Home Services Marketing Agency
Fill your schedule with booked jobs, matched to what your crews can handle.
Softscotch is a home services marketing agency for trade and contractor businesses. We help homeowners find you, reach a real person and book the job, then come back next season.
Home services digital marketing that books jobs
Every trade is different, but the problems are shared: getting found, answering, booking and bringing customers back. We look at what you have and agree on the few jobs that matter most.
Home services SEO and Maps
We help you show up when homeowners search for your trade in your towns, in Google results and Maps. SEO (search engine optimization) builds over months, and no one can promise a position.
See how we can help ↗Local Services Ads and Google Ads
Local Services Ads (the 'Google Guaranteed' ads) charge per lead. Google search ads charge per click. We run them around your best jobs and your crew's capacity.
See how we can help ↗Contractor websites that bring calls
A fast, phone-friendly site with click-to-call, booking, service areas and real job photos. You own it.
See how we can help ↗Clear pages for each service
One page per service and real service area, with proof, guarantees and what happens next.
See how we can help ↗What happens after the phone rings
Answering, missed-call text back, booking and estimate follow-up, so fewer leads go to the next company on the list.
See how we can help ↗Reports on booked jobs and revenue
We report jobs booked and, where your records allow, revenue, not just clicks and leads.
See how we can help ↗Marketing help for home service businesses
Home service marketing isn't like selling online. Jobs are local, often urgent and limited by how many crews you have, and bigger, private-equity-backed competitors bid on the same searches.
Urgent jobs go to whoever answers
A homeowner with a leak or no power calls the next number if you don't pick up. Missed calls are often the biggest leak in your marketing.
Seasons and crews set the limits
Busy months overflow and slow months go quiet. Marketing should speed up and slow down with your schedule, not run flat all year.
Shared leads cost more than they look
Lead sites like Angi or Thumbtack sell the same homeowner to several companies. Building your own leads takes longer but you keep them.
Marketing for every home service trade
This page covers the shared playbook. Each trade page below goes into the details that make that trade different.
Roofing
Storm surges, insurance jobs and storm-chaser distrust.
Roofing marketing ↗HVAC and plumbing
Weather-driven demand and maintenance plans.
HVAC and plumbing marketing ↗Restoration
Water, fire and mold jobs that can't wait.
Restoration marketing ↗General contractors
Remodels, additions and long sales cycles.
General contractor marketing ↗Drywall contractors
Repairs, finishing and contractor referrals.
Drywall marketing ↗Cleaning services
Recurring clients and move-out cleans.
Cleaning marketing ↗Pressure washing
Seasonal demand and before-and-after proof.
Pressure washing marketing ↗Junk removal
Same-day jobs and simple pricing.
Junk removal marketing ↗Moving companies
Quotes, dates and trust before the big day.
Moving company marketing ↗Security camera installers
Home and business security quotes.
Security camera marketing ↗Storage facilities
Unit availability and online rentals.
Self-storage marketing ↗Other local businesses
Not a trade? Our small business page covers the basics.
Small business marketing ↗We also help trades without their own page yet, such as pest control, electrical, landscaping and garage doors. The same playbook applies.
Show the services, areas and prices people look for
Homeowners want to know you do their kind of job, serve their street, are licensed and insured, and roughly how pricing works. We plan your pages and ads around those questions.
emergency plumber near me
Someone searching for "emergency plumber near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show photos of your crew and finished jobs and explain how to call or book a job.
- What the page explains
- Photos of your crew and finished jobs, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- The type of job, plus the best way to reach them.
- What to check next
- New job requests.
house cleaning service near me
Someone searching for "house cleaning service near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show your license, insurance and guarantees and explain how to call or book a job.
- What the page explains
- Your license, insurance and guarantees, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- The property address, plus the best way to reach them.
- What to check next
- Jobs booked.
pest control near me
Someone searching for "pest control near me" should land on a page that answers that need. The page can show reviews from local customers and explain how to call or book a job.
- What the page explains
- Reviews from local customers, plus your offer and a clear next step.
- What you may need to ask
- How soon they need help, plus the best way to reach them.
- What to check next
- Repeat customers.
These are example searches. We check what people search for in your market before choosing the pages and ads to work on.
Home services SEO: win the Map and local search
SEO means improving your website and listings so you appear in unpaid Google results and Maps. Local SEO for contractors usually takes several months to build. We show you what changed and what it brought in.
