6 REAL Reasons Why You Need A Mobile-Optimized Website
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” But what about that other saying: “If you build it right, they&...
Most junk removal businesses struggle to break $5,000 per month. Lewis Vandervalk and his partner Ryan built a $15,000 monthly operation in just four months, in a town of only 80,000 people.
Starting Integrity Junk Removal in May 2021 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Lewis combined his digital marketing expertise with relentless community engagement to create something remarkable: a business that looked like it had been operating for decades within months of launch.
The secret wasn’t expensive advertising or complex funnels. It was understanding that local service businesses win by becoming impossible to ignore in their communities. Through strategic website optimization, Google Business Profile mastery, and what Lewis calls the “FEAST method” of community engagement, they created a snowball effect that turned neighbors into customers and customers into advocates.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to rejuvenate your local presence, this blueprint shows exactly how to dominate your market through organic growth strategies that compound over time.
This show is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a web design and SEO agency focused on helping home service companies grow.
• Multiple service pages beat generic websites – Having specific pages for hot tub removal, office cleanouts, and yard waste creates SEO moats competitors can’t match
• Facebook personal profiles are untapped goldmines – Optimizing your personal profile for business creates a calling card that works 24/7 in community groups
• The FEAST method leverages restaurant partnerships – Free gift card giveaways tap into established audiences while building community goodwill
• Reddit is the new backlink goldmine – User-generated content on Reddit feeds directly into Google AI and ChatGPT responses
• Customer retention multiplies lifetime value – Following up with past clients quarterly can turn $300 jobs into $5,000 lifetime relationships
Most junk removal websites have a homepage, an about page, and maybe a services page. Lewis built something different: a content fortress with specific pages for every conceivable service.
“When you’re building a website, think about it from Google’s perspective. If you can build out a page specifically for hot tub removal and you talk about all the questions people have and you have a little video on it, you’ve now created a moat for yourself.”
Integrity Junk Removal’s website included pages for residential junk removal, commercial cleanouts, demolition services, and dozens of specific service variations. Each page clearly answered two critical questions: what do you do and where do you do it?
This granular approach meant that when someone searched for “piano removal Fredericton” or “office cubicle disposal,” Integrity had a dedicated page optimized for that exact query while competitors were trying to rank generic service pages for everything.
The platform choice matters too. Lewis recommends Duda.co for its user-friendly interface and SEO capabilities, especially now with built-in AI tools that can accelerate content creation.
Build your website like you’re creating a reference library, not a brochure. Every service you offer deserves its own page with specific, helpful content that addresses customer questions and concerns.
“The more clear you can be about the specifics of what you do, where you do it, how you do it, the more likely it is that you’ll show up in the search results.” – Lewis Vandervalk
While competitors treated their Google Business Profile as an afterthought, Lewis optimized every element to work as a lead generation machine.
The description clearly stated what they did and where they served. The services section linked directly to specific website pages. Most importantly, every photo was strategically named and captioned with location and service details.
“When you upload the photos, rename the photos or put a caption of where you did the work and what you’re doing. So stump removal in Chartier Settlement NB, stump and brush removal with excavator. We’re telling Google what it is specifically that’s in the picture.”
This attention to detail paid off. Google Search Console data showed consistent growth in clicks and impressions, with the business ranking #1 for location-specific terms like “demolition Fredericton” within months.
The questions and answers section became another optimization opportunity. Instead of waiting for customers to ask questions, Lewis proactively added common questions and provided detailed answers, creating more searchable content.
Reviews weren’t just collected, they were leveraged. Each review became social proof for future customers and additional content that Google could index and reference.
“Google actually cares about that. Have really nice photos. And when you upload the photos, rename the photos or put a caption of where you did the work and what you’re doing.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Most business owners separate their personal and professional Facebook presence. Lewis saw this as a missed opportunity and turned his personal profile into a business asset.
“Facebook is an untapped resource that most people are scared to use or don’t know how to use. When I say scared, maybe they’re like, ‘Oh, I can’t post business stuff cuz my uncle’s going to make fun of me at the reunion.’ Well, does your uncle pay your bills?”
The optimization process was straightforward: professional cover photo created in Canva, branded profile picture, and an intro section that clearly stated what he did and where he served, with a direct link to the website.
This transformed his personal profile into a calling card. When he engaged in Facebook groups, curious community members could click on his profile and immediately understand his business, creating passive lead generation opportunities.
The business page served as the content anchor, but the personal profile became the networking tool that opened doors in community groups and local discussions.
Don’t let fear of judgment prevent you from leveraging your personal profile. You’re the same person who shows up at customers’ doors—embrace that authenticity online.
