Unapologetically Christian.

Confessional. Conservative. Maximalist.

Book a strategy call Meet the founders

What you can count on

You own it: site, domain, Google profile, ad accounts and your data.
Your ad money goes straight to Google. We take no cut.
One plain report a month: tracked calls, leads and jobs. Bad numbers included.
One monthly fee and your minimum term, in writing before you sign.

The facts

Appalachia Digital at a glance.

Who: Appalachia Digital, a web design, local SEO and marketing agency.
Founded: 2024, by Brenton Riling.
Where: Forest, Virginia, working with clients across the United States.
Phone: 434-352-1235
Email: admin@appalachiadigital.com
Led by: Brenton Riling (founder and CEO) and Kiefer Likens (head of design and creative).
What we do: Contractor websites, local SEO, Google Ads, follow-up automation and custom CRM for trades businesses.
Who for: Roofers, HVAC, plumbers, electricians, pest control, landscaping, garage doors, painting, concrete and paving, remodeling and decks, tree service and foundation repair.
Clients include: A-Plus Foundation, Armored Power, Covenant Waterworks, Delaware Holiday Lights, Eremos Decks, Kingdom Landscapes, Lance Hoover Plumbing, Mountain Air Garage Doors, Paving Plus (Shawsville, VA), Seal Epoxy, Smith-Evergreen Concrete, Stump Stewards (Hamilton County, TN), Taylor Concrete, Trinity Painting (Mora, MN) and Whitehouse Lawncare.
Convictions: Confessional, Reformed Christian.

Why we exist

Built for growth. Forged in Appalachia.

The problem

The digital marketing industry is often staffed by individuals who are disconnected from the values and daily lives of everyday Americans. How we are different lies in our commitment to bridging this gap. What sets us apart is our focus on aligning marketing strategies with traditional western values, ensuring your message resonates with the people you aim to reach.

How we solve it

Appalachia Digital proudly stands apart, being unapologetically Christian, Confessional, Conservative, and Maximalist. We're here to serve everyday Americans focused on supporting their families and positively impacting their communities.

Who we build for

You run a crew. You started on one. Your work is good, your customers say so, and most of your jobs come from people who already know you. We build websites, local search and follow-up for men like you, and we only want to build for men who keep their word.

"Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but the power to do what we ought."
Lord Acton

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."
Ronald Reagan

Who we are

Two men, one shop.

Started in 2024 in Forest, Virginia. Brenton runs the client side. Kiefer runs the design and the build.

**Brenton Riling**Founder and CEO
Brenton started Appalachia Digital in 2024. Before that he was a Product Manager at Proliant.
He runs the client side: the first call, the plan, the monthly report. If you hire us, he is the one who picks up the phone. He is a born-again Christian, saved by grace through faith in Christ, and he submits to Christ's authority in business as in everything else.
He is analytical. He wants to see the number before he believes the claim, and he will tell you when the number is bad.

**Kiefer Likens**Head of design and creative
Kiefer started in studio art, moved into professional design, and then into marketing. His education focused on marketing.
He designs the brand, designs the site and builds it. He is the reason a contractor's website looks like a contractor's business and not a template.

If you hire us, Brenton picks up the phone. Call 434-352-1235 or write admin@appalachiadigital.com. See our field reports, the trades we serve and local SEO in Lynchburg.

The crew

The people behind the work.

Katie
Admin Assistant
Keeps the office running.
Rick
SEO and PPC Lead
Runs the four-person SEO / PPC team under him: technical SEO, the Google Business Profile, and every paid campaign. Builds the playbooks your Ad/SEO Specialist inherits, and trains them once they are hired.
Chucky
Internal Marketing Coordinator and Email Campaign Lead
GWOT veteran (infantry). A marketing strategist who has worked with large clients, and a data-enrichment specialist. He builds and cleans the GC lists the cold email program runs on. He also keeps the internal marketing work coordinated across the team.
Caden
Client Success
Runs the day to day: the schedule, the hours in the portal, and every deliverable's path from brief to live. Your first call for "where is it."
Spencer
QA and Red Team
Checks every deliverable before it reaches you or goes live: pages, campaigns, copy, tracking. The small things, caught before they become the big things. Also a high-pressure ammunition manufacturer, a trade where tolerances are unforgiving, and the same mindset he brings to QA.