Start with the questions people actually ask.
Ask what the job is, where the property is and how soon they need help. Urgent repairs need a fast call back, while planned projects need examples, price guidance and time to compare.
- emergency plumber near me
- house cleaning service near me
- pest control near me
What we do to help you get found
We explain the work, make the agreed changes and check what happens after they go live.
Find the searches that bring jobs
We check trade, problem and town searches, such as pest control or emergency plumber near me, and see who shows up now. You get a short list of pages to fix or add.
A strong Google Business Profile
Correct categories, services, hours, photos and service areas. For many trades, the Maps listing gets the call before the website does.
Honest service-area pages
Pages for the towns you really serve, with local job photos. We never invent offices or copy one page for every town.
Reviews after every job
A simple way for your crew to ask every customer for an honest review. Buying reviews or only asking happy customers breaks Google's and the FTC's (Federal Trade Commission) rules.
Several trades or locations
If you run several trades or branches under one brand, each gets clear pages and listings without competing with each other.
Show up in AI answers
ChatGPT and Google's AI answers now recommend local companies. Clear, correct facts help them describe you. We check what they say, but can't promise a mention.
Local Services Ads and Google Ads, tuned to your schedule
Local Services Ads charge per lead and need Google's license, insurance and background checks, which not every trade or area can get. Google search ads charge per click and give more control. We turn both up and down with your crew capacity and season.
What should happen after someone clicks?
The page should explain your offer and make it easy to call or book a job. A click alone does not tell us whether the ad helped your business.
We check results such as new job requests and jobs booked. We also check whether the requests match what your team can provide.
What we do with your ads
The ad, the page it opens and the next step need to work together.
Local Services Ads, where you qualify
We help you pass Google's checks, set job types and service areas, and dispute leads that don't fit.
Search ads by trade and job
Each trade and job type gets its own ads, budget and page, so spend goes where you want work.
Budgets that follow your schedule
When crews are booked two weeks out, we pull back. When the schedule opens up, we push. You agree the rules.
Cut wasted clicks
We block DIY, job-seeker and out-of-area searches and review real search terms every week.
Pages that match each ad
An ad for drain cleaning lands on a drain cleaning page with a phone number up top, not your home page.
Judge ads by booked jobs
We track calls and forms from each ad and, where records allow, follow them to booked jobs and revenue.
Examples of ads we could plan with you
These show how different searches can need different pages. We choose the actual ads after checking your offer, budget and the rules for your account.
emergency plumber near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus photos of your crew and finished jobs.
What to ask: the type of job, plus the best way to reach them.
What to check: ad costs and new job requests.
house cleaning service near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus your license, insurance and guarantees.
What to ask: the property address, plus the best way to reach them.
What to check: ad costs and jobs booked.
pest control near me
What the page shows: the advertised offer, plus reviews from local customers.
What to ask: how soon they need help, plus the best way to reach them.
What to check: ad costs and repeat customers.
A contractor website that brings calls, not compliments
Good web design for contractors and construction companies isn't about looking fancy. It is about speed on a phone, a visible phone number, real project photos, service areas, licenses and one clear next step. We build and fix sites with that in mind, and you own the site and domain.
What a useful page should do
Tell people what you offer, answer their main questions and make it easy to call or book a job. We check that the next step works and reaches the right person or system.
- Explain what you offer
Show each service and trade clearly, with what is included and what happens after someone calls.
- Help people make a choice
Put useful details, such as photos of your crew and finished jobs or your license, insurance and guarantees, beside the questions they answer.
- Give the practical details
Ask what the job is, where the property is and how soon they need help. Urgent repairs need a fast call back, while planned projects need examples, price guidance and time to compare.
- Ask only for what you need
A useful request may include the type of job, the property address, how soon they need help and the best way to reach them. We help you keep the form short and relevant.
- Make it work on a phone
We check reading size, loading, phone links, forms and buttons. People should be able to finish the task without zooming in or guessing what to tap.
- Make sure the request arrives
We test where forms, calls or bookings go. Your team should receive the details it needs to reply, and the visitor should know whether the request went through.
Show your crew, your work and your reviews
Homeowners are inviting a stranger to their house. Real crew photos, before-and-after shots, branded trucks and honest reviews build trust faster than any slogan. Some states require license numbers in ads, so we show them where needed. You approve every claim.
