Contractor Marketing and SEO services since 2005 | Treehouse Marketing, Marketing Agency for Contractors, By Contractors

Organic v. Paid Social Media, What's the Difference and What's Worth it?

2025-06-30T00:00:00.05Z

Paid vs. Organic Social Media: What’s the Difference, and What’s Worth It?

Social media isn’t just for selfies and cat videos anymore—it's a real lead generator for home improvement businesses. But if you've ever wondered what the difference is between paid and organic social media—and whether one is better than the other—you're not alone.

Let's break down the differences, the strengths of each, and what Treehouse is doing to help you get the most out of your social presence.

Paid vs. Organic: What’s the Deal?

Organic social is the content you post for free on your business’s social media accounts—before-and-afters, team photos, jobsite videos, and those quirky behind-the-scenes moments that help humanize your brand. It's all about building relationships with your audience, boosting credibility, and staying top-of-mind.

Paid social, on the other hand, refers to running ads. You choose the message, set the budget, and put it in front of a specific audience—whether it’s homeowners in a certain ZIP code or people searching for basement waterproofing in your area. These ads look like regular posts but are strategically designed (and targeted) to generate leads.

Why Use Both? They Work Better Together

Think of organic content as your digital handshake. It gives potential customers a sense of who you are, what you do, and why they should trust you. But it only goes so far—thanks to modern platform algorithms, only a small percentage of your followers will see your posts, depending on how consistently they interact with you.

That’s where paid social steps in. Paid ads break through the noise and get your message in front of the right people, whether they follow you or not. They’re great for generating leads, promoting seasonal offers, and building brand awareness in new territories.

The real magic happens when paid and organic strategies support each other. A strong organic presence boosts your credibility, while paid campaigns ensure you’re consistently reaching new prospects. One builds trust, the other builds traffic.

What is Treehouse Doing? Strategizing, Testing & Scaling

We’re constantly testing different paid strategies across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, to see what drives the most leads for contractors. From creative testing to audience targeting, we know which levers to pull—and when—to get you results. (And we track everything.)

Our social media team also helps clients develop content calendars for organic posting—making it easier to stay consistent and show off your team, process, and workmanship. No more posting just for the sake of posting. Your content should reflect the quality of your business, over the quantity of posts on your page.

What Can You Do? Show Up & Stand Out

You don’t need to be on every platform, and you don’t need to post every day—but you do need to be present. That means having a professional-looking profile, sharing real examples of your work, and responding to comments or messages from interested homeowners in a timely fashion. In the same way your website is a living organism; your social profiles are alive too, tend to them frequently.

And if you're running ads, make sure they’re supported by organic content that proves you’re the real deal. A polished ad might drive clicks, but your profile—full of reviews, photos, and personality—is what convinces people to pick up the phone.

What’s Next?

Social media is always changing, but one thing stays the same: people want to hire businesses they can trust. Whether you're posting organically, running paid campaigns, or both, Treehouse is here to make sure your efforts work together to drive real results.

We’ll keep testing, analyzing, and staying ahead of the curve—so you can keep building, fixing, and growing your business with confidence.

Does Ranking in AI Matter?

2025-06-19T00:00:00.05Z

Does Ranking in AI Matter?

AI is more than a buzzword–it’s reshaping how customers find and choose you. But with so many platforms, tools, and promises flying around, how do you know what really matters?

Google just wrapped their annual marketing event last month, unveiling more ways in which Google is leveraging AI, with Gemini integrating more deeply in Google’s platforms and advertising. ChatGPT’s partnership with Apple for its generative Apple Intelligence feature has been a hot mess, while others like Microsoft’s Copilot and xAI’s Grok offer competing apps. You’ve no doubt had solicitors spamming your inbox or leaving voicemails, promising to grow your business with revolutionary AI tools or get you ranking in AI results.

Let’s take a moment to demystify AI— how they compare, what the Treehouse is doing to ensure your success as these technologies evolve, and what you can be doing to stay ahead of the curve.

How They Compare: Search Results vs. AI Answers

Search results and AI answers are two different things. We know that Google factors countless contextual signals into its search results, so its AI Overview uses much of the same criteria to determine what information to display—proximity, prominence, and pertinence are all important. How close your business is to the searcher’s location, how well-known or authoritative your company is in the local community, and how relevant your services are to a user’s query will determine the results. Where the user is searching from, your local listings and customer reviews, and whether you offer the services they’re looking for, play a huge role.

Unlike traditional search engines, AI tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Copilot don’t just pull links—they generate answers. These tools are powered by large language models (LLMs), which are trained on massive amounts of text to understand and mimic human-like responses. They learn patterns and relationships between words and phrases, allowing them to respond to prompts and generate answers, often very literal answers. Asking AI models for a recommended sump pump repair company in a specific city could quite literally result in information about the town’s resident plumber.

