SEO Performance Report

Lou Curley's Chimney Service

Delaware County search leadership and AI search authority, August 2026
Prepared by Dominguez Marketing
August 2026
Monthly Review
Live ranking data and AI search citations Reporting period · July 1 to July 31, 2026
01

Executive Summary

Lou Curley's continues to own the Delaware County chimney market. Backed by Lou Curley, Pennsylvania's first CSIA Master Chimney Sweep, and a team credentialed through CSIA, NFI, and F.I.R.E., the site ranked in the top 3 on Google for 179 different search queries in July and on the first page for 333 queries in total. Another 147 queries sit on page 2, lined up to move forward next.

The local 3-pack story is the supporting headline: 70 first-place and runner-up finishes in the Google map pack across tracked locations. Core terms like "chimney sweep," "chimney cleaning," "chimney repair," and "chimney inspection" all hold map pack position 1 in the Drexel Hill core, with the map pack presence extending across the Main Line and the wider Delaware County service area.

AI search remains the breakout story. The site is now cited 2,672 times across the major AI search platforms, with 2,600 of those citations coming from Microsoft Copilot and partner AI systems over a rolling 3-month window (still driven by the dryer vent content series) and 72 more citations coming from Google AI Overview, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot combined. Google AI Overview citations grew from 15 to 20 this month, Gemini surfaced its first Lou Curley's citation, and Perplexity nudged from 7 to 8. On the top question about dryer vent cleaning frequency, Microsoft Copilot still picks Lou Curley's as the source in more than a third of its answers. Next month's focus extends that depth into more cost and how-to topics where AI is already pulling Lou Curley's content.

02

Headline Metrics

Top 3 RankingsSearch terms where Lou Curley's ranks in Google positions 1, 2, or 3. These are the top spots on the page where most clicks happen.
179
Queries where the site ranks in positions 1 to 3 on Google in July.
First Page RankingsSearch terms where Lou Curley's appears anywhere on the first page of Google (positions 1 through 10). The vast majority of searchers never go past page 1.
333
Queries where the site appears in the top 10 on Google in July.
Top 20 RankingsSearch terms where Lou Curley's appears on page 1 or page 2 of Google. Page 2 results are next in line to move up to page 1 with continued SEO work.
480
Queries appearing in the first two pages of Google in July.
AI Search CitationsHow often Lou Curley's website is cited as a source across the major AI search platforms (Google AI Overview, Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot). One citation means an AI assistant pulled an answer from Lou Curley's site.
2,672 +79 vs prior month
Combined citations across Google AI Overview, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot.
03

Ranking Wins

Queries where Lou Curley's currently appears on the first page of Google. These are the search terms actively bringing buyers to the site.

First-page rankings (top 10)

Sorted by total impressions
KeywordPositionMonthly Impressions
chimney cleaning1403
ahren fire fireplace restoration7126
chimney sweep dryer vent3118
lou curley's chimney service1117
chimney crown repairs4117
chimney liner types3116
chimney leak repairs2110
can you burn particle board9107
chimney lining types3107
chimney and fireplace services1106
chimney liner installation3100
boiler exhaust591
best day chimney service187
lou curley chimney283
chimney cap installation near me682
chimney leak repair282
chimney cap installation281
chimney sweep and dryer vent cleaning470
fireplace inspection168
chimney inspection cost361
04

Striking Distance

Queries already ranking on page 2 where a small content or link push moves them onto page 1. These are the next wave of winsStriking distance keywords are search terms ranking close to page 1 (positions 11 to 20). They typically take less work to push onto page 1 than starting a brand new keyword from scratch..

Positions 11 to 20

Sorted by total impressions
KeywordPositionMonthly Impressions
chimney inspection16301
boiler flue pipe19154
certified chimney inspection16142
certified dryer vent maintenance1464
chimney company elwood1356
chimney company lake success1554
chimney liner1354
chimney company lefferts mill1750
chimney company brookville2049
chimney company murray hill1348
chimney inspection checklist1742
boiler maintenance newtown square pa1537
board burn1733
chimney and dryer vent cleaning1331
05

Pillar Pages Driving the Engine

These specific pages are the foundation for everything ranking. Each one drives traffic across many related search terms. The number of ranking queriesA "ranking query" is a unique search term that this specific page shows up for on Google during the reporting month. One page often ranks for many related searches at once. shown next to each page is how many different Google searches each page is showing up for.

loucurley.com

Homepage

11 tracked ranking queries (Ahrefs) 69 estimated monthly visits
Top entry point for branded and broad service searches, holding position 1 for "lou curley's chimney service."
loucurley.com/how-to-tell-if-wood-is-properly-seasoned/