Ads that explain one useful offer
We write each ad around a clear offer and the question it answers. We choose words and images that fit the place the ad will appear. The page it opens should carry the same message.
- A clear message for the people you want to reach
- Images and words that fit the ad format
- A small test with a result we agree to check
Real details that help people decide
We help you choose what to show, such as photos of your crew and finished jobs, your license, insurance and guarantees and reviews from local customers. You provide accurate details and permission to use the material. We place it where it answers a visitor's question.
- Photos or examples that match the work you offer
- Checks that the facts are right and the material can be used
- Simple captions that explain what someone is seeing
Follow one homeowner from a burst pipe to a booked job
Picture a homeowner at 9pm with water spreading across the kitchen floor. Here is how good marketing gets them to your crew, and back to you next time.
They search for help, fast
They search for an emergency plumber near them. Your Local Services Ad or Maps listing shows up with recent reviews and a phone number.
Someone answers
They call. If no one can pick up, a text goes back within minutes, and urgent jobs reach your on-call person. The visit is booked.
They become a regular
After the job, they get a review request and, later, a seasonal reminder. Next time, they call you first, and tell a neighbor.
What happens after the phone rings
Most home services agencies stop at the lead. We also help you answer, book and follow up, because that is where many jobs are won or lost.
Answer after hours and in busy weeks
An answering service or a phone agent that clearly says it is AI can take details, book jobs and pass emergencies to your on-call person.
Missed-call text back
Every missed caller gets a short text within minutes. Texts follow consent rules, and your team picks up the conversation.
Estimate follow-up
Bigger jobs are compared over days or weeks. Friendly reminders and answers to common questions keep your estimate in front of them.
Bring past customers back
Your cheapest next job usually comes from someone you've already served. Few agencies plan for it.
Maintenance reminders
Seasonal reminders for tune-ups, cleanings, inspections or treatments, sent only to customers who agreed to hear from you.
Seasonal offers
Simple offers in slow months to fill gaps in the schedule, without promising prices or dates you can't keep.
Referral and review asks
A friendly ask after a good job, by text or email, so happy customers tell neighbors and leave reviews.
Supporting services for home service businesses
Start with the core work. Add these when they would clearly help.
Online booking
Customers pick a time that matches your real schedule.
Appointment booking ↗After-hours phone agent
Says it is AI, takes details and books jobs when no one can answer.
AI voice agent ↗Email and text reminders
Seasonal and repeat-customer messages, with consent.
Email and SMS ↗GoHighLevel set-up
Leads, booking and follow-up in one tool.
GoHighLevel ↗Brand and truck graphics
A look homeowners recognize on the road.
Brand identity ↗Website design
A new contractor site when yours can't be fixed.
Website design ↗Clear home services marketing work you can see
You get a written plan and the work we agree to do, each item with an owner and a check that it works. The list depends on your trades, towns and budget.
A page plan by trade and town
Which service and service-area pages to fix or add first, and why.
Listing and review plan
Google Business Profile fixes, a photo plan and a review request after every job.
An ad plan tied to capacity
Local Services Ads and Google Ads, budgets, blocked searches and rules for busy and quiet weeks.
A call and follow-up map
Who answers when, what happens to missed calls and how estimates are followed up, tested with real calls.
Repeat-customer messages
Seasonal reminders and referral asks, sent with consent.
A monthly report
Jobs booked, spend and, where possible, revenue, in plain English with next steps.
Start with a review, then improve
Here is how the first three months usually work. Timing depends on access to your accounts, your approvals and how many trades or locations you run.
Month 1: review and fix tracking
We review your site, listings, reviews, ads and call handling, then fix call and form tracking so every change can be measured.
- A review of what you have
- The first jobs and who handles them
- Checks that requests are recorded
Month 2: build and launch
We improve the main service pages, clean up Local Services Ads and Google Ads, and switch on missed-call text back.
- Changes to the first pages
- A small ad test where agreed
- Checks that replies reach the right team
Month 3: review and plan ahead
We review jobs booked and costs, then agree capacity rules, repeat-customer messages and the next pages or trades.
- A review of results and costs
- Changes based on what we learned
- A clear plan for the next jobs
Start by sending your website and telling us what you want help with.
Know what is included before you agree
Scope depends on how many trades and locations you run. The proposal lists our work, our fees, your ad budget and any tool costs separately, with clear contract terms. Your website, domain, Google Business Profile and ad accounts stay in your name.
