And we discuss: views, emails, and sales — plus problem- and solution-facing videos.
This is Scott's own SEO research, built on James's findings — and it does three things the first meeting set up but didn't cover:
This is the practical payoff. The research points to pages we can realistically rank on Google, in front of people who are ready to act. Here's the simple loop it sets up:
| Step | What happens | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Publish the easy-win pages | Write the low-competition posts from Part Three first (room additions, ADU builder, contractor estimate) | A brand-new site can actually rank for these — the competition is thin, so we win page-one spots in months, not years |
| 2. Catch people at the right moment | Those pages answer exactly what someone types when they're choosing who to build with or hire | The high dollar-per-click values prove these searchers are close to spending money — not just browsing |
| 3. Convert the visit | Each page ends with a clear next step — "get a quote," book a call, or join the email list | Turns anonymous Google traffic into a named lead Brass Tacks can follow up with |
| 4. Compound it | Publish steadily; each post keeps pulling traffic long after it goes live | Unlike ads, these pages keep generating leads for free once they rank — the library grows in value over time |
The specific pages, their difficulty, and their dollar value are in Part Three — that's the build list for this lead engine.
The two rounds aren't rivals; they cover different angles of the same audience. The first meeting leverages how YouTube pushes content out — the platform actively promotes story-framed videos to people in the feed (including high-intent fire survivors) who aren't searching at all. This round adds the other angle: making the content people are actively searching for on Google — meeting them at the exact moment they type the question. Push and pull, same ideal clients, two doors in.
Difficulty tells you if you can win it. Dollars-per-click tells you who's searching. Everything in this playbook leans on these two.
How hard it is to reach Google's first page. Under ~30 = winnable for your new site. 50+ is a long game. Every difficulty number in this whole playbook is on this same 0–100 scale.
A stand-in for how close to spending money the searcher is. Here's how to read it — and what to do:
| If you see… | It means… | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| ~$0.25 (pennies) | A curious learner, not a buyer | Use it for reach — build audience & trust, often better as a video |
| ~$1–$4 (middle) | A researcher, warming up | Worth capturing on the blog, but nurture them — they're not buying yet |
| ~$5–$15+ (high) | Someone close to hiring | Prioritize for the blog; these become customers — put your clearest call-to-action here |
"What is an ADU" — 9,900 searches, only $0.25 a click. Big crowd, but they're learning, so it's a video. "ADU contractor" — $10.65 a click at difficulty 20. Someone ready to hire, on a phrase you can win — so it's a blog post, now.
Sorted by where the searcher is in their journey — from ready-to-hire down to just-curious. Difficulty is out of 100; under ~30 means a brand-new site can win it. Dollars-per-click is what advertisers pay, a stand-in for how close the searcher is to spending.
Looking to hire — high buyer intent, and easy to show up on Google. These are the money pages: write them first.
| Blog topic (target phrase) | Searches/mo | Difficulty /100 | $/click |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to hire an ADU contractor (adu contractor) | 2,900 | 20 | $10.65 |
| ADU financing options in California (adu financing) | 1,900 | 27 | $8.03 |
| How to choose an ADU builder in LA (adu builder) | 4,400 | 19 | $6.87 |
| Room addition cost guide (room additions) | 4,400 | 4 | $5.42 |
| How to read a contractor's estimate (contractor estimate) | 480 | 29 | $13.44 |
| … fold in contractor quote (same page) | 70 | 4 | $30.14 |
Don't write a separate post for it. "Estimate" and "quote" are the same thing in plain speech, so write one strong page and use "quote" naturally inside it (a heading like "Estimate vs. quote"). That single page can then rank for both phrases — and grab that difficulty-4, $30.14 term almost for free.
Just getting interested — learning, not buyers yet (note the lower $/click), but still easy to show up on Google. Big audiences to capture early and nurture.
| Blog topic (target phrase) | Searches/mo | Difficulty /100 | $/click |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADU garage conversion guide | 720 | 11 | $4.47 |
| Second-story addition cost | 1,300 | 13 | $3.63 |
| Garage conversion cost (by city) | 1,600 | 16 | $2.77 |
| Is it cheaper to build or buy a house? | 2,400 | 19 | $2.07 |
| Home addition cost calculator | 2,400 | 9 | $1.73 |
| Garage conversion ideas | 1,300 | 7 | $1.21 |
| Cost per square foot to build in California | 2,400 | 22 | $1.07 |
| How much to build a house in LA (the one long-game term) | 22,200 | 38 | $1.29 |
Every topic here is easy to win except "how much to build a house in LA" at difficulty 38 — the only one above the winnable line. Its 22,200 searches make it tempting, but treat it as a long-game / video-first play, not a quick win.
The "how do I not get screwed" questions. No advertiser price — not because I left it out, but because SEMrush reports no advertisers bidding on these (they're worry/research topics, not commercial ones). They're all very easy to win, and they sit at the heart of what Brass Tacks is.
| Blog topic (target phrase) | Searches/mo | Difficulty /100 | $/click |
|---|---|---|---|
| What if repairs cost more than your insurance estimate | 210 | 8 | none bid |
| Should you show your contractor your insurance estimate? | 170 | 10 | none bid |
| How to read an insurance estimate | 40 | 6 | none bid |
The tiers say where the data says a page can rank and pay off. They do not mean "blog only." The smart move is repurpose: write the post, then film the same content. One piece of research, two engines — best on the visual or debate-friendly topics.
