The Five Steps Between a Google Search and a Booked Job
Most service businesses only track leads and jobs, missing the three steps in between where customers actually disappear. Here's the full path and where to fix it.
September 6, 2026Read
5 Signs Your Marketing Agency Isn't Actually Working for You
Vague reports, no calls to show for it, and a contract you can't get out of. Here's how to tell if your marketing agency is earning its fee.
August 19, 2026Read
"Near Me" Searches: How Sacramento-Area Customers Actually Pick a Business
When someone searches "plumber near me" in Sacramento, Google decides who they see before they ever visit a website. Here's what actually drives that decision.
August 16, 2026Read
How to Get Your Business Ready for Google Before Your Busy Season Hits
Waiting until your busy season starts to work on your Google ranking means you're already behind. Here's when to start and what actually moves the needle.
August 10, 2026Read
Why a Customer Might See Your Business Five Times Before They Call
One good Google search rarely closes the job. Here's why customers need to see your business several times before they pick up the phone, and how to control that.
August 8, 2026Read
Why Yelp Doesn't Matter as Much as Google for Local Service Businesses
Most service business owners spend more time managing Yelp than Google. Here's why that priority is backwards, and where local customers actually look first.
August 7, 2026Read
Service Area Business or Storefront? Why Your Google Setup Might Be Costing You Calls
Most contractors set up their Google Business Profile once and never look at it again. Here's why the service area vs. storefront setting matters more than you think.
August 4, 2026Read
How a Local HVAC Tech Competes With a National Chain Down the Street
A national chain just opened nearby with a bigger ad budget than you'll ever have. Here's how local Sacramento-area service businesses still win the call.
July 27, 2026Read
What Schema Markup Actually Does For Your Business Website
Schema markup is the invisible code that helps Google and AI tools understand your business. Here's what it does, why it matters for local service businesses, and how to check if you have it.
July 25, 2026Read
Why Your Google Business Profile Photos Matter More Than You Think
Your Google Business Profile photos shape whether a customer calls or scrolls past. Here's what to post, how often, and what to skip.
July 23, 2026Read
Why Duplicate Google Business Profile Listings Are Costing You Calls
Duplicate Google Business Profile listings split your reviews and confuse Google's ranking system. Here's how to find them and fix it.
July 21, 2026Read
Renting Leads vs. Owning Your Local Search Presence
Angi and Thumbtack sell you a lead once. Local SEO keeps sending them. Here's why the cheaper option on paper often costs more over time.
July 20, 2026Read
Google Local Services Ads: Are They Worth It for a Service Business?
Google Local Services Ads put a green checkmark next to your name and charge you per lead, not per click. Here's how they work and when they're worth it.
July 19, 2026Read
Why Your Google Business Profile Category Might Be Costing You Jobs
Your Google Business Profile category decides which searches you show up for. Here's why the wrong one is quietly costing local service businesses calls.
July 18, 2026Read
How Long Local SEO Actually Takes to Work
Local SEO isn't instant. Here's a realistic timeline for when Sacramento-area service businesses can expect to see calls and rankings move.
July 13, 2026Read
The Google Business Profile Section You're Probably Ignoring
Google Business Profile has a Q&A section where anyone can post a question or answer one, including strangers. Here's why that matters and how to take it back.
July 9, 2026Read
Google Ads or SEO First? How to Decide With a Limited Budget
Local service businesses often can't afford both Google Ads and SEO at once. Here's how to figure out which one actually fixes your biggest problem first.
July 8, 2026Read
The Google Business Profile Feature Most Local Businesses Never Touch
Google Business Profile lets you post updates, offers, and photos directly into search results. Most local businesses never touch the feature, and that's a missed opportunity worth fixing.
July 5, 2026Read
How to Respond to a Bad Google Review Without Making It Worse
A one-star review just showed up on your Google Business Profile. Here's how to respond in a way that protects your reputation instead of fueling the fire.
July 4, 2026Read
Why Your Business Name, Address, and Phone Number Need to Match Everywhere Online
A wrong phone number on one old directory listing can quietly hurt your Google ranking. Here's what NAP consistency means and how to fix it.
July 2, 2026Read
Why Responding to Google Reviews Brings In More Business
Getting Google reviews is only half the job. How you respond to each one shapes what potential customers decide before they ever call.
July 1, 2026Read
Why Your Competitor Is Showing Up on Google Maps (And You're Not)
A competitor keeps appearing above you on Google Maps. There's a reason, and it's fixable. Here's what Google looks at and what you can do about it.
June 29, 2026Read
Why You Need More Google Reviews (And a Simple System to Get Them)
Google reviews do two jobs: convince potential customers to call you, and tell Google you're worth showing. Here's why most local businesses don't have enough, and a simple system to fix that.
June 28, 2026Read
Why Word of Mouth Isn't Enough Anymore for Local Service Businesses
A referral used to close the deal. Now there's a step in the middle: the Google search. Here's what potential customers find when they look you up — and how to make sure it holds up.
June 25, 2026Read
How to Look Credible Online When a Potential Customer Googles You at 9pm
Most customers decide who to call before they ever pick up the phone. Here's what they see when they search for your business after hours—and how to make sure you pass the test.
June 22, 2026Read
Why a Slow Website Costs You More Than a Bad-Looking One
A slow website drives customers away before they read a single word. Here's what page speed costs Sacramento-area service businesses and how to check yours in 60 seconds.
June 17, 2026Read
What Local SEO Actually Is (Explained for Business Owners, Not Marketers)
Local SEO determines whether your business shows up when someone nearby searches for what you do. Here's what it means and what moves the needle.
June 16, 2026Read
Why Your Google Business Profile Matters More Than Your Website
Most customers searching for a local service never visit your website before calling. They decide from your Google Business Profile. Here's what that means for your business.
June 13, 2026Read
Why Your Competitor Is Showing Up on Google Maps and You're Not
You searched for your own service in your city and someone else's name came up first. Here's why that happens, and what it takes to fix it.
June 10, 2026Read
What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and Why Local Businesses Should Pay Attention
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are changing how people find local businesses. Here's what generative engine optimization is, how it works, and what small businesses in Sacramento and the surrounding region can do about it now.
June 9, 2026Read
Why Sacramento-Area Customers Google You Before They Call
Most customers have already decided whether to trust you before the phone rings. Here's what they look for, and how to make sure they like what they find.
June 9, 2026Read
Why "Set It and Forget It" Doesn't Work for Small Business Websites
A website isn't a sign you hang on a building. It's closer to a vehicle: stop maintaining it, and it stops working for you.
June 8, 2026Read
The Three Things Google Looks at When Ranking Local Businesses
Most business owners treat local SEO as a mystery. Google ranking comes down to three factors. Here's what they are and what to do about each one.
June 7, 2026Read
How to Get More Google Reviews Without Asking Every Customer Yourself
Google reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals, and most businesses don't collect them systematically. Here's how to automate review requests after every job.
June 2, 2026Read
5 Local SEO Mistakes Sacramento Small Businesses Make (And How to Fix Them)
Most Sacramento small businesses lose rankings to a handful of avoidable local SEO errors. Here are the five we find most often, with the fix for each one.
April 15, 2026Read