The Problem: Two Systems Working Against Growth Without Anyone Catching It

An audit of the account and the site, conducted before Curious Fortune Media took over paid media, uncovered exactly why the business wasn't getting the results its work deserved.

🚫 Ten campaigns were fighting over a budget built for one.

The Google Ads account had ten separate campaigns competing for a single $110-per-day budget, many targeting nearly identical keyword themes with overlapping geo-targeting. The budget was split so thin that no individual campaign could ever gather enough data for Google's own bidding algorithms to optimize against.

🚫 The tracking wasn't just incomplete. It was actively misleading.

Sixteen or more conversion tracking actions sat layered on top of that fragmented structure, several duplicated, several broken outright, feeding Google noisy, contradictory signals. The account was reporting close to zero usable conversions, not because the business wasn't converting, but because nothing had ever been built to measure it correctly.

🚫 The site itself was too slow for Google, or a decision-maker, to trust.

A GTmetrix performance test returned a grade of "E," with a Total Blocking Time of 7.0 seconds, long enough to lose a high-value corporate buyer before the page even finished responding. Beyond raw speed, the account was losing roughly 45% of its potential impression share to budget and quality issues combined, invisible for nearly half the searches it should have been winning.

🚫 The website was entering its most vulnerable moment with no safety net.

A full site relaunch, without a team actively protecting the SEO groundwork through the migration, is exactly how businesses lose rankings they spent years building. The technical debt already piling up, the duplicate metadata, the broken links, the missing H1s, meant the site was heading into its highest-risk moment already weakened, with none of the structural problems fixed before the migration began.

Because in a market this competitive, you don't get to fix one thing at a time. Every day spent on a broken foundation is a day competitors spend pulling further ahead.

Our Strategy: Rebuilding Both Engines at Once

Using the Authority Engine™ framework, we rebuilt the business's foundation on two fronts simultaneously, because a business in crisis doesn't get to wait for one problem to get fixed before starting the next.

The Foundation Layer — protecting and strengthening SEO through the riskiest moment in the business's digital life.

Preserved and improved the site’s existing SEO groundwork instead of losing it in the migration, including a full technical cleanup: fixing broken links, duplicate metadata, and page speed sitewide.
Expanded page content and built the entity signals and structured data that Google and AI platforms use to understand and trust a business.
Rebuilt the site's on-page foundation page by page, fixing missing and duplicate meta descriptions across dozens of pages and cleaning up malformed URLs sitewide, the unglamorous groundwork that determines whether Google can properly categorize and rank a page in the first place.

Without this layer, everything else risked being rebuilt on a site that was about to disappear from search entirely.

The Accountability Layer — rebuilding a Google Ads account that had been bleeding money for months, unnoticed.

Consolidated ten fragmented campaigns into a focused structure built around genuine strategic levers, not overlapping keyword variants.
Implemented a dedicated call forwarding number to finally capture and track phone leads generated from the website.
Rebuilt conversion tracking from the ground up, replacing duplicated and broken actions with clean, consistent data.
Launched a Performance Max campaign using the client's existing visual library, and built offline conversion tracking so won leads from calls and forms flow straight back into Google Ads.

Because an account that can't measure itself accurately can't be optimized, no matter how much budget sits behind it.

The Compounding Layer — the authority and visibility work built to keep paying off long after the ads budget is spent.

Structured the site's content and entity signals to be legible to AI search platforms, not just traditional Google rankings.
Built the credibility signals that separate a business Google merely lists from one it actively recommends.
Rebuilt the corporate event and brand activation pages specifically around the buyers who make those decisions, replacing generic service copy with content built for a premium, high-consideration purchase.

Because ranking is a moment. Being the answer an AI system gives when someone asks who the best is, that compounds. The AI Mode citations below are the first proof this layer is already working.

The Breakthrough: When the Ad Account Finally Started Telling the Truth

Every layer of this rebuild was built to reinforce the next. The numbers prove it.

