Field notes from the front lines.
Practical marketing for service-based businesses — search, paid media, and the strategy that ties them together. No fluff, no filler.
Google Business Profile Posts: Do They Matter?
Do Google Business Profile posts help ranking? Honest answer, plus the 10-minute posting cadence that makes your profile beat dead competitors.
Read article → July 23, 2026How Many Google Reviews Do I Need? The Real Ladder
10 reviews to test Local Services Ads, ~50 to compete in many markets, 100+ for authority. Why velocity and recency beat raw totals.
Read article → July 22, 2026Google Ads Not Working? Diagnose in This Exact Order
It's almost never the campaign settings. The 5-step diagnosis order I run on every "broken" account — and how to tell "not working yet" from broken.
Read article → July 22, 2026Why Is My Business Not Showing Up on Google?
Not showing up on Google search? Run this diagnostic: organic problem, Maps problem, or both — and the fix for each, in plain English.
Read article → July 21, 2026Call Tracking for Small Business: The Simple Setup
If you can't say which channel made the phone ring, you're guessing with real money. The minimum viable call tracking setup, in plain English.
Read article → July 21, 2026How to Get Lawn Care Customers Fast (No Ad Budget)
The first-10-customers sprint for lawn care: real jobs for people you know, GBP in week one, and door-knocking the houses around every mow.
Read article → July 20, 2026How to Respond to Negative Reviews (3-Step Playbook)
A calm 3-step playbook for bad reviews: respond publicly, fix it offline, flag the fakes. You're writing for the next customer, not the angry one.
Read article → July 20, 2026GBP Video Verification: Pass It on the First Take
Google Business Profile video verification fails more owners than it should. What Google wants to see, SAB traps, and the prep checklist before you record.
Read article → July 19, 2026How Much Does SEO Cost for a Small Business? Honestly
What SEO really costs, what the money buys at each tier, the red flags that mean run, and when SEO is the wrong purchase entirely.
Read article → July 19, 2026How to Get Roofing Leads Without Buying Them
The owned-demand system for roofers, ranked by leverage: GBP, a review machine, LSA, referral loops, then paid search once you can survive $300 CPLs.
Read article → July 18, 2026Missed Call Text Back: The 30-Minute Fix for Lost Jobs
Surveys suggest ~78% of callers won't leave a voicemail. Here's the exact text-back play that saves those jobs, and how to set it up in 30 minutes.
Read article → July 18, 2026Google Guaranteed Badge? It's Google Verified Now
The Google Guaranteed badge became Google Verified in Oct 2025. What the program actually requires, and when the badge is worth turning on.
Read article → July 17, 202610 Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency Before You Sign
Ten questions that make bad agencies squirm — the answer you want, the red flag to run from, and the one question that exposes almost everyone.
Read article → July 17, 2026How to Get HVAC Leads: The Stack, In the Right Order
The HVAC lead channel stack sequenced by season and ticket size — GBP, reviews, LSA, paid search — plus the shared-lead vendors to skip.
Read article → July 16, 2026Google Reviews Not Showing Up? Here's What's Happening
Your customer swears they left a review and your profile shows nothing. The real reasons reviews vanish, what's recoverable, and how to stop losing them.
Read article → July 16, 2026Angi vs Thumbtack: An Honest Pick From an Ads Guy
Angi vs Thumbtack compared honestly: lead model, pricing, disputes, which fits your trade, and why the real winner is the demand you own.
Read article → July 15, 2026Performance Based Marketing Agency: The Inside Truth
I run performance deals. Here's why most agencies won't touch them, why "guaranteed results for anyone" is a scam signal, and what a real deal requires.
Read article → July 15, 2026Business Not Showing Up on Google Maps? Diagnose It
Suspended, filtered, outranked, or incomplete — a step-by-step diagnostic tree to find out why your business isn't showing on Google Maps, and the fix.
Read article → July 14, 2026Speed to Lead: The Playbook That Wins the Job
Minutes decide who gets the job. The speed to lead playbook: the 2-minute text-back script, after-hours autotext, and the follow-up rhythm.
Read article → July 14, 2026Google Local Services Ads Cost: The Real Numbers
What Google Local Services Ads actually cost per lead, and the budget doctrine that stops you torching money before your reviews can carry it.
