I grabbed coffee with my client last Thursday. Really a good guy—been running his business for 16 years. He’s frustrated because jobs aren’t coming in like before. Then he mentioned something that made sense: his website still has photos from 2018, he tried Facebook ads once (didn’t work), and his Google listing has three reviews.
His competitor started just four years ago. That guy’s calendar is packed through March. The difference isn’t quality work or better prices. The new guy has a digital marketing plan and actually follows it.
Read More: Local SEO Tactics That Help California Businesses Rank Faster
Getting Found Locally
Here’s what changed everything: 93% of people start their search online when they need to hire someone Think with Google. Not referrals from friends. Not mailers.
What do you do? You grab your phone. Scroll through maybe three results. Call the one with good reviews and photos.
If a business doesn’t show up in those top results, they don’t exist to that customer. Invisible is invisible.
This hits home service businesses harder than anyone. Roofers, electricians, HVAC companies, plumbers-your customers need help NOW. They’re not planning three weeks out. They search, pick someone fast, and move on.
Running Ads Without Burning Cash
Most small business owners tell me they try marketing when things slow down. That’s backwards. You’re scrambling after you already lost momentum.
There’s a plumbing outfit in San Diego I helped last year. They were spending $800 monthly on Google Ads with maybe two or three decent leads. We sat down, actually looked at what keywords they targeted way too broad, which zip codes performed they were wasting money in areas 40 minutes away, and what happened after people clicked their ads the mobile site loaded slower than molasses.
That’s what planning does. You stop guessing. You track what brings in actual customers. Then you do more of what works and cut what doesn’t.
Content Writing in Your Digital Marketing Plan
Getting Found Locally Matters Most
Your Google Business Profile is probably the most valuable free tool you have. Seriously. Update it with current hours, add at least 20 real photos of your team doing actual work, write detailed descriptions of what you do.
Bright Local research found that 78% of local mobile searches lead to someone making a purchase within one day. That’s insane when you think about it.
Google, Yelp, your website, all the directories. Even tiny differences mess with your rankings. Google sees 123 Main St and 123 Main Street as potentially different businesses.
Running Ads without managing Cash
Google Ads works great if you know what you’re doing. Most people just throw money at broad keywords and wonder why nothing happens.
Start narrow. Pick your best service. Target just your immediate area. Use call-only ads during your actual business hours nobody wants to call an emergency line that goes straight to voicemail.
Service business ads get clicked about 6.6% of the time according to WordStream’s 2024 data. That’s basically double what most other industries see. The reason makes sense: someone searching fix leaking roof isn’t browsing around. They’ve got a problem right now and they’re ready to pay someone to solve it.
Once you get 30 conversions, turn on Google’s Smart Bidding. Their AI actually gets pretty good at finding your ideal customers after it has enough data to learn from.
Writing Content People Want to Read
Nobody cares about your blog unless it helps them. Period.
These specific, longer search phrases bring in people who are way closer to hiring someone. Somebody googling best HVAC company might just be starting research.
Shoot for articles around 1,200 words. Include real local examples. Add photos. Make it genuinely useful, not just keyword spam.
Reviews Change Everything
Get aggressive about collecting Google reviews. Ask every single customer. Not just the super happy ones-everyone.
Companies with 50+ recent reviews convert 38% more website visitors into actual customers Bright Local study. That’s massive. If you’re getting 10 leads a month now, that’s almost 4 more leads just from having solid reviews.
Text customers a direct review link within 24 hours of finishing the job. Make it brain-dead simple. Help them through it if needed. Those five minutes per customer compound into literally thousands of dollars of extra business.
What’s Different About Digital Marketing Plan
AI tools like Chat GPT now write decent ad copy and blog outlines. You finally have access to stuff that used to require an expensive agency.
Voice search hit 35% of all searches in the US.
Google’s killing third-party cookies by summer 2025. You need your own customer database-emails, phone numbers, purchase history. Companies that built their own lists will dominate. Everyone else will struggle.
Short-form video exploded on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. Under 60 seconds. Show your work in progress. Explain common problems. Introduce your team. Video humanizes your business way faster than any written content.
Your Next 90 Days – Digital Marketing Plan
Week one: Check everything. Website loads fast on phones? Use Google Search Console to see what already ranks.
Week two: Research what keywords people actually search for in your area. See what your competitors rank for.
Weeks three and four: Set up a simple content calendar. Launch one targeted Google Ads campaign focused on your best service in your tightest geography.
After that: Ask for reviews constantly. Check your numbers every month. Double down on what works. Cut what doesn’t.
Don’t try doing everything simultaneously. Master one thing. Then add the next.
What Kills Most Efforts – Digital Marketing Plan
Just copying what competitors do. That guarantees mediocrity at best. Stand out by showcasing your actual expertise and personality.
Forgetting about past customers: Email campaigns to people who already hired you cost way less and convert way better than ads to strangers.
Read More: Our 10 Best Home Services Marketing Tips to Get New Clients
Reviews: The Game-Changer in Your Digital Marketing Plan
You don’t need massive budgets. You need clarity about what works, consistency in executing it, and commitment to tracking real results. Most of your competition is still winging it randomly. A solid plan makes you stand out dramatically.
The roofer I mentioned earlier? We built his plan. Three months later he told me his phone rings more than it has in five years. Nothing magical happened. We just stopped doing random stuff and focused on what actually brings in customers.
Your competitors are building their plans right now. Some already finished. The question isn’t whether digital marketing matters anymore-that ship sailed years ago. The question is whether you’ll have a real strategy or keep hoping things somehow improve on their own.
Book a free consultation with David and we’ll map out exactly what your business needs to dominate your local market in 2025.
