Marketing for service businesses, not tech startups
Web, SEO, paid ads, content, email/SMS, and reputation — all built around how local service businesses actually grow. We don't sell vanity metrics. We measure dollars in, dollars out.
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What this is — and what it's not
We don't run flashy campaigns or chase impressions. We figure out where your customers actually come from (referrals, Google, repeat work, neighborhoods) and double down on what already works. Then we add channels that pay back inside 90 days. Operator-led, ROI-tied, no agency fluff.
What's Included
Local-first SEO
Google Business Profile, Maps presence, local backlinks, neighborhood-level keywords. Built for shops competing in real PNW cities, not generic 'service area' SEO.
Web that converts
Most service business sites are pretty but don't book jobs. We rebuild for one thing: turning visitors into booked calls or filled forms.
Paid ads that pay back
Google + Meta ads tied to actual job revenue. We track which ad → which lead → which paid invoice. No mystery, no 'awareness' line items.
Email + SMS that respects your list
Recurring campaigns to past customers + winback flows. Most shops never email their best customers. We fix that.
Channels we cover
Not every channel makes sense for every shop. We figure out which 2-3 are worth your money before we spend a dollar.
SEO (local + on-page + GBP)
Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, on-page fixes, neighborhood-level keyword targeting, and Maps ranking work.
Paid Ads (Google + Meta)
Google Search, Performance Max, Meta lead ads. Conversion tracking wired to your CRM so we measure actual booked jobs, not clicks.
Web (build + conversion)
New sites or rebuilds focused on one thing: getting visitors to call, text, or fill the form. Mobile-first, fast, ADA-aware.
Email + SMS
Past-customer winbacks, monthly newsletters, seasonal offers, missed-call text-back. EN + ES segments where it matters.
Content (blog + GBP posts)
Job-focused articles, weekly Google Business Profile posts, local FAQ pages. Built to rank and to answer real customer questions.
Reputation (reviews + responses)
Automated review requests after every job + pro response templates. Tied into our Reputation engine if you want it fully managed.
What we don't do
Most service businesses get burned by marketing because the agency was selling something else. Here's what we refuse to do.
- We don't run brand awareness campaigns with no measurable ROI
- We don't promise top-3 Google rankings in 30 days (anyone who does is lying)
- We don't lock you into 12-month agency contracts
- We don't bill for 'creative direction' hours or strategy decks that never ship
- We don't ghost you when the ad spend doesn't work — we tell you why and adjust
Snohomish County trades shop, 90 days in
Before (Month 0)
- 12 leads/month, 100% from referrals
- $0/mo on paid ads
- Google Business Profile unverified, no posts, 11 reviews
- Website 5+ years old, 6-second load, no mobile booking
- No tracking — owner couldn't tell which jobs came from where
After (Day 90)
- 38 leads/month — 3.2x increase
- $2K/mo paid ads at $5.50 cost-per-lead
- GBP optimized, 4-5 new reviews/month automated, ranked top 3 in Maps
- New site shipped: 1.8s load, mobile booking, EN/ES
- Full attribution: every lead tagged by source, every job tied back
Bottom line: Total invested in 90 days: $4,500 build + $1,500/mo ongoing + $6K ad spend = ~$12K. Net new revenue attributable: $58K. Payback period: under 60 days.
How agencies fail service businesses
We've cleaned up after enough of them to see the pattern. The way most outside marketing help is structured is the problem, not the people.
| Generic Agency | Freelancer | Cornerstone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Brand-first, polished decks | Tactical, one channel deep | Operator-led, full-funnel |
| Metrics | Impressions, reach, CPM | Whatever they're good at | Booked jobs, paid invoices |
| Pricing | Fixed retainer, regardless of results | Cheap until you scale | Audit-first, then quoted to outcome |
| Strategy | Generic playbook applied to all clients | Often none | 30-day audit before any ongoing engagement |
| Lock-in | 12-month contracts, opaque cancellation | Disappears at the worst time | Month-to-month after build, accounts always yours |
| Reporting | Monthly slide deck of vanity metrics | Spreadsheet if you ask | Live ROI dashboard + bi-weekly call |
Approach
Metrics
Pricing
Strategy
Lock-in
Reporting
Pricing
We start with an audit. After that, we'll quote a build + monthly. Below are starting ranges. Ad spend is always separate and goes directly to the platform.
