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Based in Calgary · Serving North America

More jobs.
Less guessing.
Built for trades.

Google Ads that pay for themselves. SEO that compounds. Websites engineered to convert. If you work with your hands, we work for you.

Get More Jobs → See Our Work
✓
No lock-in contracts
✓
Trades-only focus
✓
Results in 30 days
✓
Serving all of North America
Trusted by
Attic Rain Specialists Clotures Fortin Toitures P.G Profix Automotive Services Noble Tek Developments Ltd
15x
Average ROAS across clients
$0
Lock-in fees. Ever.
100%
Trades focused
30d
To first results
Based in Calgary. Working with trades businesses across North America.
Calgary, AB Toronto, ON Vancouver, BC Montreal, QC + All of North America
What we do
Three services.
All built for trades.

We don't work with everyone. We work with blue collar businesses who want more customers from Google. Every service is built specifically for contractors.

Google Ads
Ads That Pay For Themselves

Every dollar tracked against actual calls and booked jobs. Keyword research, ad copy, bid strategy, weekly optimization — all included. No set and forget.

15x
avg ROAS
30d
to first leads
$2,500
starting/mo
Learn more →
SEO
Rankings That Compound

Ads stop when you stop paying. SEO compounds forever. GBP optimization, local keywords, on-page SEO, authority building — results that keep working long after the work is done.

6mo
meaningful rank
∞
compounds
$1,500
starting/mo
Learn more →
Website Design
Sites Built To Convert

CRO engineered in from the wireframe — not bolted on after. WordPress from $6k, custom from $20k. Every build is mobile-first, SEO-ready, and built to turn visitors into phone calls.

2–3x
conversion lift
4wk
avg delivery
$6k+
starting price
Learn more →
How it works
The Full Stack For
Trades Growth

Most agencies sell you one thing. We build the whole system — site, ads, and SEO working together so every dollar compounds on the last.

1
Free strategy call — we diagnose first

30 minutes. We look at your current site, your Google presence, and your competitors. You get a straight answer on where your biggest opportunity is — no pitch, no deck, no fluff.

2
Fix the foundation — site first

If your site doesn't convert, paid traffic is wasted money. We build or audit your site before we touch ads. Every page engineered to turn visitors into calls.

3
Turn on Google Ads — leads in 30 days

Once the site converts, we launch your campaigns. Trade-specific keywords, copy written for your customers, bids optimized for cost per lead. Calls within 30 days.

4
Build SEO in parallel — compound forever

While ads drive immediate leads, we're building your organic rankings in the background. In 6–12 months organic traffic reduces your cost per lead significantly.

Live example
Clotures Fortin
Fencing company · Mirabel, QC
Google Ads ROAS28x return
Cost per lead$19
Google Ads statusActive
SEO campaignActive
Get the same system →
Our work
Real Businesses.
Real Results.

We don't show impressions or click-through rates. Every number here is tied to actual revenue, leads, or rankings.

Google Ads + SEO · Since November 2025
Profix Automotive Services
Auto repair & services · Calgary, AB · Launched November 2025

Launched with zero online presence in November 2025. Built their Google Business Profile from scratch, ran review acquisition alongside paid campaigns, and optimized continuously. Cost per lead dropped from $55 to $19.83 in 6 months. Now generating 38+ leads every 14 days.

64%
drop in cost per lead
$19.83
current CPL
0→80
Google reviews
Campaign timeline
Nov 2025$55 CPL · 0 reviews
Jan 202620+ reviews
Mar 2026Optimization
May 2026$19.83 CPL · 80 reviews
Google Ads · Calgary, AB
Attic Rain Specialists
Attic insulation · Calgary, AB

Built the full system — site, ad copy, and campaign structure engineered to match from search to landing page. 15.82% CTR in a competitive home services market, over 3x the industry average. 23x ROAS. At $30 cost per lead, the math speaks for itself.

23x
ROAS
$30
cost per lead
15.82%
CTR
Campaign stats
ROAS23x
CTR15.82%
Cost per lead$30
ROAS23x
View All Case Studies Get results like these →
Why Hard Hat Digital
The Only Trades Agency
That's Actually Local.

Generic agencies don't know your seasonality. Big "blue collar" agencies are spread thin. We're the only one who is both trades-specific and local.

Generic agency
GrowME & others
✗Works with every industry
✗Doesn't know your seasonality
✗Reports in CTR not revenue
✗Account managers, not specialists
Large national agency
The big box option
✗High client volume, low attention
✗No local market knowledge
✗Template playbooks for every trade
✗You're one of thousands on their roster
Hard Hat Digital
The right choice
✓Trades-only. Always.
✓Local base + national reach
✓CRO in every build
✓Google Ads is our core
✓You meet your strategist
Industries we serve
If You Work With Your Hands,
We Work For You.

