Stop Buying Leads. Start Ranking #1.

The honest answer: 60-120 days for meaningful results. Most cleaning companies start seeing page 1 rankings for primary local keywords within 90 days, with significant traffic increases by month 4-6. However, the exact timeline depends on several critical factors that most agencies won’t tell you upfront:

Market competitiveness: Ranking for “office cleaning Denver” is drastically different from “janitorial services small town Ohio.” Major metros (NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami) require 4-6 months minimum. Mid-sized cities (Austin, Portland, Charlotte) typically see results in 2-4 months. Smaller markets can rank in 30-60 days with aggressive optimization.

Your current website condition: If your site has technical issues (slow loading, broken pages, poor mobile experience), we need to fix the foundation first. A brand new site takes longer to build authority than an established domain with existing backlinks. Sites with Google penalties or spam history require cleanup before progress.

Our strategy focuses on quick wins first: We optimize your Google Business Profile in week 1-2 (often showing results within 14 days). We target low-competition long-tail keywords (“post-construction cleaning for medical offices”) that can rank in 30-45 days. We build toward competitive head terms (“commercial cleaning [city]”) while generating early momentum. This approach means you start seeing some leads while we work toward the big rankings.

What you should see month-by-month: Month 1-2: Google Maps visibility improves, website traffic increases 20-40%. Month 3-4: First page rankings for long-tail keywords, phone calls increase noticeably. Month 6: Ranking for primary local keywords, consistent lead flow. Month 12+: Dominating local search, steady stream of commercial contracts or residential bookings.

This is the #1 complaint we hear from cleaning company owners—and it’s usually fixable. Having a Google Business Profile isn’t enough. Google Maps rankings depend on three core factors: Relevance (how well your profile matches the search), Distance (proximity to the searcher), and Prominence (your overall authority and reputation).

Common reasons you’re invisible on Maps: Your business category is wrong or incomplete. We see cleaning companies listed as “Janitorial Service” when they should be “Commercial Cleaning Service” or vice versa. Google allows one primary category and up to 9 additional categories—most cleaning companies only use 1-2, missing massive ranking opportunities. Your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is inconsistent. If your address on Google says “123 Main St” but your website says “123 Main Street Suite 5,” Google doesn’t know which is correct and penalizes your rankings.

You have zero or few reviews. A cleaning company with 3 reviews will never outrank one with 50+ reviews and a 4.8-star rating. Google heavily weighs review quantity, recency, and ratings. You’re not getting consistent reviews because you’re not asking systematically. Your competitors are actively managing their GBP. They’re posting weekly updates, uploading fresh photos, responding to reviews, and using Google Posts to showcase recent jobs. If you set up your profile 2 years ago and haven’t touched it since, you’re essentially invisible.

Your service area is incorrectly configured. If you’re a service-area business (you go to clients, not vice versa), but you’re showing a physical address, Google may be confused about your territory. If your service areas are too broad (“We serve the entire state!”), Google doesn’t know where to rank you. We need specific cities, zip codes, and neighborhoods defined.

What we do to fix this: Complete category optimization across all relevant cleaning services. NAP citation cleanup across 50+ directories. Strategic review generation system that gets you 5-10 new reviews per month. Weekly Google Posts highlighting your work and service areas. Geotagged photos and local content signals. Most clients see Google Maps ranking improvements within 30-45 days of proper optimization.

Here’s the brutal truth about relying on referrals and lead-gen platforms: Referrals are amazing—but they’re unpredictable. You can’t control when they come in, and they often dry up seasonally or when your best referral sources move, retire, or switch to competitors. Referrals alone won’t scale your business past a certain point. If you want to grow from 2 crews to 5 crews, or add a second location, you need a predictable lead generation system.

Why lead-gen platforms are eating your profit: Angi, Thumbtack, and HomeAdvisor charge $15-80 per lead depending on your market. Most leads are price shoppers comparing 4-5 companies. You’re competing solely on price, which destroys your margins. These platforms own the customer relationship—not you. If they raise prices or change algorithms, your lead flow vanishes overnight. The math doesn’t work: If you’re paying $40/lead and closing 25% of leads, you’re paying $160 in lead costs per customer. For a $200 one-time house cleaning, that’s 80% of revenue gone before labor and materials.

