Topic
Published Dispatch coverage connected to Customer Acquisition.
8 published stories
October 1 Update · Contractor Marketing AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthGoogle Now Charges for Some Missed LSA Calls. Stop Losing the Conversation.Google’s October 1 change makes some unanswered Local Services Ads calls billable. Here is what the 20-second rule means, how follow-up charges work, and how contractors can protect paid leads with better routing, AI answering and call recovery.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk8 min
Breaking Marketing & Technology AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthThe Next Lead Form May Be an AI Agent: ChatGPT Is Changing What Paid Search Looks LikeOpenAI is testing Sponsored Agents that let people move from a ChatGPT ad into a branded conversation, while new Ads Manager and HubSpot integrations bring campaign creation, measurement and follow-up closer to the CRM. For contractors, the important shift is from paying for a click toward paying for a conversation that can qualify intent before the website ever loads.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk10 min
Breaking Technology AnalysisTechnology & SoftwareGoogle Just Opened the Smart Home to Outside AI Agents. Contractors Should Watch What Happens Before the Service Call.Google Home’s new MCP server lets approved AI clients inspect connected-home structures, read real-time device states, review event history and execute supported device controls. It is early access, not an automated contractor-dispatch product — but it moves AI closer to the thermostat, camera and sensor data that exists before a homeowner calls for service.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk13 min
Breaking Marketing & Fintech AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthGoodLeap Has Financed $37 Billion in Home Upgrades. Now It’s Routing Homeowners to Contractors.GoodLeap’s new Projects feature connects homeowners with a network of 6,600+ professionals. Its own app terms say a Concierge team selects one contractor for a project request and that referral compensation may influence which contractors are presented. For operators, the financing layer is becoming part of the lead-distribution layer.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk13 min
Breaking Technology & Marketing AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthAngi Is Testing Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT. The Home-Service Lead Funnel Is Moving Inside AI.Angi is one of the first brands testing OpenAI's Sponsored Agents in ChatGPT. In the pilot, a homeowner can move from a home-service conversation into an Angi-branded sponsored agent and then into Angi's service-request flow—an early sign that paid lead generation may be shifting from clicks toward AI-native conversations.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk14 min
Breaking Marketing AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthRoto-Rooter Says Paid Google Leads Went From $50 to $120–$125. That’s the New Margin Math for Contractors.Chemed CEO Kevin McNamara says Roto-Rooter’s paid lead cost climbed from roughly $50 to $120–$125 while the share of free leads fell from about 60% to under 40% in two years. The public-company disclosure puts hard numbers on a contractor problem usually discussed only in anecdotes.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk14 min
Breaking AnalysisMarketing, Local Search & GrowthAngi Leads Fell 13% and It Took a $235 Million Write-Down. Now the Marketplace Is Trying to Sell More Than Leads.JPMorgan initiated Angi at Underweight after a quarter in which revenue fell 11%, total leads fell 13% and the company recorded a $235.2 million non-cash impairment. The contractor story is bigger than the stock: Angi is trying to move its economics from selling contact opportunities toward helping pros win the job.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk14 min
AnalysisIndustry NewsAI Is Leveling the Field for Contractors. The Next Advantage May Be Being More Human.Live Wire Electric owner Brian McKee says automation is helping a roughly $2 million independent electrical contractor respond faster and book more work, while making authentic local identity and social media more important, not less.TradeVulcan Dispatch Editorial Desk13 min