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Scorpion vs Lithium Marketing

Scorpion alternatives for home service businesses

Put your marketing budget behind the jobs you want, with direct Google billing and a website your business owns.

Talk with DJ about switching Call our AI receptionist now (503) 766-5964
Sarkinen Plumbing technician at the company’s branded service truck2Xleads, same budgetSarkinen Plumbing’s results
Google Partner badge Google PartnerView our Partners listing 5.0on Google · read our reviews
2010Lithium Marketing, established in 2010
$10M+Over $10 million in Google ad spend managed

Businesses we’ve worked with

  • Willard Power Vac
  • Sarkinen Plumbing
  • Robinson Restoration
  • Town & Country Glass
  • Dixie Glass
  • Byers Septic Service
  • F&W Fence Co.
  • Drake’s 7 Dees
  • Rickabaugh Construction
  • Hillsview Building
  • Dozer Dave
  • Mt. Hood Pro Painting
  • On-Target Landscape
  • Atiyeh Bros Carpet
  • Lovett
  • Westmore Construction
  • Northwest New Homes
  • Porter Sealcoating & Paving
  • RescueHero Restoration
  • Panda Plumbing
  • Biermann Plumbing & Heating
  • Ballistic Junk Removal
  • Smart Doors LLC
  • Peak Performance Roofing
  • Deluxe Heating & Cooling
  • Lifetime Exteriors
  • Bruce Johnson Construction
  • Madrone Painting
  • Smart Tree Service
  • Premier Gutter Cover
  • NW Pacific Electric
  • Universal HVAC
  • Lenny Martin Painting
  • Next Level Decks & Exteriors
  • Prodan Construction
  • Smooth Rollin’ Sealcoating and Paving
  • Lovett Restoration
  • Greenlight Titles
  • G.W. Hartley IV
  • Advanced Coatings
  • Thomson Equipment
  • MyADU

Your money. Your account.

You pay Google directly. You know what we charge.

You have payroll to meet and a schedule to fill. You should be able to see where your advertising money goes.

Lithium Marketing is a Scorpion alternative for service business owners who want more control over their marketing investment. You own your Google Ads account, Google bills you directly for ad spend, and Lithium charges a separate management fee.

That gives you something concrete to judge: Google’s charges alongside the campaigns and inquiries they produced. You can see how much you spent on advertising without trying to work backward from a bundled agency invoice.

And the account belongs to your business. The campaigns you invest in do not have to live behind an agency’s login.

Management from $500 a month, plus ad spend.

Our Google Ads work covers targeting, landing pages and conversion tracking. We focus campaigns on the services you sell and the areas you serve, then measure the inquiries coming through.

SEO has its own agreed fee and scope. You know what each service costs before you commit, so you can make a business decision about the work.

See our Google Ads service

Why owners look for an alternative

Better marketing should make running your business easier.

Campaign visibility, poor-fit inquiries and the cost of leaving recur in the Reddit discussions we reviewed.

More calls only help when they can become jobs.

A full call log can still leave your crews short of work. Calls for services you do not offer, or jobs outside your service area, take time without filling the schedule.

Lithium starts with what you want to sell and where you can deliver it. Keyword and geographic targeting put that focus into your campaigns. Landing pages help prospects understand the service and take the next step. Conversion tracking gives us a way to evaluate the inquiries, with your booked work providing the business context.

Related owner concerns: Reddit discussion on lead fit and campaign access (opens in a new tab).

Your website should remain useful if you change agencies.

Leaving a provider is expensive when it also means replacing the platform your website runs on. That concern appears in both pest-control and law-firm discussions about Scorpion.

Lithium builds on WordPress. You own the domain, website and content, including the WordPress installation another developer needs to maintain it. If you choose a different agency later, you can keep using the site you paid for.

Scorpion’s own FAQ explains the distinction: after a completed agreement, it supplies assets and static files, but a new provider must rebuild on a replacement CMS. A move to Lithium needs to account for that rebuild. Your next website can give you more freedom.

Sources: Pest-control discussion (opens in a new tab); Law-firm discussion (opens in a new tab); Scorpion’s website handoff policy (opens in a new tab).

Know who to call when your priorities change.

You should not need to spend your workday managing your marketing agency. When you need to discuss a service, a campaign or the next busy season, knowing who handles your account matters.

At Lithium, co-founder DJ Van Zanten runs your first strategy call. Allison McKenney is your day-to-day account manager, and co-founder Kurt Schell oversees operations. You know the people responsible for the relationship before the work starts.

Related communication concerns: An HVAC marketer’s account (opens in a new tab). This commenter now offers marketing services.

Reddit posts describe individual experiences, including older law-firm accounts. They do not establish typical Scorpion results.

Sarkinen Plumbing made the switch

Twice the leads. The same budget.

Sarkinen Plumbing worked with Scorpion before moving to Lithium Marketing. We built its website and managed its SEO and Google Ads. Here is what that work produced.

See the Sarkinen Plumbing results
leads on the same budget
2X
leads on the same budget
Google Ads conversion rate
27.37%
Google Ads conversion rate
search visibility in the first month of SEO, from just over 4% to 15%
3.75X
search visibility in the first month of SEO, from just over 4% to 15%

The differences that affect your business

Scorpion vs Lithium Marketing.