What SEO gives you that referrals and lead platforms don’t: Leads that find YOU (not you chasing them). When someone Googles “commercial cleaning near me” and finds your site ranking #1, they’re already pre-sold on hiring a professional. These leads convert at 40-60% instead of 25%. You own the asset. Every dollar you invest in SEO builds equity in YOUR brand. Your website rankings, content, and authority are yours forever—no one can take them away. Cost per acquisition drops over time. Month 1 might cost $200/lead through SEO, but by month 12, it’s often under $50/lead because your rankings compound.

The ideal model: SEO as your foundation + referrals as bonus. Our most successful clients use SEO to generate 60-70% of their leads, keep referrals as a reliable 20-30% backup, and eliminate expensive lead-gen platforms entirely. This creates predictable cash flow, higher profit margins, and sustainable growth. You’re not dependent on any single channel, and you’re not bleeding money to platforms that don’t care about your success.

Real example: One of our residential cleaning clients was spending $2,400/month on Thumbtack leads, closing maybe 25-30 jobs. After 6 months of SEO, they were getting 40-50 inbound leads per month from Google, closing at a higher rate, and spending $1,200/month on SEO—saving $1,200/month while growing revenue 40%. They kept Thumbtack as a backup but no longer depended on it.

The search behavior is completely different—and most SEO agencies don’t understand this. Commercial cleaning prospects (facility managers, property managers, business owners) and residential prospects (homeowners, renters, property owners) search differently, make decisions differently, and convert differently. If your SEO strategy treats them the same, you’re wasting money.

Commercial cleaning SEO strategy: Target keywords: “janitorial services [city]”, “office cleaning for businesses”, “commercial cleaning contracts”, “medical facility cleaning”, “post-construction cleanup”. Content focus: Certifications, insurance, OSHA compliance, industry-specific cleaning protocols. Case studies showing results for office buildings, medical facilities, warehouses, retail spaces. B2B trust signals: team photos in uniform, equipment showcases, safety protocols. Conversion path: Longer sales cycle (30-90 days). Emphasis on RFPs, quotes, contract terms. Decision makers need proof of reliability, consistency, and professionalism.

Residential cleaning SEO strategy: Target keywords: “house cleaning near me”, “maid service [city]”, “deep cleaning for homes”, “move-in cleaning”, “recurring weekly cleaning”. Content focus: Trustworthiness (background checks, insurance, bonding). Convenience (online booking, flexible scheduling, eco-friendly products). Social proof: before/after photos, 5-star reviews, “trusted in [neighborhood]” messaging. Conversion path: Short sales cycle (1-7 days). Impulse bookings driven by urgency (“need cleaning before guests arrive”). Price transparency and instant quotes matter more.

Why you need separate strategies: Commercial searchers rarely use “near me”—they search by city or region (“janitorial services Denver”). Residential searchers heavily use “near me” because proximity matters for home services. Commercial prospects research on LinkedIn and Google; residential prospects check Facebook and Nextdoor. Commercial needs detailed service pages for each industry (medical, office, retail, industrial). Residential needs pages for service types (deep clean, move-out, recurring, Airbnb turnover).

Our approach for dual-service companies: We create completely separate conversion funnels for B2B and B2C traffic. Commercial pages emphasize contracts, reliability, and compliance. Residential pages emphasize convenience, trust, and fast booking. Separate landing pages for each audience type ensure higher conversion rates and better ad spend ROI if you’re running Google Ads alongside SEO.

Let’s talk numbers—because transparency matters. Most agencies dance around pricing, but we’ll give you the real breakdown. SEO for cleaning companies typically ranges from $800-2,500/month depending on your market size, number of service areas, and competitive landscape. Here’s what you should actually pay based on your situation:

Small market, single location ($800-1,200/month): Towns under 100k population. Targeting 1-2 cities. Basic local SEO + Google Business Profile optimization. 2-4 service pages + monthly content. Expect results in 2-3 months.

Mid-sized market, 2-3 locations ($1,200-1,800/month): Cities 100k-500k population. Targeting 3-5 cities or neighborhoods. Advanced local SEO + content strategy. 5-10 service pages + weekly content. Competitive keyword targeting. Expect results in 3-4 months.