We've built campaigns across every major trade. Our knowledge compounds — what works for roofing in Calgary informs HVAC in Toronto.

Roofing
Hail season campaigns
Plumbing
Emergency + scheduled
HVAC
Seasonal demand capture
Construction
Residential & commercial
Landscaping
Spring/summer push
Fencing
Peak season timing
Insulation
Energy rebate season
Electrical
Residential & reno
What clients say
Don't Take Our Word For It.
★★★★★
"We've worked with marketing agencies before and always felt like we were one of a hundred clients. Hard Hat Digital actually understands the trades. They know our busy season, they know what a good lead looks like, and the results back it up."
Kevin Wolf
Laney's Inc · Plumbing & HVAC · Fargo-Moorhead
★★★★★
"Hard Hat Digital rebuilt our site and launched our ads from scratch. Within the first month we were getting consistent inspection requests. If you run a trades or home services business and you're not working with these guys, you're leaving money on the table."
Jeremy Cook
Inspect on the Money · Home Inspections · Calgary, AB
FAQ
Common Questions.
How quickly will I see results from Google Ads?
+
Most clients see their first leads within 2 weeks of launch. We consider 30 days a reasonable benchmark for meaningful data. The first month is about learning — finding which keywords and ads drive the best quality leads for your specific trade. Month 2 onwards is where optimization compounds.
Do I need a new website before starting ads?
+
Not necessarily. We'll audit your current site first. If it converts at a reasonable rate we can run ads while improving things in parallel. But if your site has fundamental conversion problems — unclear CTAs, no trust signals, slow load time — we'll recommend fixing that first. Paying for traffic to a broken site is the fastest way to waste your ad budget.
What's the minimum ad spend you recommend?
+
For most trades businesses we recommend $1,500–$2,000/month in ad spend minimum to generate meaningful data and consistent leads. Below that, you're running too few auctions to optimize effectively. The management fee is separate — you pay Google directly, we manage the account. You own everything.
How long does SEO take to work?
+
Honest answer: 3–6 months to see meaningful movement, 6–12 months to see significant traffic and lead impact. SEO is a compounding asset, not a quick win. We always recommend running ads alongside SEO so you're getting leads immediately while the organic foundation builds.
Do you work with businesses outside Calgary?
+
Yes — we're based in Calgary but work with trades businesses across North America. Our website design and Google Ads work are fully remote-capable. If you're in Canada or the US, get in touch and we'll tell you exactly whether we're the right fit for your market.
Are there lock-in contracts?
+
No lock-in contracts. Rolling monthly agreements with 30 days notice to wind down. We don't trap clients — we earn your business every month by delivering results.
What makes you different from a generic digital agency?
+
We only work with trades. Every campaign, every site, every SEO strategy is built knowing your business is seasonal, referral-driven, and dependent on local trust. A generic agency doesn't know fencing peaks in spring or HVAC demand spikes in July. We do — and our campaigns are built around it.
Let's talk about
your business.

No pitch. No pressure. A straight 30-minute conversation about what's holding your business back online.

Let's Talk → See Our Work first
30 minutes · No commitment · Based in Calgary · Serving North America
Google Ads for Contractors

Ads That Bring In Jobs.
Not Just Clicks.

We optimize for one thing — calls and booked jobs from people ready to hire you right now.

Get a free ads audit →See our results
What's included
Everything Managed.
Nothing Hidden.
Campaign setup & structure
Built from scratch for your trade. Keyword research, ad groups, match types, negative keywords. No templates, no copy-paste. Every campaign built specifically for your business.
Ad copy that converts
Written for trades customers. Direct, benefit-led, built to get the call. We test multiple variations to find what drives the best quality leads for your specific trade.
Ongoing optimization
Weekly bid adjustments, search term pruning, A/B testing, quality score improvements. We don't set and forget. Your campaigns get better every week.
Transparent reporting
Calls in, cost per call, revenue generated. No CTR reports that mean nothing. You know exactly what you spent, what you got back, and what we're doing next.
You own everything
Your Google Ads account is yours. We manage it, you own the data, campaigns, and history. If you ever leave, you take everything. No agency lock-in on your assets.
Seasonal campaign strategy
We ramp spend before your busy season and pull back during slow periods. Generic agencies don't do this because they don't know your industry. We do.
Industries & pricing
RoofingFencingPlumbingHVACConstructionLandscapingAttic insulationConcreteElectricalPainting
Starting at $3,000/month

Full management included. Ad spend billed separately to your Google account — you own it, we run it.

Let's Talk →
SEO for Contractors

Show Up When Your
Customers Search.

Ads stop when you stop paying. SEO compounds forever. We build the rankings that keep working long after the work is done.

Let's Talk → See Our Work
What is SEO
The Long Game
That Compounds.