What is Treehouse doing? Monitoring & Testing

Now more than ever, maintaining consistent business information is critical to ensuring search engines and AI models are working with the most accurate and up-to-date information. One benefit of hosting your Supercharged website with the Treehouse is that our Local SEO team monitors and manages hundreds of local listings for your business–ensuring that your company name, address, and phone number (NAP)—among other vital business information—is the same across the web.

We’re also investing in technology to monitor traffic coming from AI models (ChatGPT does pull in some Bing results), but the vast majority of search volume is still coming from Google. Google is determined to leverage AI “to find your most valuable customers and move them from discovery to decision faster and more efficiently.”1 One advantage contractors have is that Google is integrating ads into AI Overviews. Google says advertisers who are already using Performance Max and Search campaigns with broad match, including AI Max for Search campaigns, will be eligible to have their ads appear in AI Overviews. Many contractors in our network are already running Search and PMax campaigns on Google, which means your ads could soon show in AI Overviews (fistbump)! AI Max is another story–we’ll be running some tests to make sure we get results before rolling out AI Max campaigns.

What Can I Do? E-E-A-T Right & Thrive

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's a framework Google uses to evaluate the quality and reliability of website content. We know that the top two things homeowners are looking for when hiring a contractor are past work examples and social proof–photos and videos of recent jobs and glowing testimonials and reviews demonstrating your quality workmanship and proving people have great experiences with your company. The best way you can influence AI–whether in search results or generative answers–is to consistently provide quality local content that people are looking for and that Google rewards, complete with titles and descriptions reflecting where you work and what services you offer..

Don’t be fooled by agencies pushing multiple local websites and business listings with fake addresses to get you to rank better locally. Your Google Business Profile is the central source of truth about your business on Google, and your website is your main hub for lead generation—invest time and resources to keep these updated, and don’t put them at risk by trying to trick the system. With AI, it’s only going to get easier to fake assets, so original and authentic content will be the most valuable. Hacking results won’t end well and will just end up creating more noise that algorithms and chatbots will have to sift through to determine what’s real, anyway.

What's Next?

At the end of the day, the fundamentals still matter. While AI continues to evolve and reshape the digital landscape, the Treehouse is here to help you navigate every twist and turn. By sticking to proven best practices—like maintaining accurate business info, showcasing your work, and building trust through authentic content—you’re setting your business up for long-term success. We’re keeping a close eye on the latest AI developments so you don’t have to, and we’ll continue to test, adapt, and guide you every step of the way.

—--

1Philipp Schindler (SVP/Chief Business Officer, Google) at Google Marketing Live 2025.

Treehouse Marketing Earns 2024 Google Premier Partner Status

2024-04-01T00:00:00.05Z

We are thrilled to share with you a significant milestone achieved by Treehouse Marketing: the attainment of Google Premier Partner status for the year 2024. This achievement underscores our commitment to excellence and signifies our standing among the most distinguished digital marketing agencies in the industry. According to Google, only 3% of agencies earn Premier Partner status, and with roughly 50,000 ad agencies in the U.S., that’s only 500 Google Premier Partner’s per year.

To put it simply, being designated as a Google Premier Partner is akin to earning a seal of approval from the foremost authority in the digital realm, who we often refer to as the Google Gods. It signifies our proven expertise, adherence to best practices, and consistent delivery of exceptional results for you, our network.

At Treehouse Marketing, we understand the importance of a strong digital presence in today's competitive landscape. As a Premier Partner, we have demonstrated proficiency across various Google Ads products, including Display, Video, Demand Gen, Search, and Performance Max. Our team members are certified experts in these domains, equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to maximize the effectiveness of your online advertising campaigns.

Moreover, achieving Premier Partner status is not merely a badge of honor; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to client growth and retention. We take pride in our ability to drive measurable results for our clients, ensuring that their investments in digital advertising yield tangible outcomes and sustainable business growth.

In addition, our adherence to Google's best practices sets us apart from the crowd. While some may resort to questionable tactics for short-term gains, we remain steadfast in our commitment to integrity and ethical conduct. Our approach is rooted in transparency, accountability, and a dedication to doing what is right for our clients, even if it means taking the longer, more principled path.

As we embark on this new chapter as a Google Premier Partner, our focus remains firmly on you, our valued clients. We are here to empower your businesses, elevate your digital presence, and help you achieve your goals in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

In conclusion, Treehouse Marketing's attainment of Google Premier Partner status is a reflection of our dedication to excellence, integrity, and client success. We are honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of guiding your digital marketing initiatives and are committed to delivering nothing short of exceptional results.

Thank you for entrusting us with your digital marketing needs. We look forward to continuing this journey together and driving continued success for your business.