What we agree with you
Our work: the pages, writing, ads, fixes and reports included in your plan.
Your part: accurate details about your home service business, the materials we need and someone to approve the work.
The cost: our fees, any ad budget and any extra tool or website costs are listed separately.
Approvals: your team checks prices, claims, permissions and any sensitive information before it is used.
See booked jobs and revenue, not just leads
A lead isn't a job. Where your records allow, we follow each call or form to a booked job and its value, split by trade and location, so you can see what really pays.
What we explain in your report
- How people found you
We show which searches and sources brought people to your website. We also explain which pages we changed and what happened after those changes.
- What you spent and received
We show ad costs alongside useful results such as new job requests. Where records allow, we work out the cost of each result and compare different ads or offers.
- What happened after the first step
We look at jobs booked and repeat customers where your records allow. A click, a request and a completed sale or visit are different things, so we report them separately.
We point out missing information and results based on only a few people. If a result cannot be checked, we explain what information is missing.
Get the basics right before adding more
New channels only help when the basics work. These three often matter most.
A complete Maps listing and steady reviews
Often brings more calls than a new ad, for less money.
Call tracking that works
Every call and form counted and tied to its source, so you know what pays.
A plan for who answers
Nights, weekends and busy weeks covered before you spend more on ads.
How to choose a home services marketing agency
Ask any agency these questions, including us.
Do you understand every trade I run?
Ask how they would handle your different trades, seasons and emergency hours.
Do you report booked jobs and revenue?
Leads and clicks aren't enough. Ask what they track after the call.
Do I own my site, accounts and leads?
You should own your website, listings and ad accounts, and your leads shouldn't be shared with competitors.
How does pricing work?
Fees depend on trades, locations, channels and website work. Ad spend is separate. We send a scoped proposal with clear terms.
How SEO pricing works ↗Our track record across client work: 2,140+ keywords, $12M+ in ad spend managed, $28M+ in revenue and 87,200+ leads. We don't promise rankings or lead numbers.
Home services marketing FAQs
Straight answers to what trade and contractor business owners ask us.
How much should I budget for home services marketing?
It depends on your trades, towns, competition and how fast you want to grow. Our fee and your ad spend are separate. After a review, we send a proposal with the full cost before you agree.
What are the most effective ways to get leads for a home service business?
For most trades: a strong Google Business Profile, steady reviews, Local Services Ads where you qualify, Google search ads for your best jobs and a website that makes calling easy. Then answer every call.
Should I keep paying for shared leads like Angi or Thumbtack?
They can fill gaps, but the same homeowner is often sold to several companies. We usually help you build your own leads alongside them, then cut back as your own calls grow.
What does a contractor website need to win calls?
Speed on a phone, a visible phone number, service areas, real job photos, license and insurance details, reviews and one clear way to call or book.
Which social media platforms should a home service business use?
Facebook and Instagram suit most trades, for job photos, reviews and local reminders. Social rarely beats search for urgent jobs, so we treat it as support.
How can I get more positive reviews?
Ask every customer, at the right moment, with a simple link. Don't buy reviews or only ask happy customers, which breaks Google's and the FTC's rules.
How do you handle seasons and crew capacity?
We agree rules with you: push ads when the schedule opens up, pull back when crews are booked, and use slow months for SEO and repeat customers.
Can you market several trades or locations under one brand?
Yes. Each trade and real location gets clear pages and listings, and we report results for each one.
How can I keep customers coming back and get referrals?
Seasonal reminders, simple offers in slow months and a friendly referral ask after good jobs, sent only to customers who agreed to hear from you.
Are the contract terms clear?
Yes. The proposal sets out the work, fees, ad spend, timing and notice period. Your website, listings and ad accounts stay in your name.
Will AI search change how homeowners find us?
Some homeowners now ask ChatGPT or read Google's AI answers. Clear facts on your site and listings help those tools describe you. We check what they say, but can't promise a mention.
How do I know if my marketing works?
Track jobs booked and revenue, not just clicks. Where your records allow, we follow each call or form to a booked job and show the cost per job by trade.
No questions match. Try a different word or choose all questions.
More ways we can help
Before you decide
Explore related industries
Let’s look at your home service business together.
Send your website and tell us what you would like to improve. We will explain what we find and talk through the next useful steps with you.