Major metro, multiple locations ($1,800-2,500/month): Cities 500k+ population (NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami, etc.). Targeting 5-10+ cities or large metro area. Comprehensive SEO + aggressive link building. 10-20 service pages + bi-weekly content. Competing against established brands. Expect results in 4-6 months.

What’s included in our pricing: Complete technical SEO audit and fixes. Google Business Profile optimization and ongoing management. Keyword research and content strategy. Service page creation and optimization. Monthly blog content (1-2 posts). Local citation building and NAP consistency. Review generation strategy and implementation. Monthly performance reporting with clear metrics. Ongoing optimization based on results.

One-time setup options (for budget-conscious owners): We also offer a one-time “SEO Foundation Package” for $750-1,000 that includes: Google Business Profile complete optimization. Basic on-page SEO for your homepage and 3 service pages. NAP citation cleanup on top 15 directories. Keyword research document. This is perfect if you want to handle ongoing SEO yourself but need the technical foundation set up correctly.

ROI perspective (the math that matters): If one commercial cleaning contract is worth $3,000-8,000/month, you only need 1-2 contracts to justify $1,500/month in SEO costs. If one residential cleaning client is worth $150-300/month recurring, you need 5-10 new clients to break even. Most of our clients see 3-5x ROI within 6-12 months, and 10x+ ROI by year 2 as rankings compound.

Red flags on pricing: Anyone charging under $500/month is either outsourcing to low-quality providers or cutting corners. Anyone charging over $3,000/month for a single-location cleaning company is probably overcharging unless you’re in Manhattan or San Francisco. Beware of “setup fees” over $1,500—most of that work should be included in month 1-2 of service.

Yes—multi-location SEO is actually one of our specialties. Whether you’re expanding from 1 city to 3, or you’re a regional player serving 10+ cities, we have a proven system for scaling local SEO across multiple service areas without cannibalizing your own rankings or getting hit with duplicate content penalties.

The challenge most cleaning companies face with multi-location SEO: They create duplicate pages (“Commercial Cleaning Denver” vs “Commercial Cleaning Aurora”) with almost identical content, then wonder why neither page ranks well. Google sees this as thin, duplicate content and devalues both. They try to rank one page for multiple cities, which doesn’t work because Google wants location-specific relevance. They spread their SEO budget too thin trying to rank everywhere at once instead of dominating one area first, then expanding.

Our multi-location SEO strategy: Unique content for each location. Every city page has genuinely different content discussing that specific area’s needs, demographics, local landmarks, and service differentiation. We don’t just swap out city names in a template. Strategic internal linking. We structure your site so each location page passes authority to related service pages without competing against each other. Location-specific Google Business Profiles. If you have physical locations or service territories, we optimize separate GBPs for each area with unique photos, posts, and service descriptions. Localized content marketing. We create blog posts targeting each service area: “5 Reasons Denver Offices Need Professional Janitorial Services” vs “How Aurora Businesses Can Save on Commercial Cleaning Costs”.

The rollout strategy that works: We don’t try to rank everywhere at once. Here’s the proven approach: Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Dominate your primary city/service area first. Get to page 1 for your main keywords in your home market. Build the foundation: strong homepage, core service pages, technical SEO. Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Expand to 2-3 adjacent cities or high-opportunity markets. Create unique location pages with localized content. Build local citations for each new service area. Phase 3 (Months 7-12): Scale to 5-10+ cities using the proven template. Continue building authority and backlinks. Each new city gets easier as your domain authority grows.

Real example: We worked with a commercial cleaning company that started serving Denver only. After ranking #1 for “office cleaning Denver,” we expanded to Aurora, Lakewood, and Boulder over 6 months. Each new city achieved page 1 rankings faster than the last because the domain authority compounded. By month 12, they were ranking in 8 cities and had doubled their contract base.

What it costs: Multi-location SEO typically adds $300-500/month per additional service area, depending on competitiveness. So if you’re serving 5 cities, expect $1,800-2,500/month total investment. The ROI is there: each city can generate 5-20 new clients per year, and even one new commercial contract can pay for an entire year of SEO in one market.