Warm regards,

Treehouse Marketing

The Google Business Profile Reinstatement Process

2023-12-13T00:00:00.05Z

The most common place to be found online is in Google Search results, and the most common way to let prospects know you exist and can help them is by having a verified Google Business Profile (GBP)—an organic business listing that shows in Google’s local search results.

A huge benefit of hosting your Supercharged website with Treehouse is that our team works tirelessly to ensure that homeowners in your area can find your company whenever (and wherever) they search for the services you offer. One major component is managing and optimizing your GBP to include critical business information such as your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP). Ironically, the most common way a GBP ends up unverified or gets suspended is when changes are made to the NAP.

If that happens–if your verified Google Business Profile is suddenly suspended–then your listing no longer shows in local search results, and it’s like you don’t even exist!

Google may require re-verification or suspend GBPs indefinitely for any number of reasons, but they don’t always tell us exactly why. And lately, Google has been making it more and more difficult to get suspended listings reinstated.

Documents Required by Google to Appeal GBP Suspensions

Official Business Registration
Business License
W-9
Certificate of Insurance
Utility Bill (must display the same business name and address as your registration/license or tax certificate, can include any of the following: electricity, phone, gas, water, sewer, trash, recycling, TV or Internet)
External Photos of office location with visible address and signage posted
Photos of individual tools used to perform work taken alongside business cards in-frame, and a description of each tool and its use

In the past, when Google would suspend a GBP, Treehouse could simply open a ticket with Google Support and provide a copy of a company’s W-9, utility bill, and some photos of the office to prove a company was legitimate and not violating Google’s guidelines. Google would then either accept the proof and reinstate the profile, or reject it and request more information via email. Our team would then have the opportunity to provide more documentation until Google’s requirements were met and the profile was ultimately reinstated.

Today, the process is much more difficult and time-sensitive. When appealing a GBP suspension, Google now gives us a 1-hour window from the time we initiate an appeal to submit all relevant documentation. We get one shot to state our case, and then Google can take several days (or even longer) to process the information manually before they let us know the status via email. If accepted, great–we’re back online!. If rejected, there may be another opportunity to appeal…or there may not be—that remains unclear from Google at this time.

Remember, the quickest route to accidentally suspending your Google Business Profile is making changes to vital business information (name, address, phone number, website URL, business category, etc.). So, be sure to check out the Treehouse resources on FileHive that outline ways to enhance your GBP and the 5 Things You Should Never Touch.

It’s always a good idea to consult your Treehouse Account Manager before making changes. We’re always happy to help you get better results while avoiding costly mistakes. We’re here to ensure your audiences know you exist and are available to help them!

What is BrandBlaster?

2023-05-12T00:00:00.05Z

Launched in 2018, BrandBlaster is a pillar of the Treehouse Marketing ecosystem, providing both online and offline brand awareness tactics designed to bridge the gap between several marketing strategies. From Social Media Advertising to Billboards and everything in-between, this program utilizes the tools and technologies necessary to adapt to the ever-evolving marketing landscape, both digital and traditional.

The increase of connected devices only opens more doors for marketing opportunities. At the same time, this means it’s more crucial than ever for any one brand to take advantage of their options, as the competition grows stronger with every new advancement. It’s easy to consider one singular brand a drop in the bucket, but all it means is: they need to create the biggest ripple effect they can. BrandBlaster can help increase visibility, getting businesses onto more screens, into more mailboxes, and ultimately, in front of more eyes.

With the team’s expertise & resources, BrandBlaster can make sure a business is not only in front of more eyes, but also in front of the right eyes. Marketing to the correct target audience is vital to an effective strategy. The team at BrandBlaster has found that choosing a tactic is one thing, but ensuring they are marketing to the proper audiences is another thing altogether, and more important overall.

Some of the BrandBlaster program includes:

Programmatic Display & Online Video: Real-time automatic bidding on display advertising inventory for the opportunity to show an ad to the individual most likely to take action. These ads can appear across millions of websites and apps, based on a variety of factors.
Television Advertising: Airing commercials across all facets from Linear (Traditional) to Connected Television (Accessed via Internet), strengthening a brand or service to individuals within that market. Connected Television has the ability to uniquely target specific audiences.
Out-of-Home Advertising: Also known as outdoor media, Out-of-Home advertising includes static or digital billboards within a certain market. Both tactics afford the ability to pinpoint viewers within a billboard’s range via their personal devices. This allows the individual to be targeted over a period of time.

There are a lot of moving parts within the grand scheme of what BrandBlaster does. It can be hard to wrap one’s head around, especially viewing it from a brand awareness standpoint. But BrandBlaster covers so much ground using various resources & techniques. Think of it as the lights on an airport runway: BrandBlaster is guiding potential customers to the preferred destination – you, and not those other guys!

