FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
We know you have questions, and we'd rather answer them honestly than hide behind vague promises. Below you'll find straightforward answers about how we work, what we offer, and what you can realistically expect. If you don't see your question here, book a free strategy call and we'll give you a straight answer.
Working With Curve Communications
What does Curve Communications do?
We're a lead generation marketing agency. That means we build systems that bring qualified leads to your business on a consistent basis. We do this by integrating multiple marketing channels, including SEO, Google Ads, Meta Ads, your website, and automation, into one connected system. We don't just run ads or build websites in isolation. Everything we do is designed to work together so your marketing compounds over time instead of starting from scratch every month.
Who do you work with?
We work primarily with small businesses and service-based companies. Our clients include home service contractors, healthcare practices, real estate professionals, schools and education providers, financial services firms, and personal brands. Over the years we've worked with hundreds of small businesses across dozens of industries, from solo operators to companies with 50+ employees. Today we have 40+ clients on retainer. If you serve customers in a local market and need more leads, we're likely a good fit.
Do you only work with businesses in Vancouver?
No. We're based in Vancouver, BC, but we serve businesses across Canada. Our lead generation systems work for any business that serves a local or regional market. We have clients in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. The strategy is the same. The targeting is what changes based on your market.
How is Curve different from other marketing agencies?
Most agencies specialize in one channel. They're an "SEO agency" or a "Facebook Ads agency." The problem is that marketing channels don't work in isolation. They work together. A homeowner might see your Facebook ad, forget about it, then search for you on Google two weeks later. If you're only running Facebook Ads, you miss that second touchpoint. We build integrated systems where every channel supports the others. We also provide CedarCRM, our all-in-one growth platform, so you're not juggling five different tools to manage your leads.
How long have you been in business?
Curve Communications was founded in 2000 by George Affleck. We've been helping small businesses grow for over 25 years. In that time, we've worked with hundreds of businesses across dozens of industries. We currently have 40+ clients on active retainer. We've seen marketing trends come and go. What hasn't changed is that businesses need a system, not a collection of disconnected tactics.
Do you require long-term contracts?
We don't lock you into long-term contracts. We typically recommend a 90-day initial engagement because that's the minimum time needed to build a proper system and see meaningful results. After that, we work on a month-to-month basis. We keep clients because the system works, not because of a contract.
What does it cost to work with Curve?
Every business is different, so we don't publish a one-size-fits-all price list. Your investment depends on your goals, your market, and which channels make sense for your situation. Some clients start with just SEO and a website. Others need the full system from day one. We'll give you an honest recommendation during your free strategy call, including telling you if we're not the right fit.
What's the first step to getting started?
Book a free strategy call. We'll review your current marketing, identify your biggest opportunities, and give you a clear picture of what a lead generation system would look like for your business. No pressure, no hard sell. If we're a good fit, we'll outline a 90-day plan. If we're not, we'll tell you that too.
Our Services
What services do you offer?
We offer a complete lead generation system built around five core services:
• Websites & Content That Convert: We build conversion-optimized websites designed to turn visitors into leads, not just look pretty.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): We help your business rise up the ranks in your local market so customers find you when they're actively searching.
• Paid Advertising (Google Ads & Meta Ads): We run targeted ad campaigns on Google and Facebook/Instagram to capture high-intent leads and build awareness.
• CedarCRM & Automation: Our all-in-one growth platform handles your CRM, follow-up sequences, reputation management, and communications in one place.
• Voice AI: An AI-powered receptionist that answers your phone 24/7, qualifies leads, and books appointments automatically.
We also provide transparent monthly reporting so you always know what's working and what we're doing about what isn't.
What is the Three-Channel Marketing System?
The Three-Channel Marketing System is our core philosophy. It's the idea that successful businesses don't choose between SEO, Google Ads, and Meta Ads. They integrate all three into one connected system. Each channel plays a different role. Google Ads captures people who are searching right now. SEO builds long-term visibility and trust. Meta Ads creates awareness and smooths out slow seasons. The mistake most businesses make is treating these as separate gambles rather than parts of one interconnected system. A customer might see your Facebook ad, forget about it, then find you on Google weeks later. All three channels contributed to that conversion.
Do I need all three channels?
Not necessarily. We recommend the right mix based on your budget and goals. Sometimes that means all three channels working together. Sometimes it means starting with one or two and adding more as your business grows. We'll never sell you something you don't need. If you don't have the budget for paid ads right now, we'll focus on SEO and your website first. The key is having a plan to build toward an integrated system over time.
What is the Invisible Sales Funnel?
The Invisible Sales Funnel is how we describe the real customer journey. Your customers don't follow a neat, linear path from "see ad" to "call you." They bounce between channels. They might see a Facebook ad on Monday, read a Google review on Wednesday, visit your website on Friday, and finally call you the following week. The Invisible Sales Funnel is the system that makes sure you're present at every one of those touchpoints, even though the customer never realizes they're being guided. It works because it mirrors how people actually make decisions.
Do you build websites?
