Home-improvement / service trades
Buried on page 2 → Top 3 in 82 days.
The phone started ringing. Not a spike - a new normal. Here’s the reverse-engineered process, step by step.
What we actually did - in order
They were on page 2 for every keyword that mattered. Zero Map Pack visibility. Reviews were strong, service was excellent - but invisible to the customers searching daily. Here’s how we changed that.
- 01Keyword research
We mapped the exact searches their best customers were running - service + neighborhood, intent + competition. The phrases that lead to phone calls, not just traffic.
For this clientMapped 18 priority service + SF-neighborhood combinations - the queries actually generating phone calls in their service area.
- 02Brand alignment
Tightened how the business is presented across every public touchpoint - name, voice, value prop, ICP - so Google and humans see one coherent operation.
For this clientTightened service category language so Google Business Profile, website, and citations all signal the same specialty.
- 03Access to GA4, GSC & GBP
Established admin access to Google Analytics 4, Search Console, and Google Business Profile. Before this step, nobody could see what was actually moving.
For this clientPulled GA4 + GSC + GBP into the same monthly view. Identified the baseline: page 2+, zero Map Pack visibility.
- 04Website audit
Crawled every page. Found what was slow, what was unindexed, what was hurting rankings. Identified the on-page work that would compound when the rest landed.
For this clientFound 14 abandoned profiles, 23 NAP inconsistencies, missing LocalBusiness schema, and generic on-page copy that didn't signal neighborhood relevance.
- 05Updates, fixes & foundations
Executed the audit findings - title tags, schema, NAP cleanup across citations, page speed, local content. The unglamorous work most agencies skip.
For this clientRewrote titles/metas/H1s on every service page. Added full LocalBusiness schema with geo + hours. Fixed all 23 NAP inconsistencies across 14 directories.
- 06Link building
Earned authority from credible local sources. Editorial placements, neighborhood directories, industry-specific platforms - no PBNs, no shortcuts.
For this clientEarned editorial placements from 3 SF-specific publications and built a clean profile of in-context local links.
The phone started ringing.Consistently. Not a spike - a new normal. Jobs they would have lost to competitors started landing on their calendar. That’s the only metric that actually changed the business.