Case Study: My Own Company
I Spent Tens of Thousands on an Agency.
They made me feel like a number.
So I took control. Rebuilt everything myself. And in 30 days, I jumped 5 spots in average Google rankings with a 66% increase in search impressions.
This is why I started Obieo.
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Ranking Positions
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More Impressions
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Days to Results
Chapter 1
The $2,500/Month Disappointment
I run Lapeyre Roofing — a real roofing company serving Texas and Louisiana. Real crews. Real trucks. Real customers who need their roofs fixed after storms.
Like most home service business owners, I knew I needed to show up on Google. So I did what everyone tells you to do: I hired an agency. A reputable one. The kind with case studies and testimonials and a slick sales process.
The invoice was $2,500 per month. And for months, I paid it. Trusting the process. Waiting for results.
"Every month I got a report I didn't understand, sent by a person I'd never met, about work I couldn't verify."
Chapter 2
The Moment I Knew
It hit me during one of those monthly "strategy" calls. The account manager — my fourth in two years — was walking me through another PDF full of graphs. He couldn't tell me which services were actually generating leads. He didn't know my service area. He mispronounced my company name.
I wasn't a client. I was a line item.
The agency had 200+ clients. My account was managed by someone who managed 40 other accounts. They were applying the same template to my roofing company that they applied to dentists, lawyers, and plumbers. No understanding of storm season. No understanding of what makes homeowners trust a roofer.
I had spent tens of thousands of dollars and felt no closer to dominating my market.
Chapter 3
I Did It Myself
I canceled the contract. Then I did something that would have seemed crazy a year earlier: I rebuilt everything myself.
I learned technical SEO. I studied what actually makes Google trust a local business. I rewrote every page of my website with real knowledge — the kind you only get from actually running a roofing company. I optimized for local keywords that mattered. I built content that answered the questions my actual customers were asking.
Most importantly, I understood something the agency never did: homeowners don't want a vendor. They want someone they can trust with their biggest investment.
Every word on my new site was written to build that trust. No stock photos. No generic "we're the best" claims. Just honest, specific information about how we work and why.
Chapter 4
The First Month
Thirty days after launching the new site, I opened Google Search Console.
+5
Average Ranking Positions
Keywords moved from page 2 to page 1
+66%
Search Impressions
Month-over-month increase
In one month, I accomplished more than the agency had in the previous year. Not because I'm smarter than them — but because I actually gave a damn about the results.
No one will ever care about your business as much as you do. And no agency with 200 clients will ever give you the attention your business deserves.
What I Learned
The Agency Model Is Broken for Home Services
Most SEO agencies are built to scale. More clients, more revenue, more account managers managing more accounts. It works for their business model. It doesn't work for yours.
Here's what they don't understand about home service businesses:
Seasonality changes everything
A roofer in Texas has different busy seasons than one in Minnesota. Generic "content calendars" miss this entirely.
Trust is the conversion factor
Homeowners are inviting strangers onto their property to work on their biggest investment. That requires a different kind of marketing.
Local reputation is compounding
The contractor who dominates Google Maps reviews in one city can expand. The one who pays for generic backlinks can't.
AI search is changing the game
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews are changing how people find services. Most agencies haven't even started adapting.
The Mission
Why I Started Obieo
I know how hard it is to earn a dollar in this industry. I know what it feels like to write a $2,500 check every month and wonder if anyone at that agency actually cares whether your phone rings.
Obieo exists to save other home service business owners from that experience.
I keep my client list small — intentionally. I'm not trying to build a 200-client agency. I want a handful of home service companies I can actually help. Companies where I learn your specific market, understand your seasonality, and care about your results like they're my own.
Because in a way, they are. I'm still running Lapeyre Roofing. I'm testing every strategy on my own business before I recommend it to you. When something stops working, I know before you do — because I see it in my own numbers first.
Work With Me Directly
No account managers. No hand-offs. You text me, email me, call me. I'm the one doing the work.
Battle-Tested Strategies
Everything I recommend, I've tested on my own business first. Real data. Real results. No theory.
Small Client List
I don't want 50 clients. I want a handful I can actually help dominate their local markets.
Ahead on AI Search
ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews — I've been optimizing for these since the beginning. Most agencies are still catching up.
Tired of Feeling Like a Number?
Let's talk. No sales pitch. No pressure. Just a conversation about your business and whether I can actually help.
Or email me directly: hunter@obieo.com