What we have learned running marketing for local businesses.
Articles written from what we see in our clients’ numbers every month. No gated PDFs, no email required.
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Why Is Google Spending My Whole Ad Budget So Fast?
Summary: If your Google Ads budget disappears by mid-afternoon or runs out before the month ends, you are not being overcharged. Your daily budget is an average, not a hard ceiling, and Google can spend up to twice your daily…
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Should I Run Ads on Bing Too, or Just Stick With Google?
Summary: Microsoft Advertising (Bing) gets a fraction of Google’s search volume, but the clicks are typically 30 to 50 percent cheaper and the audience often has more buying power. For most local service businesses, Bing is not a replacement for…
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Should I Pay for Leads from Sites Like Angi or Thumbtack?
Summary: Pay-per-lead platforms like Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, and Networx can fill your schedule fast, but they come with real tradeoffs. You are renting access to customers, competing with several other pros on the same lead, and often paying for inquiries…
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How Long Should I Run Google Ads Before I Know If They’re Working?
Summary: Most local service businesses pull the plug on Google Ads too early, then assume “ads don’t work for my industry.” In reality, a new search campaign needs roughly 4 to 6 weeks and 30 to 50 conversions before you…
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Do I Need a Landing Page for My Google Ads, or Can I Just Use My Homepage?
Summary: Sending Google Ads traffic to your homepage almost always costs you money. A dedicated landing page focused on one service and one action will usually convert two to three times better than a homepage, and it can lower your…
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How Much Should I Budget for Google Ads Each Month?
Summary: A practical Google Ads budget for a local service business usually starts between $1,500 and $5,000 per month, but the right number depends on your average ticket, your local cost-per-click, and how many calls you need to close one…
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Why a Snapshot Lies and a Trend Tells the Truth
Every pitch you have ever received contained a snapshot. Three honest reasons single-frame reporting misleads, and what to insist on instead.
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The Record Month That Wasn’t a Win
A client’s busiest month ever, what the report card said, what the evidence said, and the two questions to ask before you bank a good month.
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Why Marketing Wins Don’t Repeat
The standard marketing workflow is missing the steps that make results repeatable. What the disciplined version looks like, walked through a real problem, plus five questions to keep.
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How Do I Track Which Marketing Is Bringing Me Customers?
Summary: Knowing which marketing channel actually brings you customers is one of the biggest blind spots for local business owners, and most of us guess wrong about it. The fix is a simple combination: ask every new customer how they…