Within the first month of taking over the ad account, leads jumped 158% while cost per lead dropped 61%, the fast, undeniable proof point the business needed after months of being let down by marketers who never delivered.

That early momentum compounded into a full account turnaround: a ~350% increase in conversions, a 50% reduction in cost per lead, and a 5.08% conversion rate, well above typical benchmarks for the category. As trust in the numbers grew, so did the investment behind them — the client unlocked 100% more ad budget, confident for the first time that every dollar was being measured accurately.

Outcome: From a fragmented account reporting close to zero usable conversions to a ~350% increase in conversions, with the trend still climbing. The system is compounding, and every layer is actively working.

A line graph shows conversions rising and cost per conversion falling after the point marked as "Takeover of Google Ads Account." Thanks to expert strategies like Balloon Guy’s AI Search optimization, key metrics include 250.50 conversions, $33.29 per conversion, a 5.08% rate, and $8.34K cost.

The Foundation Fix: A Site Google Could Finally Read

The Ads account wasn't the only thing getting fixed. Underneath it, the site itself went from a technical liability to a foundation Google could actually trust.

Before — Jan 16, 2026

Website performance report for http://theballoonguyla.com/ shows a GTmetrix grade E, 52% performance, 68% structure, 1.8s LCP, 7.0s blocking time, and 0 layout shift, with a decorative Balloon Guy banner at the top left.

GTmetrix before report: Grade E, 52% performance, 7.0 second total blocking time

After — Jul 26, 2026

Website performance report for "theballoonguyla.com" shows a 100% performance score, 89% structure, 637ms LCP, 0ms TBT, and 0 CLS. Website banner displays "Luxury Balloon Decor & Installations in Los Angeles." The Balloon Guy’s site is also optimized for SEO and AI Search, ensuring maximum visibility and reach online.

GTmetrix after report: Grade A, 100% performance, 0ms total blocking time

Same URL, same testing tool. A grade of "E" became an "A." A 7.0-second Total Blocking Time, long enough to lose a decision-maker before the page even responds, dropped to 0 milliseconds. Two hundred eighty-four broken links, gone. This is the layer working underneath the ad account and the AI citations alike: a site Google can finally crawl, trust, and recommend.

The AI Search Results Tell the Most Important Part of This Story

While broader keyword rankings are still climbing, the authority and entity work built into the relaunch has already produced something rarer than a ranking position: The Balloon Guy now appears by name inside Google's own AI-generated search results, for the exact high-value searches its ideal clients are typing.

Google search results page for "balloon decorator los angeles," enhanced by AI Search technology, showing business listings and details for The Balloon Guy, including location, specialties, and highlights. Sections and listings are circled in red.

For "balloon decorator los angeles" in Google AI Mode, The Balloon Guy is surfaced under Luxury & Large-Scale Installations, cited by name with its 4.9-star rating and described as "highly popular for brand activations and Hollywood events.

Screenshot of a Google search for professional balloon decor in Los Angeles, showcasing a featured snippet about luxury installations and search results for balloon decor businesses like Balloon Guy. Two sections are circled in red, illustrating how AI Search highlights top providers in the area.

For "professional balloon decor in los angeles," the business is named again in the same category, with Google's own summary describing it as specializing in "high-end, intentional, architectural finishes for red carpets, major brand activations, and large private milestones."

Google search results for balloon decor companies in Los Angeles, featuring “The Balloon Guy” circled in two places and sections of text about top-rated balloon companies highlighted in red. This image demonstrates how AI Search can make locating businesses like Balloon Guy both efficient and visually clear.

For "what's the best balloon decor company in los angeles," Google's AI Overview doesn't just list The Balloon Guy. It leads with it: "For large-scale luxury installations and event spaces, The Balloon Guy is a top choice."

When someone in Los Angeles asks Google's AI who the best luxury balloon decor company is, Google recommends The Balloon Guy. That's not a ranking. It's a category position. And it compounds with every piece of authority signal work still being built on top of it.

None of these citations existed before this engagement began.