BrandBlaster & the Art of Making an Impression

2023-05-12T00:00:00.05Z

It’s that good friend of yours who you weren’t entirely on-board with, at first. It’s that food you thought was gross as a kid but can’t go without now. It’s Emma Stone hearing the Natasha Bedingfield classic “Pocketful of Sunshine” in Easy A, and saying “Ugh, I hate this song,” followed by a montage of her singing and dancing to it for days on end. These are all examples of someone or something having made an impression on a person.

Parallel time! You are scrolling through your Facebook feed at work while your coffee brews, and you come across an ad for a basement waterproofing service. “Not me,” you think. “My basement is just fine.” But on your way home, you see another ad for the same service on a billboard by the highway. You find it interesting, maybe strange, that you saw it again that same day. But you don’t think much of it. The next week, you get a Clipper ad package in the mail, and, lo and behold, you see it again: Wet Basement? You start thinking about it more. You have been noticing a weird musty smell when you go downstairs to do laundry. There is a bit of a draft coming up the stairs. Could there be a leak? Should you be looking more into basement waterproofing?

Timeline aside, a recurring presence will make you think differently about something that might have made you have a passive, or even negative first reaction. That’s how our BrandBlaster product works: making brands appear in front of the right people, at the right times, as often (strategically) as possible, and in competition with other brands trying to do the same thing. Advertising at different angles will make people think differently about a product or service, but ultimately, all of these paths will lead to the same destination of brand recognition.

While we’re not talking about making a bad impression here, it has been theorized by a Harvard study that “it typically takes eight subsequent positive encounters to change another person’s negative opinion of you.” Persistence and positivity are key players. BrandBlaster works tirelessly to ensure a brand appears in as many places as possible, even knowing a potential customer might not necessarily contact that brand via one of those encounters. But they’re planting the seed so this person, upon deciding they need a service done in their home, picks up the phone and calls the first company that comes to mind: the one that’s been in the back of their mind since they first saw that Facebook ad.

BrandBlaster: The Best for Brand Awareness

2023-05-12T00:00:00.05Z

There’s no doubt that the biggest questions regarding marketing in any form are: What is my ROI? What am I getting out of what I’m spending? Are my efforts paying off? These are valid questions, they should be in the back of any business’s mind. Questions like these should, however, be aimed differently depending on the type of marketing. In this case, we’re talking about the arguably infamous Brand Awareness.

Far from straightforward, brand awareness tactics tend to make many businesses scratch their heads. But in short: it’s about familiarity. Building trust in a brand has to do with seeing it often, in the right places, at the right times. Associating a product or service with an essential need. In many cases, consistency & continuity are key; maintaining visibility to the appropriate audiences & markets against the odds and in competition with others in the industry is easier said than done, but vital all the same.

That’s where BrandBlaster comes in! Consider BrandBlaster a force to be reckoned with in terms of strategy, resources, and often, firing on all cylinders. In its true form, BrandBlaster is not a cut-and-dry Lead Generation service. This team, while working to promote a brand, also aids in stimulated web traffic and familiarity of said brand within a market, ultimately driving down the cost per lead or acquisition. Needless to say, this takes time.

Since 2019, BrandBlaster has tested the theory that utilizing multiple marketing tactics for one campaign is stronger than budgeting all of a businesses brand’s eggs for one basket. The team has concluded that a multiple-tactic approach results in a more positive overall user experience, as well as increased brand familiarity. According to Hubspot, “Once a consumer is aware of a brand, they start to recognize it without assistance, seek it out to make a purchase, begin to prefer it over other similar brands, and establish a loyalty that not only spurs on other purchases but also inspires recommendations to family and friends.”

In the world of home improvement, purchases, obviously, are given significantly more thought than products such as Kleenex, or Jell-O, or Band-Aid, and that is understandable. But make note that we name-dropped the brands here, not the types of products themselves. That’s because these are just some of the brands that are household names, often referred to when the customers aren’t necessarily purchasing from those companies. They didn’t rely solely on television ads, and they didn’t put all their marketing budget into direct mail. Instead, they invested in both, and more.

That is what BrandBlaster is all about: helping brands to be relentless, recurring, and resistant to the throes of such involved marketing technologies. Becoming recognizable in widely saturated industries is no easy task, but it’s one that BrandBlaster will go to bat for, helping many businesses achieve even greater success (in the long run!).

Avoiding AI-Generated Content

2023-03-15T00:00:00.05Z

Avoid AI for Widget Content AI written content is a siren luring local businesses to choppy waters. The scenario sounds idyllic; the Treehouse formula to get your local website ranking requires constant widget content to be uploaded to your site. As with anything constant, this task is time-consuming, so an AI generating t platform like ChatGPT, can now write our content for us.

