Alongside my consulting missions, I design and develop Begonia.pro, a SaaS dedicated to Local SEO. It is a project born from an observation and a desire to help local entrepreneurs.
Begonia.pro is an audit and web visibility tracking solution designed specifically for artisans and shopkeepers. The tool offers a concrete action plan so they can improve their visibility. No jargon, no overly complex systems, just the essentials to be seen in their neighborhood.
But why enter this market in 2025, when it already seems saturated? Here is the genesis of the project and my vision for the future.
1. A living laboratory: code, AI, and content creation
Before even talking about business, this project is my personal playground to stay at the forefront of tech and not be a "theoretical" consultant. It's my R&D laboratory.
We talk a lot about AI, but how do you effectively integrate it into every layer of a project? With Begonia.pro, I test everything:
- Code: AI is my development partner, allowing me to ship complex features alone and quickly.
- Design: Generating visual assets for marketing.
- Product: Brainstorming new use cases thanks to AI integrated via API.
The "Content Creator" Challenge
I am stepping out of my comfort zone. To spread the word about Begonia.pro, I have invested in social media (TikTok, Instagram Reels). I am no longer just behind my screen coding or managing JIRA tickets; I am stepping in front of the camera. I am learning to script, shoot, and edit videos. It is a job in itself, and practicing it gives me a much finer understanding of current acquisition challenges.
2. The problem of complexity and cost
While the product/technical aspect excites me, the project primarily addresses a real market problem. If you type "SEO tool" into Google, you will find numerous results. From giants like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Solocal in France, to specialists like BrightLocal or Local Falcon. The market is hyper-competitive.
However, if a florist, a plumber, or a restaurateur wants to look into their visibility, they hit two walls:
- The Price Wall: Leading tools often cost more than €100 per month. That is too heavy a burden for a small business.
- The Jargon Wall: "Backlinks," "SERP features," "Keyword difficulty"... The interfaces look like airplane cockpits. This is perfect for a seasoned SEO consultant, but it is unreadable for someone whose job is baking bread or repairing roofs.
I wanted to create the opposite: a solution that is financially accessible (€9.99/month) and does not only target marketing pros.
3. Changing the vocabulary: no more war, time for growth
The SEO universe uses a warlike lexical field: "Dominate the market", "Crush competition", "Rank #1". They sell fear and false promises.
With Begonia.pro, I take the opposite approach with positive language. We don't talk about crushing others, but about cultivating one's own visibility. Just as a gardener takes care of their plants (hence the name Begonia), the entrepreneur must take care of their digital presence. I offer a healthier and less anxiety-inducing approach.
4. What the tool actually does
I applied my Product Management methods to keep only the features that have a real interest and impact.
The tool offers a Freemium approach:
- Free Audits: Instant analysis of the Google Business Profile (GBP) and the website to detect blocking errors and propose improvements.
And a single paid offer (€9.99/month) to go further:
- "Map" Visibility Tracking: The tool tracks precisely where the business appears on Google Maps based on the customer's location.
- Search Presence Tracking: The tool monitors positions for "Service + City" searches, both in the "Local Pack" and classic results.
- Competitor Analysis: Who are they? Are they paying for ads? How many reviews have they received lately?
- AI as a Consultant: Finally, the tool doesn't just give numbers. Thanks to algorithms based on collected data and AI, it generates a written, personalized, and prioritized action plan. The user knows exactly what to do ("Add 3 photos", "Create a new page on my website"), without having to interpret complex charts.
5. The "Builder" Advantage
There are already thousands of agencies and consultants in the local SEO sector; this is the project's biggest challenge.
My hybrid background (Product Manager + Developer) allows me to automate what others do by hand. I can build my own scrapers, my own reporting algorithms, and drastically reduce costs to pass them on to the final price.
If entrepreneurs wish to be accompanied, I use the tool for my local SEO consulting services.
Otherwise, they can use the online tool autonomously. This is my way of being an "Enchanter" for local entrepreneurs: I give them the tools so they can shine, without needing to become technical experts or pay hundreds of euros per month.
6. Why now? The AI Earthquake
With the arrival of ChatGPT and AI summaries in Google (AI Overviews), SEO is turned upside down.
This is a golden opportunity for local SEO. AIs are looking for trusted sources, real, verifiable entities with a physical anchor. By helping local entrepreneurs structure their visibility, Begonia.pro prepares them to be the "reference answers."
Finally, it is a project that makes sense to me: helping entrepreneurs who have a physical anchor, while sharpening my skills on tomorrow's technologies.
Do you have a shop, a workshop, or a practice? Test the free audit of your Google Business Profile and website on Begonia.pro and tell me what you think.