The National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) event is always one of the highlights of the year for our team. It’s a great opportunity to connect with chimney and hearth professionals from across the country, share ideas, and talk about where the industry is heading.
This year, we had the chance to present some of the tools and updates we’ve been working on behind the scenes. Our focus remains the same as always: helping the businesses we work with grow, stay competitive, and adapt to the changes happening in search and digital marketing.
During our presentation, we shared several new updates that are designed to give our partners better visibility into their leads, stronger protection for their online presence, and new ways to stand out online.
Below is a closer look at the key updates we introduced during the event.
My Leads App v3
One of the biggest announcements at NCSG was the launch of My Leads App Version 3.
The My Leads app was designed to give you clear visibility into where your leads are coming from and how those calls are being handled. Instead of guessing which marketing channels are working, you can see the data directly.
Inside the app, you can quickly view important information like:
- The lead source, so you know exactly how customers found you
- The matched service, showing what the customer is looking for
- An AI summary of the call, giving you the key details without listening to the entire recording
Version 3 introduces several major improvements.
The new map view allows you to visually see where your leads are coming from within your service area. This helps you identify hot zones, underserved areas, and opportunities for growth.
You’ll also see conversion outcomes and monthly performance reports, giving you a clearer picture of how leads turn into real jobs.
Another major update is the ability to track phone performance more closely, helping you make sure leads are not slipping through the cracks.
We’ve also added integrations with popular job management platforms like Jobber, Housecall Pro, and ServiceTitan, allowing leads to flow directly into the tools many of you already use.
The goal is simple: give you better insight so you can make smarter decisions about where to focus your efforts.
AI Search and the Future of SEO
Another major topic we discussed at NCSG was the rapid shift happening in search.
For years, homeowners have found chimney and hearth companies by searching on Google, browsing a list of websites, and comparing reviews.
But that behavior is starting to change.
Today, more people are asking AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini to recommend businesses directly. Instead of showing a long list of links, these tools generate curated answers and highlight a small number of companies.
This is why we’re shifting our strategy from traditional SEO to AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization.
AEO focuses on helping your business appear in the answers generated by AI tools.
For clients on our SEO programs, we’re already adapting our approach. Our work now includes:
- On-page SEO optimization
- Keyword and competitor research
- Geo-location service pages
- Directory and citation management
- Technical website improvements
- Ongoing blog and content development
All of these efforts are now being structured with AI search visibility in mind.
This is an area where many marketing companies are still behind. Our goal is to make sure our partners are positioned ahead of that shift.
Protecting Your Business from Fake Google Listings
Another challenge many businesses are facing right now is the increase in fake Google Business Profiles.
These fraudulent listings often appear in local service areas and sometimes use names that closely resemble legitimate companies. They can confuse homeowners, damage trust, and even steal leads that should have gone to your business.
Because of this, our team has developed proprietary methods to detect and remove fake profiles.
Our system scans Google Business Profiles in your area to identify suspicious listings. When a fake or scam profile is detected, we take steps to remove it.
This helps protect your reputation and ensures that when homeowners search for services in your area, they find legitimate businesses instead of scammers.
A New Approach to Video
We also announced a reboot of our video programs.
Video has become one of the most powerful ways homeowners decide who to trust. Before calling a company, many people want to see examples of work, meet the team, and feel confident about who they are hiring.
Our new video program focuses on creating content that helps showcase your expertise and professionalism.
This includes:
- Customer testimonial videos
- Project walkthroughs
- Technician profile videos
- Branded content that highlights your team and services
We’ve also invested in higher-quality production equipment and drone-certified aerial footage to create more compelling visuals.
Just as important, our content team works closely with our marketing team to ensure video content supports both traditional search rankings and AI search visibility.
The goal is not just to create great-looking videos, but to produce content that actually helps you stand out online.