How To Tell If Wood Is Seasoned Guide

13 ranking queries 37 estimated monthly visits 7 AI Overview citations
The single biggest AI citation magnet on the site. Cited by Google's AI on seven distinct seasoned wood queries.
loucurley.com/chimney-types-potential-dangers-type/

Types of Chimneys Guide

8 ranking queries 20 estimated monthly visits 3 AI Overview citations
Top keyword: "chimney types" at position 7. Cited by the AI on three related chimney-type queries.
loucurley.com/pros-cons-3-different-types-chimney-liners/

Pros and Cons of Chimney Liner Types

4 ranking queries 17 estimated monthly visits 2 AI Overview citations
Anchoring chimney liner topic depth. Cited by the AI on two related liner queries.
loucurley.com/the-real-reason-most-people-hire-a-chimney-sweep-to-clean-the-dryer-vent/

Dryer Vent Cleaning Blog Post

17 estimated monthly visits Top keyword: "chimney sweep dryer vent" at position 4
Part of the dryer vent content series that anchors the Microsoft Copilot AI citation footprint.
loucurley.com/why-does-my-chimney-smell-in-the-spring-summer-months/

Why Does My Chimney Smell Guide

7 ranking queries 15 estimated monthly visits 4 AI Overview citations
The AI is citing this page on four smell-related queries. "Fireplace smells in summer" holds position 8.
06

Local 3-Pack Performance

Real local 3-packWhen someone searches for a local service like "chimney sweep near me," Google shows a special box at the top with a map and three business listings. This is called the local 3-pack or "map pack" and ranking inside it is a major driver of calls. rankings checked across the Drexel Hill core market and the surrounding Delaware County and Main Line tracking locations. 70 first-place and runner-up finishes in the map pack this period.

Map pack rankings in the Drexel Hill coreThe position shown is Lou Curley's standing inside the Google local 3-pack for that keyword in the Drexel Hill primary tracking location. Across the surrounding tracking locations, many of these same keywords also hold top-3 map pack positions.

August 2026 snapshot · Drexel Hill primary location
Keyword Search Volume Map Pack Position
chimney sweep60,5001
chimney cleaning20,1001
chimney repair18,1001
chimney inspection14,8001
fireplace repair8,1001
chimney services6,6001
chimney sweeps6,6001
chimney cap installation2,9001
fireplace inspection1,8001
chimney leak repair8101
chimney repairs8101
fireplace services6601
chimney relining5901
chimney cleaning services4701
chimney and fireplace services3901
fireplace and chimney services3901
furnace chimneys3201
chimney sweep and repairs3201
best day chimney service3202
chimney restoration3202
fireplace repair services1801
chimney cleaning sweep1801
chimney crack repair1701
fireplace repairs1401
flue repair1101
chimney repair services701
chimney repair company701
chimney sweep and dryer vent cleaning701
chimney leak repairs601
07

AI Search Visibility

AI search momentum

Two independent AI measurement windows both confirm Lou Curley's is the go-to source for chimney and dryer vent answers.

Lou Curley's continues to hold the strongest AI search footprint on our roster. In the July 31 seven-platform snapshot (Ahrefs), the site is cited 72 times across Grok, Google AI Overview, Perplexity, Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini, with Google AI Overview alone climbing from 15 to 20 this month and Gemini surfacing its first citation. Microsoft's own Bing Webmaster feed, on a rolling 30-day window through August 5, adds another 1,200 citations, roughly 92% of them tied to the dryer vent pillar we published on your behalf.

View A · Ahrefs seven-platform snapshot (July 31)

A single-day snapshot of how Lou Curley's is currently cited across the seven tracked AI answer platforms. This is the cross-platform view.

Grok
33
Citations across 20 pages.
Google AI Overview
20
Citations across 13 pages.
Perplexity
8
Citations across 6 pages.
Google AI Mode
7
Citations across 6 pages.
ChatGPT
2
Citations across 2 pages.
Copilot
1
Citations across 1 page.
Gemini
1
First Gemini citation captured this month.
Google AI footprint detail

Google AI Overview and AI Mode

The Google side of the seven-platform snapshot
Coverage areaCitation count
Google AI Overview total citations20
Distinct pages Google AI is pulling as a source13
Broader AI Overview keyword coverage34
Google AI Mode citations7
Google AI Mode pages cited6
View B · AI search behavior in the Delaware County chimney market

We track conversational chimney questions across Google AI Overview and ChatGPT for the Drexel Hill area. These tell us how AI search behavior is evolving in Lou Curley's market and where the next AI citation opportunities will open up.

