One client per vertical per market.
If we are your partner, your direct competitor cannot hire us in the same vertical and market.
A marketing agency for essential trades operators.
SparkVertical is a marketing services agency for the operators of essential trades businesses. We are not a generalist agency. We are not a lead aggregator. We are not a software company. We are the people who run the marketing so the operator can run the business.
We built SparkVertical for trades operators who need a real marketing partner.
The trades built this country. The people running roofing and insulation companies, plumbing operations, HVAC crews, and restoration teams are solving real problems for real families every single day. They deserve marketing built around how their businesses actually grow.
Generalist agencies sold the same playbook to dentists last year and home services this year. Lead aggregators sold the same lead to four competitors and called that demand generation. Franchise corporate built marketing to protect the brand, not to grow the operator.
That's what SparkVertical exists to fix. We work alongside hands-on operators in essential industries, not as a vendor, but as a partner who shows up, learns the business, and gets to work.
The model is simple and it is the whole model. We sign one client per vertical per market. Market means the client's current working territory plus approved near-term expansion territory, generally within six months of signing. If we're your partner, your direct competitor can't hire us there.
Founder Note
Michael Todd Smith
Founder + Chief Strategist · SparkVertical
I didn't stumble into home services. I chose it. I kept noticing the same thing: the most interesting operators were the ones running serious, durable businesses without a serious marketing partner in the room. The plumber running six trucks. The insulation company quietly doubling revenue. The roofing company that owns its market. These are real businesses solving real problems. That's the work that gets me up in the morning. SparkVertical exists to bring sharper marketing strategy to operators in essential trades. If you run a serious trades business in one of the core verticals we serve, and your market slot is still open, the first conversation is the right place to start.
Serious marketing judgment. Trades-only conviction.
We bring strategy, design, search, copy, and business development judgment into the room every week. The point is not agency theater. The point is sharper work for operators whose marketing has to answer to revenue.
§BrandEngagementYears
01StrategyMarket position + operator growthSenior-led
02SearchLocal SEO + AI discoveryOngoing
03CreativeCopy, design, photo, videoIntegrated
04PaidAcquisition + conversion trackingMeasured
05ReputationProfiles, reviews, responseOperational
06Business DevelopmentReferrals + partnershipsOperator-led
Capabilities shown as working disciplines, not public proof claims.
Client voice
Michael is a savvy, keen-eyed professional who approaches each endeavor intelligently, wittily and, most importantly, with the support of his expansive experience.
Six principles, in plain language.
The relationship is embedded, weekly, and accountable. The operator runs the business. We run the marketing.
Embedded, weekly, accountable.
The work is built around shared context, a regular working rhythm, and direct accountability to the operator's revenue.
Every channel pulls together.
Search, paid, content, web, reputation, direct mail, and business development are run as one system.
Vertical depth beats generalist breadth.
SparkVertical is built for operators in essential trades, not a rotating list of unrelated industries.
AI is a channel, not the product.
We use AI where it makes the work sharper and helps clients win on AI-driven discovery. We do not sell software.
We are not interested in hedging.
The model works because the relationship is exclusive, aligned, and built around winning the operator's market.
Leadership built for the work.
The SparkVertical team combines marketing, search, operations, copy, and design experience for operators in essential trades.
Founder and Chief Strategist
Michael Todd Smith
Marketing, business development, and design leader focused on strategy, campaign direction, and operator growth.
StrategyMarketingBusiness Development
VP, Digital Strategy
Aneil Zubair
Digital analyst and marketing strategist focused on search algorithms, data privacy, and AI-driven search behavior.
SearchAEOAnalytics
VP, National Insulation Program
Ray Church
Building trades and insulation leader with experience in field execution, business leadership, training, and building science.
InsulationTradesTraining
VP, Franchise Operations
Ryan Llaneza
Trade service operations leader with experience in plumbing, leak detection, and residential remodeling, plus 20+ years in customer service.
OperationsTradesService
Copy Supervisor
Keith Creighton
Writer with experience across brands from one-person startups to global companies.
CopyEditorialVoice
Creative Director, Design
Susan Elliott
Brand and print designer with 21+ years of design experience.
DesignBrandPrint
The same model, sharpened over time.
Origin
The conviction
SparkVertical opens its doors with a single conviction: the operators of essential industries deserve a real marketing partner.
Early work
Operator rhythm
Early home-service clients establish the partnership model. Weekly meetings. Direct accountability. One client per vertical per market.
Stack
Stack matures
Full-service integration across search, paid, content, web, reputation, Business Development. Vertical-specific playbooks replace generalist agency thinking.
Search shift
AEO + LLM citation
AI-driven discovery becomes part of the search work. The agency treats it as a channel and operating layer, not a software product.
Now
Systems deepen
The agency continues sharpening the team, internal operating systems, and vertical-specific playbooks behind the work.
For operators whose marketing needs to match the business they've built.
If you are running a $3M-plus home service business and the marketing still feels like a collection of vendors, reports, and recycled campaigns, the first step is a practical look at the market, the numbers, and the work in front of you. Start Here