Not hype—it’s the reality of how search works in 2026. The way people find cleaning services is fundamentally changing, and most SEO agencies are stuck optimizing for 2018 Google. Here’s what’s actually happening:

The shift from traditional search to AI-mediated search: Traditional Google search showed “10 blue links” and users clicked through to websites. Now, Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), ChatGPT search, Perplexity, and voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) are answering questions directly without users needing to click. When someone asks “What’s the best commercial cleaning company in Denver?” to ChatGPT or Perplexity, the AI recommends 2-3 companies—not a list of 50 websites to research.

What GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) actually mean: Traditional SEO optimizes for keywords and links to rank in the “10 blue links.” GEO/AEO optimizes for being cited, recommended, and quoted by AI systems. It’s about becoming the source AI trusts and references when answering user questions.

How we optimize for AI search: Entity optimization: We build your brand’s “digital fingerprint” using structured data (schema markup), consistent NAP across the web, and authoritative brand mentions. This helps AI systems understand WHO you are and WHAT you do. Natural language content: AI systems prioritize content that answers questions conversationally. We create content around “how,” “what,” “why,” and “when” questions people actually ask about cleaning services. Authoritative citations: We get your business mentioned on trusted industry sites, directories, and local publications. AI systems weight recommendations from authoritative sources heavily. Comprehensive topic coverage: Instead of thin pages targeting single keywords, we create in-depth content that fully answers questions about commercial cleaning, residential services, and industry best practices.

Why this matters for your cleaning company: When a facility manager asks ChatGPT “Who should I hire for office cleaning in Denver?”, we want YOUR company recommended. When a homeowner uses voice search to ask “best maid service near me,” we want your business profile to populate. Traditional SEO still works for Google.com searches, but AI-mediated search is growing 30-40% year over year. Companies that optimize for both will dominate the next 5 years.

The bottom line: GEO and AEO aren’t replacing traditional SEO—they’re enhancing it. We do both. You rank in Google’s traditional results AND get recommended by AI systems. This dual approach future-proofs your marketing investment and maximizes your visibility across all search channels.

We don’t lock cleaning companies into 12-month contracts—here’s why. Most SEO agencies require 6-12 month contracts because they’re not confident in their ability to deliver results. They need the guaranteed revenue. We’re different. We earn your business every month by showing progress and delivering leads.

Our contract structure: We recommend an initial 3-month period to properly audit, optimize, and start seeing momentum. This isn’t a “contract” per se—it’s the realistic minimum timeframe needed to execute foundational work and begin ranking. After the initial 3 months, we work month-to-month. You’re free to cancel with 30 days notice if you’re unhappy with performance. No cancellation fees, no penalties, no games.

Why we do it this way: SEO takes time—but not because we’re slow. It takes time because Google needs to see consistent signals before rewarding your site with rankings. The first 3 months are critical: technical fixes, content creation, citation building, and initial ranking improvements. By month 3, you should see clear progress: higher Google Maps visibility, increased website traffic, first page rankings for some keywords, and ideally your first SEO-generated leads. If you’re not seeing ANY progress by month 3, something is wrong—and we’ll either fix it or you can walk away.

What happens if you cancel: You own everything we’ve built: all content, page optimizations, citations, and Google Business Profile improvements. We don’t hold your site hostage or reverse changes. Your rankings will gradually decline without ongoing optimization (Google rewards fresh content and active sites), but the foundation we built remains yours. We encourage you to have internal resources ready if you plan to manage SEO in-house after canceling.

Why most clients stay past 3 months: By month 3-4, they’re starting to see real leads. By month 6, SEO is generating 20-40% of their new business. By month 12, they’re so reliant on SEO-generated leads that canceling would hurt their growth. The ROI becomes undeniable, and SEO transitions from “marketing expense” to “revenue generator.”

Our promise: We believe in earning your trust through results, not trapping you in contracts. If we’re not delivering value, you shouldn’t be forced to pay us. It’s that simple. This model forces us to stay sharp, communicate clearly, and deliver results month after month—which benefits both of us.

We track what actually matters: phone calls, form submissions, and booked cleanings—not vanity metrics. Most SEO agencies send monthly reports full of impressive-looking charts that don’t tell you if SEO is actually making you money. We’re different. We focus on business outcomes, not just rankings.

