Waterproofing Contractor Hits $700k Goal and Increases Leads by 5x In 10 Months

Case Study: Capstone Waterproofing Solutions, waterproofing company in Washington, DC

The Background

Joe McPherson, owner of Capstone Waterproofing Solutions, reached out to us in January 2023, looking for something more for his business.

Joe was standing at the crossroads of opportunity, staring down the barrel of a $700k revenue goal for the year, but he needed more consistent leads and sustainable growth for his business.

While it was clear to us that Joe had the grit and determination to succeed in the contracting space, one thing was holding him back—a pesky little thing called friction.

Joe McPherson shares his business wins after partnering with Contracting Empire

It’s interesting because his company was on the right path. Still, he was leaving some money on the table by turning to an answering service and creating friction for homeowners who actually wanted basement waterproofing fast.

Getting leads as a contractor can be very difficult if you don’t start off on the right premises. You need to solve problems that homeowners have in locations close to yours where the real money is.

And you can’t possibly know any of it without the right data.

It’s frustrating to see this perpetual model of recommending cookie-cutter marketing and SEO to contractors like you.

Your business is as unique as you are, so when we say we offer tailored marketing solutions and advice, we really mean it.

After performing a high-value audit on the first call, we can extract the numbers and analyze the data needed to map out a plan that will bring you the most money faster.

We’ve managed to bring SEO results for some of our clients after a month. For others, it took 6 months. While we do everything in our power to get you to win fast, it’s also important to understand that Google’s algorithm and constant testing also determine how your rankings climb.

From an initial revenue of $444k in 2022 to a staggering $720k in 2023, the results speak volumes about the power of collaboration, innovation, and sheer determination.

The Challenges

Lead Generation Struggles

Joe’s reliance on traditional methods of lead generation, such as referrals, home inspectors, and realtors, was yielding good results, but the leads he was getting from Google weren’t plenty.

Don’t get me wrong – those traditional methods aren’t all bad. They’ve served Joe well, and they’ll serve you well, too.

It’s funny how a lot of marketing agencies will try to sell you their services by telling you that you can’t rely on referrals in the long term.

Why not?

We’ve been thriving on referrals from our clients. They’re great because who better to recommend you than a client who’s very happy with the work you’ve done for them?

Of course, most marketers won’t tell you that because they’d be out of a job.

Luckily, we are not most marketers.

Navigating the Digital Landscape

Joe grappled with understanding the intricacies of online marketing and the importance of aligning his strategies with user intent.

He needed guidance on how to optimize his online presence, attract warm leads, and convert them into loyal customers.

We sat down with Joe and walked him through a lot of data.

We did an audit that others would charge $2,000 for.

It’s all part of the value that we bring to your business. When you make the right decisions and make more money, you partner with us for longer, so we make more money.

Once we show you all this data, it’s easy to see that we understand the market and all the challenges your contracting businesses face in terms of lead generation.

Joe understood it was all about the long-term game and not only looking for the next shiny thing.

The Strategy

Here’s where the magic starts happening.

As we crunched the numbers, it became very clear where we had to focus our efforts.

Joe’s game wasn’t bad, especially since he has a decent amount of Google reviews under his belt. Reviews account for 16% of your local rankings, so make it a priority to ask for reviews from your past clients.

Even so, Capstone Waterproofing Solutions had a lot of competition to face; most of it being lead generation companies and shady rank & rent websites.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way.

We knew that to make waves in Joe’s market, we needed to get strategic.

Using our custom-built tools, we set out to pinpoint the gold mines hiding in Joe’s area. We were looking for homeowners nearby with the cash to afford his services, and we showed him exactly where the money was. No smoke and mirrors, no fancy jargon—just cold, hard data.

We were transparent with Joe, letting him know that while his SEO was decent, there was still room for improvement.

We didn’t try to sell him the moon and stars when all he needed was a little extra nudge to boost his company’s visibility.

Joe, like many of you out there, didn’t have a bottomless pit of cash to throw at marketing. And that’s okay. Because here at Contracting Empire, we’re all about recommending services that make sense for you.

We believe in putting your hard-earned dollars to work in the most effective way possible.

This means we’re smart, strategic, and savvy with your marketing budget and we treat your business just like our own.

The Results

A Step Above The Competition

Below is a screenshot from one of our tools, which we use to track local rankings and market movements.

As you can see, Capstone Waterproofing Solutions is clearly the #1 overall for “basement waterproofing” in his service area, even with less than half the number of reviews from his runner-up.

But let’s dissect this victory because there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye.

For Joe to grab that number one spot, we had to:

These are just a few factors that influence how Google decides you are good enough to be at the top of the search results.

A well-ranking website isn’t just publishing blog posts with relevant keywords.

It’s about crafting a comprehensive SEO strategy that covers all the bases and puts you above the competition.

And with the right tools, the right know-how, and a whole lot of hustle, there’s no limit to what we can achieve together.

Growing GBP Performance

If you look at the map below, you can see where Joe is currently ranking right now in the top 3 spots (green). With a spacing of 3 miles between dots, that’s a whopping 1.089 square miles he’s dominating for his waterproofing services.

It’s a result of putting out a lot of the right signals that Google needed to see to give Joe’s business the credibility it needed.

Capstone Waterproofing is now getting all the attention and business from homeowners looking for its services.

5x Increase In Leads

For a contractor like Joe McPherson, the 5x increase in leads from April 2023, a little over a month from when Joe started working with us, to January 2024 is nothing short of a game-changer.

More leads mean more potential projects in Joe’s pipeline. With five times as many opportunities, Joe has significantly expanded his revenue potential.

Instead of relying on sporadic projects or word-of-mouth referrals, Joe has a steady stream of potential clients actively seeking his services.

But these results sometimes take time.

And there’s a lot of effort that goes behind increasing your lead intake:

And these are just a few of the things we do here at Contracting Empire.

Top Local Choice

To understand how to get your website and GBP to rank, we analyze something called “user intent,” a.k.a. what does a homeowner want when they perform this search?

If you’re a homeowner that’s looking for “basement waterproofing Hyattsville MD,” you’re likely searching for a contractor that offers this service.

Google knows what you need and wants to deliver the best search experience and the answers you’re looking for fast.

It shows you what is known as the local map pack, a curated selection of the top 3 contractors offering basement waterproofing in your area.

For this specific search query, Capstone Waterproofing Solutions is recommended as the first business.

What this means is that Google sees the value in what you do and recognizes our SEO efforts. It sees that your online footprint is aligned with what the searcher needs, so you get prime real-estate in the local map pack. It’s your business… then everyone else’s.

Here’s the thing:

But he did have other things that worked in his favor:

Seize the opportunity.

Write your own success story.

And get yourself a marketing partner who isn’t just after your money.

Key Takeaways

Joe’s success with Capstone Waterproofing Solutions wasn’t just about hiring a marketing agency.

It was about forming a strategic partnership with a team who’s as focused on your business as yourself.

Today:

Joe stands at the helm of a thriving business, surpassing his $700k revenue goal and continuing to grow steadily
With just two months in 2024, Joe’s already collected $275k in revenue
Capstone Waterproofing Solutions is now recognized as a trusted authority in their industry
By streamlining sales processes and optimizing communication, Joe has maximized efficiency and responsiveness
With top rankings in local searches and a strong online presence, Capstone is dominating local rankings