Local SEO for Trade Businesses 2026
Google Business Profile optimization, citations, review velocity, and content strategies that keep your trade business in the local top 3.
80% of trade customers Google before they call. If you’re not in the local top 3 you’re invisible. Local SEO isn’t wizardry—it’s a repeatable playbook that tells Google you’re the most relevant plumber/electrician/cleaner for a given postcode.
Follow this checklist to own “near me” searches, generate 40% more inbound leads, and keep your pipeline full without paying £60 CPC for panic ads.
Reality check
The local pack earns 44% of clicks. If “plumber Manchester” gets 1,000 searches/month and you’re #1, expect ~180 visits → 50+ leads. Position 8 gets ~10 visits → 3 leads. Rankings = bookings.
Stack even more demand by pairing this with How to Get Your First 10 Customers, Customer Review Management 2026, and Commercial Cleaning Contracts Playbook.
Why local SEO is the highest ROI channel
| Channel | Cost per lead | Conversion rate | Time investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local SEO (Google) | £5–15 | 30–40% | 20h setup + 2h/month |
| Google Ads | £25–80 | 15–25% | Ongoing cost + management |
| Facebook Ads | £30–100 | 8–15% | Creative + management |
| Door-to-door flyers | £40–120 | 0.5–2% | High labour |
Google Business Profile: the #1 ranking lever
Complete every field, then keep activity steady.
- Name: Exact legal name—no keyword stuffing.
- Categories: One primary + up to nine specific secondary categories.
- Service area: Exact postcodes you actually cover.
- Hours: Include bank holidays and emergency availability.
- Phone: Local number (click-to-call ranking signal).
- Description (750 chars): Services, locations, proof points, keywords naturally.
- Attributes: Emergency service, on-site estimates, women-led, etc.—only if true.
- Services/Products: List every service with price ranges.
Photo + post strategy
Profiles with 100+ photos get 520% more calls. Upload after every job.
Photo checklist
- Logo + cover (polished, high-res).
- Job photos: in-progress + finished (3–5/job).
- Team/van shots to build trust.
- Equipment close-ups showing professional kit.
Goal: 100 photos within 90 days (3 photos/job × 30 jobs).
Post weekly offers/updates: seasonal promos, completed projects, reminders. Posts expire after 7 days—keep the cadence.
Review velocity matters more than total count
Google measures how many fresh reviews you earn monthly. Pace beats bursts.
Top 3 ranking
30+ reviews
3–5 new reviews/month
#1 ranking
50+ reviews
5–10 new reviews/month
Average rating
4.6+ stars
Respond to 100% within 48h
- Ask before you pack up. “If you’re happy, a quick Google review keeps us working locally.”
- Send the direct link via SMS while still on-site.
- Follow up once at 48 hours—then stop.
- Respond to 100% of reviews (good + bad) inside 48 hours.
- Target 10 review requests/month → 5 reviews at 50% conversion.
NAP and citation consistency
Name, Address, Phone must match character-for-character everywhere.
Common mistakes
- Different spellings (“Ltd” vs “Limited”).
- Missing commas/postcode spacing.
- Mixing landline + mobile across listings.
Pick one canonical format and update everywhere.
Essential UK directories
| Directory | Cost | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Free | Critical |
| Bing Places | Free | Medium (10% of searches) |
| Yell.com | £10-£30/mo | High for 50+ demographic |
| Checkatrade | £120-£150/mo | High (trade trust) |
| Trustpilot | Free basic | Medium (review credibility) |
| Facebook Business | Free | High (social signal + reviews) |
| Yelp UK | Free | Low but easy citation |
| Thomson Local | Free | Medium (legacy directory) |
| Rated People | Pay per lead | Medium (lead + citation) |
| Which? Trusted Traders | £200-£400/yr | High (consumer trust) |
Layer in trade-specific directories (Gas Safe, NICEIC, Trustmark) plus your local Chamber of Commerce for high-authority backlinks.
Local landing page + content strategy
Google rewards hyper-local, proof-loaded content. Build a page per service area.
- “Emergency plumber in {postcode}” landing page with jobs + testimonials
- “Boiler service in {town}” case studies with before/after photos
- “Commercial cleaning contracts in {city}” featuring local clients
- Seasonal “prepare for winter” guides targeting your region
Each page needs: headline with service + city, intro paragraph, 2–3 case studies, customer quotes, photos, FAQ, CTA.
Tracking + KPIs
Set goals and inspect weekly.
- Call tracking number dedicated to Google Business Profile.
- UTM-tag the website link so Analytics shows GBP traffic → leads.
- Track review cadence: requests sent, reviews earned, response time.
- Monitor local rankings with a grid tool (BrightLocal, Whitespark) to prove progress.
Your target: 5+ leads/week per service area from organic/local sources. If you fall behind, audit the checklist above.
Turn ad clicks into booked jobs inside Toolfy
- •Track every lead source and know which keywords pay for themselves
- •Instantly convert Google Ads leads into quotes, tasks, and reminders
- •Auto-send follow-ups so enquiries become revenue within 48 hours
Related Articles
Google Ads Guide for Local Trade Businesses (2026)
Campaign structure, keywords that convert, ad copy templates, budgets, and ROI tracking tailored to UK trades.
How to Get Your First 10 Customers
Twelve tactics to land the first 10 paying customers in 30 days.
Customer Review Management for Trade Businesses 2026
5-star business with 8 reviews loses to a 4.6-star business with 50 reviews. Quantity beats quality—here