If you're a contractor heading into 2026 still "trying a little of everything" with your marketing, this episode is your wake-up call to create an intentional growth strategy.  Mike Stiers and Anthony Brown share what's actually working right now for home service and home improvement companies from real-time experience, and how the smartest contractors are turning that into predictable leads, booked inspections, and profitable growth. In this episode, you'll hear: Why Google should still be your control channel (LSA, Search, PMax, YouTube):  and how to keep Google's "helpful" recommendations from wrecking your intent How to protect yourself from Meta spam leads while still using Facebook/Instagram as a low-cost volume and branding machine Why Microsoft Ads quietly produce some of the highest-intent leads from older homeowners, bank/government employees, and people your competitors aren't reaching How TV + CTV/OTT still punch above their weight for contractors doing $3M+,  and why your message matters more than your placement The simple KPI scoreboard (set rate, run rate, close rate, CPL, CPS, ROAS) that tells you if you have a marketing problem, a call center problem, or a sales problem. Why speed to lead and CSR quality will move your revenue more than most "optimizations" in your ad account Then in the Edge of the Week, they dig into AI browsing and agentic search (Google AI mode, AI summaries, ChatGPT's Atlas browser), and why PR, awards, and clean local signals suddenly matter more than ever. If you've ever said, "All my leads are spam," "TV doesn't work anymore," or "We just need more leads," this episode is going to challenge how you're looking at the entire funnel. Learn more about our strategy at: www.yourcontractorsedge.com Plug in your numbers using our KPI Calculator: https://www.greenbaumstiers.com/home-services-industry-kpi-calculator/ Connect with your hosts:  Mike Stiers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/ Anthony Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/ Podcast Sponsored by Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Company: Creative, Data-Driven Marketing and Business Solutions For Contractors Who Want to Dominate Their Market.  Timestamps 02:13 – Edge of the Week: AI browsing & AI summaries 04:28 – What AI actually pulls into summaries (sentiment, signals, authority) 06:49 – From keywords to conversations and voice: how search behavior is changing 09:15 – Agentic browsers (Atlas, Comet): AI as your "assistant" filling forms & scheduling 11:35 – One bad review in an AI summary & why authority signals (awards/PR) matter 13:52 – What's working now: Google as the control channel for contractors 21:03 – Getting more from Local Services Ads (disputes, booked toggles, feedback loops) 23:21 – Channel #2: Meta - branding, reach, and the rise of spam leads 33:00 – Channel #3: TV & CTV/OTT, when contractors should get on screen 37:48 – When your message is right: appointment set rate, cancellations, and close rate improve 40:05 – Channel #4: Microsoft Ads, older demos, bank/gov employees, "hidden" market share 49:24 – First-party data & revenue feedback back into Google/Microsoft for better optimization 56:32 – Why CSRs are your sluice box for "gold" (and how bad phones bleed revenue) 01:01:05 – Diversifying your mix: Google, Meta, TV, Microsoft, email, offline, and tracking it all 01:03:28 – Building a weekly KPI scoreboard: CPL, CPS, set/run/close, ROAS 01:05:56 – Pro Tip of the Week: Plan 2026 now with clear targets and pass/fail signals

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