Stephen Baker

The Home Service SEO Dude✌️

Probably wearing a black hoodie

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Watch now, and access the spreadsheet:

https://t.co/zLyWykazCS

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

I made a free Google Sheet that calculates your SEO ROI based on the variables that matter

I ALSO made a video breaking down how to access and use the spreadsheet

It's important to note, there are a ton of variables that impact what your ROI will be with SEO - these are just the important ones to consider

Going into an investment like this is not easy, especially if you've never done SEO before

The goal of this spreadsheet is to show you how, when different variables and systems change in your business, your results change

Video link is in the comments below, check it out ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Watch now: https://t.co/5AIV37pdqL

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Last week, Google announced its biggest update to search in 25 years

Yes, you've probably seen this headline dozens of times at this point

No, SEO is not dead

But the way your customers get recommended businesses is fundamentally changing, and if you're a local business, you need to be ready for it

A couple of the changes are:

- Google is adding AI agents to search
- New search results UI
- Data visualization directly in search results

What this actually means for you:

- AI is going to be scanning and analyzing businesses to recommend
- Google Maps may be the primary way you get recommended to local clients
- Clients might be able to get visual quotes from Google before calling you

If any of these sounds like it might impact your business, you should watch my newest video breaking down how you need to prepare - especially if you're a home service business

Link in comments ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

@Seozilla_ai Yessir!

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Your competitors are optimizing for AI search, and you're getting left behind.

How do I know? Because we work with your competitors and they're taking your leads with it.

Our remodelling clients rank on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI when someone searches "best kitchen remodellers in [city]."

50%+ of homeowners now use ChatGPT to research contractors before hiring

Here's what's happening right now:

A homeowner asks ChatGPT: "Who should I hire for kitchen remodelling in my area?"

ChatGPT recommends 3 contractors.

Your competitors are on that list. You're not.

> That homeowner never even knows you exist.
> They don't visit your website.
> They don't call you.
> They don't request a quote.

You lost a $40K job and you didn't even know you were competing for it.

This is happening hundreds of times per month in your market.

While you're dumping money into ads and hoping for referrals, your competitors are getting cited by AI and capturing leads you don't even see.

The gap is widening fast.

Contractors who rank on AI are getting 50% more inbound leads than those who don't.

They're closing jobs before you even get a call.

They're building authority while you're invisible.

In 12 months, the remodelers who ignored AI search will be irrelevant.

Their competitors will have captured the entire AI-driven market.

I just broke down the exact 5-step strategy we use to get remodeling clients cited on every AI platform:

1. Specialize in one niche
2. Local citations/directories
3. Strategic blog content
4. Service + location landing pages
5. Keyword-rich reviews

These tactics help our clients add hundreds of thousands in revenue.

(Video link in comments)

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Watch now: https://t.co/4ILUyx1b51

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Most contractors rely 100% on Google Ads for leads and they're missing the biggest opportunity in their market.

Here's what I mean:

Contractor A:

Spends $1,000/month on Google Ads

Gets 132 clicks

Contractor B:

Spends $1,000/month on SEO

Gets 4,200 clicks

If Contractor B paid Google Ads for that same traffic? $54,000/month.

Why the massive difference?

When someone searches "contractors near me," here's what they see:

1. Sponsored ads (top of page)
2. Google Business Profiles (Map Pack)
3. Organic website links

Contractor A pays Google to show up in the sponsored ads.

Contractor B invested in SEO to rank organically in the Map Pack and organic website results.

The trust factor:

When customers see a sponsored ad, they know you paid to be there.

When they see you ranking organically? They assume you're the best in the area.

Google doesn't just hand out #1 rankings. You earn them.

The cost difference:

Google Ads: Pay forever. Stop paying → leads stop immediately.

SEO: Pay upfront. Stop paying → leads keep coming for months/years.
The reality:

Every contractor taking your leads is ranking organically on Google.

They know SEO builds more trust than ads.

They know organic clicks cost a fraction of paid clicks.

They invested in SEO 6-12 months ago while you kept dumping money into ads.

What to do:

Start SEO now.

Not instead of ads—alongside ads.

Use ads for immediate leads while SEO builds in the background.

In 6 months, your cost per lead drops dramatically.

In 12 months, you're getting 10x the traffic at the same budget.

Your competitors figured this out years ago.

That's why they dominate Google Maps and organic search.

Time to catch up.

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Get a full SEO audit for free in 2 minutes using Claude AI.