“If you’re scared to take a video of yourself or to take a picture of yourself, just get over it because you’re the same person that shows up to their door.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Generic junk photos don’t work on social media. Lewis discovered that people pictures, team photos, and behind-the-scenes content dramatically outperformed traditional “before and after” shots.
“The average Joe, the average Sally, seeing that pop up on their Facebook feed, it’s not scroll stopping to them. It’s just like, ‘Oh, there’s a pile of junk.’ But a people picture is much more likely to stand out.”
The content strategy included:
Team Pictures: Photos of crew members with clients, in front of notable local locations, and during community service activities created human connections.
Time-lapse Videos: Using basic smartphone time-lapse features, they documented shed demolitions, truck loading, and deck removals. These videos performed exceptionally well when shared in community groups.
Memes: Custom-branded memes like “Want to save your relationship and don’t know how? Neither do we. We remove junk, whether it’s one item or an entire house” created memorable, shareable content.
The posting frequency was sustainable: three times per week on the business page, with the best-performing post shared weekly into community groups.
This approach built familiarity and trust. Community members began recognizing the brand and associating it with professionalism and local involvement.
“People buy from people. You’re a person. You might be scared to take a picture of yourself. But your ugly mug’s the one that goes through the door and says, ‘Hey, I’m here to pick up your junk.'” – Lewis Vandervalk
Lewis’s most innovative strategy was the FEAST method (Find restaurants, Execute giveaways, Amplify through sharing, Select winners, Repeat). This approach leveraged established local businesses to build his own audience.
“I could leverage well-known businesses and businesses with a big following, like restaurants with a big following locally. I could leverage their audience to help build mine.”
The process was systematic:
Find Restaurants: Target establishments with strong local followings and community connections.
Execute Giveaways: Offer to give away $50-100 gift cards in exchange for social media promotion and cross-promotion.
Amplify Through Sharing: Post the giveaway on the business page, share it in community groups, and boost it with minimal ad spend.
Select Winners: Use random selection tools and announce winners publicly, often delivering gift cards in person for additional content.
Repeat: Run giveaways weekly or bi-weekly to maintain consistent community engagement.
The strategy worked because it appealed to everyone (people love food and free stuff), provided value to partner restaurants through exposure, and positioned Integrity as a community-minded business worth supporting.
Results were immediate: increased page likes, community group engagement, and most importantly, organic recommendations when people needed junk removal services.
“Rather than me having to go build those thousand followers, I could tap into someone who had 1,000, 2,000 followers, leverage their audience, get a free gift card that I could give away.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Facebook community groups became Lewis’s secret weapon for local market penetration. He identified 20 active local groups and developed a systematic approach to engagement.
The strategy had two components: sharing valuable content and “farming” for opportunities.
Content Sharing: The best-performing post from each week was shared into relevant community groups, typically on Friday at 5 PM when yard sale enthusiasts were planning weekend activities.
Group Farming: Weekly searches for terms like “junk removal,” “estate sales,” and “big bulky items” uncovered opportunities to offer helpful advice and services.
A clever hack involved commenting on old posts. Since most groups display recent activity first, commenting on a two-year-old post about junk removal would bump it back to the top of the feed, creating fresh visibility.
The approach extended to Facebook Marketplace, where Lewis would message estate sale organizers and yard sale hosts, offering services for items that didn’t sell.
This consistent presence led to organic recommendations. Community members began tagging Integrity Junk Removal when others asked for service recommendations, creating powerful word-of-mouth marketing.
“People started tagging us. They started when someone was looking for junk removal, they would tag integrity junk removal. And that was because they saw us everywhere.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Traditional networking events didn’t fit Lewis’s schedule with young children and agency responsibilities. His solution: a 10-minute local podcast called “The Integrity Minute.”
The format was simple: invite local business owners for brief conversations about what they loved about Fredericton, their business philosophy, and who else he should interview.
“I just reached out and I said, ‘Hey, I would love to have you on my new podcast looking for awesome business owners in Fredericton.’ And I just sent them the script of the questions.”
The strategy served multiple purposes:
Networking: Connected with influential local business owners without attending evening events.
Content Creation: Generated social media content and YouTube videos showcasing community connections.
Backlink Building: Each episode created opportunities for mutual linking and cross-promotion.
Lead Generation: Several podcast guests became customers, including significant commercial cleanouts.
The key was targeting well-known, respected business owners whose community influence could benefit Integrity’s reputation by association.
This approach proved that networking doesn’t require traditional methods. Creative solutions can be more effective and efficient than conventional approaches.
