This is not a guest post but my first hand experience in the Google search results and ads over the last few years. Google is getting expensive. And to think the CEO of Google, went before Congress and claimed that Google hasn’t raised their prices more than some outrageously low percentage, like 5% over the last few years.
Here is some more details on that, its worth a read as this affects the cost to paint your house and fix your walls and ceilings! https://www.androidheadlines.com/2023/09/google-accused-lying-inflates-ad-prices.html
The cost to advertise on google has become prohibitively expensive!
I can tell you, that it costs us 2-3x as much to advertise on google in 2024 than it did in 2020. And cut our impressions(how many people see the ad) and clicks by at least 50%. Ouch! It’s what led me to redo our website from mid 2023- today.. Then I re-launched the blog in August of 2024.
For example, our average click in 2021 was $2.00 with a high click of $4.00
Today our average click is $8-$10 with a high of $40 PER click! Ouch! Who can afford that?!
Costs a lot of money to be at the top. And the first page of google search results are crammed with half page ads, with sparsely sprinkled organic results.
Also given the explosion of new “professional painters” in the WNY area over the last 5 years, all competing for those keywords in google ads isn’t helping the situation. Keywords are search terms the searcher uses to find what they’re looking for.
Plus add the directories- yelp, homeadvisor, homewyse, houzzz, ect that are jumping into the mix plus the new keyword based websites that have popped up out of no where that compete directly in the search results… A lot more happening with painting contractors online than one would expect, especially in Buffalo!
Its definitely been interesting to watch. Being a non egghead, I find it really interesting.
AI has Arrived in WNY
Now add the content theft of AI Overview – googles in house AI that scrapes websites and then displays the results at the top. That is good for the search engine, but then the person that created that content loses out when people don’t visit their website. That is happening now. It doesn’t affect us so much because our keywords are different, but I am sure its only a matter of time before they figure out a way. All the search engines are doing it.
AI Created Content
Once you know, you see AI generated content everywhere. Quite suddenly human generated content has become an endangered species. AI gets a lot wrong about our niche. I made a few mistakes? with my own website content. For instance I disclosed too much, for example plaster bonding agents(scroll down past the picture) , and now AI revised versions of my content has popped up on local competitor’s(?) websites. Now I am more careful as to what I disclose.
People use computer programs to suck up information and then they process it and spit out a revised version of what was entered for a copy paste solution to “creating content” to rank on google. And when it comes to our niche, you either get the generic website content that reads like – our expert professionals can walk on water, and perform genuine god like miracles.. lol Once you see it you can’t un-see it.
Or they get close to the mark with AI. I am naturally a good writer, so typing out the 60,000+ words I created on our site, for most contractors is akin to asking them to perform brain surgery. So AI is appealing.
But that is the difference between someone that knows just enough to market it, and someone that actually knows the subject matter. Probably why they rank better lol. The less you know, the better you rank. Figure that one out!
Point is, they often get many of the details wrong. Which then begs the question can they actually do what they promise?
Trust is Earned, not Given
Always use a search engine to search for the company your interested in possibly hiring to work on your most expensive asset, your home. Legit businesses will have page after page of results from all over the internet like the BBB, Yelp, mapquest, social media, ect. We have reviews all over the place. The longer the business has been in business the older their reviews will be. Fake reviews are a thing unfortunately but here at Carrigan Painting, I flat out refuse to buy reviews. After 15 years of hard work, I would much rather earn my reviews organically. I feel its an integrity thing. Most legit businesses feel the same way.
I used AI to create the title of this blog post. But I wrote this blog post myself. AI could create this post in about 3 minutes. Took me an hour.
With over 25 years of experience in residential construction, Dave specializes in ceiling repairs and high-end interior painting, often exceeding contractual obligations to ensure the highest level of craftsmanship. His ability to maintain exceptional customer satisfaction in such a demanding field is a testament to his expertise, integrity, and dedication to quality.
Dave Carrigan Jr. is the owner of Carrigan Painting, a 5-star-rated residential painting and plaster repair company serving the first- and second-ring northern suburbs of Buffalo, NY. For 15 consecutive years, Carrigan Painting has maintained a perfect 5-star reputation—an achievement nearly unmatched in the industry.
As the author of The Painter’s Plastering Blog, Dave shares expert insights on home improvement, plaster restoration, and industry trends. He also personally manages Carrigan Painting’s website and YouTube channel, providing homeowners with valuable resources and a firsthand look at the company’s craftsmanship.
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Explore Carrigan Painting’s work:
🔹 Interior Painting | 🔹 Ceiling Repairs | 🔹 Plaster Repair | 🔹 Drywall Repair
Carrigan Painting’s F.A.Q. here.
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