Yes. We build conversion-optimized websites as part of our lead generation system. A website that looks good but doesn't generate leads is a brochure, not a business tool. We design every page with clear calls to action, fast load times, mobile-first responsiveness, and the kind of trust signals that turn visitors into phone calls or form submissions. If you already have a website that's performing well, we'll work with it. If it's holding you back, we'll rebuild it.
What is CedarCRM?
CedarCRM is our all-in-one growth platform. Think of it as your CRM, marketing automation, reputation management, and communication hub, all in one place. Instead of juggling separate tools for email, text messaging, appointment booking, review requests, and lead tracking, CedarCRM puts everything in a single dashboard. It's built on GoHighLevel and customized specifically for small businesses. Your team can manage leads, send follow-ups, request reviews, and track every customer interaction without switching between five different apps.
What is Voice AI?
Voice AI is an artificial intelligence receptionist that answers your business phone 24/7. It sounds natural and conversational, not like a robotic phone tree. It can answer common questions about your business, qualify whether a caller is a real lead, book appointments directly into your calendar, and route urgent calls to the right person. The reality is that 62% of calls to small businesses go unanswered. Every missed call is a potential customer who calls your competitor instead. Voice AI makes sure that never happens.
What kind of reporting do you provide?
We provide transparent monthly reporting with real dashboards, not vanity metrics. You'll see exactly how many leads came in, where they came from, what they cost, and what happened to them. We also include a monthly strategy call where we walk through the numbers, explain what's working, and outline what we're adjusting for the next month. No black boxes, no jargon, no hiding behind impressions and click-through rates. We report on the metrics that actually matter to your business.
SEO, GEO, and Ask Engine Optimization (AEO)
How long does SEO take to work?
SEO is a long-term strategy. You'll typically start seeing measurable movement in rankings within 60 to 90 days, but the real compounding effect happens over 6 to 12 months. The good news is that unlike paid ads, SEO results don't disappear the moment you stop paying. The work we do in the first few months continues to generate traffic and leads for years. That's why we recommend SEO as the foundation of every lead generation system. It lowers the cost of every other channel over time.
Can you guarantee we'll rank #1 on Google?
No, and you should be skeptical of any agency that makes that promise. Google's algorithm considers hundreds of factors, and no one can guarantee a specific ranking position. What we can guarantee is that we'll implement proven strategies that have helped hundreds of businesses rise up the ranks in their local markets. We focus on the things we can control: technical optimization, content quality, Google Business Profile optimization, review generation, and local authority building. The results follow.
What's the difference between SEO and Google Ads?
SEO is about earning your position in search results organically, through great content, technical optimization, and building authority over time. Google Ads is about paying for a position at the top of search results right now. Both are valuable. Google Ads gives you immediate visibility while SEO builds long-term equity. The best approach is usually to run both together. Google Ads captures leads today while SEO compounds in the background, gradually reducing your dependence on paid traffic.
Do you optimize our Google Business Profile?
Absolutely. Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important assets for local SEO. We optimize every aspect, including your categories, services, description, photos, posts, and review strategy. We also help you build a consistent citation profile across local directories, which strengthens your local search presence. For many local businesses, the Google Map Pack (the three businesses that show up on the map in search results) drives more leads than the organic listings below it.
What is GEO and AEO? How is search changing?
Search is evolving fast. It's no longer just about ranking on Google's traditional results page. GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization, and AEO stands for Ask Engine Optimization. Both refer to the same shift: people are increasingly getting answers from AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, and voice assistants. When someone asks an AI, "Who's the best marketing agency in Vancouver?" or "What's the best way to get more leads for my plumbing business?", the AI pulls its answer from the web. If your business isn't showing up in those AI-generated responses, you're invisible to a growing segment of your market.
How do you help our business show up in AI search results?
The good news is that the fundamentals of good SEO, creating authoritative, well-structured content that answers real questions, are exactly what AI models look for when generating answers. We build your content strategy around the questions your customers actually ask. We structure your website with clear, factual information that AI can easily parse and reference. We build your authority through reviews, citations, and backlinks so that AI models recognize your business as a trusted source. The businesses that invest in quality content and local authority now will be the ones AI recommends tomorrow.
Does this mean traditional SEO is dead?
Not at all. Traditional SEO is still the foundation. Google still processes billions of searches every day, and ranking well in organic results still drives real leads. What's changing is that SEO now has a broader definition. It's not just about showing up in the ten blue links anymore. It's about showing up wherever your customers are looking for answers, whether that's Google Search, Google Maps, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, or a voice assistant on their phone. Our approach covers all of it. We optimize for traditional search and for the AI-powered search experiences that are growing rapidly.
What should I be doing now to prepare for AI search?
Three things. First, make sure your website content is clear, specific, and answers the questions your customers actually ask. AI models favor content that directly addresses real queries. Second, build your local authority through consistent citations, strong reviews, and a well-optimized Google Business Profile. Third, publish helpful, original content regularly. Blog posts, FAQs, and case studies all give AI models more material to reference when generating answers about your industry. We handle all of this as part of our SEO and content strategy.
CedarCRM & Automation
Do I need CedarCRM to work with Curve?