The Founder's Own Words

"They really know what they're doing and relaunched our website when we came to Edmond. And he and his team took care of everything from redirects to helping us with our SEO and trying to get on the first page of Google and all of that. And in about a month, our sales had doubled and returned to normal, and not just from a technical and SEO standpoint, but his team and customer service are also really incredible to work with and we couldn't be happier."

— Founder, The Balloon Guy

Takeaway: What This Means for Other Premium Service Businesses

You don't need more ad spend. You need an account that tells the truth, and a foundation built to compound.

Most businesses try to solve growth by throwing more budget at broken systems, more ad spend into fragmented campaigns, more content onto a site with no authority signals underneath it. But without a foundation built to measure and to compound, that spending rarely produces lasting results.

The Authority Engine™ flips the model: fix the foundation first, on both the paid and organic side at once, then scale visibility around it. The result is predictable: faster ad performance, stronger search authority, and a business that gets recommended, not just found. When the foundation comes first, everything else compounds, the fast wins and the lasting ones alike.

Blue circular diagram titled "Authority Engine" with arrows and three sections labeled: Authority & Trust, SEO & Visibility, and Conversion Optimization. Each section leads to the next, forming a continuous cycle that illustrates how strategies like AI Search can enhance visibility and credibility at every stage.

Ready to Build Your Own Authority Engine?

You've got two clear paths.

Option 1: Try to piece it together yourself.

We've outlined the strategy here. You could take what you've learned and attempt to implement it on your own. The strategies we use aren't secrets. What makes them work is combining them into one system, built for how search and AI actually operate today.

Option 2: Work with us directly.

We'll audit your current site and ad accounts, uncover exactly where they're lacking, and map out a custom Authority Engine™ plan tailored to your business, your market, and your growth goals. You'll get clarity, direction, and next steps.

Get Your Free Growth Audit

Our Methodology Has Been Featured On...

How the Authority Engine™ Drives Rankings, Trust, and Revenue

From visibility to revenue, here's how the Authority Engine™ performs in the real world.

Build Authority

$60K+ recovered from failed lead providers

Line graph showing website total clicks (655) and impressions (225K) over time, with trends rising for both metrics—ideal for tracking SEO for Lead Generation. Average CTR is 0.3%, average position is 37.7, with weekly data points displayed.

From Zero Online Presence to Consistent Leads

View Law Firm Case Study →

Scale Visibility

Dominating competitive search results

Line graph from an automotive SEO case study displays website performance over time: 81K clicks, 892K impressions, 9.1% CTR, and a 14.8 average position. Both clicks and impressions rise sharply after early October 2023.

#1 rankings across multiple high-competition industry keywords

View Automotive Case Study →

Increase Revenue (CRO)

Same team. Same product. Restructured offers.

$21K monthly recurring revenue added in 3 weeks without new traffic

View CRO Case Study →

The Mind Behind the Authority Engine™

Hey,
I'm Edmond.

Author, Entrepreneur, Consultant

I developed the Authority Engine™ after years of watching exceptional companies lose digital ground, not because they lacked quality, but because they lacked positioning power.

In competitive markets, the brands that win are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets; they’re the ones that control the narrative, command search, and shape buyer perception.

Our methodology exists to help strong brands become the market leaders their work already deserves.

Professional Background:

Built and scaled my own business from $160 to multiple six-figures
Author of "Wired for Success" — best-selling book on strategic entrepreneurship
15+ years helping companies outperform larger, better-funded competitors
Creator of the Authority Engine™, a methodology designed for service-based professionals seeking category dominance

Get Your Free Growth Audit

Here's What Others Have Been Saying About Us...

Curious Fortune Media

5.0

Based on 25 reviews

Anna Marshall

10 months ago

They helped us find clarity in our marketing, fix blind spots in our website, and create a plan that actually works. You can tell they’ve worked with a wide range of businesses because their advice just makes sense. Easily one of the best business decisions we’ve made this year.

Janet Vines

10 months ago

The entire process was smooth from start to finish. They created a strategy that fit our business perfectly from messaging to SEO to conversion optimization. The level of care and detail that went into everything really stood out.

