Posts By: Geoff Braught
SERPS: Search Engine Results Pages Explained

So…you want your local business to outrank your competitor down the street and show up as the #1 spot on Google SERPs.
Sounds like an easy ask, until you realize that without a solid strategy for Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, your small business is totally sunk.
Luckily, we’re here to break down exactly what you need to focus on to help you rank on your search engine of choice using the content on your website to help you make it happen.
But first…
What are SERPs?
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. Nothing fancy here, it’s the page that is displayed after a user types something into the search engine.
SERPs are basically just the listing of web pages that are most relevant to what you searched for.
A SERP typically consists of the following elements:
- Organic Search Results: These are webpages that have been indexed by a search engine, based on their relevance to a given query.
- Paid Ads: Paid advertisements that are targeted to the user’s query, are almost always at the top of the results page.
- Knowledge Graph: A visual representation of certain facts and relationships related to the user’s query (i.e. business traffic, estimated wait times, etc.)
- Related Searches: A list of related queries that can provide more context around the user’s query.
- Videos: Videos related to the user’s query.
- Images: Images related to the user’s query.
- Maps: Maps related to the user’s query.
- Shopping: Shopping results related to the user’s query.
- Local Listings: Local listings related to the user’s query.
- News: News stories related to the user’s query.
- Social Media: Social media posts related to the user’s query.
How can I get ranked higher on SERPS?
Optimize the keywords in your website content
What does it mean to improve the keywords in your content? It means specifically including certain words and phrases that your ideal clients are likely searching on Google or their phones. This way, they’re sure to find you.
If you’re just getting started with keyword research, a really simple way to approach it is to put yourself in your client’s shoes, google one of the services you provide, and then look at the keywords that pop up just under the search bar. It’s a great place to start but we highly recommend doing a keyword analysis so you can super target your local community.
Here’s a quick overview for how you can create keyword rich content:
- 1. Create content that is optimized for the keyword you want to rank for. (ex. “Frisco plumbing” or “DFW Volkswagen repair)
- 2. Improve your website’s technical SEO, such as page speed, mobile-friendliness, and indexability (Google’s ability to read the content).
3. Build high-quality backlinks from other relevant and high-authority websites.
4. Use social media to promote your content and gain more exposure.
5. Monitor the SERP landscape of our competitors and adjust your SEO strategy
accordingly.
6. Use structured data to enhance your website’s visibility in the SERP.
7. Monitor your website’s performance and track your keyword rankings.
Improve your Core Web Vitals
Optimizing core web vitals can help you rank higher on SERPs by improving the overall user experience of your website. Core web vitals are performance metrics that measure the loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability of a page.
By improving these metrics, you can make your website faster and more user-friendly, which can lead to higher rankings in SERPs.
Utilize imagery and improve overall page speed
Images can help you rank higher on SERPs by providing an additional signal to search engines that the content is relevant to the search.
This can be done by adding descriptive alt tags to your images, as well as making sure the image file name is relevant to the content.
Additionally, using images that are well-optimized can help improve page speed, which is an important factor when it comes to ranking on SERPs.
Need help showing up first? Give us a call or contact us to get found, stand out, and earn more than your competitors.
Google’s Advice for Optimizing Your Core Web Vitals

