Straight answers. No lead magnet.
69 questions service-business owners actually ask — answered directly, with the parts most agencies leave out. Nothing gated, no email required.
69 direct answers for service-business owners on local SEO, answer engine optimization, websites, Google Ads and Local Services Ads, AI phone answering, CRM and follow-up, reviews, and marketing budgets — written by Derik Bannister, an Oregon operator who builds these systems.
69 answers
What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?
Answer engine optimization is the work of getting your business named and cited when someone asks an AI assistant a question —…
AI & Answer EnginesHow do I get my business mentioned by ChatGPT?
Assistants name businesses they can verify from multiple independent sources. The reliable path is: a website that states plainly…
AI & Answer EnginesWhat is the difference between AEO and SEO?
SEO earns a ranking position so someone clicks through to your site. AEO earns a citation inside an answer someone reads without…
AI & Answer EnginesWhat is llms.txt and does my website need one?
llms.txt is a plain-text file at the root of your site that summarizes what your business does and links to your most important…
AI & Answer EnginesShould I block AI crawlers on my website?
For a local service business, no. Blocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot and the rest removes you from the answers your buyers…
AI & Answer EnginesHow do AI assistants decide which contractor to recommend?
They assemble an answer from sources they can verify: your website, your Google Business Profile, review platforms, directories,…
AI & Answer EnginesWhat schema markup does a service business website need?
At minimum: LocalBusiness (or a more specific type like Plumber or RoofingContractor) with your name, phone, address or service…
AI & Answer EnginesWill AI search kill local SEO for contractors?
It changes the shape of it, not the substance. AI answers reduce clicks on informational searches — "how much does a new roof…
AI & Answer EnginesHow do I track traffic from ChatGPT and other AI assistants?
Check referral sources in your analytics for chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai, gemini.google.com, and copilot.microsoft.com. That…
AI & Answer EnginesDoes my Google Business Profile affect what AI says about my business?
Yes — heavily. The profile is one of the most structured, most trusted records about a local business anywhere online, and…
Local SEOHow long does local SEO take to work?
Expect early map-pack movement in one to three months, meaningful ranking change in four to six, and compounding results after…
Local SEOHow do I rank in the Google map pack?
Map-pack ranking is driven by relevance, distance, and prominence. Practically: a fully built Google Business Profile in the…
Local SEODo city pages still work for SEO?
Yes, when each page is genuinely about that city — the neighborhoods and county you serve, the work you actually do there, local…
Local SEOHow many pages should a contractor website have?
One page per service you sell, one per town you actually serve, plus hubs, an about page, contact, and an FAQ section. For most…
Local SEOWhy is my competitor outranking me when my work is better?
Rankings measure signals, not craftsmanship. The usual gap is one of four things: they have more recent reviews, their Google…
Local SEOWhat is a service area business on Google?
A service area business serves customers at their location and has no storefront customers visit. On Google Business Profile you…
Local SEOHow many Google reviews do I need to compete?
Enough to be credible against the top three in your market — look them up and aim past the median. More important than total…
Local SEODo backlinks still matter for local SEO?
Yes, but fewer and better than most agencies sell. For a local service business the links that move rankings are local and…
Local SEOWhat are local citations and do they still matter?
A citation is any listing of your business name, address, and phone number on another site — directories, chambers, review…
Local SEOHow do I rank in multiple cities without an office in each one?
Through your website, not your Google profile. The profile ranks mostly by proximity to the searcher, but website pages can rank…
Local SEOWhy did my Google rankings suddenly drop?
The usual causes, in order: a Google algorithm update, a change someone made to your website, a Google Business Profile edit or…
Local SEODoes my contractor website need a blog?
Only if you will keep it current and write about things buyers actually search. Twelve strong pages answering real questions —…
WebsitesHow much does a contractor website cost?
DIY builders run roughly $20–50 a month. Freelancers typically charge $2,000–8,000 for a custom build. Agencies commonly quote…
WebsitesWordPress or a static website — which is better for a contractor?
Static wins on speed, security, and cost: no database, no plugins, nothing to hack or update, and near-instant load times.…
WebsitesHow fast should my website load?
Aim for the main content to appear in under 2.5 seconds on a phone over cellular data — that is Google's Largest Contentful Paint…
WebsitesDo I own my website if an agency builds it?
Only if your contract says so. Many agencies retain the domain, the code, or both — and a common local-marketing model licenses…
WebsitesWhat pages does a service business website need?
A homepage that states the trade and the service area, one page per service, one per city served, an about page with real…
WebsitesShould I put prices on my website?
Put ranges on it, not exact quotes. "Most gutter replacements in this area run $1,800–4,500 depending on linear footage and…
WebsitesHow do I move my website away from my current provider?
Get control of the domain registrar first, then export the site content, then rebuild or migrate before changing anything public.…
WebsitesWhat are Core Web Vitals and do they matter?
Three measurements Google uses to score page experience: Largest Contentful Paint (how fast the main content appears),…
Paid AdsGoogle Ads or Local Services Ads — which should a contractor run?
Local Services Ads first for most home-service trades: they sit above regular ads, carry the Google Guaranteed badge, and charge…
Paid AdsHow much should a contractor spend on Google Ads?
Work backwards from job value, not from a percentage. If your average job profits $1,200 and you close one in four leads, you can…
Paid AdsWhat is the Google Guaranteed badge and is it worth it?
It is a green checkmark on Local Services Ads showing Google verified your license, insurance, and background check, backed by a…
Paid AdsWhy are my Google Ads leads so bad?
Almost always targeting. Broad match keywords without a strong negative list will spend your budget on people researching DIY,…
Paid AdsDo Facebook and Instagram ads work for contractors?
