Your customers don’t search the way you talk. You know the difference between polyjacking and mudjacking. Your customer probably doesn’t.

You might lift sunken concrete by injecting high-density polyurethane foam. But a homeowner staring at a sinking driveway isn’t typing “polyurethane concrete lifting” into Google. They’re typing “mudjacking near me” or “how to fix sinking driveway.”

The same gap shows up all over the foundation repair industry. You say CMU wall; they say cinder block. You install push piers and helical piers; they’ve never heard of either. They just know there’s a crack over the door frame and the bedroom door won’t latch anymore.

That’s a marketing problem. If your website only uses the words you use on the job site, you’re invisible to a lot of the people who need you most. The good news: closing the gap is very fixable.

7 ways to market when your vocabulary is unfamiliar

1. Start with the symptom, not the solution

Homeowners search for what they see: bowing basement walls, stair-step cracks, a wet basement, gaps around windows, a sinking patio. Build pages and blog posts around those problems first, then introduce your fix. Someone searching “cracks in basement wall” should land on a page that explains causes and leads naturally to wall anchors, carbon fiber straps or piers.

2. Meet them at their word, then teach yours

Use the customer’s term to open the door and your term to close the deal. A simple bridge phrase works well:

  • “Most people know this as mudjacking. We use a modern version called polyjacking.”
  • “Your cinder block (CMU) basement wall…”
  • “Push piers are steel posts driven down to stable soil to support your foundation.”

This gives search engines and AI tools the keyword they need. It also helps the homeowner learn the language you’ll use during the estimate.

3. Yes, you can use “mudjacking” even if you don’t offer it, honestly

This is the question we hear most. The answer is yes, as long as you never claim to offer a service you don’t. Instead of a “Mudjacking Services” page, try:

  • Polyjacking vs. mudjacking: what’s the difference?
  • A better alternative to mudjacking
  • Thinking about mudjacking? Read this first.

These pages rank for the term people actually search and answer their real question. Then they explain why your method is the better choice. Misleading pages backfire: visitors bounce, leads feel tricked, and Google’s helpful content standards reward pages that genuinely answer the search. The same rule applies to paid ads. Bidding on “mudjacking” is fine; your ad copy should be clear about what you do.

4. Build explainer and comparison content

Comparison posts are some of the best-performing content in our industry. Homeowners are researching before they call. Topics like “helical piers vs. push piers,” “crawl space encapsulation vs. vapor barrier” and “interior drain tile vs. exterior waterproofing” catch them mid-research. A simple glossary or FAQ page also helps, especially for AI search tools that pull quick definitions.

5. Show it, don’t just say it

A push pier is hard to picture from a paragraph. A 30-second video, a cutaway diagram or a before-and-after photo set makes it click. Visuals also build trust. They show the homeowner you’re doing real engineering work, not just patching cracks.

6. Let real search data guide you

Don’t guess what customers call things. Google Search Console shows the exact queries bringing people to your site. Keyword research tools show volume for each variation. Your call recordings and web form submissions are a gold mine too. Listen for how people describe their problem in their own words.

7. Keep the language consistent everywhere

Your website, Google Business Profile, ads, social posts and sales team should all bridge the same terms the same way. If your site says “polyjacking” and your estimator says “foam lifting,” a homeowner may wonder if they’re getting what they read about. Add common customer terms to your GBP service descriptions and train your team to use them.

Let us translate for you

You’re the expert on fixing foundations. We’re the experts on helping homeowners find you. At Foundation Marketing Experts, backed by Team WTI, we work exclusively with foundation repair, waterproofing, concrete lifting and crawl space contractors. We know the terms you use on the job, and we know the words your customers type into Google.

We can help you find the vocabulary gaps on your website and build comparison and explainer content that ranks. We’ll also make sure your site, ads and Google Business Profile all speak your customers’ language.