Your core web vitals are a set of metrics that measure the overall user experience of your website. It’s like your core vitals for your body; they tell you how healthy you are and where you need a little more support to thrive.
These metrics measure things such as loading time, visual stability, and interactivity of your site as a whole, which are incredibly important for your search engine optimization (SEO).
The user experience of your website is one of the most essential factors in how your website ranks on Google and other search engines. With high-ranking Core Web Vitals, your user experience will improve, which will help your rankings and your ability to create organic traffic to your website.
How does improving my ranking get me more organic traffic?
Improving your ranking in search engine results pages (a.k.a. SERPs) helps to increase organic traffic because higher rankings make it easier for more potential customers to find your website.
It’s important to remember that your organic search results hinge on your website content’s relevance to the reader and quality overall. It means including the right keywords, optimizing your content, making sure your website is well-structured, and creating high-quality backlinks (a link that points to a really helpful website for the reader and also gives your content a boost) to other websites.
With the right SEO strategy, you can make sure your website is seen by as many relevant people and potential customers as possible, all while increasing the organic traffic to your website without the use of expensive ads.
How can I check if my core web vitals are healthy?
You can run a free core web vitals test over at PageSpeed Insights to measure your Core Web Vitals and see other areas for improvement.
This tool gives you a detailed report on the overall performance of your website, including individual scores for each of the Core Web Vitals metrics that will impact your search engine ranking. It will also provide a list of recommendations to help you increase your Core Web Vitals and help you rank on Google.
Core Web Vital’s Checklist
1. Optimize your site’s loading performance by reducing server response times and leveraging browser caching.
2. Eliminate render-blocking JavaScript and CSS in above-the-fold (i.e. top half of your webpage) content.
3. Minify and compress text-based assets like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
4. Leverage a content delivery network (CDN) to reduce latency and improve site performance.5. Enable image compression and lazy loading to reduce page load times.
6. Utilize tools like Chrome Lighthouse to audit your website’s performance and identify areas of improvement.
7. Minimize third-party scripts and ensure they are optimized for performance.
8. Use asynchronous loading for JavaScript and CSS files.
9. Prioritize loading the most important content, such as images, above-the-fold.
10. Implement a simple, modern, usable framework to ensure fast page loads.
P.S. Want customized support to improve your Core Web Vitals so you can start ranking on Google ASAP?
You’re probably a good fit for our SEO Blitz service—a customized SEO strategy to help you get your business vitals back on track without you having to be the one to do it. Give us a call today and let’s get you started on the right track!
Scale Your Contractor SEO using ChatGPT
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component of any successful local business. It helps to ensure that potential customers can find you online, and gives you an opportunity to create a strong online presence for your company.
In today’s digital world, it’s essential for all companies, large and small, to understand how to optimize their SEO for maximum visibility. This article will help you understand the concept of OpenAI and ChatGPT to completely revolutionize your business.
But first…what is OpenAI?
OpenAI is a revolutionary AI-powered platform that can help businesses to scale their SEO efforts and better capture potential customers online. With OpenAI, small businesses can create highly targeted and customized SEO campaigns in a fraction of the time it would take to manually develop and implement an SEO strategy.
The platform enables businesses to quickly analyze and modify their SEO techniques to ensure that they are optimized for their target audiences and current trends. One of the primary benefits of OpenAI is that it can help your business to more effectively target local customers.
The platform provides marketers with valuable insights into local search trends and allows them to identify the best keywords to use in SEO campaigns. This helps to ensure that a business is targeting the right demographics in their local markets, and makes it much easier to reach potential customers within their geographic area.
How can ChatGPT help me?
ChatGPT helps businesses to succeed by improving customer service and generating more leads. ChatGPT can provide personalized product recommendations and support in real-time.
This can help your businesses better understand their customers and their needs, and provide a more tailored customer service experience. This can result in more effective lead generation and increased sales.
Additionally, ChatGPT can help businesses create efficient processes and automate tasks.
Every small businesses is looking to maximize their resources and free up time to focus on more important tasks and ChatGPT can help by creating efficient processes such as customer support, lead generation, appointment scheduling, sales processes, order tracking and more.
Getting started with ChatGPT is easy! You can use the ChatGPT API to integrate ChatGPT into your own applications. Alternatively, you can use the ChatGPT web app to explore its capabilities without needing to write any code. We’ve been using it a lot and really feel like this tool is *the* game changer for the home services industry. If you need any help, be sure to contact us!
On SEO and Paddle Boards with David Baer

