01 - Solid Drywall Case Study
An award-winning GTA drywall crew moved to Peterborough and disappeared from local search. I rebuilt their brand for a new market, launched soliddrywall.ca, and set up the local SEO and tracking to win the Maps pack back. Eight days after launch, they were showing in Peterborough's local results again.
02 - The Client
Solid Drywall had years of strong Google rankings in Etobicoke, 3 straight HomeStars Best of awards, and a 4.9 rating. When they moved their primary market to Peterborough, none of it followed them.
They did not show up in Peterborough Google Maps results at all.
03 - The Challenge
The domain showed an "under construction" page, so Google had nothing local to rank and ads had nowhere good to land.
The dark, high-swagger look impressed other trades in the city. Peterborough homeowners want the same quality from someone they can picture in their kitchen.
Homeowners were scared off by a crew that looked "too big," while builders dismissed them because their reviews mentioned patches and popcorn ceilings.
Shelley was clear about what she did not want: an ongoing monthly SEO contract. She wanted a one-time fix done right, and a site that did not look like a basic template.
04 - The Approach
Before touching the site, I rebuilt the brand for Peterborough. The result was a Brand Identity 2.0 guide: same crew, same standards, a warmer voice.
Four messaging pillars now run through every page. Each one is backed by a real HomeStars review line, not a claim.
I also fixed the details that make a brand hold together: an exact gold (#CBA33C) with print guidance so it never turns “banana,” a type system built from the logo, and a stud-line graphic pattern spaced 16" on centre, borrowed from the trade itself.
The homepage hook came out of that work: “The best drywall is the kind you never notice.”
The truck wrap: black and gold kept, with a QR code that feeds the /connect page.
05 - What I Built
It loads fast and Shelley can edit it herself. Custom code blocks carry the premium feel: subtle motion, animated stats, gold stud lines, and no gimmicks. Read more about how I approach web design in Peterborough.
60+ five-star reviews, a 4.9 HomeStars rating, a 1-year workmanship guarantee and 13+ years in the trade sit right under the headline.
Homeowners and builders each get their own path ("We protect your home like it is our own" vs "On schedule, on spec, no chasing") without adding a click for the main audience.
Shelley's biggest sales headache was price shoppers. The Investment page answers "how much does drywall cost in Peterborough?" honestly: a $400 job minimum, popcorn removal in the thousands, and what drives the range. It ranks for the question and filters out the wrong leads before the phone rings.
Project type, location, timeline, preferred contact method, and file upload for photos or blueprints. Leads route straight to Shelley's email and phone.
For the searches that matter locally: homeowners, commercial framing and T-bar, popcorn ceiling removal, water damage repair, and basement suites and ARUs.
For the QR code on the new truck wrap, so every scan shows up as its own number instead of disappearing into "direct" traffic.
06 - The Foundation
The site is the storefront. This is the plumbing that gets it found and proves what works.
NAP consistency, citations, service areas and categories, aimed at the core problem: the Maps pack.
Rebuilt with the right categories, service areas, service list, photos and a review request plan.
Sitewide and per page: GeneralContractor business data, 8 service areas from Peterborough to Oshawa, awards, BBB membership and a full service catalogue, so Google and AI search tools read the business correctly.
Titles, meta descriptions, alt text, internal linking, sitemap submitted and indexing confirmed in Search Console.
Form submits, call clicks and text clicks tracked in GA4 through Tag Manager and imported into Google Ads.
Shelley had a $400 ad credit expiring at the end of October. "Drywall" gets about 50 searches a month in Peterborough, too few to spend it on Search alone, so I launched a Performance Max campaign to use the full credit on time.
07 - The 10-Day Build
Shelley weighed in at every step.
Shelley compared quotes, including an SEO studio, and chose Kayser Marketing the next morning.
Logo files, photos pulled from 3 phones and Instagram, account access, and the Brand Identity 2.0 guide.
Competitor check, Peterborough keyword research, site map and wireframe, GA4, GTM and Search Console set up.
Copy, custom code blocks, service pages, pricing page, quote form, /connect page, GBP optimization.
Domain connected, SSL verified, schema and technical SEO live, speed and mobile QA, sitemap submitted, Performance Max campaign launched.
Site ownership transferred to Shelley, plus a walkthrough so she can edit the site and post to her GBP herself.
08 - Results So Far
Before the build, a Peterborough search for drywall did not show Solid Drywall at all. On Oct 2, 2026, 8 days after launch:
“drywall contractor peterborough” on Google
Their ad holds the top sponsored spot, and their Business Profile sits in the local pack as the 3rd organic listing.
“drywall peterborough” in Google Maps
Listed in the results with 62 reviews at 4.8 stars, more reviews than any other listing on the page.
Lead and traffic numbers firm up at the 30-day mark. I'll add them here.
09 - In Shelley's Words
“You really do speak to business owners and their needs. I like your approach and feel you're considerate with your time and pricing, and also accessible and detailed.”
“I did get some comparable quotes on website with hosting, SEO and consulting... I do in the end feel like you understood immediately my position and needs.”
“I feel total trust already.”
10 - What This Means For You
If your reputation is not showing up in local search, I can map the gaps and build the fix. No retainer required. See how I handle SEO in Peterborough.