“Instead of going to a networking event at the Chamber of Commerce and meeting a ton of people and getting a ton of cards, I did a really targeted thing where I tried to leverage people who were well-known in the community.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Lewis treated backlinks as votes of confidence from the internet community. His approach focused on local, relevant, and sustainable link-building strategies.
Local Directories: Using search operators like “Detroit Michigan” + “local business listing” OR “local directory” OR “list your business” to find submission opportunities.
Charity Partnerships: Sponsoring community events like marathons and writing helpful content for local nonprofits in exchange for website mentions.
Discount Directories: Offering small discounts to get listed on university, government, and employee benefit sites with high domain authority.
Reddit Engagement: Participating in local subreddits and industry discussions, providing helpful advice with natural mentions of the business.
The charity approach was particularly effective. By sponsoring the Fredericton Community Kitchen and writing helpful donation content, Integrity earned a valuable backlink while genuinely supporting the community.
For events like the Fredericton Marathon, Lewis offered free dumpster service in exchange for sponsor recognition and website linking, creating win-win partnerships.
These strategies built domain authority while establishing Integrity as a community-minded business worth trusting and recommending.
“If you can give it trust signals from other websites, you’ve just saved Google a ton of work and you help yourself be more likely to show up.” – Lewis Vandervalk
While most businesses ignore Reddit, Lewis recognized its growing importance in search results and AI training data.
“Reddit is the last bastion of user-generated content that Google and the ChatGPT and LLMs are looking at.”
Reddit posts frequently appear in Google search results for service-related queries. More importantly, AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity heavily reference Reddit discussions when answering questions about local services.
Lewis’s approach was authentic engagement rather than spam. He would search for relevant discussions about hoarding, junk removal, and moving, then provide genuinely helpful advice with natural mentions of his experience and business.
The strategy included having friends and family members authentically recommend the business in relevant threads, creating organic social proof that search engines and AI systems would reference.
This approach required patience and authenticity, but the results were powerful: appearing in AI-generated responses to service queries and building genuine community reputation.
Reddit success requires understanding each community’s culture and providing real value rather than obvious self-promotion.
“You can go in and you can look for these different things. You can go on Reddit. You can even go into like there’s probably a Detroit subreddit.” – Lewis Vandervalk
All the lead generation in the world means nothing without customer retention. Lewis discovered that the lifetime value of a junk removal customer averages around $5,000 through repeat business and referrals.
“Your customers do not care about your business the way that you do. Your customers care about them and solving their needs. They might like you. They might leave a review. They might recommend you to their friends, but they’re going to forget you eventually.”
The retention system was simple but powerful:
Data Collection: Every customer’s name, phone number, and email were carefully recorded and organized.
Quarterly Follow-ups: Personalized messages thanking customers and offering seasonal tips or reminders.
Handwritten Cards: Physical thank-you notes that stood out in an increasingly digital world.
Stay Top-of-Mind Content: Helpful tips, community involvement updates, and gentle reminders of services offered.
Lewis shared a personal story about forgetting a great plumber’s name when he needed service again a year later. That plumber lost a repeat customer simply by failing to stay in touch.
The businesses that implement systematic follow-up processes turn one-time customers into lifetime advocates who generate referrals and repeat business for years.
“If they had stayed top of mind with me, they would have had a much higher chance, a much higher likelihood of getting me as a client again.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Lewis’s success wasn’t built on any single tactic but on the compound effect of consistent execution across multiple channels. Website optimization provided the foundation, Google Business Profile optimization captured local search traffic, and community engagement created word-of-mouth momentum.
The key insight: local service businesses win by becoming impossible to ignore in their communities. This requires showing up consistently, providing value genuinely, and building relationships authentically.
“You might be as nervous as a salmon in a bear hug, but I want to encourage you that it does work. I’m proof of it. I’ve seen it work for other people. It’s going to feel funny at first, but the results absolutely will come if you’re consistent at it.”
The timeline from $160 in month one to $15,000 in month four wasn’t luck, it was the result of systematic implementation of proven strategies adapted for local market conditions.
Most importantly, these strategies continue working long after the initial effort. SEO improvements compound over time, community relationships deepen, and customer retention systems generate ongoing revenue without additional acquisition costs.
The businesses that commit to this approach don’t just grow quickly, they build sustainable competitive advantages that become harder for competitors to replicate over time.
“All the work that we did then continues to build and continues to grow. That’s the power of SEO—rather than just turning on ads, it was all organic growth there.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Want to implement these strategies for your business? Visit Blue Crocus Solutions for website design, SEO, and digital marketing services specifically for home service companies.
This Podcast is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a marketing agency offering website design, branding, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services for Home Service businesses.
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