I had a great time sitting down with David Baer’s podcast, More Perfect Marketing, to talk about my personal entrepreneurial journey and how I went from owning a paddleboard shop to running a full-scale digital marketing agency for general contractors. We all start somewhere, and it’s usually different from where we end up!
I’m a huge fan of David’s podcast because he dives deep into the backstories and motivates small business owners with his incredible community, books, courses, and research on high-impact digital marketing and scaling the smart way. If you haven’t checked him out yet, I suggest diving into his website at baeronmarketing.com to learn more.
In this podcast, David and I discuss so many nuances of my journey and lessons in business, including:
– Starting my first business venture with my brothers based on a passion for wakeboarding (and failing)
– Launching two paddleboard shops that catapulted me into the publishing world
– Scaling our business through a sustainable, niched social media community
– Hiring friends and adding value to your business by being a giver, first and foremost
– Getting familiar with local marketing and supporting service-based businesses
– Learning by trial and error when it comes to partnerships and a bigger vision
– Understanding search engine optimization, the rule of reciprocity, and doubling down on what matters most to your community
And so much more.
Don’t miss this one, especially if you’re in the home services industry! Listen to the full podcast below:
Quick Start Guide: Optimizing Local SEO

Optimizing Local SEO is crucial if you want your business to be found by potential customers in your local area (which – let’s be real – you do).
Regardless of what you’ve heard, SEO is not just one thing. Rather, it’s an entire range of components that all add up to making your company the one that comes up when a prospect searches for what you do in your area. The possibilities with SEO are endless as you continue to grow, but if you haven’t gotten started yet – here’s a quick start guide you can use to get yourself set up for success.
Take these steps now! You’ll be so glad you did it later. Here’s an easy-to-follow process for optimizing local SEO:
Step 1: Optimize your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is a free listing that appears in Google Maps and search results when people search for businesses in your area. To optimize your Google Business Profile, you must (must must) ensure it is complete and accurate. Here are some things you can do:
1. Claim your profile: If you haven’t already, claim your profile on Google My Business. This will give you control over your listing and allow you to update and respond to reviews.
2. Add accurate information: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate and consistent across all online directories and platforms.
3. Choose the right categories: Select the most relevant categories for your business and ensure they match your products or services.
4. Add photos: High-quality photos of your business can help make your profile stand out and give potential customers a better idea of what to expect.
5. Get reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on your profile, as this can improve your search rankings and help potential customers decide whether to choose your business.
Step 2: Use UTM Codes to Track Traffic
UTM codes are tags you can add to the end of your website URLs to track traffic from different sources. For example, you can add a UTM code to a link that you share on social media or in an email newsletter to see how many people click through to your website from that source. This can help you measure the effectiveness of your local SEO efforts and make adjustments as needed.
Step 3: Build Citations
Citations mention your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Building citations can help improve your local search rankings and make it easier for people to find your business online. To build citations, add your NAP information to your website and then list your business in local directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Angie’s List.
Step 4: Create High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality content is an important part of local SEO. This includes creating blog posts, articles, and other types of content that are relevant to your business and your local area. Your content should be informative and engaging, and it should include keywords and phrases that people are searching for in your area. This can help improve your search rankings and drive more traffic to your website.
Step 5: Build Links to Your Website
Building links to your website is another important part of local SEO. This involves getting other websites to link to your website, which can help improve your search rankings and drive more traffic to your website. To build links, start by contacting other local businesses and asking them to link to your website. You can also create content other websites will want to link to, such as infographics, how-to guides, and other resources.
By following these five steps, you can optimize your local SEO and make it easier for people to find your business online. Remember to track your results using UTM codes and make adjustments as needed to ensure that your local SEO efforts are as effective as possible. Contact us if you need any support, we’re here to help!
Why SEO is Important to Focus on During an Economic Slowdown

