Not getting good leads for your trade business is a problem. Regardless of how skilled you are in your profession, your clients will remain unaware of the quality of your work unless they can locate you on the internet. Establishing a robust digital presence is vital for demonstrating your proficiency and engaging with your target audience. 

It can be frustrating to see other companies continually attract new customers while you find it challenging to stand out. The success of your business  is closely connected to its presence—ensure that you are in the locations where your clients are searching. If your offerings align with what your customer’s needs, they should be able to see your work. 

But here’s the good news: With the proper SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) plan, you can send a steady flow of good leads in your direction and improve your online presence. As you’d expect if this is your job, there’s so much to know about SEO to help your trade business succeed online that this guide will prove just that.

Understanding SEO for Trades

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isn’t a fad that is all the rage; it’s a potent online marketing tool that can help your business appear on Google and other search engines when people type out your services. That means being visible when someone looks for something like ‘plumber close by’, ‘electrician in the area’ or ‘carpenter in [your city].’

Why SEO Matters for Your Trade Business

SEO is worth a lot for trade businesses. Recent data shows that 97% of people search for local businesses online, yet less than 37% of small businesses pop up in searches. For example, millions search for ‘plumbers near me’ every month in Australia. These are big numbers, which means there’s a big chance for trade businesses to bring in new customers – if they’re found online.

Related read: The Tradies Guide to Succeeding Online

Essential SEO Components for Tradies

• Google Business Profile Optimisation

If you haven’t already, your Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business) is probably the most widely used free local SEO tool. Your key to making your business appear on the highly desired “Map Pack” is the top three local business listings, including a map, appear at the top of Google search results.

Pick the most precise business category to make your Google Business Profile work well. This doesn’t just mean choosing general options like “Plumber” or “Electrician” – it’s about being very specific with your main category and adding an extra one to show all your services. For example, highlight your area of focus if you’re a plumber focusing on hot water systems.

Good photos are essential for making your profile successful. Don’t just add any pictures – use your best ones. Show before-and-after photos, pictures of your team working, and images of your tools and vehicles. These visuals help people trust you and understand how good you are at your job.

Make sure to carefully update your business hours and the areas where you offer your services. You can include up to 20 service areas, but choose them wisely – pick places to deliver quick and reliable service. 

• Local SEO Fundamentals

Local SEO is essential for trade businesses because most customers will connect with you from nearby areas. This part of SEO helps you improve your online visibility to attract customers in specific local areas.

Business Citations

One of the key parts of local SEO is ensuring your business details are consistent everywhere online. This includes your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). Imagine it as leaving a clear trail that search engines can follow and check quickly.

Yellow Pages, TrueLocal, Yelp, Bing Places and Facebook Business are significant websites where you can list your business. These websites prove that your company exists and show search engines where you work and what you do.

Customer Reviews Management

Reviews are essential for how well your business appears in search results and how customers choose you. A clear plan to collect and handle reviews helps your business be seen more and build a good reputation.

Begin by setting up an easy review system that you use after each job. For example, send a follow-up email with a link to your Google Business Profile review page. When you get reviews, reply quickly and professionally – whether the review is good or bad. A well-thought-out reply to a bad review can sometimes be more helpful than a good one with no reply.

• Website Optimisation

Your website is like your online shop. It should be user-friendly, easy to find on search engines, and focus on a few essential things to make your site strong or effective online.

Technical Optimisation

Website speed is critical in today’s fast digital world. Unless it’s there instantly, you might lose potential customers if you expect the website happens to load in less than three seconds. Being mobile-friendly is just as important because over half of all online searches are on mobile devices. This means your website should be responsive to phones and tablets.

Security is also a key factor, so using HTTPS is necessary. This keeps your users’ data safe and helps your site rank better in search results. Your website should have a clear and easy-to-use structure, with simple ways to find significant information and contact forms.

Content Structure

Your website’s content should be arranged in a way that helps both your visitors and search engines. This involves making separate pages for your services, location-specific pages, and an About Us page that helps build trust with potential customers.

Service pages should be thorough, with clear descriptions, pricing details (if needed), and easy-to-follow instructions on what to do next. Your About Us page should share your story and show why you’re the right fit for them. Location pages should give precise, valuable details about the services you offer in each area you work in.

• Content Creation

Good content is key to doing well with SEO. It’s not just about filling a page with words – it’s about creating applicable, helpful content that answers your customers’ questions and solves their problems. Well-written content shows you know your stuff and helps search engines figure out what you do and where you do it.