They work for offers people buy on sight — turf, fencing, decks, remodels, pools, roofing after a storm — and for staying visible…
Paid AdsWhat is a good cost per lead for home services?
The only meaningful benchmark is your own economics: acceptable cost per lead equals job profit times close rate, minus your…
Paid AdsShould I invest in SEO or ads first?
Ads for cash flow now, SEO for cost per lead later. If you need jobs this month, ads are the only channel that delivers on that…
Paid AdsHow do I stop wasting money on ads?
Track calls to their source, read your search terms report weekly, build a real negative keyword list, tighten your service area…
Calls & AnsweringWhat is an AI receptionist and how does it work?
It is software that answers your phone in a natural voice, asks the questions you would ask, books the appointment on your…
Calls & AnsweringWill customers hang up on an AI receptionist?
Fewer than hang up on voicemail. Current voice systems answer in under two seconds, speak naturally, and handle interruptions —…
Calls & AnsweringHow many jobs do contractors lose to missed calls?
More than most owners believe, because missed calls leave no record to review. Pull your phone records for last month, count…
Calls & AnsweringAI receptionist or a live answering service — which is better?
A live service is better for genuinely complex, emotionally sensitive calls. AI is better on speed, cost, consistency, and volume…
Calls & AnsweringWhat is missed call text back?
An automation that sends an immediate text to anyone whose call you did not answer — typically "Sorry we missed you, this is…
Calls & AnsweringHow fast should I respond to a new lead?
Minutes, not hours. Home-service buyers typically contact several companies in one sitting and hire whoever responds first with a…
Calls & AnsweringCan AI actually book jobs on my calendar?
Yes. Voice systems can read live availability, offer real slots, respect drive-time and crew rules, book the appointment, and…
CRM & Follow-UpWhat CRM should a contractor use?
The one your crew will actually update. For most small service businesses that means a field-service platform with scheduling,…
CRM & Follow-UpHow many times should I follow up on an estimate?
At least five to seven touches over two to three weeks, mixing text, email, and a call. Most quotes are abandoned after one or…
CRM & Follow-UpHow do I get more repeat customers?
Contact the list you already have on a schedule tied to how your service actually recurs — seasonal reminders, maintenance…
CRM & Follow-UpWhat is speed to lead and why does it matter?
Speed to lead is the elapsed time between someone contacting you and you contacting them back. It is among the most predictive…
CRM & Follow-UpHow do I know which marketing is actually working?
Put a unique tracking number on each channel, tag every lead with its source, and report on cost per booked job rather than…
CRM & Follow-UpShould I text my customers?
Yes, for operational messages — appointment confirmations, arrival windows, quote follow-ups, review requests. Texts get read…
Reviews & ReputationHow do I get more Google reviews?
Ask every customer, every job, immediately after the work is done, with a direct link that takes one tap. Automating the request…
Reviews & ReputationCan I delete a bad Google review?
Not directly. You can flag it for removal, and Google removes reviews that violate its policies — spam, conflicts of interest,…
Reviews & ReputationShould I respond to negative reviews?
Always, and quickly. The response is not for the reviewer — it is for the dozens of prospects reading it later. A short, factual,…
Reviews & ReputationIs it illegal to pay for reviews?
In the United States, buying fake reviews and testimonials is prohibited by FTC rules and can carry civil penalties. It also…
Hiring & BudgetShould I hire a marketing agency or do it myself?
Do the parts that are cheap and high-leverage yourself: the Google Business Profile, asking for reviews, taking job photos,…
Hiring & BudgetWhat should a contractor spend on marketing?
Commonly cited ranges for established service businesses fall between 5% and 10% of revenue, with newer businesses or those…
Hiring & BudgetWhat should I ask before hiring a marketing agency?
Who does the actual work; what specifically ships each month; do I own the domain, site, content, and data; what happens if I…
Hiring & BudgetWhy do marketing agencies require long contracts?
Partly legitimate — SEO takes months, and a month-to-month client who quits in week six was never going to see results. Partly…
Hiring & BudgetWhat is a fair price for monthly local SEO?
For a single-location service business, common market rates run roughly $500–2,500 a month depending on competition and scope.…
Hiring & BudgetHow does a small contractor compete with a national franchise?
On speed, specificity, and proof. You answer faster, you can be genuinely local on every page instead of running a corporate…
Hiring & BudgetHow do I grow from one truck to a fleet?
Fix lead flow and lead handling before adding trucks. A second truck without enough qualified demand halves everyone's…
Hiring & BudgetHow do I fire my marketing agency without losing everything?
Secure the assets before you give notice: domain registrar login, website files, Google Business Profile ownership, ad account…
West Coast MarketsHow do I market a contracting business in Oregon?
Lead with your CCB license number — Oregon buyers are trained to check it — build city pages for the towns you actually drive to…
West Coast MarketsHow do I market a contracting business in Washington?
Show your L&I contractor registration and bond prominently, treat the Puget Sound corridor and Eastern Washington as separate…
West Coast MarketsHow do I market a contracting business in California?
Display your CSLB license number — California requires it in advertising for licensed work — target sub-metro areas rather than…
West Coast MarketsDo I need a separate website for each city I serve?
No. Separate domains per city split your authority, multiply maintenance, and historically get treated as doorway sites. One…
West Coast MarketsHow do I choose which cities to target?
Start with where your existing customers already are — pull addresses from the last hundred jobs and map them. Then expand…
West Coast MarketsDoes my contractor license number need to be on my website?
In several states, yes — California requires the CSLB number in advertising for licensed work, and Oregon and Washington require…
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