Writer working on a laptop at a desk
Contributor Guidelines

Write for an audience that runs the accounts

Practitioner writing on paid search, Local Services Ads, local SEO, answer engine optimization and paid social. Our readers are contractors, operators and the agencies serving them. They can tell the difference between someone who has run an account and someone who has read about it, so we only publish the first kind.

DR 40Domain RatingAhrefs, built on earned links
196Published pagesGuides, datasets and tools
24Trades coveredHVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical
Cited byHousecall Pro, PPC HeroOur CPL research gets referenced
Scope

What we publish

Anything that helps a local business generate leads profitably. If your pitch does not sit in one of these six, it is not a fit.

Google Ads

Campaign structure, bidding, Performance Max, conversion tracking, offline conversion import, negative keyword work.

Local Services Ads

Ranking factors, lead credits, job type strategy, the migration into Google Ads, verification, cost per lead by trade.

Local SEO

Google Business Profile, service area pages, map pack ranking, citations, review velocity, local schema.

AEO and GEO

Getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overviews. Entity building, schema, citation behaviour by engine.

Meta and paid social

Facebook and Instagram lead gen, Advantage+, Conversions API, lead quality, creative testing, Nextdoor and TikTok.

Lead generation

Attribution, CRM integration, speed to lead, booking rates, cost per booked job, channel mix. Any local vertical.

Standards

What gets published, and what gets deleted unread

We are strict, and saying so up front saves us both time. Most pitches we receive fail the right-hand column on the first line.

Accepted

  • Original data. Your own account data, a survey, a benchmark study, a documented test. Anonymised is fine.
  • First-hand operating experience. You ran the campaign, managed the account, or built the process.
  • Specific and falsifiable. Numbers, thresholds, dates, named tools, real screenshots.
  • 1,500 words or more, because these topics cannot be done properly in 800.
  • Sourced claims. Every statistic linked to where it came from.
  • A real author. Named, with a role, a company and a profile we can verify.

Rejected

  • AI-generated filler. We can tell, our readers can tell, and it is an instant no.
  • Rewrites of page one of Google. If it exists on ten other blogs, we do not need an eleventh.
  • Thin posts built around a link. Where the article is the tax paid to place the link.
  • Anonymous or ghost bylines attached to a company nobody can find.
  • Off-topic pitches. Crypto, gambling, adult, pharma, essay writing, anything unrelated to local marketing.
  • Bulk outreach. If it says “Dear Sir/Madam” or names the wrong site, it is already deleted.
Process

How it works

1

Pitch the idea

Two or three sentences on the angle and the data behind it. Not the finished draft.

2

We reply in 5 days

Yes, no, or yes with a different angle. A no comes with the actual reason.

3

You write it

Two to three weeks is normal. We send the house style notes.

4

We edit

For clarity and accuracy. Substantive changes come back to you first.

5

Publish and promote

Full byline, bio and profile links. Newsletter and social. It stays up.

Pitch us

One idea per pitch. The more specific you are about the data behind it, the faster we can say yes.

We read every pitch and reply within five business days, including the no's. Pitches that leave the data field vague do not get a reply.

Questions

Before you pitch

Do you accept guest posts?

We accept contributions that meet the standards above. If what you mean is a pre-written article built around a link, then no. If you have run something worth writing about and want it in front of contractors and agencies, we would like to hear it.

Do you pay contributors?

Not currently. What you get is a byline in front of an audience of contractors and agencies who buy this kind of service, on a domain with real standing, and a piece that stays published.

Will you swap links with my site?

Tell us what you have in mind through the form. We look at relevance to local marketing and lead generation, and whether the placement makes sense for readers on both ends. Bulk reciprocal exchanges and link circles are not something we take part in.

How long should the article be?

At least 1,500 words, and most of what performs here runs 2,000 to 3,500. Length is not the point; these topics just cannot be handled any shorter.

Can I include screenshots of my own account?

Yes, and we would prefer it. Blur client names and any personal data. Real screenshots are one of the fastest ways to move a pitch to a yes.

What happens if you edit my piece?

We edit for clarity, structure and accuracy. Anything substantive comes back to you before publication. We will cut a claim we cannot verify rather than publish it with a hedge.

How do I know if my topic is too basic?

If you can find the same article on page one of Google, it is too basic. Our readers already run accounts. Write the thing you learned the hard way, not the definition.

Which industries can I write about?

Any, as long as the marketing lesson transfers. A piece on how a dental practice fixed its intake will land here. A piece on dentistry will not.

Not here to write? We still might help.

We run Google Ads and Local Services Ads for contractors, and we publish our pricing.