Local Trade Businesses - How To Reach More Local Customers?
If you run a local trade business and rely solely on word of mouth, referrals, or the occasional Facebook post, you’re missing out on more customers.
Most good tradespeople are busy working on the tools, and don’t have the time to worry about Google.
But here’s what happens because of that..
When someone needs a builder, electrician, plumber or landscaper, they don’t ask around first. They go to their phone, type in a search, and call one of the businesses that appears at the top.
If you’re not visible there, you won’t get the call.
This is exactly why local SEO for trades is so important.
How customers actually find trades today
Most customers follow the same simple process. They search something like “electrician near me” or “builder in [town]”, scan the results, and pick from the first few options they see. Those businesses usually appear in two places: the Google Maps results and the top organic listings underneath.
Very few people scroll past the first page. Even fewer go beyond the first few results. If your business isn’t showing up there, you’re effectively invisible, no matter how good your work is.
This is why being strong on Google Maps for trades is just as important as having a website.
Why good trades businesses stay invisible
We work with a lot of solid local businesses who are surprised to learn how hard they are to find online. The reasons for this are usually simple.
Their Google Business profile hasn’t been properly set up or optimised. Their website doesn’t clearly tell Google what services they offer and where they offer them. Or they’re competing against businesses that actively invest in SEO and local ads.
None of this means you’re doing anything wrong. It just means your digital setup hasn’t been built to win local searches.
Google Maps is where calls come from
For trades especially, Google Maps results are powerful. They show your business name, reviews, location, and contact details all in one place. Customers trust these listings and often call directly from them without even visiting a website.
The trades that consistently get enquiries are the ones Google trusts the most locally. That trust comes from clear service pages, accurate location signals, reviews, and consistent optimisation over time.
SEO brings steady leads, ads add speed
Local SEO is what builds long-term visibility. It helps your business show up naturally when people search. But it takes time to climb the rankings, especially in competitive areas. That’s where Google Ads come in.
Running Google Ads alongside SEO allows you to appear instantly at the top of search results while your organic (unpaid) rankings grow underneath. When done properly, this combination brings in consistent, ready to buy enquiries from people who are actively looking to book a tradesperson.
This is exactly why we combine SEO improvements and Google Ads inside our Scale package.
What we know works for local trades
After more than seven years in marketing, helping local businesses generate five-figure increases in revenue and dominate local search results, the pattern is clear.
Trades businesses win locally when:
Their website clearly explains what they do and where they work
Their Google Business profile is fully optimised
They collect and display genuine reviews
SEO and paid ads work together, not separately
When this system is in place, enquiries become predictable rather than hit-and-miss.
If customers can’t find you, they can’t call you
If your phone isn’t ringing as often as it should, it’s rarely because demand isn’t there. It’s usually because someone else is easier to find.
If you want to reach more local customers and stop losing work to competitors who simply show up first, the next step is straightforward.
Book a call with us and we’ll look at your local SEO setup, your website, and your Google visibility for you, then show you exactly how to improve it.
No jargon. No pressure. Just clear advice.
Book a call to improve your local SEO and get found by more customers.