1. Go to Google Search Console
2. Click Performance → Export → Download CSV
3. Upload to https://t.co/PNYxj9GptL
4. Use this prompt (comment "SEO" and I'll send it)

What you get:
> Full SEO report with your stats
> Most urgent website issues
> Prioritized action items to rank higher
> Step-by-step fix instructions

Why this matters:

> Contractors pay $500+ for SEO audits.
> This gives you the same thing. Free.

It will tell you:

> Pages not indexed
> Low CTR on valuable keywords
> Why you're ranking #8 instead of #3

Takes 5 minutes

Comment "SEO" below for the prompt.

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

@noahiglerSEO If it sucks then yes - in that case miro is definitely better haha

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Got a new apartment so I could have extra rooms for an office instead of having to work in a living room

Now I only work in my living room cause the vibes are so good

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

@stevenbaterina First one is sick

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Watch now: https://t.co/tcuvPDvCGZ

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Most painting contractors struggle to get leads consistently.

Here's why:

Problem #1: Targeting the wrong keywords

You're trying to rank for "painters" or "house painters"

Broad keywords = unclear intent + impossible to rank

Could be someone looking for a job, buying paint, or commercial work

You're wasting time on keywords that won't bring qualified leads

Problem #2: Not enough content on your website**

You have 5 pages: Home, About, Services, Gallery, Contact

Your competitor has 30+ pages and dominates Google

You're invisible because Google has nothing to rank

Problem #3: Your pages aren't even indexed

You paid for SEO. Built 50 pages.

Google doesn't know they exist because the sitemap was never submitted

All that work = zero rankings

Problem #4: Random blog strategy

You blog because "it helps SEO"

No plan. No strategy. No leads.

Your blogs get traffic but generate nothing

Problem #5: Not showing up on ChatGPT

50%+ of customers research on AI before hiring

They ask ChatGPT "who should I hire for painting?"

Your competitor gets cited. You don't.

You're invisible to half your market.

The result:

You rely on referrals and word of mouth (unpredictable)

Leads dry up randomly

You can't scale

Competitors with worse work outrank you

I broke down exactly how we helped a painting company generate 6,000+ leads in 12 months by fixing these problems.

video link in comments

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Why do some painting companies rank #1 on Google Maps while others are invisible?

Google tells us exactly how they rank businesses in the local map pack.

3 factors: Relevance, Distance, Prominence.

Here's how to maximize each one:

Factor #1: Relevance

How well your profile matches what customers search.

When someone searches "painters near me," Google looks at:

> Your primary category
> Supporting categories
> Business description
> Services listed

Make sure you include keywords customers actually use:

- Painter
- Home Painter
- Residential Painter
- Exterior Painter
- Interior Painter

Don't just say "Painting Services."

Be specific.

Factor #2: Distance

How far your business is from the searcher.

If you service multiple cities, set up separate Google Business Profiles for each.

Why?

If your profile is 10km away, you're competing with businesses 1-2km away from the customer.

You'll lose.

One profile per city = easier to rank in each location.

Factor #3: Prominence

How well-known your business is (authority).

What builds prominence:

Get listed on major directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB, HomeStars)

More mentions across the web = higher Google rankings

Reviews—but consistency matters more than volume

Better to get 2 reviews/week for a year than 200 reviews in one month then nothing.

Google rewards consistent activity.

Also: Respond to every review. Google sees engagement and rewards it.

Bottom line:

Optimize all 3 factors consistently and you'll rank in the top 3 local map pack.

Most painting companies ignore these basics.

That's your opportunity.

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

This $20 website tool got us 90 HVAC leads in a month

And now, it gets us leads on autopilot - we just set it up once, and it runs 24/7

Comment "HVAC," and I'll send you:

>A breakdown of WHAT this tool is (no, it's not a CRM or AI chatbot)
>How we used it
>Why it works for HVAC companies
>How to implement it on your website

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Watch here: https://t.co/WaJju5gq5X

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Just did an interview with one of our clients, Fadi, who runs Heartwood Fence (Fence installers)

He crossed $1,000,000 in his second year of business, with SEO contributing over 25% of that

Check it out (link in comments)

[Stephen Baker @stephendbaker]

Considering how competitive VB is, these are some pretty good Google Maps rankings for this fence SEO client of ours

All things considered, fence installation is pretty solid - most places have low competition, and the average tickets are high

Case study coming soon 💸