Ingrid Valencia

10 months ago

What impressed me most was how strategic and human their approach felt. It’s not just about ads or SEO, it’s about crafting real authority. We've been doing this already for a while with our in house team, but within a few weeks after hiring Edmond and his team, we started seeing a noticeable lift in both traffic quality and inbound leads. You can tell they genuinely care about results.

Charles Backus

10 months ago

I booked an authority audit with Curious Fortune Media after hearing great things from a friend, and it exceeded every expectation. The insights were eye-opening. They pinpointed gaps in our website, messaging, and SEO that no one else had ever noticed. What stood out most was how human their approach felt. It wasn’t cookie-cutter. It was honest, data-driven, and tailored specifically to our brand. You can tell they’re masters of their craft. The level of professionalism and depth they bring is rare in this industry.

Catherine Lane

11 months ago

Had a great experience working with this company. The process they have is smooth and they communicate everything well. True professionals, even if they show up with tee shirts on zoom calls, lol. I definitely recommend them to anyone looking for marketing help.

Donny Kidd

11 months ago

I see everywhere people pitching SEO and getting ranked on page 1 and after you see it so many times you approach things like this with a bit of skepticism. But I have to say, CFM’s Authority Engine is more than just SEO. It really is a growth system like they say. That holistic approach is just what I was looking for because I don’t have the time to do the marketing. Would highly recommend these guys!

Loren Austin

11 months ago

The audit we got showed us exactly where we were leaking opportunities. We didn’t have the budget to start working with them yet but have been doing some of the work they advised ourselves and our website traffic has started improving. Hoping to come back and sign up soon because they clearly know what to do!

Lynn Horton

11 months ago

Our law firm has tried different marketing agencies before, but what set CFM apart was the Authority Engine approach. It wasn’t just about rankings, it was about building credibility online and that’s what we were looking for. The website they redesigned for us makes us stand out and I’m actually now proud to hand my business card out to someone knowing they’ll look us up.

Pamela Moore

11 months ago

We just started working with CFM and so far the communication and strategy has been really good. They answered all my questions, some before I even asked them, and have been following through with everything they said. Hoping to see some results soon!

Carmen Coble

11 months ago

The Authority Engine framework finally made SEO make sense for me. People have promised us page 1 results in record breaking time, but after working with CFM, I understand now that the real work is about building long term visibility and trust. We’re just 3 months in and already seeing rankings improve!

Lawrence Lowe

11 months ago

The audit we got from Curious Fortune Media showed us exactly what we needed to work on. I’ve always relied on referrals and networking in the past for clients, and to be honest never really understood the importance of SEO for our practice until Edmond explained it to us on our call. It took a little while but we’re now showing up for top keywords our clients are searching for and it’s getting us inquires online that I never imagined before. It’s been a game changer and I’m so happy I decided to go for it. If you’re on the fence and looking up some reviews to make your decision, you can take it from me that this works and these guys know what they’re doing.

Dorothy Gibson

11 months ago

Edmond actually listens, asks smart, sometimes hard to answer questions, and then takes all that and puts together a custom strategy that fits your situation perfectly. Thanks again Ed!

Herman Craig

11 months ago

In law school we never really got the type of business knowledge that we need to start our own firms. We really just get trained to work for others. When I was referred to Edmond by a friend I was a bit skeptical because of all the scams you hear about online, but after the first session I saw why it’s so important to have a coach. I don’t know if others are like this too, but Edmond really took the time to understand what my goals with my law firm was and how to position myself to really build momentum towards them. He’s a great listener, paying attention to what’s left not said as well as what’s said, and if you understand anything you know how important that is.

Ruth Jones

11 months ago

Edmond is great to work with. I’m a past client of his before he started Curious Fortune Media and happened to be one of the first customers of his new company. They wrote my article in a day and I only had a few suggestions on things to change, and after that it only took them a couple days before it was published on major news sites. Will definitely be coming back for more. Amazing experience all around!

