Guides
Marketing Guides and Research for Local Service Businesses
BaaDigi's local business marketing guides answer the questions owners actually ask: how to get recommended by Google and AI engines, what leads really cost by source, which CRM fits your crew, and what to demand from a website. Every guide links its sources, and our original studies state their sample size and the date the data was pulled.
Last updated: September 2026
Original research
What does BaaDigi measure that nobody else publishes?
BaaDigi publishes studies built from data it collects itself: Google Business Profile reviews across the profiles it manages, repeated AI-engine runs asking ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini who they recommend in a trade and city, and scans of business websites for what AI agents can and cannot use. Each study states its sample size, the date it was pulled and its limits, and the methodology page explains how every dataset is collected.
AI search visibility
How does a local business get recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI?
AI engines recommend businesses they can find described consistently across sources they trust: the business website, its Google Business Profile, review sites, directories and third-party lists. Getting named comes down to being present and specific in those sources, making the website readable to AI crawlers, and tracking whether each engine actually names you, because the engines disagree with each other often.
- GuideHow do you show up in AI search?
- GuideHow do you get cited by AI?
- GuideHow ChatGPT chooses which local contractors to recommend
- GuideHow Perplexity cites sources, and how to get listed
- DefinitionWhat is an llms.txt file, and do you need one?
- GuideShould you let AI crawlers index your website?
- ComparisonBest AI visibility tools, compared
- ToolFree llms.txt generator
- ToolFree agentic browsing audit
- DefinitionAI search glossary
Lead costs and lead sources
How much do contractor leads cost, and which sources are worth it?
Contractor lead cost depends on the trade, the channel and whether the lead is shared or exclusive. Marketplaces like Thumbtack, Angi and HomeAdvisor charge per lead and often sell the same lead to several contractors, so the number that matters is cost per booked job, not cost per lead. Channels you own, such as your website, Google Business Profile and your own ad accounts, ramp slower but keep working after you stop paying a middleman.
- GuideHow much do contractor leads cost, by trade?
- GuideThe cost-per-job math marketplaces hide
- GuideHow much does Thumbtack charge per lead?
- GuideHow much does HomeAdvisor charge per lead?
- GuideRoofing lead cost by source
- ComparisonHomeAdvisor vs Angi
- ComparisonThumbtack vs Angi
- ComparisonShared vs exclusive contractor leads
- ToolContractor growth benchmarks by trade
CRM and field service software
Which CRM should a contractor use?
The right contractor CRM depends on trade, crew size and how leads arrive. Field service platforms such as Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan run scheduling, dispatch and invoicing; roofing and remodeling tools such as JobNimbus and AccuLynx center on the project and the insurance claim; marketing CRMs such as GoHighLevel center on capturing and following up leads. What most comparisons skip is whether the CRM records where each lead came from, because without that you cannot tell which marketing is paying for itself.
Google Business Profile and local SEO
How do contractors show up in the Google map pack?
Map pack placement is driven by relevance, distance and prominence: a complete, accurate Google Business Profile in the right primary category, consistent name, address and phone across the web, a steady flow of reviews that the owner answers, and a website that backs up the services and areas the profile claims. Most of it is maintenance done every week rather than a one-time setup.
Paid ads
Should a contractor run Google Local Services Ads, Google Ads or Facebook ads?
Local Services Ads charge per lead and sit above everything else on Google for eligible trades, so they are usually the first paid channel to test. Google Search Ads give more control over keywords, areas and landing pages but need active management. Facebook and Instagram ads create demand rather than capture it, which suits high-ticket, visual work like remodeling and roofing more than emergency repair.
- ComparisonGoogle LSA vs Google Ads for contractors
- GuideGoogle Guaranteed for contractors: what changed
- GuideContractor advertising: every channel compared
- GuideHVAC advertising: every channel compared
- ComparisonFacebook ads vs Google Ads for contractors
- GuideHow much should a contractor spend on marketing?
Websites
What kind of website does a contractor need in 2026?
A contractor website needs to load fast on a phone, state services, service areas and prices plainly, make calling or booking one tap away, and be readable by search engines and AI crawlers through clean HTML, structured data and a crawlable page for every service and area. The platform matters less than whether those basics are in place and whether you own the site and domain outright.
Trade playbooks
Where should a contractor in a specific trade start?
Each trade buys and books differently: roofing is storm- and insurance-driven, HVAC and plumbing are emergency-heavy with membership revenue, remodeling is high-ticket with long sales cycles, and landscaping is seasonal. The playbooks below cover the lead sources, costs and follow-up that fit each one.
- GuideRoofing lead generation guide
- GuideHVAC lead generation guide
- GuidePlumbing lead benchmarks
- GuideElectrician lead generation guide
- GuideRemodeling leads playbook
- GuideLandscaping marketing: every channel compared
- GuidePainting contractor marketing guide
- GuideStart here: the plan for your trade and stage