CedarCRM is included as part of our lead generation system because it's where everything connects. Your leads, follow-ups, reviews, and communications all live in one place. It's what turns marketing from "generating clicks" into "generating customers." That said, if you already have a CRM you're committed to, we can discuss how to integrate it. But most clients find that CedarCRM replaces three or four tools they were already paying for separately.
What can CedarCRM do?
CedarCRM is a comprehensive platform that includes a full CRM for tracking leads and customers, two-way SMS and email communication, automated follow-up sequences, appointment booking and calendar management, reputation management and review requests, pipeline and deal tracking, invoicing and payments, social media posting, website chat widgets, and detailed reporting. It's designed to be the one platform your team logs into every morning instead of switching between a dozen different tools.
Is CedarCRM hard to learn?
No. We set it up for you, customize it for your business, and train your team on how to use it. The interface is intuitive. Most clients are comfortable with it within a week. We also provide ongoing support, so if you or your team have questions, we're a phone call away. The goal is to make your life simpler, not add another complicated tool to your stack.
Can Voice AI really replace a receptionist?
Voice AI doesn't replace your team. It supports them. It handles the calls that would otherwise go to voicemail: after-hours calls, calls during busy periods, and overflow when your team is already on the phone. It answers common questions, qualifies whether the caller is a real lead, and books appointments directly into your calendar. For urgent matters, it routes the call to a real person. Think of it as a team member who never takes a break, never calls in sick, and never lets a lead slip through the cracks.
What happens if Voice AI can't handle a call?
Voice AI is designed to handle the majority of common inquiries, including business hours, services offered, appointment booking, and basic qualification questions. If a caller has a complex question or requests to speak with a real person, Voice AI seamlessly transfers the call to the appropriate team member. It also sends you a detailed summary of every call, so even if a transfer happens, you have full context before you pick up.
Results & Expectations
What kind of results can I expect?
Results vary by industry, market, and budget, and we won't insult your intelligence with made-up guarantees. What we can tell you is that our clients typically see measurable lead growth within the first 90 days. Some see results in the first week from Google Ads. SEO results compound over months. The businesses that see the best results are the ones that commit to the system and give it time to work. Marketing isn't a light switch. It's a flywheel. The longer it runs, the more momentum it builds.
How do you measure success?
We measure success by the metrics that actually matter to your business: leads generated, cost per lead, lead quality, and ultimately revenue impact. We don't hide behind vanity metrics like impressions, reach, or click-through rates. Those numbers have their place in optimization, but they're not what pays your bills. Every month, we report on the numbers that answer the question, "Is this making me money?"
What if it's not working?
If something isn't performing, we tell you, and we tell you what we're doing about it. That's what the monthly strategy calls are for. Marketing involves testing and iteration. Not every ad will be a winner. Not every keyword will convert. The difference is that we catch underperformance early, diagnose the issue, and adjust. We don't wait three months to tell you something isn't working. And if after a genuine effort the system isn't delivering, we'll have an honest conversation about why and what the options are.
Do you have case studies or references?
Yes. We've worked with hundreds of businesses across home services, healthcare, real estate, education, financial services, and more. We currently have 40+ clients on retainer. We're happy to share specific case studies and connect you with current clients who can speak to their experience. Visit our Case Studies page to see examples of our work, or ask us during your strategy call and we'll share references relevant to your industry.
Getting Started
What happens on a strategy call?
A strategy call is a free, no-pressure conversation, typically 30 minutes. We'll ask about your business, your goals, and your current marketing. We'll review what's working and what isn't. Then we'll give you an honest assessment of what a lead generation system would look like for your business, including which channels make sense and a realistic timeline for results. If we're a good fit, we'll outline next steps. If we're not, we'll tell you that too. Either way, you'll walk away with clarity.
How quickly can you get started?
Once we agree on a plan, we typically begin the discovery and setup phase within the first week. The full 90-day build-out follows from there. If you need something faster, like getting Google Ads running immediately, we can prioritize that while building the rest of the system in parallel.
What do you need from me to get started?
Not much. We'll need access to your existing marketing accounts (Google Ads, Google Business Profile, Facebook Business Manager, website hosting) if you have them. We'll also need some time for an initial discovery conversation so we understand your business, your customers, and your goals. After that, we handle the heavy lifting. We'll keep you informed and involved without making marketing a second job for you.
I've been burned by agencies before. Why should I trust Curve?
We hear this a lot, and honestly, we understand. A lot of agencies overpromise and underdeliver. Here's what makes us different. We've been doing this for 25 years. We don't lock you into long-term contracts. We provide transparent reporting so you can see exactly what's happening with your investment. And we'll tell you upfront if we don't think we can help you. We'd rather turn away a client than take their money and deliver nothing. Our reputation matters more than any single contract.
Still Have Questions?
We'd rather answer your questions in person than make you scroll through a page. Book a free strategy call and we'll give you straight answers about your business, your market, and whether Curve is the right fit.
Vancouver-based marketing and lead generation agency helping small businesses get found, get chosen, and get booked since 2000.
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