Most trade work now starts with a Google search, so getting found is the difference between a full diary and a quiet phone. The good news: local search rewards the basics done well, and you don’t need a huge budget. Here’s how tradespeople get found on Google, in order of impact.
1. Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
This free listing is what puts you in the map results and on Google Maps. Fill in everything: services, areas, hours, photos, and keep it current. For many trades it’s the single biggest source of local enquiries.
2. Get reviews, and keep getting them
Reviews are one of the strongest local ranking signals, and they win the click. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with a direct link, and reply to the ones you get. A steady trickle beats a one-off burst.
3. Have a page for each service and each main area
A page for boiler installs, a page for rewires, a page for the towns you cover. It tells Google exactly what you do and where, so you rank for “[service] in [town]” searches. Our guide to local SEO for UK businesses goes deeper on the map pack.
4. Keep your name, address and phone consistent
Your business name, number and area should match everywhere they appear, on your site, your Google profile and any directories. Inconsistency confuses Google and costs you rankings.
5. Have a fast, mobile-first website
Your Google profile and your website work together. A fast, mobile-first site with clear service and area pages backs up your profile and is where the enquiry actually happens.
How much does it cost to get a trade website that ranks?
£495 for a fixed-price Starter site, typically live in about a week, or £1,495 for a Business site with a CMS you can run yourself, so adding a page for a new service or town does not mean paying someone each time. If you would rather someone else kept the Google side moving, SEO Foundation is £299 a month and can be cancelled at any time.
Doing all this yourself takes time most tradespeople don’t have. We build trade websites with the service and area pages, speed and structure that help you rank, from a fixed £495. See our websites for tradespeople, or get a free website review.
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