While everyone is busy losing their mind over the economy slowing down, it’s essential to focus on cost-effective marketing strategies that can help you attract and retain customers. While everyone else is cutting back on their marketing, history shows time after time that those who lean in on optimizing their marketing will make an even bigger impact in the year to come.
Because let’s face it, your HVAC business is essentially recession-proof. You’ll always have a problem to solve and people to help – the key is to ensure they can find you and that you stand out from your competitors through your search engine optimization (SEO). It’s the OG, long-game move that separates the wheat from the chaff.
It puts you into a new caliber of lead generation and predictible revenue when it’s grown and managed effectively. All you need to do is to do is to get clear on your gaps and provide quality content that’s genuinely helpful (and masterfully implemented) to speak to the search engines.
Whether you’ve never heard of it before or know that SEO is the thing you’ve been needing to focus on, here are 5 good reasons to start now:
Increased Visibility
SEO can help you increase your visibility online, making it easier for potential customers to find you. It doesn’t get much simpler than that! A slow economy only means you need to get a little more creative to set yourself apart, and SEO is the best way to do it. It’s like laying a really firm foundation you can keep building on for more and more brand awareness. By optimizing your website for search engines, your HVAC company can increase your visibility and attract new customers actively searching for your services.
We’re speaking to HVAC companies in this particular article, but SEO is critical for every business in today’s economy. So, apply what you read here to your business in whatever industry you fall into.
Increased Trust and Confidence
When your company’s website appears at the top of search engine results, it immediately builds trust and confidence.
You want this, right? We all want this. Scrolling feels hard for some reason, and we don’t want our potential customer working any harder to find us than they already have to, so we want to be on top.
You’ll sleep a lot better at night knowing your business is showing up on Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and high in the ranks on the search engines. It works and it doesn’t take an army to set it up (just a cool team of digital marketers who get it).
Better Targeting
As an HVAC company, SEO allows you to better target your audience by using keywords and phrases that potential customers are searching for. This can help you reach your target audience more effectively and increase your chances of attracting new business. For example, if you specialize in air conditioning repair, you can optimize your website for keywords related to “air conditioning repair.”
In a downturn, there may be some folks out there tempated to fix things themselves, and they’ll look to Google or even YouTube for tips and advice. This is where you can be a guiding support for them, build a relationship with them, and encourage them to partner with you so they can get the reliable help they need. There are limitless possibilities for targeting new audiences with different kinds of content.
Long-Term Benefits
One of the guys around the office always says that good SEO is like growing bamboo. It takes time, you have nurture it, but then it becomes a dense forest that continually provides water. SEO is playing the long game to build your audience.
Once your website is optimized for search engines, it can continue to rank well for years to come, helping you attract new business over and over again. And it’s not looking to change any time soon. Most 2030 marketing forcasts show that SEO will continue to shift and adapt to user preferences online. So if you haven’t started investing in your SEO strategy – now’s the time.
Increased Revenue
And finally the reason we’re all here: SEO can significantly increase your revenue.
When you keep feeding the content machine and putting intentionality into your SEO, you’ll continually have a steady stream of leads coming in so you can pivot your business based on your data and figure out how to service them better and earn more.
Good SEO takes lead generation off the table (in terms of needing your attention), so you have time to think and do what you do best to hit that next level.
The bottom line here is that SEO is an important business strategy to embrace regardless of what the economy’s doing – but a slowdown provides a unique opportunity to set yourself apart by investing in your digital presence. Reach out if you need help or have any questions! We preach it because we’ve seen it work and our clients love our proven frameworks that optimize your brand presence from the inside out.
Power Your SEO with Apple’s Map Pack

It’s finally here! It’s been a long time coming, and now you can finally list your business on Apple’s maps (instantly giving you another platform 45% of people use daily).
Apple’s Business Connect is simple to set up and essentially makes sure that people can find you from their iPhones or tablets. Like Google Business Profile, you can list your services and locations, upload photos and videos, create custom messages, and more that optimizes your SEO. In fact, there’s an entire Map Pack that we think will be huge for home services businesses over the next few years. Since it’s still new, it’s an amazing time to jump on and start using it to grow from the outset.
What is Apple’s Map Pack?

