A local SEO checklist for tradespeople

Most tradespeople get work from word of mouth and from being found online when someone needs them right now. The second part is where a lot of good trades lose out, not because they are bad at the job, but because nobody ever set up the basics.

Here is a checklist you can work through yourself. None of it needs a developer, and most of it is free.

Google Business Profile

This is where local work comes from, so start here.

• Claim and verify your profile if you have not already.
• Choose the most specific primary category for your main trade.
• List every service you offer, not just the headline one.
• Add a real service area covering the towns you travel to.
• Upload photos of finished jobs, your van and yourself. People hire trades they can picture.
• Turn on messaging only if you will actually check it.

Your website basics

You do not need a big website. You need a clear one.

• A separate page for each main service, so “boiler installation” and “bathroom fitting” each have their own page with real text.
• A page for each main town you cover, written for that area rather than copied and pasted.
• Your phone number in the header, tappable on a phone.
• A site that loads quickly and works on a mobile, since that is where most people will find you.

Reviews

Reviews are the closest thing to digital word of mouth, and they directly affect how you rank locally.

• Ask every satisfied customer, ideally the same day you finish.
• Send a direct link so it takes them ten seconds.
• Reply to every review, good or bad, calmly and briefly.
• Aim for a steady flow rather than a one-off batch.

Show up for the right searches

Think about what your customers actually type, then make sure your site uses those words.

• Use plain phrases like “emergency electrician in Bristol”, not jargon.
• Answer the questions customers ask before they book: how much, how soon, what area, what guarantee.
• Add a short FAQ to your main pages covering those questions.

Get listed where it counts

• Add your business to the directories that matter for trades, with your details written exactly as they appear everywhere else.
• Join any relevant trade body listing you qualify for. These tend to be trusted sources.
• Skip the endless low-quality directories. A few good listings beat fifty bad ones.

Track what actually matters

You do not need fancy dashboards. You need to know whether the phone is ringing.

• Note where new enquiries come from when you book them in.
• Check your Google Business Profile insights now and then for calls and direction requests.
• Watch the number of jobs, not the number of clicks.

If you only do five things

Complete your Google Business Profile properly. Add a page for each service and each town. Ask recent customers for reviews. Put your number where a thumb can reach it. Keep your business details identical everywhere. That covers most of what moves the needle for a trade.

If you would rather get on with the actual work and have someone set this up for you, tell me about your business and I will give you an honest quote.