---
title: 'Case Study Categorization: Steep Slope vs. Low Slope'
type: knowledge
created: '2026-04-05'
updated: '2026-04-05'
source_docs:
- raw/2026-03-09-seamless-marketing-meeting-128336032.md
tags:
- content-strategy
- case-studies
- website
- roofing
- taxonomy
layer: 2
client_source: null
industry_context: null
transferable: true
---

# Case Study Categorization: Steep Slope vs. Low Slope

## Insight

When organizing portfolio case studies for a roofing contractor, categorizing by **roof type** (steep slope vs. low slope) is often clearer and more useful than categorizing by **building use** (commercial, residential, multifamily, industrial). Roof type maps directly to the technical scope of work and the materials involved, whereas building-use categories can overlap in confusing ways and may not reflect how customers actually think about their problem.

## Context

During a website review for [[clients/seamless/index|Seamless]] (sbswi.com), the team evaluated the existing case study taxonomy: **Commercial, Residential, Multifamily, Industrial**. Several problems surfaced:

- **"Industrial" vs. "Commercial"** — No clear differentiation. The category appeared to have been added without a defined rationale and had never been used.
- **"Apartments" vs. "Residential"** — Apartments can have either flat or pitched roofs, making them hard to place. A multifamily building with a flat roof has more in common with a commercial project than a single-family home.
- **Thin content risk** — Some categories (residential, multifamily) had very few case studies to populate them, making the taxonomy feel sparse.

Brandon Aman (client) proposed simplifying to just **"Steep Slope"** and **"Low Slope"** as the primary organizing principle.

## Why This Works

| Criterion | Building-Use Categories | Roof-Type Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Technical clarity | Low — a "commercial" building can be either flat or pitched | High — directly describes the work |
| Customer relevance | Moderate — customers identify with their building type | High — customers often know their roof type |
| SEO value | Moderate | Moderate (can be enhanced with service-specific pages) |
| Portfolio flexibility | Rigid — thin categories look empty | Flexible — most projects fit cleanly into one of two buckets |
| Avoids overlap | No — apartments, multifamily, and residential blur together | Yes — steep/low slope is mutually exclusive |

## Decision Made

- **Remove "Industrial"** — no meaningful distinction from commercial; never used.
- **Evaluate simplifying to Steep Slope / Low Slope** — Brandon Aman to finalize the structure before the next meeting (March 23).
- The existing categories (Commercial, Residential, Multifamily) may be retained as secondary filters or sub-labels within the two primary buckets if needed.

## Application

This pattern applies broadly to any **trade contractor** building a portfolio website:

- HVAC: categorize by system type (forced air, radiant, mini-split) rather than building type
- Electrical: categorize by project scope (service upgrades, new construction, EV infrastructure) rather than residential/commercial
- Plumbing: categorize by work type (repiping, fixture installation, drain systems)

The underlying principle: **organize by what you did, not where you did it**, especially when the "where" categories are ambiguous or unevenly populated.

## Related

- [[clients/seamless/index|Seamless Client Overview]]
- [[clients/seamless/meetings/2026-03-09-website-review-seo-strategy|Website Review & SEO Strategy Meeting]]
- [[knowledge/content-marketing/seo-faq-strategy|FAQs as an SEO Tool]]