Alt text: make Google see your work photos
Your job photos are invisible to Google without alt text. What to write, where the field hides in every major builder, and how to find every miss.
6 min
The library
43.0608° N / 88.4037° W
Fix it yourself.I'm not precious about it.
Every guide teaches the actual work, step by step. No email required.
- 59 guides
- 9 categories
- No email, no catch
What the sheet tells you
- Who shows up first when a neighbor searches for what you do.Google's answer and the AI answer, with names. Whether one of them is you.
- Where you lose them.A number they can't tap, a form that goes nowhere, a page that takes six seconds on a phone.
- What to fix first.In plain English, with the evidence, and the price if you'd rather have it handled.
About two minutes. Reads public pages only.See an example sheet
The shelves.
01
Get found
8 guidesBing still matters (it feeds ChatGPT). Set it up.
Claim your Bing Places listing and set up Bing Webmaster Tools in about 30 minutes, mostly by importing what you already built on Google.
6 min
Directory listings: where your business needs to appear
The exact directories a local service business should be listed in, in order, plus how to find and fix listings showing the wrong info.
5 min
Google LocalBusiness schema: help Google read your business
Add Google local business schema (the LocalBusiness type) to your site so Google reads your name, hours, and service area straight from the code. Template and test steps included.
7 min
Google Search Console: see what Google sees
Set up Google Search Console in about 30 minutes: verify your site, submit your sitemap, and read the reports that show how customers find you.
5 min
Meta descriptions: the 150 characters that sell the click
Check what Google shows under your listing, write descriptions that win the click, and add them in WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy.
6 min
What to write on your site so your town finds you
The pages a local service site needs, what goes on each one, and how to check Google is picking them up. Plain steps for owners, no marketing degree.
5 min
Write page titles that get clicks from Google
The formula for local page titles that win clicks, with character limits and where to change them on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy.
6 min
02
Google profile and reviews
6 guidesApple Business Connect (formerly Apple Maps Connect): claim your spot on Apple Maps
Claim and fix your business listing on Apple Maps with Apple Business Connect, the tool that replaced Apple Maps Connect, in about 20 minutes, so iPhone users and Siri can find you.
6 min
Google Business Profile suspended: the full fix, not just the appeal button
What actually gets a Google Business Profile suspended, the exact appeal steps, what evidence to attach, and how to keep it from happening twice.
8 min
How to get more Google reviews without being annoying
A same-day system for steady Google reviews: your link, the exact text to send, a QR code, and the rules that keep reviews from getting removed.
6 min
How to respond to a bad review (and win the reader)
A calm four-part reply that wins the reader, copy-paste templates, how to report fake reviews, and how to bury a bad one with real ones.
5 min
Set up your Google Business Profile the right way
Claim, verify, and fill out your Google Business Profile in about 30 minutes. Exact steps for Wisconsin service businesses, no tech skills needed.
5 min
When to ask for a review so people actually leave one
The exact moment to ask for a Google review, the link to send, and word-for-word scripts that get real customers to actually leave one.
6 min
03
Your website
10 guidesDIY website builder vs. a custom-built site: what a contractor actually gives up
What you get and what you don't with Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy versus a custom-built site: ownership, migration, speed, and who fixes it when it breaks.
8 min
Make your site work on a phone (where your customers are)
Test your site on a phone, then fix text size, tap targets, tappable phone numbers, and slow images with free tools. No coding background needed.
6 min
Questions to ask before you hire anyone to build your site
The exact questions that expose lock-in, rental pricing, and padded portfolios before you sign, plus the five logins to demand before final payment.
7 min
Signs your website needs a redesign
Six concrete, checkable signs your site is actually costing you calls, and how to tell those apart from things that just look dated but aren't hurting you.
7 min
Tap-to-call: the one-line fix that gets you more calls
Make your phone number tappable with one line of code, put it where thumbs can reach, and test it. Exact steps for WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace.
5 min
The one test that shows if your website actually works
A good-looking website can still lose customers. Run this simple phone test to find out if yours does.
6 min
Website accessibility: the basics that protect and pay
Run a free check at pagespeed.web.dev, fix the five failures behind most ADA complaints, and pass the keyboard test. Plain steps, free tools.
7 min
Website words that turn visitors into phone calls
Rewrite your homepage in 30 minutes so visitors call. Headline formulas, proof placement, and copy-paste examples for local service businesses.
7 min
Why your site is slow and the fixes that actually matter
Find out why your site loads slow, then fix it: shrink images, cut junk plugins, turn on caching, and check your hosting. Free tools, no coding.
7 min
Writing service pages that actually get someone to call
The structure that turns a service page into a lead: what goes above the fold, what to say instead of "quality workmanship", and how long is too long.
9 min
04
Tracking
3 guidesFix the blank gray box when your site gets shared
Why shared links show a blank box, the four Open Graph tags that fix it, and where to set them in WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy.
7 min
GA4 in an afternoon: know where your customers come from
Set up Google Analytics 4 in about 30 minutes: create the property, install the tag, and see which marketing actually brings in customers.
6 min
Meta Pixel: stop guessing whether your ads work
Install the Meta Pixel on your site in about 30 minutes, verify it fires, and set up a Lead event so you know which Facebook ads bring real customers.
6 min
05
Security and trust
5 guidesHTTPS: kill the "Not secure" warning in five steps
Turn on a free SSL certificate, redirect every visitor to https, and clear the Not secure warning from your site in about 30 minutes.
5 min
Moving your website to a new platform without losing your Google rankings
The real checklist for a website migration: redirects, Search Console change of address, sitemap, and how long to keep the old URLs alive.