Unfortunately, there is a glaring flaw in this plan. Google has consistently stated for years that using automation, including AI, to create content with the primary purpose of manipulating ranking in search results is a violation of Google’s spam policies.

Therefore, ChatGPT should not be utilized to pump out SEO-optimized junk, especially to fulfill your widgets. Google will still consider it spammy, weak content, for which your website will not be rewarded and could absolutely be punished.

You Can’t Trick the Google Gods There is not a feasible scenario where you trick Google into thinking any AI-generated content was written by a person. The technology to scan and detect AI-generated content exists, so we believe Google will utilize this technology to quickly decipher between what is human-written vs computer-generated.

Google’s main goal is always to provide users with the most relevant content to their search query. Simply put, Google wants to ensure the people who search for questions on their platform are given relevant answers. That is why their search engine went from solely focusing on content optimization (think original SEO tactics like keywords, backlinks, internal links, etc.) to widening its priorities to include how well your content is optimized for search intent.

Point Blank Humans are still the end user of search engines, which means the search intent is still human-led. The way we speak, think, or write content will continue to resonate with people in a way that AI-generated content can’t. So, no matter how enticing, avoid the temptation to use ChatGPT when directly uploading to your site, or else what you think is helping your website could sink it instead.

Proactive Resources to Start Your New Year Off Right

2023-02-07T00:00:00.05Z

The beginning of the year always sets off a flurry of excitement (and sometimes mild panic) when looking down the barrel for the next 12 months. With new goals comes new budgets, and even the most veteran marketer can become overwhelmed by juggling all of these moving pieces.

That’s why we’ve outlined specific Treehouse resources, already at your fingertips, to help support your goals & make the first few months of the year less overwhelming:

Tools:

● CN Widget Pro App

● Promocents Coupons Widget & Broadcast Widget

● Credibility Badge Showcase Widget

1. CN Widget Pro App allows your business to operate smoothly by creating a direct line between service-based employees & their marketers. Within the app you can collect & send job site photos, along with customer reviews, and easily manage them in the CN Business Center. Connect Reviews from most third-party sites are united in this platform so you’re able to focus your efforts on enhancing your Google Business Profile (GBP).

Pro Tip: Encourage your customers to include a visual in their review! By having both a text & a visual you create digital credibility around the great work you’re already doing! It can be as simple as the language you use when asking the homeowner, “If you’d like to leave us a review or share photos of our work, we would greatly appreciate it”.

2. Promocents + Broadcast Widget utilizing both of these widgets' key features allows you to feature an incentive directly on your website! Create the coupon of your choice, promoting a seasonal service perhaps, and highlight it via the Broadcast widget. Unifying both the Promocents Coupon widget & the Broadcast widget allows you to blast your promotional message directly on your home page to entice any potential customer visiting your website. This combination of a call-to-action message and strategic placement creates more opportunities to generate leads.

Pro Tip: Once you update the website, now you can add an offer to your Google Business profile, or GBP! An offer is a promotion that your company chooses to highlight to incentivize potential and existing customers. By incorporating an offer on your GBP, your company will gain a competitive edge against companies, build promotional awareness, and strengthen your direct profile to Google. In your offer, you can include an emoji, an image, and a link. Why not stand out? When you feature an offer in your GBP, it will show up in the map pack

3. Credibility Badge Showcase widget displays a variety of business relationships that your company has built over time. This can include a chamber of commerce, an industry association, or a local affiliate. Partnering with chambers is a crucial part of SEO to not only boost your website’s power with healthy external links, but the connection also creates an important networking component in your local community. Highlighting these professional relationships allows you to establish a reputation as a trusted expert in your field.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to audit your credibility badge! This will allow you to ensure everything is correct and nothing is missing. Have you earned any recent awards that haven't been added yet? Did any of your connections update their “badges”? You could also take it one step further and ask your trusted local partners to list YOU on their sites.

Each business will have its own unique approaches to the new year's goals, but by utilizing the existing resources at your fingertips you can rest assured that your website is receiving new content, and generating reviews, thus establishing an edge over your competitors and all contributing towards the end goal of higher rankings on Google.

Looking for Hot Local Referrals in Your Area?

2023-02-06T00:00:00.05Z

Word of Mouth A traditional type of referral in the home improvement industry is a word-of-mouth referral. You (the business) serviced Person A, and they liked your work enough to recommend you to Person B, who is also in need of your service. As you know, in our line of work earning referrals starts with providing WOW service. When customers feel heard, valued & respected, they are more likely to suggest your business to friends or family. Generating referrals can be lucrative; this type of lead has the highest conversion rate among any other lead type, typically converting on average 90% or higher.