Search Engine Optimization is the process of getting your business to show up on Google when potential customers search for your services. Unlike ads, you don't pay per click — you earn your position through relevance, authority, and trust. Once you're there, the leads keep coming.

Google Ads
Stops when you stop paying
Turn off the budget and the leads stop. Ads are powerful for immediate results but you're renting visibility — you never own it.
SEO
Compounds over time
Every month of SEO builds on the last. Rankings improve, authority grows, and your cost per lead drops. The contractors who started 12 months ago are now getting free leads their competitors are paying for.
What we focus on
Local & National SEO
That Wins.
Google Business Profile
Your GBP is the first thing people see. We optimize categories, services, photos, posts, and review strategy. Most contractors leave this half-finished.
Trade-specific keyword targeting
"Roofing company Calgary NW" not just "roofing." We find the exact searches your customers make — including national terms for contractors serving broader markets.
On-page SEO
Title tags, meta descriptions, H-tag structure, content, internal linking, schema markup. Every page optimized to rank for your target keywords.
Authority building
Local citations, directory listings, industry backlinks. The trust signals Google uses to rank you above competitors who've been around longer but haven't invested in SEO.
Industries & pricing
RoofingFencingPlumbingHVACConstructionLandscapingAttic insulationConcreteElectricalPainting
Starting at $1,500/month

Scope discussed on the call based on your market, your competition, and what you're trying to rank for.

Let's Talk →
Web Design for Contractors

A Site That Works
As Hard As You Do.

Most trades websites look fine and convert terribly. We engineer CRO into every build from the wireframe — not bolted on after.

Get A Free Site Audit →
What we build
Two Options.
Both Built To Convert.
WordPress
Standard builds
Fast, clean, conversion-optimized WordPress sites. Everything you need to generate leads from day one — CRO baked in, SEO-ready, and built to turn visitors into calls.
$6,000 – $10,000
3–4 week delivery · CRO included · SEO setup · Mobile-first
Get A Quote →
Custom Code
Complex builds
Built for businesses with complex needs and serious ambitions. Fully custom development with no platform limitations — engineered specifically for how you operate and where you're going.
$20,000 – $40,000
Scope defined per project · Built to scale with your business
Discuss Your Project →
CRO from day one
Conversion architecture in the wireframe. CTAs placed strategically. Every element engineered to generate calls.
Mobile-first
Most customers find you on their phone. Every build prioritizes mobile experience and tap-to-call.
SEO-ready
Title tags, schema, page speed, site structure set up correctly from launch — not an afterthought.
The natural next step
Website Design Clients Get
Priority on Retainers

Every site we build is designed to receive traffic. Most clients move onto Google Ads + SEO so the site starts generating leads from day one after launch.

Let's Talk →
Our work

Real Businesses.
Real Results.

Every number tied to actual revenue, leads, or rankings. No vanity metrics.

Google Ads + SEO · Since November 2025
Profix Automotive Services
Auto repair & services · Calgary, AB · Launched November 2025

Launched with zero online presence in November 2025. Built their Google Business Profile from scratch, ran review acquisition alongside paid campaigns, and optimized continuously over 6 months. Cost per lead dropped from $55 to $19.83. Now generating 38+ leads every 14 days and still scaling.

64%
drop in cost per lead
$19.83
current CPL
0→80
Google reviews
Campaign timeline
Nov 2025$55 CPL · 0 reviews
Jan 202620+ reviews built
Mar 2026Optimization phase
May 2026$19.83 CPL · 80 reviews
Google Ads · Calgary, AB
Attic Rain Specialists
Attic insulation · Calgary, AB

Built the full system — site, ad copy, and campaign structure engineered to match from search to landing page. 15.82% CTR in a competitive home services market, over 3x the industry average. 23x ROAS. At $30 cost per lead, the math speaks for itself.

23x
ROAS
$30
cost per lead
15.82%
CTR
Campaign stats
ROAS23x
CTR15.82%
Cost per lead$30
ROAS23x
Google Ads · High Competition Market
Toitures P.G
Roofing contractor · Saint-Jérôme, Mirabel, Laval & Montreal, QC

Quebec roofing is one of the most competitive Google Ads markets in Canada. Toitures P.G serves four cities — Saint-Jérôme, Mirabel, Laval, and Montreal — going up against established companies with deep ad budgets. Cost per lead was $200 in March. Through campaign restructuring and continuous optimization we cut it to $70 and it is still dropping. The market didn't get easier. The campaigns got smarter.

$200→$70
cost per lead
65%
CPL reduction
↓
still dropping
CPL tracking
Mar 2026$200 CPL
Apr 2026Optimization
May 2026$70 CPL
OngoingStill dropping ↓
Website Design · In Progress
More results on the way.

We only share numbers that are real. Results from recent projects are being documented — check back soon or ask us directly on a strategy call.

