Local SEO: how tradespeople get found by customers nearby

A customer does not type your business name: they type their need and their town. “Plumber” followed by the name of their town, “bathroom renovation” with their neighbourhood, or simply “electrician” with the name of the next town. Search engines then show a map with a few businesses, followed by a list of websites.

To appear in these results, your business needs to send consistent signals: where you are, what you do, which area you cover, and what your customers say about you. That is the job of local SEO.

Your business profile, the one that appears on the map, is often the first contact. Customers find your number, opening hours, photos and reviews there, sometimes without ever visiting your website. So it must be complete and accurate.

• Choose the category that best describes your main trade, then any useful secondary categories.
• State your service area if you travel to customers.
• Enter accurate opening hours, including bank holidays and time off.
• Add real photos: your jobs, your team at work, your van, your workshop.
• Describe your services in your customers’ words.
• Add the link to your website and to your quote request page.

Your website complements the profile. It lets you explain in detail what you do and where, which a profile cannot. Search engines read your pages: if they never mention your area, they are less likely to appear in a local search.

• One page per main service rather than a catch-all page.
• A clear statement of your service area: towns, county or department, distance.
• Your full contact details in the footer, identical to those on your profile.
• Past jobs described with the location and type of work, if the customer agrees.
• A call button and a quote form that are visible on mobile.
• A fast-loading site, because many local searches happen on the move.

Your name, address and phone number must be written the same way everywhere: website, business profile, trade directories, social media, quotes and invoices. An old number in a directory or a different address on your social page muddles the signals and can lose you a customer.

Search for your business name, note every place it appears and correct anything that is out of date. It is a morning’s work, to be repeated after a move or a change of number.

Reviews reassure customers and send signals to search engines. They do not always come on their own: a satisfied customer rarely thinks of leaving one unless asked.

• Ask for a review at the end of a successful job, in person and then by message with the direct link.
• Reply to every review, with a few personal words.
• Faced with criticism, stick to the facts, offer a solution and avoid lengthy justifications.
• Never buy reviews or write them for yourself: it misleads your customers.

Start with your business profile, then check your contact details everywhere, then improve the pages of your website. If your current site mentions neither your services in detail nor your area, a redesign or a Pro site may be the right project. A Pro site starts from €900 excl. VAT, then €20 excl. VAT per month, including hosting, maintenance and small changes. The first 30-minute call is free.