At what point was that always the case or.

Mark Herre: 09:02

Yes, it’s always the case.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 09:03

Always the case.

Mark Herre: 09:04

Yeah. Do you know why our marketing agencies have what’s called in their thinking when they work with vendors, net 30 terms. And so I learned that early on they were going to get their act in order and get paid. And they needed a vendor to basically provide all the results. Kind of like a, you know, just what a vendor should do. I mean, if they partner with SEO game, they’re they know that I’m really good at doing one thing helping with visibility, achieving the results and focusing on attribution, which is going to increase phone calls and web traffic.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 09:44

So in the beginning, again, like if it’s a are certain clients you will or won’t take on based on how competitive it is, like I like, I imagine if it’s like, hey, I want dental implants in Dubuque, Iowa versus Chicago versus New York. I imagine it’s harder in the bigger cities.

Mark Herre: 10:03

No. Absolutely not. And I, I, I achieved the results to meet the expectations of the agency. And the agency knows how to be able to close the deal because they’re the one having the relationship. I provide the solution of rank delivery. So I take on any website. Now you mentioned now let’s if we got outside of dentists and we’re talking about some other industry that isn’t maybe a brick and mortar company, like a dentist, like an orthodontist, like a med spa, like a injury auto chiropractor, like an infertility, anything with a door and a handle. Or how about home services? Plumber, roofer, HVAC, general contractors to do custom home building that includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling and renovation. Those are high ticket company owners. Those websites deserve to be number one ranking. And it’s my job to make sure. And that can happen when the agency has a good relationship with these owners.

I do my job and they do their job. Where you’re breaking out of that is when you’re getting into experiments. Outside of my 30 day test drive with websites that are going to be experiments, the startups, the SaaS, the B2B technology, the anything related to e-commerce or software, national campaigns. They want to be the next Craigslist, whatever that means. I might have to take a little bit of a step back and go. My 30 day trial is not going to work for you, so we then generally place it under a 60 day expectation list of things that we need to do to achieve the results, that that agency is going to look good and, and we can focus on attribution in the form that the owner of that website is going to accept. Hopefully they will accept it. And then the agency can get paid and then I can invoice the digital marketing agency.

Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 12:12

Yeah, I can see that. I mean, from a kind of a local business perspective as opposed to you’re competing across nationwide all sorts of solutions. So let’s just assume the local business owner. What’s the strategy in the beginning? Because it’s not easy, at least from my experience, to rank things quickly necessarily. But I’m not an SEO expert like you. What’s do you focus on like long tail keywords in the beginning? What’s the kind of the strategy in the beginning is 30 days is it’s like that first 30 days is critical. Like I don’t get paid unless we get you ranking.

Mark Herre: 12:48

That’s always been the case. It’s a good offer. And we started this conversation about good offering. And so in a 30 day test drive, every website’s going to be unique based on the history. I help the digital agency understand the daily cadence of what we’re doing.

They can actually see what we’re doing on a day to day basis. They can see the month to month reporting with my key seven deliverables that I focus on. First month, obviously a little heavy. The second month is going to be the same consistency of the cadence of the reporting of the deliverables. And now with so many other ways to get more phone calls and web traffic from attributing the number one ranking, what we do and what I help the digital agency understand is that the clients that we work with never say these words, ever.

Stop sending me web traffic and phone calls. They’re going to want to know how to get more. And their clients are going to ask, how do we do more? And so I work with them. In fact, the bridge behind me is a good example of a keystone in a bridge where we’re laying it down in the center so a semi truck could drive right over it. And one side of the bridge is where my agency is working on with the client, and then my side is the other side. And once we get that piece in, we’re going to consistently get more phone calls and web traffic for being number one. So we go bold. We start off with the best keywords that will bring in the most volume traffic. And then also a big ticket dental implant is for instance, a big ticket $20,000 button the chair.

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