I think "best verticals" is subjective.
From a process standpoint, it's great to consult in a vertical, but you're running a branded process, nothing more. The number of "lawyer seo experts" who do okay local work and hit all niche legal sites is laughable.
The things you test aren't significant because you're limited to given vertical or two. From a SEO and biz standpoint..not a great place to be. A lot of people do lawyers/dentists/docs...hey, why not, the market is there.
From a rev standpoint, probably
cosmetic dentists, IMO, esp. if they do all-in-four. That's a 50k surgery. Easy comp, insane ROI. Can scale locations
like a boss.
That said, the number of seo firms that can't play in competitive organic verticals is gross. Would love to see an "inbound" or content expert show earnings without any push tactics. Doesn't exist.
A client who works their ass off and hired a shithead
is your best vertical, because--from a consulting perspective--you can bill aggressively to unfuck them, create revenue-generating wins, and move them to a monthly retainer once they're riding the engagement/click/call train.
Instead of focusing on verticals, focus on clients and close the people who will pay XXK+/yr forever when you actually make them money.