Apple Map Pack is a feature of Apple Maps that shows your business’s information to potential customers. It includes a business’s name, address, phone number, website, and other relevant details that are pretty standard.
The reason we think Apple Map Pack is so huge is because it improves your local SEO rankings, as Apple Maps is an important source of local search results. If you’re a business that serves a local community – get on this!
The more visibility a business has on Apple Maps, the more likely it is to be found in local search results, which can lead to more customers.
One of our clients recently shared:
I have been using Apple Maps Pack for a few months now, and I am incredibly impressed. The maps are incredibly detailed, and the directions are spot on. I have never had an issue finding my way anywhere, and the app is incredibly easy to use. The best part is that it is completely free, which is a huge plus. I highly recommend Apple Maps Pack to anyone looking for an easy-to-use and accelerated mapping app.
How Do I Get Started?

To get started using Apple Map Pack, first, download and install the app from the App Store. Once the app is installed, open it and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the Map Pack. Depending on the version of the Map Pack you’re using, you may need to sign in with your Apple ID or configure a few settings before you can start using the app. Once everything is set up, you can explore the maps, search for places, and use the other features that the Map Pack offers.
Once you’re set up on Apple Maps, ensure you’re good to go on the Google local map pack too. If you’re not set up there yet either, here’s a quick process for getting started:
1. Go to Google My Business (https://www.google.com/business/) and click the “Start Now” button.
2. Sign in with your Google account.
3. Enter the name of your business.
4. Enter your business address.
5. Select a business category from the list.
6. Enter a contact phone number and website URL (if applicable).
7. Click the “Submit” button to finish the setup.
8. Once your business is verified, you can add additional information, such as images, hours of operation, and more.
9. After verifying your business, it will appear on Google Maps and the local map pack.
Okay, that’s our local SEO maps schpiel of the day. I hope this helps you get a little more leverage, and you can always get in touch with us if you have any questions about digital marketing. We’re here to help!
The Content Marketing Ecosystem: Why it Works

When trying to build a brand, it’s important to be consistent with your marketing. In fact, digital marketing is more about communication (which is where content marketing comes into play). No need to spend a lot of time trying to recreate the wheel or think of stuff to write about.
Today, we’re going to teach you how to create a content marketing ecosystem that makes your life a lot easier and results from your marketing that much better.
What Is a Content Ecosystem?
Regardless of whether your business focuses on the automotive industry, home services, or legal issues, a strong content marketing strategy can increase awareness of your company while saving you hours of time spent creating.
You can create an individual blog post, social media post, landing page, and podcast or you can create one piece of content and turn it into 10 so it can be shared across platforms. That’s the beauty of a content marketing ecosystem. It’s more sustainable, way more practical, and keeps dollars for marketing lean while going the distance to hit your goals.
Building a content ecosystem strategy means that you get more intentional by using content across all of your media and marketing channels when you create something worthwhile to your community of prospects and customers. You might write an entire article about your latest services but use key points from the article to make posts on your social media platforms. You might then also decide to make a long-form video about that blog and share it on YouTube.
Additionally, it’s important to use unbiased data to direct the content you create. So be sure to pay attention to what’s resonating in your community and create more of that. Use the 80/20 rule (20% of your content will bring in 80% of the results so always double down on what works). Your personal opinions and experiences are awesome, and they can also prevent you from truly making content that attracts viewers and, ultimately, customers.
Why Is a Content Ecosystem Important?
Having a content marketing ecosystem is essential because it can increase your reach and give you back so much of your time. When you create content that you can use across all your media outlets, you save yourself time and energy of constant creation. Your viewers and prospects want consistency when they go to their social media platform of choice, and they also want to see similar content on your website. While quick and flashy might work for some media channels, many consumers today want to be well-informed on products and services. So our advice is to create content that actually makes a difference in their lives or gets them to think about something in a new way that could truly benefit them.
How To Make a Content Ecosystem

