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 ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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 ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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)
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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)
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 💸