Barbara Baker

11 months ago

I’ve never worked with someone like Edmond before. We didn’t sign up for the Authority Engine before but he instead convinced us to take him up on some consulting. It was worth every dollar we spent. He broke down our sales process and gave us clarity on what to change and why. Needless to say, we saved months of trial and error and when we’re ready we’ll be coming back for the full package to start showing up on top search results in Google.

Alister Coock

1 year ago

We’ve done marketing in the past and we thought we were doing good, until we got an audit from Curious Fortune. It took about 3–4 weeks to start seeing results from their work, but the improvements were real. We didn’t realize it at the time, but it’s clear now we had major technical issues with our old site, and CFM not only caught them during the audit, they fixed them fast. We’re now showing up locally and nationally for keywords that bring in just the people we’re looking for

Joseph Gehlert

1 year ago

Hands down one of the smartest marketing minds I’ve worked with. Edmond’s insights are next-level. He’s not just giving you tactics, he gives you strategy, psychology, and structure. Every business owner should go through this process.

sakol pitak

1 year ago

The Authority Engine changed everything for us. Edmond’s process helped us reposition our brand, rank higher in Google, and almost double our conversion rate. It feels like we finally have a system that works and that reflects the level of professionalism we wanted our clients to see.

Valentino Allen

1 year ago

What Edmond and his team did is more than just a web design work for us, it’s a real authority system, just like they say. They understood our audience better than we did, rewrote our copy we provided them, did our SEO, and made everything feel aligned. We now get consistent inquiries without having to running ads

Scott Peck

1 year ago

I’ve been burned by SEO agencies before, so I was skeptical. But Edmond’s approach is completely different, he’s strategic, transparent, and actually focused on building trust. We run a law firm and our site now shows up on Google, we’re booking qualified leads, and when we ask people tell us they chose us because of how professional we looked online. Highly recommend.

Dan Tate

1 year ago

We’ve worked with a lot of marketers but no one ever gave us the level of clarity Curious Fortune Media did. The audit alone was worth the price, and the strategy Edmond gave us helped us finally understand why our website wasn’t converting. You can tell these guys actually care about results.

See What’s Really Possible for Your Brand Today

Google Ads + SEO Case Study:
How We Rescued a Broken Ad Account and Got The Balloon Guy Named Inside Google's AI Search Results

Background: The Challenge of Rescuing a Business Mid-Relaunch

The Problem: Two Systems Working Against Growth Without Anyone Catching It

Our Strategy: Rebuilding Both Engines at Once

The Breakthrough: When the Ad Account Finally Started Telling the Truth

The Foundation Fix: A Site Google Could Finally Read

The AI Search Results Tell the Most Important Part of This Story

The Founder's Own Words

Takeaway: What This Means for Other Premium Service Businesses

Ready to Build Your Own Authority Engine?

Our Methodology Has Been Featured On...

How the Authority Engine™ Drives Rankings, Trust, and Revenue

The Mind Behind the Authority Engine™

Here's What Others Have Been Saying About Us...

Google Ads + SEO Case Study:How We Rescued a Broken Ad Account and Got The Balloon Guy Named Inside Google's AI Search Results

Background: The Challenge of Rescuing a Business Mid-Relaunch

The Problem: Two Systems Working Against Growth Without Anyone Catching It

Our Strategy: Rebuilding Both Engines at Once

The Breakthrough: When the Ad Account Finally Started Telling the Truth

The Foundation Fix: A Site Google Could Finally Read

The AI Search Results Tell the Most Important Part of This Story

The Founder's Own Words

Takeaway: What This Means for Other Premium Service Businesses

Ready to Build Your Own Authority Engine?

Our Methodology Has Been Featured On...

How the Authority Engine™ Drives Rankings, Trust, and Revenue

The Mind Behind the Authority Engine™

Here's What Others Have Been Saying About Us...

Google Ads + SEO Case Study:
How We Rescued a Broken Ad Account and Got The Balloon Guy Named Inside Google's AI Search Results