Here’s how to get started:
1. Support the User Experience
No matter where your customers or prospects see your content, you want to ensure that the content supports their experience and that they have a positive interaction with you. You want them to leave every interaction they have with you feeling a little more empowered, inspired, or confident in their choices. Consider the audiences of your different platforms, how old they might be, and how you can tailor what you share to reach a wider audience.
2. Optimize Content
Your audience goes to your website or social media account to search for specific information. Even if it’s just a few people coming to your digital space, make sure that your content is optimized so that viewers leave with the information they need to decide if they want to work with you or purchase your products or services. Keep it simple and make things you think can really help people. Another good way to look at it is to think about who you want to talk to and give them what you have to say.
3. Choose the Right Topics and Tools
Before creating your content ecosystem, analyze your business and your audiences across platforms. Think about what information potential customers might seek when researching topics connected with your company. If you use content based on what your clients want, they’re more likely to take advantage of what you offer. Take advantage of tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion to plan a few great pieces of content every month and hire contractors or a team who can break down every piece and funnel it into your website, email, advertising, and social channels. There’s a lot you can automate with a solid process and good tools.
To recap, creating a content marketing ecosystem simplifies your life, vastly improves your marketing, and offers useful content for your audience and customers. With each post you create moving forward, ask yourself how you can use the content across all of your digital marketing. Give us a call if you need any help.
How to Get More Construction Leads for Your Business

When you have big plans to scale your construction company, getting a steady stream of quality leads is crucial for your growth. You can play the long game through referrals and mailers, or you can take a few (beneficial) shortcuts by utilizing localized digital marketing to tap into your ideal audience. Ready to make waves and get more construction leads? Let’s dive in.
Establish a Niche
While you may very well be able to build and renovate anything and everything, establishing a niche, such as home remodeling, helps your construction company stand out in a massive industry. According to a recent article published in Construction Business Owner, companies specializing in their services win nearly twice as many construction bids as competitors who don’t focus on a particular niche. When establishing your company’s service offerings, align your work with your experience and interests. Monitor your target audience’s needs and ensure the services you offer align with them (and you can execute them flawlessly).
Develop an Engaging Website
In today’s market, you can’t afford to not have a high-quality website. It immediately establishes trust, and it has the power to put you directly in front of everyone in your community searching for *exactly* what you do. As you already know, trust and professionalism are essential because quality matters deeply to your prospects. Keep it simple with clear CTAs and optimize for SEO so you appear higher in the rankings.
Emphasize Your Value

When sharing information about your business, ensure you’re sitting on the same side of the table as your prospect and emphasize your value. Consider creating tips and blog articles that can help someone find the right construction company, and share case studies of the best work on your website and social media. If you provide estimates to clients via email, include a link to a case study in your first communication with a lead to show your company’s value. Do your best to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and showcase what’s in it for them when they work with you.
Create Engaging Content
Engaging content encourages users to respond to, share, and interact with it. Make sure that everything you share addresses your target audience. Use different types of content, experimenting with short-form videos, GIFs, infographics, memes, and images to see what resonates with your core audience. Investing in paid ads can also skyrocket your brand awareness and engagement when done correctly, so work with an agent who gets what you do and can help you be intentional about your paid advertising.
Visit Networking Groups
Networking groups can be a fantastic resource if you want to be recognized as a trusted leader in your community. Nothing will ever replace face-to-face communication and relationship building, so get in touch with your local chamber of commerce and professional groups in your niche. We always suggest your local chamber because they can connect you with companies that might need your construction services or individual community members looking for home services and construction-related needs.
Business Network International (BNI) is another networking group you might want to join. BNI is the largest and most successful networking group, offering access to local and global members in the construction industry.
Make Yourself Useful to Others
In the construction industry, specializing in a particular area can make you more helpful to companies that aren’t experts in the same niche. Look for ways to make your company beneficial to other local companies and take on work that can help you build your presence.
Use these tips to get more construction leads and in turn, grow your construction business. You can stand out in the construction industry by showcasing your company’s best work, networking, and ensuring that your digital presence is engaging. Want to catapult your quality lead gen through strategic digital marketing with an agency that gets it? Contact us today for a free consultation.