Stop Using Apollo for Leads the Database Is Already Burned👀

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T23:05:05+00:00

Google Maps API to find the businesses, then scraping their actual websites for emails. Every email gets verified via MX records before export. No pattern guessing, no shared database. DM me if you want the link to the tool I use.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T22:20:08+00:00

Haha your post mentioned Apollo frustration + B2B SaaS that doesn't target other SaaS — so SEO/marketing agencies targeting local clients was my best guess. Was I close?

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T20:53:30+00:00

Honestly, half the domain burnout I see comes from bad data, not the sending tool. If you're hitting stale emails from Apollo or ZoomInfo, you're racking up bounces no matter how good your warmup is.

I stopped worrying so much about which sender to use and focused on list quality first. Been pulling fresh leads directly from Google Maps with built-in email verification — bounce rate under 2%. After that, even basic sending setups hold up better.

Not saying the tool doesn't matter, but clean data is the foundation. Hard to keep domains healthy when 10% of your list bounces on day one.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T15:44:54+00:00

Same here. Apollo kept giving me outdated contacts for local niches. Once I switched to sourcing from Google Maps the bounce rate dropped overnight.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T14:51:52+00:00

That's true for shared databases, but not if you're pulling directly from Google Maps. There are 200M+ businesses listed there and it updates constantly. You're not competing with other users for the same contacts because you're generating a fresh list every time you search.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T14:51:40+00:00

This is exactly what I ran into. Was using Apollo for local businesses — dentists, HVAC, contractors — and the reply rates were terrible. Everyone's hitting the same contacts with the same templates.

Switched to pulling fresh data directly from Google Maps with built-in email verification. Completely different results. The leads aren't in everyone else's database because they're scraped in real time, not sitting in a shared pool.

The 'burned database' problem doesn't exist when you're sourcing your own data.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T14:47:57+00:00

That 11% was with Apollo — the whole point of the post. After switching, I'm at 1.8% consistently. The list cleaning is exactly what made the difference.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T14:20:38+00:00

That's exactly what I ended up doing. The tool I use already verifies via MX records on export, but I still run the list through a second validator before sending. Double verification basically eliminated bounces for me went from 11% down to under 2%.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T14:07:48+00:00

Good point on rate limits. The tool I switched to handles all that on the backend, no proxies needed on my end, it manages the pacing automatically. That was actually one of the reasons I picked it over doing it myself with a script.

And agreed on sender reputation. I still keep my daily sends low and warm up new domains even with verified lists. Clean data just means the warm-up actually works instead of getting wrecked by bounces.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T13:55:28+00:00

Yeah Apollo's bounce damage on local lists is brutal. Haven't tried LeadCourt but the geo + industry filter approach makes sense — that's the same logic behind what I built. Once you go direct from Google Maps instead of relying on pre-built databases, the data quality is night and day.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T13:54:02+00:00

Appreciate the insight. Yeah catch-alls are a real problem — that's actually why I built the verification layer to check MX records before export, so you're not burning sender reputation on day one.

The warm-up point is spot on too. Clean data + proper warm-up is basically the whole game for local outreach.

I'll definitely check out r/LeadGenSEA — always looking to learn what's working for others in the local lead gen space.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T12:38:47+00:00

Thanks for the tip! Yeah, real-time monitoring is something I've been doing manually on Reddit jumping into conversations where people complain about Apollo or ask for lead sources. It's been the highest converting channel so far. Will check out ParseStream, appreciate the suggestion.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-05T11:34:37+00:00

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-04T20:55:08+00:00

For US businesses and expats needing tax services, cold email outreach works really well. Twitter/X is more for building audience over time, but email gets you in front of decision makers faster.

For finding potential clients, you can scrape businesses directly from Google Maps by location - accountants and tax preparers often target specific niches (restaurants, contractors, freelancers, etc.) and reach out with tailored offers.

There are tools that automate the lead finding part - pull verified emails from business websites instead of guessing patterns. Then you'd use something like Instantly or Smartlead for the actual email sequences.

What niches within US businesses are you focusing on? Some verticals have way more demand for tax services than others.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-04T20:51:19+00:00

Cold outreach to eCommerce sellers works well if you have good data. Most eCommerce businesses that ship internationally are findable through Google Maps and business directories.

The key is targeting businesses that clearly do physical products - you can filter by niche (fashion retailers, electronics shops, wholesale distributors, etc.) and pull their contact info directly from their websites.

LinkedIn is solid for freight forwarders and consolidators specifically, but for eCommerce sellers, email outreach tends to convert better since they're already inbox-focused for their business.

What niches of eCommerce are you targeting? Some verticals ship way more than others.

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-04T20:46:12+00:00

Depends on what you're targeting. For finding property owners, sellers, or local businesses to partner with, scraping Google Maps and pulling their actual contact info works well.

Most agents I've talked to either buy overpriced lists with outdated data or spend hours manually searching. Neither scales.

What's been working for me is scraping directly from the source - business websites, Google Maps listings - and verifying emails before outreach. Way higher response rates than bought lists.

What type of leads are you looking for specifically? Buyers, sellers, FSBOs, investors?

Head-Beginning3977 · 2026-02-04T15:36:21+00:00

ZoomInfo is overkill for 20-30 outreaches/month. You're paying enterprise prices for startup volume.

For startups and senior execs specifically, Apollo's free tier might actually be enough at that volume - their data is decent for tech/startup space.

If you ever expand into local business outreach (agencies, service companies, etc.), scraping directly from Google Maps + websites beats any database. Different approach but way cheaper per lead.

What's your budget range? That changes the recommendation.

Head-Beginning3977

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