Read article → July 13, 2026How to Ask Customers for Reviews (Without Begging)
The timing, the in-person ask, and the follow-up text that actually get reviews posted - with example phrasings that stay on the right side of the FTC.
Read article → July 13, 2026Google Ads for Contractors: Are You Actually Ready?
Most contractors shouldn't run Google Ads yet. The readiness gate, real CPL numbers by trade, the ticket math, and a sane starter structure.
Read article → July 12, 2026How to Rank Higher on Google Maps (What Actually Works)
Google ranks Maps results on relevance, distance, and prominence. Here's what that means for a service business, and which levers actually move.
Read article → July 12, 2026Is Thumbtack Worth It? The Honest Math for Pros
Thumbtack charges the moment a lead contacts you, close or not. Here's the math on who wins, who bleeds, and how to decide in ten minutes.
Read article → July 11, 2026SEO vs PPC for Service Businesses: It's Sequencing
Every SEO vs PPC article is written for "businesses in general." For a service business it's not either/or — it's sequencing. Here's the order.
Read article → July 11, 2026Google Business Profile Suspended? Do This First
Your Google Business Profile got suspended. Here's why it happens to service businesses, the exact reinstatement steps, and what never to do.
Read article → July 10, 2026How to Get More Google Reviews Without Getting Filtered
The every-job review system: 2-5 asks a day, in person then by text. Climb from 10 to 50 to 100 reviews without tripping Google's filters.
Read article → July 10, 2026Is Angi Leads Worth It? Do This Math First
Not a rant. A decision framework: run your close rate and average ticket through this math and know in ten minutes if Angi Leads is worth it for you.
Read article → July 9, 2026Google Business Profile Optimization: The 30-Day Sprint
The ranked-by-impact guide to Google Business Profile optimization. What actually moves the needle, what's noise, and the 30-day sprint I run.
Read article → July 9, 2026Angi Leads Review: An Honest Take From an Ads Guy
I manage ad budgets for contractors. My honest Angi Leads review: how shared leads really work, who actually wins, and how to get off the treadmill.
Read article → January 8, 2025Operations Changes in 2025.
Kung Pow Marketing is evolving to serve you even better. Starting today, we will begin transitioning all accounts to our performance-based blended service offering. This shift refl…
Read article → December 4, 2024Creating a Lead Generation Funnel
Effective lead generation is a journey, not a sprint. For service businesses, building a lead generation funnel is about guiding potential clients through each stage of their decis…
Read article → December 3, 2024Lead Generation Mistakes to Avoid in 2025
A missed lead isn’t just a lost sale—it’s a missed connection. Lead generation is the backbone of growth for any service business, but the landscape of 2025 requires a shift from t…
Read article → December 3, 2024Tracking and Measuring Success
If you’re not tracking, you’re guessing. For service-based businesses, measuring the ROI of search marketing efforts—whether through SEO or PPC—goes beyond simple metrics. It’s abo…
Read article → December 2, 2024The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO and PPC Integration
Why choose between SEO and PPC when the real power lies in combining them? **For local businesses, integrating Local SEO and PPC isn’t just a tactic; it’s a competitive advantage t…
Read article → December 2, 2024Creating High-Impact YouTube Ads
Good content doesn’t just inform; it transforms. With so much information at our fingertips, content marketing for service businesses needs to stand out by offering real value. Tod…
Read article → November 17, 2024Blended Search Strategies in 2025
Blended Search Strategies in 2025 Search marketing isn’t about choosing between SEO and PPC; it’s about blending them to double your impact. At a time when every brand is scramblin…
Read article → November 17, 2024Mastering Google Ads for Service-Based Businesses
Visibility is key, but targeted visibility drives growth. For service businesses, Google Ads offers one of the most powerful ways to reach clients exactly when they need help. Whil…
Read article → November 16, 2024Content Marketing That Adds Value
Content Marketing That Adds Value Good content doesn’t just inform; it transforms. With so much information at our fingertips, content marketing for service businesses needs to sta…
Read article → November 16, 2024Why Traditional SEO Isn’t Enough
Organic traffic isn’t what it used to be. In 2025, relying solely on traditional SEO for lead generation is like using yesterday’s map to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape. Wit…
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