Referrals convert at an incredibly high rate because they are usually harder to generate. Imagine if we told you there are available online platforms that allow you to generate these valuable leads, for FREE? Well, these days, with the explosion of our internet-driven communities, referrals are generated online just as much, if not more so, than in person. A prime example is the opportunity within neighborhood groups on platforms like Facebook or Nextdoor. These digital communities were created to solve problems through the power of connection. Often group members may post about missing pets, yard sales, community outreach, local events; & lucky for us- local businesses!

Homeowners look to these groups for legitimate references, feeling a heightened sense of trust in the enclosed community, the same way you feel when receiving a recommendation from a neighbor or trusted friend. The icing on the cake is that we're noticing referrals generated within these groups are of the same quality as a traditional word-of-mouth referral, and should be treated as such.

Kick-start Your Success with 3 Simple Steps:

Join as many Groups as possible. Start with the town or city your business is physically located in and spread out from there. If you have a neighborhood of focus or a specific region that has been “hot” for you, connect to those as well!

Beware the Guidelines. Each group, no matter the platform, will have its own guidelines that you must accept before gaining access; such as confirming proximity, language restrictions (no cursing) or solicitation restrictions. Be mindful of each group's guidelines, as going against them could get you removed from the group.

Check the Feeds Frequently. Now that you’ve been accepted into your groups of choice and are a rule-abiding participant, start checking the feeds daily for opportunities to contribute to the conversation. Make the 10 minutes it will take to review these feeds a new habit. Scroll while you wait for your morning coffee or right after dinner! It is important to not only be familiar with the new feeds but to be an active participant. If you want to check the feeds often, consider downloading the Facebook & Nextdoor apps if you don’t already have them, so you can scroll from anywhere and keep an eye out for opportunities in these communities.

The More the Merrier. Remember, this is not an ad or a response from a company account, you are operating as an individual person within the Nextdoor or Facebook platforms. These online community groups were built with the sole purpose of catering to individuals, so you must participate as an individual. This is an opportunity to encourage others, if not everyone, within your company to get involved. All they would need is an active Facebook/Nextdoor profile, a basic understanding of what services you offer, and the ability to type a full sentence. It can be that easy. Consider taking it one step further and even hosting an internal referral competition for those who participate!

Don’t Wait. Generating referrals within Neighborhood groups on Facebook or Nextdoor is an accessible, lucrative, and did we mention a completely FREE way to obtain more high-converting leads? Homeowners & community members alike already look towards these online groups with a heightened sense of trust. Capitalize on this opportunity and get started right away.

The Importance of Posting Videos on Google Business Profile

2022-08-19T00:00:00.05Z

The Importance of Video Posts on Google

We should know by now that video content is highly valued across nearly every social media outlet, from Instagram and Facebook to LinkedIn (and don’t get us started with TikTok). Authenticity, accessibility, and frequency are just some of the qualities that social algorithms take into consideration when calculating where, when, and to whom said video content will be distributed. The same goes for Google Business Profiles: there are bonuses and benefits to featuring video in those posts, as opposed to static photos accompanying informational copy. Let’s break down the ins and outs of video content on GBPs:

Types of Videos

Before & After
Product Features
Customer Testimonials
Informational/Educational Content

The Science Behind…
How ____ Works
FAQs / Q&As

Benefits of Video

Algorithms aside, why worry so much about video versus text or photo posts? There are a few reasons. First, video can be easier to digest – some users might be able to better understand what you’re explaining when it’s visual or auditory. Plus, folks with visual impairments might have a better time with something they can see and/or hear, especially if the text is a struggle for them. Consider everyone!

Next, engaging content goes beyond giving users something they will want to comment on. Engagement also applies to putting faces to the company, and personalize it more. You want to be humanized and show users that you are not only people who care but also the best people to do the job. Establishing trust and being memorable is an important part of the game.

Things to Consider

Google recently announced a “helpful content” strategy, focusing on content that is audience-first, meaning posting just to post, and uploading content that is just meant to feed the SEO machine will be flagged or taken down completely. Google wants you to focus on what your audience is looking for, and can learn from. Are you trustworthy? Are you a thought leader? Are you engaging, personable, and authentic? Make sure your videos are informative; leave your audience having learned something new.

Returning to the ever-changing topic of duplicate content, Google has put its digital foot down and stated that repeat or dupe content is prohibited, and will be considered spam. Keep it fresh and look for new & creative ways to produce content for your profile! Animate your digital assets, create fun graphics, and share fun aspects of your products/services you haven’t yet shown off.

Go beyond the Post tab when it comes to video. The Photo tab also allows video uploads, so keeping that space a blend of content makes room for more ways to showcase your brand, and what you do best.

Finally, be consistent! If you’re not posting very often (not good, if that’s the case), at least post consistently. If multiple times a week is too tough to accomplish, at least twice weekly gives Google the heads-up that you’re up-to-date, and prioritizing being in front of potential customers. Consistency is key when gaining traction in a digital space and posting videos on your Google Business Profile is no exception.

