Field notes

Straight answers on websites, ads, and local search.

What things cost, what actually moves the needle, and what to skip. Written from the work, not from a content calendar.

Pricing 7 min read

How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business?

A small business website in the US runs anywhere from $0 a month on a DIY builder to $30,000+ from a large agency. Here is what each option actually costs, what moves the price, and what you should own when the project is done.

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Playbooks 6 min read

Google Ads for Contractors: What a Real Budget Buys

What Google Ads actually costs in the trades, what a $3,000 budget buys in clicks and leads, and how to structure a contractor account so clicks turn into booked jobs.

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Strategy 7 min read

SEO vs PPC for local businesses: which one should you fund first?

SEO and PPC are not rivals; they are different tools on different timelines. Here is how a local business decides which one to fund first, with the actual budget math.

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Playbooks 6 min read

Small Business Website Examples That Produce Calls

Six live client sites broken down element by element: what each one does that turns visitors into calls, estimates, and bookings, and which parts you can copy today.

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Pricing 6 min read

Website Redesign Cost: What You Should Expect to Pay

A website redesign runs from about $2,000 for a small refresh to $20,000+ for a large custom site. Here is what moves the number, why redesigns cost more than new builds of the same size, and when a redesign is the wrong purchase.

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Strategy 7 min read

What is Google Guaranteed? The badge, the cost, and whether it is worth it

Google Guaranteed is the green-checkmark badge on Local Services Ads, backed by Google reimbursing unhappy customers up to $2,000. Here is how to get it, what it costs, and whether it is worth it for your trade.

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Playbooks 6 min read

Local SEO for Contractors: The Complete Checklist

Every item a contractor needs to rank in local search, organized into five checklists: Google Business Profile, website, citations, reviews, and tracking.

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Pricing 7 min read

Google Ads Management Cost: Pricing Models Explained

Agencies price Google Ads management three main ways: a percentage of your ad spend, a flat monthly fee, or an hourly rate. Here is what each model costs, which one fits your budget, and what the fee should actually buy you.

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Strategy 7 min read

How long does local SEO take? An honest month-by-month answer

Local SEO typically shows movement in 3 to 6 months and meaningful lead flow in 6 to 12. Here is the month-by-month timeline, what speeds it up, and what to measure while you wait.

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Pricing 6 min read

Local SEO Pricing: What Packages Cost and What They Buy

Local SEO for a small business typically costs $500 to $3,000 a month. Here is what different price tiers actually buy, the red flags that mark a bad package, and what a monthly report should show you.

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