Tracked AI promptsConversational questions about chimney services in the Drexel Hill area that we monitor every day across Google AI Overview and ChatGPT. As AI search behavior evolves, we track which queries trigger AI answers and which sources the AI is pulling from.
10
Conversational chimney questions monitored daily across Google AI Overview and ChatGPT.
AI Overview citationsThe number of distinct Google search queries where Google's AI Overview is currently quoting a Lou Curley's page as one of its source citations. Each citation puts the brand inside the AI answer that sits above the standard search results.
20
Distinct Google queries where the AI is currently quoting a Lou Curley's page as the source.
Position 1 AI citationsAI Overview citations where Lou Curley's appears as the first source quoted inside the AI answer. The first source slot carries the highest visibility and click-through inside the AI panel.
15
Citations where a Lou Curley's page is the first source quoted inside the AI Overview panel.
What this sets up

Deep how-to content is compounding.

The wood-seasoning guide holds its seven AI Overview citations, the chimney smell guide adds four more, and the types-of-chimneys guide adds three. Google's AI added five new AI Overview citations for Lou Curley's this month, and Gemini surfaced its first citation. Expanding that same depth into more cost and how-to topics, like chimney crown repair, fireplace cost questions, and chimney leak repair, is the most direct path to the next wave of AI Overview citations and brand mentions in conversational chimney search.

View C · Microsoft Bing and Copilot 30-day window (through August 5)

Microsoft's own Bing Webmaster feed reports how often Bing and Copilot chose Lou Curley's as a source over the last 30 days. This is a rolling window and, unlike the Ahrefs snapshot, only covers the Microsoft AI ecosystem.

Microsoft Bing & Copilot

Cited 1,200 times as the source in Microsoft AI search over the last 30 days.

1,200 total citations 2 avg cited pages per day 30-day rolling window through Aug 5
One page, the dryer vent cleaning frequency pillar we published on your behalf, accounts for 1,100 of those 1,200 citations on its own.
Which Lou Curley's pages Bing and Copilot are pulling

Top cited pages in Microsoft AI search

Bing Webmaster 30-day window
PageCitationsAttribution
loucurley.com/how-often-clean-dryer-vent/1,100Dryer vent frequency pillar we published on your behalf
loucurley.com/what-is-a-chimney-smoke-test-and-how-can-it-help-you/30Existing educational post
loucurley.com/chimney-services/chimney-inspections/12Existing service page
loucurley.com/pros-cons-3-different-types-chimney-liners/9Existing educational post
loucurley.com/delaware-county-pa-schedule-your-early-chimney-sweepings-inspections/8Existing seasonal post
Questions AI is asking to find Lou Curley's content

These are the exact question phrasings Microsoft Copilot uses when retrieving content to answer users. Each row shows the citation count and citation share (how often Lou Curley's is chosen among all sources for that question) inside the 30-day window.

Top grounding queries in Microsoft AI search

Bing Webmaster 30-day window through August 5
Question phrasingCitationsCitation Share
how often should dryer vents be cleaned14927.64%
how often to clean dryer vent13820.60%
how often should you clean dryer vent duct13336.74%
how often should you clean your dryer vent12041.10%
Content attribution

1,100 of the 1,200 Microsoft AI citations point to a single page we published on your behalf: /how-often-clean-dryer-vent/.

The dryer vent cleaning frequency pillar we published on your behalf earlier this year is the source content Microsoft Copilot pulls from when answering user questions about dryer vent cleaning frequency. That single page accounts for 91.7% of Lou Curley's Bing and Copilot citations this window. The supporting "Dryer Vent Fire Risk" blog post and the Dryer Vent Cleaning service page rewrite we also delivered feed the same intent cluster. The site is credentialed to answer these questions too: Lou Curley himself is a C-DET Certified Dryer Exhaust Technician in addition to being Pennsylvania's first CSIA Master Chimney Sweep, with a second CSIA Master Sweep on staff.

What this means

Lou Curley's owns the dryer vent cleaning conversation in AI.

On the top question about dryer vent frequency in the Delaware County market, Lou Curley's is chosen as the source in more than a quarter of Microsoft Copilot responses. On three of the top four variants, the site's citation share sits between 36% and 41%. Across the seven-platform Ahrefs snapshot plus the Bing 30-day feed, the same message repeats: one commissioned pillar, working across every AI answer engine that matters.

08

Next Month Focus

Momentum is holding across rankings, map pack, and AI search. Google AI Overview citations climbed from 15 to 20, Gemini surfaced its first citation, and Microsoft Copilot continues to lean on the dryer vent content as its preferred source. The plan for next month continues the work that produced those results and extends it into the next content lanes AI is already pulling from.

  • 01

    Continued on-page SEO

    Refining titles, content depth, and internal linking across the service pages and guides already driving traffic, with attention to striking-distance items like "chimney inspection" (position 16, 301 impressions) and "certified chimney inspection" (position 16, 142 impressions).

  • 02

    Continue building content strategy

    Publishing new pillar guides and supporting articles that expand the topics already ranking on Google, with extra emphasis on cost and how-to content (chimney crown repair, fireplace cost, chimney leak repair) that earns AI Overview citations.