The metrics we track (and report monthly): Keyword rankings: Where you rank for your target keywords (“commercial cleaning [city]”, “maid service near me”, etc.). We track 20-50 keywords depending on your service areas. Google Maps visibility: Your position in the Maps 3-pack for key searches. This is often more important than organic rankings for local businesses. Website traffic: Total visitors, pages per session, time on site, and bounce rate. We break this down by source (organic search, Google Maps, direct, referral). Conversion metrics: Form submissions from your website. Phone calls generated (we can set up call tracking if you don’t have it). Click-to-call actions from Google Business Profile. Direction requests and website clicks from GMB.

Lead quality and attribution: We help you track which leads came from SEO specifically (vs paid ads, referrals, etc.). We analyze which keywords and pages are generating the highest-quality leads. If you’re closing 50% of leads from “commercial cleaning contracts” but only 20% from “cheap office cleaning,” we shift strategy accordingly.

Your monthly report includes: Executive summary: high-level wins, challenges, and next month’s focus. Ranking improvements: which keywords moved up (or down) and why. Traffic analysis: how many people visited your site, where they came from, what pages they viewed. Conversion data: how many leads were generated, estimated revenue impact. Work completed: what we did this month (content published, technical fixes, citations built, etc.). Next month’s plan: what we’re focusing on and expected outcomes.

ROI tracking (the number that really matters): We help you calculate your SEO ROI using this simple formula: (Revenue from SEO leads – SEO cost) / SEO cost = ROI. For example: If you spent $1,500 on SEO and landed 3 commercial contracts worth $5,000 each ($15,000 total), your ROI is 900%. Most of our clients see 3-5x ROI within 6 months and 10x+ ROI by year 2 as rankings compound and lead flow increases.

How we communicate: Monthly detailed report via email. Monthly check-in call (15-30 minutes) to review results and answer questions. Real-time access to Google Analytics and Search Console so you can check performance anytime. Ad-hoc communication via email or Slack for urgent items or quick questions. We believe in complete transparency. If something isn’t working, we tell you and pivot strategy. If something is crushing it, we double down.

Three words: specialization, transparency, and results. We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We only work with cleaning companies—commercial and residential. This laser focus means we understand your industry better than any generalist agency ever could.

Why specialization matters: We know exactly which keywords convert for cleaning companies (and which ones waste money). We understand seasonal demand fluctuations (spring cleaning surge, holiday slowdowns, post-construction booms). We know the difference between optimizing for B2B facility managers vs B2C homeowners. We have pre-built content templates, keyword research, and strategies specific to cleaning services—which means faster deployment and better results. We speak your language: we know what a GBP is, what Angi and Thumbtack cost you, and why commercial contracts matter more than one-off jobs.

Our competitive advantages: AI-powered SEO expertise: We’re early adopters of GEO and AEO strategies that 99% of agencies don’t understand yet. This gives our clients a 2-3 year head start on competitors. No fluff, no filler: We don’t pad reports with meaningless metrics. We show you rankings, traffic, leads, and ROI—the metrics that matter. Month-to-month contracts: We don’t trap you in 12-month agreements. We earn your business every month. Transparent pricing: No hidden fees, no surprise charges, no bait-and-switch. You know exactly what you’re paying and what you’re getting. Direct communication: You work with an experienced account manager who knows the cleaning industry, not a revolving door of junior staff.

What big-name agencies get wrong: They treat your cleaning company like every other local business—same cookie-cutter strategy whether you’re a plumber, dentist, or lawyer. They assign you to junior account managers who’ve never worked with a cleaning company before. They focus on “brand awareness” and vague metrics instead of lead generation and ROI. They lock you into long contracts and make it painful to leave. They charge enterprise prices ($3,000-10,000/month) for services that should cost $1,500-2,500/month.

What generalist agencies miss: They don’t understand that “office cleaning” and “janitorial services” target different audiences with different intents. They create generic content that could apply to any business, not specific to cleaning challenges. They don’t know which local directories matter for cleaning companies and which ones are a waste of time. They can’t advise you on whether to focus on commercial vs residential—or how to balance both.

The bottom line: When you hire us, you’re hiring cleaning company SEO specialists who eat, sleep, and breathe this industry. We’ve worked with dozens of cleaning companies, we know what works, and we deliver results faster and more cost-effectively than agencies who treat you like just another client. If you want a partner who understands your business and delivers measurable ROI, not a vendor who sends monthly reports and hopes you don’t ask questions—we’re the right choice.