Your platform and agreement determine how much flexibility you have after signing. Here is how the two approaches compare.

Source: Scorpion’s FAQ (opens in a new tab)

Service agreement

Scorpion
Typically 12 months for technology and some services, including SEO. Digital advertising is typically monthly.
Lithium Marketing
Typically six months to start, then monthly with 30 days’ cancellation notice. The AI receptionist has no contract.

Website platform

Scorpion
A proprietary CMS maintained by Scorpion.
Lithium Marketing
WordPress. Another WordPress developer can maintain your site.

Website ownership and handoff

Scorpion
After contract completion, assets and static files are available. A replacement CMS requires a rebuild.
Lithium Marketing
You own the domain, website, content and WordPress installation. Changing providers does not require changing platforms.

Analytics access

Scorpion
GA4 access is available, according to Scorpion’s FAQ.
Lithium Marketing
GA4 and call tracking support conversion reporting. You own the Google Ads account and can inspect campaign performance there.

Pricing

Scorpion
Quoted around the business’s goals rather than a fixed public package.
Lithium Marketing
Published prices for websites, SEO and Google Ads management. Agreed scope and fees before work begins.

Scorpion terms vary by agreement. Confirm the term and handoff provisions in your signed contract.

Plan the investment

Clear prices before you make a move.

A change of agency should have a business case. These are the costs to put beside your current proposal and the work you need.

Websites typically $5,000

A WordPress website built to help visitors become inquiries. Larger sites get a fixed proposal after a discovery call, so you know the project cost before kickoff.

SEO $1,300–$3,000 a month

Technical SEO, local search and content work scoped to your business. The aim is to make your services easier to find and give prospective customers a reason to contact you.

Optional upkeep, $99 a month

Hosting and maintenance includes secure private hosting on a dedicated high-speed server, daily backups, software and security updates, and basic website changes.

See our pricing What goes into your website How we approach SEO

Your next step

Find out what a better marketing plan would look like.

Use a free 30-minute call with DJ to talk through where you are now, the jobs you want more of and what is getting in the way.

Maybe you need better inquiries from your existing ad budget. Maybe your website is holding back the traffic you already get. Or you need to understand the cost of moving before you can make a decision. Bring that problem to the call.

We can discuss the services that fit, their costs and what a move would involve. You can have that conversation while your current agency is still in place.

Get my free action plan with DJ

FAQ

Questions before you switch from Scorpion.

DJ Van Zanten

Still curious?

Call (503) 766-5964 or email [email protected].

Can I plan a switch before my Scorpion contract ends?

Yes, you can talk with Lithium while your current agreement is still active. Your signed Scorpion agreement determines notice requirements and any early-exit costs. Confirm those obligations and the handoff timing before setting a launch date.

Is Lithium Marketing cheaper than Scorpion?

The answer depends on the services and ad budget in each proposal. Compare agency fees, website costs and the amount paid to Google separately. A smaller invoice is only a better deal if the marketing supports the kinds of jobs your business needs.

Do I have to buy a website, SEO and Google Ads together?

Lithium scopes those services separately. The right starting point depends on your current website, search visibility and need for inquiries. Your proposal identifies the work and fees so you can decide what to invest in.

Will switching agencies affect my Google rankings?

A website change can affect rankings, so the transition needs planning. Existing URLs, useful content, redirects and conversion tracking all deserve attention before launch. No agency can promise unchanged rankings during a rebuild.

How long does a Lithium website take?

A typical website takes six to nine weeks from kickoff to launch. A larger site gets a fixed proposal after a discovery call. If you are leaving Scorpion, the website schedule also needs to account for your current agreement and asset handoff.

What reporting will I get?

SEO clients receive monthly reporting tied to leads and revenue. Google Ads clients receive Looker Studio reporting, with GA4 and call tracking used to measure conversions. Your own job records help connect those inquiries to the work you book.

Can Lithium guarantee the same results as Sarkinen Plumbing?

No. Sarkinen’s results show what Lithium achieved for that business. Your market, competition, budget and starting point will shape your results. We agree on the work and track its performance; we do not guarantee a lead total or a Google ranking.

What should I bring to my strategy call?

Bring your website address, current marketing invoice and any campaign reports you can access. Tell DJ which jobs you want more of and which inquiries are wasting your team’s time. If you are considering a move, your current agreement helps clarify the timing.

Scorpion is a trademark of its owner. Lithium Marketing is not affiliated with Scorpion. Scorpion policy descriptions come from its public FAQ; individual agreements may differ.

Free action plan

Let’s put your next marketing dollar to work.

Let’s have a real conversation about your business. No fluff, no high-pressure sales pitch. In a 1:1 strategy call, we’ll review your goals, your website, and your current marketing efforts. You’ll leave with a prioritized plan outlining quick wins and a clear path toward long-term, sustainable growth.

What we’ll cover

  • What’s working (and what isn’t) in your current marketing
  • Site and funnel gaps that are costing you leads
  • Local SEO and paid traffic opportunities
  • Simple tracking and KPIs to measure success
(503) 766-5964 [email protected]

2000 NE 42nd Ave Ste D Unit 2370, Portland, OR 97213

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