Marketing Audit
Full audit of your current marketing and a prioritized action plan.
- GBP, web, SEO, ads, and email reviewed
- Competitor scan in your service area
- Prioritized 90-day action plan
- Quick-win list (under $500 fixes)
- 30-min walkthrough call
Not included
- Implementation work (this is diagnosis only)
- Done-for-you fixes (we hand off the plan)
Build + Launch
We rebuild your web/SEO/ads foundation in 30-60 days.
- New high-converting site (or rebuild)
- GBP optimization + local SEO setup
- Initial Google + Meta ad campaigns
- Tracking + reporting wired up
- 30 days of post-launch tuning
Not included
- Ad spend (paid directly to Google/Meta, you own the accounts)
- Custom photo/video shoots (priced separately if needed)
Monthly Marketing
Ongoing campaigns, content, ad management, and reporting.
- Monthly content + GBP posts
- Ad management (budget separate)
- Email + SMS campaigns
- Monthly ROI report
- Bi-weekly check-in calls
Not included
- Ad spend (separate, your accounts)
- Major site overhauls (folded into a Build engagement)
Industries we know
Marketing isn't generic. A plumber's Google ad, a CPA's email sequence, and an auto shop's GBP post are not interchangeable. Here's how we tailor it.
Trades & Construction
Emergency keywords, job-site photos in GBP, after-hours missed-call recovery, neighborhood targeting.
Professional Services
Authority content, LinkedIn presence, gated lead magnets, longer nurture sequences for high-ticket buyers.
Auto & Fleet
Service-specific landing pages, Maps Pack dominance, fleet/B2B campaigns separate from retail consumer ads.
Local Service & Community
Bilingual EN/ES creative, hyperlocal keywords, community sponsorship leverage, repeat-customer reactivation.
Who this is for
- Service businesses doing $500K-$10M who want predictable lead flow
- Shops getting most leads from referrals and want to add a second channel
- Owners tired of agencies that show vanity dashboards instead of revenue
- Bilingual markets (we run campaigns in EN and ES)
- Operators who want to own their accounts and data, not be held hostage
FAQ
Do you handle the ad budget?+
We manage the campaigns. The ad spend is separate and goes directly to Google/Meta. You always own the accounts and the data — if we ever part ways, nothing leaves with us.
How long until we see results?+
Quick wins (GBP, web fixes, missed-call text-back) inside weeks. SEO compounds over 3-6 months. Paid ads start generating leads in days but need 30-60 days of tuning to hit efficient cost-per-lead.
Do you require a contract?+
Monthly is month-to-month. Build engagements have a defined scope and timeline, but no long-term lock-in beyond the build period.
Can you work with my existing CRM?+
Yes. We integrate with most CRMs and tracking tools. If you're using ours, even tighter integration. See our CRM & Pipeline service for that side of the stack.
What's the smallest budget you work with?+
$1,500/mo for management is the floor for ongoing. For paid ads, we generally don't recommend running below $1,000/mo in spend — there isn't enough data to optimize.
Pairs well with
Marketing is one piece of the system. These are the services that compound when you run them together.
Reputation & Reviews
Better reviews = lower cost-per-lead on Google. Tightly coupled to local SEO.
Learn moreCRM & Pipeline
If leads aren't followed up in under 5 minutes, marketing spend is wasted. We fix the back end.
Learn moreFree 15-min audit
We tell you the 1-2 things that will move the needle without spending more.
Learn moreWant to know where your marketing is bleeding money?
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