Want results like these?

Book a free 30-minute strategy call. We'll tell you exactly what we'd do for your business.

Let's Talk →
AI Search Visibility
New Service

Show Up Where
Search Is Heading.

Google is no longer the only search engine that matters. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews are answering contractor searches directly — and the businesses that show up in those answers aren't getting there by accident.

Let's Talk →
What is GEO
Generative Engine
Optimization.

Traditional SEO gets you ranking on Google. GEO gets your business cited inside AI-generated answers. When someone asks ChatGPT "who's the best roofer in Calgary" or Perplexity "best attic insulation company near me" — GEO is what puts your name in the answer.

Traditional SEO
Fights for clicks
You rank on Google. User sees your link. User clicks. You get traffic. SEO will always matter — but it's no longer the whole picture.
GEO
Competes for citations
AI answers the question directly. Your business name is in the answer. No click needed. The contractor who gets cited gets called.
What we do
How We Get You
Into AI Answers.
Schema & structured data
We implement the technical markup that tells AI systems exactly what your business is, where you operate, what you do, and why you're credible. If AI can't read your site cleanly it won't cite you.
Authority signal building
AI systems favour businesses cited by third-party sources. We build mentions across reputable directories, industry publications, and platforms that AI models actually pull from.
Conversational content
We write FAQs, service descriptions, and about pages structured to directly answer the questions AI systems get asked about trades businesses. "Who is the best roofer in Calgary" needs your name in the answer.
AI citation monitoring
We track when and how your business appears in AI-generated answers across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. You see the results, not just the work.
Why now
Most Contractors
Aren't In AI Yet.

GEO for trades businesses is essentially unclaimed territory right now. The contractors who invest in AI visibility today will own those answers for years. The ones who wait will be playing catch-up against competitors who got there first.

4.4x
AI visitors convert vs traditional search
0
Trades agencies offering GEO in Calgary
Now
Best time to establish AI visibility
Pricing
$1,000/month add-on

Available as an add-on to any active SEO plan. GEO works best when your foundational SEO is already running — citations, schema, and content working together. Complex accounts with multiple locations priced on the call.

Let's Talk →
About Hard Hat Digital

Built By Someone
Who Gets It.

Not a 50-person agency. A lean, trades-only operation built to deliver results for contractors — not quarterly reports for shareholders.

Emmanuel Mastro Matteo, founder of Hard Hat Digital
The founder
Emmanuel Mastro Matteo

I spent years working irrigation systems, cut concrete, and crawled through attics with a laptop open most nights studying data science.

Hard Hat Digital exists because trades businesses deserve better than agencies run by people who have never done a day of physical work in their lives. We know what your busy season costs you. We know what a bad lead feels like. We measure everything in jobs booked and revenue generated because that is the only number that matters.

01
Every decision is backed by data.
This business runs on numbers. Not gut feelings, not agency fluff. Every campaign, every budget call, every optimization is measured against one thing: jobs booked and revenue generated.
02
We speak your language.
Seasonality, slow months, bad leads, chasing invoices. We built this business around the realities of trades work not a textbook version of it. When you talk we already know what you mean.
03
Results over reports.
We measure success in calls, booked jobs, and revenue. Not impressions, not click through rates, not vanity metrics that look good on a slide deck and mean nothing to your bottom line.

"Every marketing agency is run by people who've never picked up a damn shovel. They study marketing and think that makes them suitable to run the digital side of a blue collar business. It doesn't."

— Emmanuel Mastro Matteo, Founder
By the numbers
15x
Average ROAS across clients
$0
Lock-in fees. Ever.
100%
Trades focused
30d
To first results
Work With Us →
Get in Touch

Tell Us About
Your Business.

We review every request and follow up within 24 hours to schedule your call. We only take on clients we know we can help.

Get in Touch
Tell us where you're at

60 seconds to fill out. We'll follow up within 24 hours.

We follow up within 24 hours. No spam, no pitch — just a straight conversation.

Prefer to reach out directly?
hello@hardhatdigital.ca
Calgary, Alberta · Serving North America
What to expect
On the call
1
Tell us about your business
Where you are now, what's working, what isn't. How many leads you need, what your busy season looks like. We listen first.
2
We diagnose the gap
We look at your current site, your Google presence, and your competitors. We'll tell you exactly what we'd do and why — ads, SEO, site, or all three.
3
A straight answer on fit
If we're the right fit, we tell you what working together looks like and what it costs. If not, we tell you that too. No hard sell.
Why we do it this way

We don't take every call. We review each request so we come prepared — knowing your trade, your market, and exactly what we'd do for your business before we speak. That 24-hour window isn't a delay. It's how we make the call worth your time.

Not ready yet?

Browse our case studies and come back when you're ready.

See Our Work first →