These numbers are Google curiosity signals, not YouTube guarantees. The titles are just to give you ideas — they haven't been researched yet.
Angela, in Week 1 you had some video ideas — contractor bids and decision-making. Here's my research on them:
| Angela's idea | What the search data said | So it becomes… |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor bids & quotes | Real demand, low competition, high value ("contractor estimate" 480/mo, $13.44; "contractor quote" $30.14 at difficulty 4) | Low search volume, but the people who do search are ready to buy. After searching YouTube, this isn't a term that comes up — zero videos are made on it. Angela's call on whether it's worth the time and effort to pursue for YouTube. |
| The overwhelm of decision-making | Almost no one searches it ("decision fatigue building a house" returned no data) | No one searches this on Google, and nothing turns up on YouTube either — so as-is, this video would almost certainly flop. If Angela wants it, I can study adjacent niches (personal finance, car- and job-search channels) to see what's working for "overwhelmed by choices" videos, and adapt that. |
Beyond those, here are some more ideas. See if any resonate, or tell me to go look for something else.
These rank really high on Google. Because so many people search them, we know that if we position them for the channel, the videos would get views.
Massive curiosity, almost no buying intent, too hard to win on Google. The single strongest reach topic in your whole data set.
A huge audience that would rather watch the answer than read it. Make it regional and current.
Debate questions are video-native — they hold attention, which is what YouTube rewards.
Education plus quiet trust-building — it teaches why a vetted builder matters, i.e. why Brass Tacks exists.
Very few people search these — but the ones who do have strong intent: they're close to hiring or making a purchase. A small audience, but a high-value one.
A pure "am I being ripped off?" question — lands harder face-to-camera than as text.
Your standout find. A loaded trust question that ties straight into the Altadena fire-rebuild lane.
The biggest single insurance worry in the data — and very easy to rank, so it's a blog post too.
A weak Google keyword but a powerful trust video — the kind that makes someone choose Brass Tacks.
This is what was sifted so you don't have to. Keepers are marked ◆.
| Keyword | Searches/mo | $/click | Diff /100 | Intent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| construction estimate | 880 | $8.06 | 39 | Informational |
| contractor estimate ◆ | 480 | $13.44 | 29 | Informational |
| contractor bid | 260 | $7.19 | 48 | Informational |
| general contractor estimate | 170 | $13.44 | 31 | Informational |
| contractor quote ◆ | 70 | $30.14 | 4 | Informational |
| Keyword | Searches/mo | $/click | Diff /100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| stress of building a house | 20 | — | 0 |
| building a house is stressful | 20 | — | 0 |
| home renovation stress | 20 | — | 0 |
| rebuilding after a house fire ◆ | 10 | $15.55 | 0 |
Returned no data (no real search demand): how to read a contractor estimate · how to read a construction estimate · decision fatigue building a house · building a house overwhelmed · too many decisions building a house.
| Question | Searches/mo | Diff /100 |
|---|---|---|
| should i show my contractor my insurance estimate | 170 | 10 |
| how much over an estimate can a contractor go | 90 | 7 |
| should i show my contractor my insurance estimate (reddit) | 50 | 25 |
| do contractors charge for estimates | 40 | 8 |
| ~28 more variants (negotiable, charge more than estimated, free estimates, how long to get one, how do contractors estimate jobs…) | 20 each | 0 |
how do landscape contractors get automated estimates (110) · how to estimate quarterly taxes self-employed contractor (90) · how to estimate quarterly taxes for contractors (70) · why do landscape contractors use automated estimating (70) · how contractors generate detailed estimates quickly (40) · how to estimate construction projects as a general contractor (40) · tax variants & "a contractor estimates…" fragments (20 each).
| Question | Searches/mo | Diff /100 | Intent |
|---|---|---|---|
| what if repair cost more than insurance estimate | 210 | 8 | Informational |
| should i show my contractor my insurance estimate | 170 | 10 | Informational |
| should i show my contractor my insurance estimate (reddit) | 50 | 25 | Info + Commercial |
| how do insurance adjusters estimate damage | 40 | 10 | Informational |
| how to read an insurance estimate | 40 | 6 | Informational |
| should contractor see insurance estimate | 30 | 0 | — |
| how to estimate replacement cost of home for insurance | 30 | 21 | Informational |
| what if repair cost less than insurance estimate | 30 | 0 | — |
| do i have to accept the insurance estimate | 20 | 0 | — |
what is a good faith bill estimate i have insurance (1,600 — medical) · how to estimate homeowners insurance (320) · how to estimate home insurance (260) · how to estimate property insurance (140) · how to estimate car insurance (110) · ~20 more policy / car / medical rows (20–140 each).
All came back tiny — use as video talking-points, not search targets.
| Keyword | Searches/mo | Diff /100 |
|---|---|---|
| insurance adjuster vs contractor | 20 | 0 |
| hiring a contractor for insurance claim | 20 | 0 |
| insurance check made out to me and contractor | 20 | 0 |
| contractor insurance claim | 10 | 0 |
| (several others) | no data | — |
This is the "before" — dense on purpose. Sifting these four pulls down to the handful of keepers in Parts Three and Four is the work. The signal is hiding in the noise; the value is in the sorting.