Bid Smarter, Not Harder: the Revolution of Smart-Bidding

2022-08-15T00:00:00.05Z

Generating successful Pay-Per-Click campaigns requires many steps: extensive research, keyword attribution, bids, and modifications, to name a few. But, what if all these steps and data points could be handled by machines? Well, Google has been moving in that direction, and now embedded into Google's products (including PPC ads) is a specific type of artificial intelligence called machine learning. With machine learning, Google is leveraging the incredible power of artificial intelligence to automate PPC bidding strategies in a new platform titled Smart Bidding. With Smart Bidding, the “machine” quickly considers a wide set of data points and signals to determine the best possible PPC bid for a single user with the goal to maximize conversion. In the old manual bidding technique, there are about 10-20 signals available to use. According to an ex-Google employee who has published hard-to-find stats on this inside process, the new Smart Bidding platform has over 500K signals that are processed in milliseconds.

What does this Smart Bidding platform mean for PPC results? Well, better bids are more accurate bids. The multiple Smart Bidding signals (or, data points), allow for a more accurate and detailed bidding strategy. For example, smart bidding algorithms may bid higher based on a user’s browser history, a variable we never had access to before. Utilizing this factor in our PPC bidding strategy is revolutionary, giving us new access to the customer journey as an important PPC consideration.

Since this platform was first introduced in 2016, The Treehouse has run multiple trials to properly test Smart Bidding. The outcome was consistently a higher spend for fewer leads, a common result that other agencies reported. It wasn’t until 2022 that our most recent round of in-depth testing garnered consistently positive results.

Now, Smart Bidding is working to your benefit: with increased lead volume and improved conversion that results in a decreased CPL (on average). Take a look at the results from a set of sites we tested over a 6-month span that illustrate this improved conversion rate.

USERS BEWARE!

Although this new bidding process uses ‘Smart’ Bidding, there are still multiple inputs that require manual decision-making to keep campaigns on track. Campaigns that are not carefully monitored can ‘run wild’ and turn away from a lead generation focus. Our teams need to keep watch and consistently tweak the campaigns to make sure the machine learning is aligned with our goals. This shifts our focus from constantly adjusting bids, to now strategizing and optimizing campaigns for maximum results

THE BOTTOM LINE

At the end of the day, Google is still in the business of generating clicks, while Treehouse is in the business of getting you leads. That is why we continue to thoroughly test - and test again - updates from any source before applying them to your web strategy. Smart Bidding is only as effective as the minds working behind it. Our expert PPC team will leverage this new platform intelligently to deliver even more positive results for our dealers.

The Angi Umbrella: The Merge of Angie's List and HomeAdvisor

2021-09-02T00:00:00.05Z

As many of you know, Angie’s List and Home Advisor have officially merged. But what does this unification mean? To help provide clarity on this change, we’ve illustrated an overview below of the status for these two platforms.

The two nationally recognized companies have joined together with a goal to maintain their strong customer loyalty and unity under one brand. Under the parent company of Angi, there are two separate companies that will continue to operate independently for the time being.

The first company is Angie’s List which is now called “Angi.” Businesses can sign up for a free listing on Angi.com, but if you’re interested in buying ads, this is done through Angi Ads.

The second company formally known as Home Advisor will now be identified as “Angi Leads.” If you are already a Home Advisor member, you will continue to receive leads from HomeAdvisor.com powered by Angi. Be advised that when an Angi Lead email arrives in your inbox, the sender of the email is still “HomeAdvisor Lead.”

The differences between Angi.com with Angi Ads and Angi Leads include the following:

Angi.com (free listing)	Angi Leads (formerly HomeAdvisor)
	Website still reads: HomeAdvisor powered by Angi
Free listing- can accept customer reviews	Pay per Lead Model
Business will have admin access to edit	Can request refunds on leads
This listing is not shown in search results within Angi.com	Can pause leads
Angi Ads (paid advertising to the Angi.com- Business Listing)	Leads are distributed to 4 contacts/ contractors
Annual Agreement	Businesses set up an Exact Match and Market Match budget and receive up to that budget in leads
No Pay per Lead arrangement	Consumer can choose your company specifically
No lead refund offered	Leads are priced according to lead type and service type
Cannot pause leads	Leads are emailed from HomeAdvisor powered by Angi; the sender of the email is still "HomeAdvisor Lead"
A customer can submit a "Request" for your services	Business Profile is very basic
Consumer can choose your company specifically	Businesses log into pro.homeadvisor.com
Consumer "Request" is emailed as "Lead" (note: this is different than Angi Leads"
Businesses log into office.angie.com

At this point in time, there have been no changes made as far as to lead fees, membership options, or how they receive and send leads to participating businesses. Since the merge, there have been alleged reports from dealers receiving duplicate leads, so we advise to carefully review your leads.