9 min
Never lose your domain (it happens more than you think)
Find where your domain is registered, take ownership of the account, turn on auto-renew, and set backup reminders so your site and email never go dark.
5 min
Three security headers most sites never set
Three copy-paste security headers, a free scanner to check your grade, and exact steps to add them on Cloudflare, WordPress, or regular hosting.
6 min
Why your invoices land in spam: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Your invoices hit spam because your domain fails three email checks. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC yourself in about 30 minutes, exact records included.
8 min
06
AI and automation
10 guides15 Claude prompts that do real work for your business
Copy-paste prompts for estimates, review replies, customer messages, and paperwork. Free tools, about 30 minutes to try all fifteen.
8 min
A quote follow-up system you can build in a weekend
A quote follow-up system for a small shop: one spreadsheet, three saved texts, five minutes a day. Built with free tools you already have.
7 min
AI receptionists: what they do and when one pays off
What an AI receptionist does, what it costs, and how to set one up yourself, from missed-call texts to a voice agent that books jobs.
6 min
Claude for business owners: how to actually use it to run a small business
Draft quotes, answer emails in your voice, write job posts, and triage your schedule with Claude. Real prompts, no tech background needed.
8 min
How to show up when someone asks ChatGPT who to hire
What to fix so ChatGPT, Google AI, and Perplexity name your business when someone asks who to hire. Profiles, crawler access, and pages AI can quote.
8 min
Missed-call text-back: recover the callers who hang up
When you can't pick up, an automatic text keeps the caller from dialing the next company. Free phone settings today, a $15 tool when you're ready.
6 min
The small business AI stack: pay, free, and skip
An honest tool-by-tool rundown for writing, phones, scheduling, and books. What to pay for, what the free tier already covers, and what to skip.
7 min
Turn job-site photos into a month of marketing content
You already take photos on every job. Here's how to turn them into a month of posts, before-and-afters, and Google Business updates with an AI tool and 20 minutes a week.
7 min
Use AI to read contracts and paperwork before you sign
Upload a supplier contract, lease, or vendor agreement to AI before you sign it. What to ask, what it catches, and what still needs a lawyer.
6 min
What never to paste into a chatbot (AI safety for business)
The exact things not to paste into ChatGPT or Claude, the settings that stop your data from training the model, and simple rules your team can actually follow.
6 min
07
Phones and voice
5 guides10 ways to stop losing after-hours calls
Nine things you can do tonight to stop losing calls after hours, plus the one thing worth paying someone else to build for you.
8 min
AI answering vs. answering service vs. hiring: the real math
What it actually costs, per month, to cover your phones three ways, plus what missed calls already cost you. Real numbers, no sales pitch.
6 min
Build an AI voice agent for your business (the real DIY path)
How to wire Vapi to a Twilio number and build a voice agent that answers your phone. Real setup steps, real monthly costs, and where it breaks.
9 min
Set up an AI receptionist that books real appointments
The hands-on build: compare tools, wire up your calendar, write the greeting script, and set the rules for when it hands off to a human.
8 min
Tap-to-call vs. an AI receptionist: which one actually fixes your missed calls
Tap-to-call gets more people to dial. An AI receptionist answers when you can't. They solve different problems, here's how to know which one you need first.
7 min
08
Run on autopilot
7 guidesAnswer every Google review with AI (without sounding like AI)
Use AI to draft review replies in seconds, with tone rules and prompts for 5-star, 3-star, and angry reviews, plus when to stop typing and pick up the phone.
6 min
Automate invoice reminders and get paid faster
Turn on QuickBooks or Wave's built-in reminders in ten minutes, then patch the gaps with a free Make automation. Copy-paste reminder text included.
8 min
Automated appointment scheduling, online and by phone, without new software
Set up automated appointment scheduling with a booking page, real buffer rules, text reminders, and a plan for the calls that come in by phone. About 30 minutes, no new software required.
7 min
Automation for a one-truck shop: what's worth setting up when it's just you
Most automation advice assumes an office staff. Here's what actually helps a solo operator: what to automate first, what to skip, and what runs itself.
8 min
Build a review-request machine that runs itself
Wire up an automated review request that fires the moment a job closes, waits the right amount of time, then texts the link. No monthly tool required.
7 min
Put a chatbot on your site this weekend
A weekend plan for adding a real chatbot to your site: free vs paid options ranked, training it on your own FAQ, and handing off to a human when it should.
8 min
Track every lead without buying a CRM
A Google Sheet with five columns, a form that feeds it automatically, and rules for the day a spreadsheet stops being enough. No CRM required.
8 min
09
Deciding and buying
5 guides10 signs your business is ready for automation
A self-check for local service businesses: the ten patterns that mean automation will pay for itself, and the first fix for each.
8 min
AI for service businesses in 2026: what is real and what is hype
A field-by-field rundown of which AI tools actually pay for themselves and which ones to skip, with one first move for each.
8 min
DIY website vs. hiring someone: the real math
The honest hours, tool costs, and quality ceiling for building your own site versus paying someone, so you pick with real numbers instead of a gut feeling.
8 min
Website redesign cost: what actually drives the number
Real redesign price ranges for a Wisconsin small business, what pushes the number up or down, and the one mistake that costs more than the redesign itself.
7 min
What custom software actually costs a small business
Honest price ranges by project type, why two quotes for the same job can differ by 10x, and when off-the-shelf beats custom outright.
8 min
Sheet 03 · The point
Delafield quadrangle
Take the playbook. Or hand me the whole job.
I give this away on purpose, no strings, because a guide doesn't compete with what I actually sell. Some owners read one, fix the thing themselves, and never hear from me again. Others decide an hour of their time is worth more than the fix. Both outcomes are fine by me.