We helped Horndon Services go from low online visibility to regular local enquiries
1000
Organic clicks generated in the first six months
102%
Increase in organic clicks over six months
80-90
Average leads per month after six months
Double
Search visibility in six months of working together
Horndon Services is a heating, plumbing and air conditioning business run by Morgan Humphreys.
When we started working together in January 2026, the priority was clear. Horndon needed to be easier to find online, easier to trust and easier to contact.
The business had the service quality, but the website and online visibility were not doing enough to turn local searches into real enquiries.
We started by rebuilding the website around conversion, then added local search pages, CRM integration, regular SEO improvements, monthly email campaigns and early AI search work.
In six months, Horndon has gone from low visibility online to appearing on page one for important local searches including “central heating installer near me” and “air conditioning installer near me”.
Morgan is now regularly receiving 3 to 4 quality leads per day for boiler and air conditioning services.
The problem
Horndon had the service quality, but not enough local visibility
Morgan had a strong local service business, but the online presence was not working hard enough.
The website needed to do more than look professional.
It needed to help people understand the services, build trust quickly and make it easy to enquire.
The business also needed to show up when local customers were searching for boiler, heating and air conditioning services.
In simple terms, Horndon needed to move from being hard to find online to being visible, trusted and chosen.
The shift
From basic online presence to local lead generation
The first step was to rebuild the website with conversion at the heart of it. That meant creating a site that was clear, easy to use and focused on turning visitors into enquiries.
The aim for Horndonwas simple:
- Get Horndon found by more local customers
- Help those customers understand why Horndon is a good choice
- Make it easier for them to enquire
- Give Morgan a better system for handling those enquiries
- Keep improving visibility month by month
“We started working with We Are SMC in January 2026 when we needed a better website and more local visibility.
Steve and the team rebuilt the site around enquiries, then helped us improve our local Google rankings for boiler, heating and air conditioning services.
In just six months we have gone from being hard to find online to getting regular quality leads through the website, with enquiries now coming into HighLevel so we can respond quickly and keep track of everything.
The work has made a real difference to how visible Horndon Services is locally, and we are now getting found for the services we actually want to grow.”
Morgan, Horndon Services
What we built in partnership with Horndon Services
1. A conversion-focused website
We started by redeveloping the Horndon Services website.
The goal was not just to make it look better.
The goal was to make it work harder.
That meant creating a site that clearly explains the services, builds trust and makes it easy for local customers to take the next step.
For trades businesses, the website has one main job: turn the right visitors into real enquiries.
2. Local service and location pages
Once the website was live, we started building local service and location pages.
These pages help Horndon appear when people nearby search for specific services, such as boiler work, central heating or air conditioning.
This is important because most local customers are not browsing for fun. They have a job that needs doing.
The easier Horndon is to find at that moment, the more likely the website is to generate enquiries.
3. HighLevel CRM connected to the website
We helped Horndon take advantage of the HighLevel CRM platform.
New website leads now flow directly into HighLevel, alerting Morgan to new enquiries and creating a smoother journey for the customer.
This helps make sure good leads do not sit unnoticed in an inbox.
It also gives the business a better way to track, follow up and manage enquiries as the volume grows.
4. Regular SEO audits and improvements
We have been running regular audits on the website and making ongoing improvements to Horndon’s SEO.
In plain English, that means checking what is working, spotting what can be improved and making small changes that help the site keep moving in the right direction.
This work has helped Horndon build stronger local visibility over the first six months.
5. Getting ready for AI search
More customers are starting to use tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini to find and compare local businesses.
So alongside Google, we have been making sure the Horndon website is clear, helpful and well structured enough to start appearing in AI searches too.
This is still early, but it matters.
Customers are changing how they search, and local businesses need to be ready.
6. Monthly email campaigns to existing leads and customers
Each month, we deliver a professionally crafted email campaign promoting different Horndon services.
This helps Morgan stay visible with existing leads and customers, and it is already resulting in new business from people who already know the brand.
For a heating and air conditioning business, that is a big opportunity.
Customers who came in for one service may also need boiler work, servicing, air conditioning or future maintenance.
Email helps keep Horndon front of mind.
The outcome
Horndon is now getting found and chosen online
From a standing start in January 2026, Horndon generated 1,000 organic clicks in the first six months.
Comparing the first three months of 2026 with the most recent three months, Google Search Console shows a 102% increase in organic clicks and twice the volume of search impressions.
The business has also moved onto page one for important local search terms including:
- “central heating installer near me”
- “air conditioning installer near me”
The impact is now being felt in real enquiries.
Morgan is regularly receiving 3 to 4 quality leads per day for boiler and air conditioning services.
But the bigger shift is confidence.
Horndon is no longer relying on a weak online presence and hoping local customers find them.
The business now has a clearer website, stronger local visibility, CRM-connected enquiries and regular email campaigns helping to turn attention into work.
That is what good marketing should do for a local trades business.
The model
The get found and chosen model
- Build a website designed to turn visitors into enquiries
- Create local service pages around the work the business wants more of
- Add location pages so local customers can find the business
- Connect website enquiries directly into HighLevel CRM
- Run regular checks and improvements on search performance
- Make the website clear enough for both Google and AI search tools
- Use monthly email campaigns to bring existing leads and customers back
This is not about chasing clicks for the sake of it.
It is about helping the right local customers find the business, trust the business and take action.
What trades business owners can take from this case study
1. A good-looking website is not enough
Your website needs to turn visitors into enquiries. If people cannot quickly understand what you do, where you work and why they should choose you, they will move on.
2. Local pages help customers find you at the right moment
People search for the service they need in the area they need it. Your website should match how your customers actually search.
3. Google visibility can change quickly with the right foundation
Horndon started attracting local search within weeks of the new site going live because the foundations were built properly.
4. Leads need to go into a system, not just an inbox
Connecting the website to HighLevel means enquiries are easier to spot, track and follow up.
5. Existing leads and customers are a growth channel
Monthly email campaigns help keep the business visible and promote services to people who already know the brand.
6. AI search is becoming part of local visibility
Customers are beginning to use AI tools to research local services. Clear, helpful website content gives your business a better chance of being found there too.
Want to build a stronger local growth engine?
If your plumbing, heating or trades business is still relying too heavily on word of mouth, recommendations and inconsistent enquiries, there is a smarter way to grow.
We Are SMC helps ambitious trades businesses build stronger brands, dominate local search, generate more leads and put the systems in place to handle growth.
If you want marketing to contribute properly to revenue, not just make the business look busy, book a 30 minute growth call.
Why book a 30 minute growth call?
In 30 minutes, we will look at where your current leads come from, what is holding back growth, and whether your brand, website, reviews, CRM and marketing activity are strong enough to support the next stage of your business.
No pitch deck. No vague marketing chat. Just a practical conversation about what would move the needle.