For any questions or would like more information, please contact your Angi representative or the customer care team.

The Treehouse Takes on TV

2021-07-02T00:00:00.05Z

Did you know Treehouse Marketing can buy TV advertisements to enrich your marketing mix? In addition to advertising on social media, CTV, display and billboards; our dealers can now broadcast their commercials on local or national television networks. Treehouse Marketing recognizes the importance of TV advertising and who better to conduct this production than the experts in advertising?

Three reasons to purchase your TV spots through the Treehouse:

Obtaining a proven TV strategy
Elevating your brand in the marketing mix
Improved reporting

Proven TV Strategy: Our Media Buyers are dedicated to ensuring that you’re getting the best rates, airtime and exposure as possible. Which is quite the process! They negotiate on your behalf for air time, including additional sponsorships and bonus spots from the stations, all of which play a major role in optimizing your TV budget. When they aren’t connecting with stations, they are knee-deep in research and strategy testing. This allows the team to determine what would work best for your specific services all the while considering the current trends of television.

Elevate your Brand in the Marketing Media Mix: Strong marketers know how vital a marketing mix is for their brand. Exposing your brand to the right audience can maximize the success of your business, and TV is an important component of a well rounded mix. (Looking to find the right marketing media mix for your audience? Check out thisblog).

In today’s marketing world, TV still brings value, especially to our targeted audiences. A healthy mix of digital advertising paired with traditional TV has the potential to come full circle for your brand. Imagine your ad following an ideal customer as they surf the web, the ad continues to pop up as they’re on Facebook, and before they know it your TV commercial is playing after the 6 oclock news! Our efforts through the BrandBlaster team, paired up with the traditional marketing knowledge of the National Marketing team ensures your brand has a seamless execution both on traditional and non-traditional screens.

Improved Reporting: For those currently running TV - Do you find yourself taking too much time out of your day to decipher the post logs that your station’s rep sends? The tiny print and never ending pages of information can be overwhelming to say the least.

The Treehouse recognizes the importance of accurate & efficient data, all of which has led to developing our own structure for monthly reporting. We deliver digestible TV and Airtime reports. These reports highlight the key statistics in order to determine your brands performance such as:

Spots Aired
Budget
Frequency
Impressions

In addition to key statistics, you’ll receive an overview snapshot of every commercial that ran for the month. Having this data at your fingertips allows you to easily monitor the performance of your TV efforts at a glance.

Whether you are well versed with TV advertising or looking to get started – the Treehouse makes TV advertising as efficient as possible for you. Reach out to your Account Manager today and see what we can do for your TV marketing experience!

The Importance of Customer Reviews

2021-07-02T00:00:00.05Z

Before purchasing something online, you’ve probably found yourself scrolling to the reviews section to see what other people think about the product. That right there shows how important reviews are—what current customers have to say about a product or service can influence the decisions of potential customers. But there is a lot more to it, especially regarding reviews on Google My Business listings.

For starters, when your business appears on the right-hand side of Google search results, showing your Google My Business profile, you’ll want to have a starred rating and a link next to it that sends searchers to the full customer reviews. It’s a way of fulfilling and rounding out that profile that people certainly notice. Having those gold stars to begin with is a great start.

The amount of reviews you have, as well as how high those ratings are, have an effect on your business’s visibility. Having more reviews than other businesses that utilize similar keywords, provide similar services, etc., will give yours a leg-up in search results. Your business will have the opportunity to show up before others. Acquiring more, stronger customer reviews will help you become the leader of specific keywords and phrases in searches within your service area.

Now, the big question: How do I accumulate customer reviews? There are many ways of going about it. Of course, word-of-mouth is one, but soliciting reviews will essentially be most effective when provided in writing, whether that be in any informational copy you provide to customers' handouts, paperwork, emails, or newsletters. It would also be helpful to add “Leave a Review” links on your website, and share select exceptional reviews on your social media; positive customer testimonials are content for others to see. And it goes without saying—quality service will encourage customers to go out of their way to leave glowing reviews.

The reviews are coming in. Which’s great! But you shouldn’t stop there. It is just as important to respond to reviews as it is to acquire them in the first place. Good or bad, responding to customer reviews showcases your approachability, gratitude, and overall responsiveness through an active online presence. Not only will those who left reviews appreciate your gratitude, but potential customers researching your business will see that you care about customer satisfaction, and be more inclined to choose your services.

Additionally, on your Google My Business profile, users researching your business can filter customer reviews by frequently mentioned subjects and keywords, allowing them to see what people are saying about specific products, services, and qualities of your business. These are valuable details, especially in such competitive industries. It’s important to stand out, and showcase every angle of your business.