Blog · For Trades
Marketing for contractors and the trades.
Written for contractors and trade businesses: what Angi, HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack leads cost, why the same lead goes to several companies, how Google Local Services Ads work, and where Florida law says your license number has to appear. The goal is fewer rented leads and more of your own.
Florida contractor license number: where it has to go on your website, ads and trucks
Every ad needs your state license number, "regardless of medium," and DBPR says that includes your website. The truck rule, the fines, and where it goes.
His "Free Estimate" buttons dialed the wrong number
One digit off, silently, for years — plus a competitor's name still sitting in his homepage copy. What the audit found, and what I told him he didn't need.
A name, a logo and five pages. The best part was what we took out
He came with a weed-eater and a customer list. The research found the one job every other crew turns down — so that became the business.
Google Local Services Ads: the badge changed in 2025
The green checkmark and the $2,000 guarantee both ended. Guides published this year still say otherwise.
The 90-day plan to stop paying for leads
Don't cancel anything yet — that's why most exits fail. Nothing gets turned off until day 76, and the first month is free.
What contractor leads actually cost in 2026
Angi quotes a price per lead. Thumbtack quotes a price per quote sent. Neither is the number that decides whether you're making money.
Why the same lead goes to five contractors
It isn't a glitch, it's the business model — plus the federal and state settlements over how those leads were described.
Browse by question
Whatever brought you here, it's probably one of these.
About your website
Do I actually own my website? Most asked My designer won't give me my logins Why are the quotes so different? Do I even need a redesign? Can I see work you've actually done?About AI search
Why doesn't ChatGPT know my business? Most asked Should I be paying for AI SEO? Does schema markup help with AI? Why does AI recommend my competitor? How do I check if AI mentions me?About getting found
Why don't I show up on Google Maps? Most asked How many reviews do I actually need? Why did my Google reviews disappear? Do I need a business tax receipt in Indian River County? How do I report a fake listing on Google Maps? Are Angi and Thumbtack worth it? Does a rebuild actually bring in more work? How do I stop paying for leads? Where does my contractor license number have to go? What does local SEO actually cost? Should I mark my business temporarily closed for a storm?Ready to go beyond the article?
Three next steps. Pick the one that fits.
Whether you've got no website, a website that isn't working, or a Google listing nobody's ever finished — there's a version of this that costs nothing to find out about.
If you have no website
Get a real price, published
Websites from $800, monthly plans from $150, every number on the site with a buy button next to it. No quote form, no discovery call before you know the cost.
See the price list →If your site isn't working
Find out if you even need a rebuild
Sometimes the site is fine and the Google listing is the whole problem — which is the cheaper half to fix. The redesign page starts by talking you out of it.
Website redesign →If you want to see the work first
Eight builds, written up honestly
What each business came in with, what changed, and the results where they exist. Where there aren't any yet, it says so instead of inventing them.
Case studies →Free, takes about ten minutes
Rather just ask someone?
Send me your business name and I'll look up your Google listing and tell you what's missing from it. No pitch, no obligation, and if it's a ten-minute fix you can do yourself I'll tell you which ten minutes.