In one line

We are Christians, and we say so.

It is why we tell you the truth about your numbers, and why we only want to build for men who keep their word.

Christian
Confessional
Conservative
Maximalist

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

Why the trades

We work with the trades because growing a local trade is the most impactful work we can do. It builds a legacy for the owner, and it makes a real difference.

What we believe

Appalachia Digital is a Christian web design and local SEO agency in Forest, Virginia. We are confessional and Reformed. We believe Jesus Christ is Lord over business as he is over everything else, and that our work is done for him. We build for tradesmen, and we tell them the truth about their numbers.

Are you Christian?

Yes. Brenton Riling, who founded Appalachia Digital in 2024, is a born-again Christian, saved by grace through faith in Christ, to God's glory. He submits to Jesus Christ's authority in business as in every other part of life. Faith guides his decisions and his work, even when that means standing apart.

What do you mean by confessional?

We hold the historic Reformed Christian faith as set out in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1689 London Baptist Confession. These documents guide what we believe and how we run the business.

Why do you work the way you do?

Because of one verse.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

If the work is for the Lord, he is the one who checks it. So we do it properly, and we tell the truth about it, even when the truth is a bad month.

What does that look like in your work?

We report tracked calls, leads and jobs. If a number is bad, the report says so.
We do not promise a ranking, a number of leads or a number of jobs. Nobody honest can.
We do not buy fake reviews, build link schemes or do anything that puts your Google listing at risk.
You own your site, domain, Google Business Profile, ad accounts and data. If you leave, we hand it over, free, within 14 days.
Your ad money goes straight to Google. We take no cut.

Your word is your bond. Ours too.

What are Christian, Conservative and Maximalist?

Christian. We follow Jesus Christ and hold ourselves to answer to God for what we do.

Conservative. We hold conservative values rooted in our confessional faith. They shape our work, our dealings with people and what we contribute to society. We aim to uphold truth, integrity and accountability.

Maximalist. We believe the gospel of Jesus Christ should touch every part of life, from the personal to the professional. Faith is not kept for Sundays. It guides each decision and each project. By God's grace, we hope that helps build communities where businesses, churches, non-profits and, in the end, all people flourish.

Who wrote this, and when?

Brenton Riling and Kiefer Likens, Appalachia Digital, Forest, Virginia. Last updated 16 October 2026.

The standard

How we operate.

You get the truth about your numbers, in writing. No fake reviews, no link schemes, nothing that puts your Google listing at risk. Your word is your bond. Ours too.

Commitment to excellence

We are dedicated to providing the highest standard of service to our clients. Every website, SEO strategy, and solution we deliver is built on rigorous standards of excellence and a desire to honor Christ through our work.

Deep engagement

At Appalachia Digital, we believe in fostering meaningful connections with both our clients and their audiences. By listening carefully, responding promptly, and interacting thoughtfully, we aim to build strong relationships that reflect our faith and commitment to serving others.

Transparency and honesty

Guided by Christian principles, we value honesty and transparency in everything we do. Our clients can trust that we will always be open about our strategies and decisions, ensuring you know what we're doing and why. We are confessional Christians, meaning we hold ourselves to a high standard, recognizing we will have to answer for our every act.

Measurable results

We pursue real, tangible outcomes that align with your business goals. As stewards of the resources entrusted to us, we continually monitor and optimize our strategies to ensure you get the best return on investment, always adapting to serve your needs better.

Localized Dominion

When we take on a client, we mean for him to own his town: the first name people find, the first call they make, and a business that does good in the place he lives. As believers in free enterprise, that is why we are selective in who we work with.

Read the full terms →

Our terms, in plain English

How we work.

This is the part most agencies bury in the fine print.

You own everything.

Your site, domain, Google profile, ad accounts and data are yours from day one. If you leave, we hand it all over, free, within 14 days.

No markup on ads.

You pay Google directly, in an account you own. We take no cut of your ad budget.

One plain report.

Once a month: tracked calls, leads and jobs, in plain English. If a number is bad, the report says so.

Leaving is clear.

Give 30 days' notice in writing. We hand over everything you own, free, within 14 days. Your minimum term is set in your written agreement.

Read the full terms

Build something
worth passing down.