Service Pages

• Enhance service pages for search engine optimisation and ensure they provide a good user experience. 
• Begin the page by outlining your services, describing your methods, and emphasising the effectiveness of your approach. 
• Be clear about pricing while offering flexibility for negotiation.
• Define the areas you serve and mention any specific customer needs or standout features.
• Showcase your work with before-and-after photos.
• Include customer feedback to build trust and highlight results.
• Use CTAs like “Request a Quote” or “Book Now” to encourage action.

Blog Content

• Create content that is well-researched and updated regularly.
• Match blog topics with your marketing objectives.
• Focus on subjects your customers often look for, including:

• Step-by-step instructions.
• Common issues and their solutions.
• Seasonal advice for your industry.

• Use examples that relate to your profession, such as preventing frozen pipes for plumbers or safe holiday lighting for electricians. 
• Share updates from your industry and explain how they affect your customers. 
• Write in easy language that is easy to follow.

Link Building Strategies

• Obtain links from trustworthy and relevant sites within your industry or local community. 
• Prioritise quality over quantity when creating backlinks. 
• Gain links through business listings by: 

• Sharing useful information
• Joining industry discussions
• Contributing expert blogs to these platforms.

• Create content for industry blogs, local news platforms, or niche sites by:

• Providing practical advice or helpful information.
• Focusing on delivering value rather than chasing backlinks.

• Join local business groups, such as chambers of commerce or industry associations, to:

• Build relationships with other professionals.
• Use member directories to find backlink opportunities.
• Partner with businesses offering complementary services to promote each other.

Measuring SEO Success

• Track SEO performance to see what’s effective and improve where needed. 
• Use Google Business Profile insights to measure:

• Profile views
• Customer actions (calls, website clicks, direction requests)
• Photo interactions

• Use Google Analytics to review website traffic and understand:

• Pages that attract the most visitor interest.
• Time visitors spend on your site.
• Visitor actions before reaching out to you.
• Phone calls and form submissions to measure lead generation success.
• Keywords and pages driving key customer actions.
• Apply these insights to improve your strategy and prioritise the most productive channels.

Related read: 5 reasons why Tradies need a website

Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Along with using correct SEO strategies, avoiding common SEO mistakes is essential while the online world is growing more competitive for trade businesses. Many tradespeople spend time and money on SEO but see no results due to common mistakes. These include choosing unsuitable keywords, ignoring local SEO, using poor-quality content, not optimising their website, and failing to build good backlinks.

Knowing these common mistakes can save time and money, and your SEO will work well for your business.

Here are the key mistakes to avoid:

• Ignoring Mobile-Friendly Design: Most local searches happen on mobile devices — more than 60%. But it can hurt your business if it doesn’t work on phones and tablets. So make sure your site is responsive to different screen sizes, has easy-to-tap buttons, clear text that doesn’t require zooming, and suitable forms for mobile.
• Slow Website Loading: With a loading time of less than 3 seconds, people want websites to load instantly. Slow sites make visitors abandon ship and can affect your search engine ratings. That’s because of big photos, plugins, or poor hosting.
• Not Paying Attention to Local SEO: Many tradespeople don’t entirely set up or do the work for their Google Business Profile. They also don’t ensure their business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the same across the web. You can get confused by search engines, and it is harder for them to find you locally.
• Posting Low-Quality Content: One of the most common mistakes is creating short content that doesn’t help visitors. Your website should have every page to provide detailed information about your services — how you work, your prices, and things that set you apart from other companies.
• Forgetting to Update Regularly: SEO is not something you complete once and forget about. Over time, websites that don’t update old pages or add new content will lose rankings. Search engines understand that your site has been updated regularly and is still active and valid.
• Using Keywords Incorrectly: Putting too many keywords in a natural-sounding way or attempting to rank for too competitive terms without a good plan can damage your SEO. Instead, pick keywords appropriate to your area and that your potential customers will be looking for.  
• Ignoring Technical SEO Basics: Broken links, missing meta descriptions and poorly structured URLs are examples of technical problems that affect your search rankings. Checking and fixing these things is essential to keeping your SEO healthy.  
• Neglecting User Experience: It’s a big mistake if you only care about search engines and have no idea how users feel. If your site’s navigation is complicated, layouts are messy, or you don’t have clear CTAs, people will bail out on your site in a heartbeat and miss out on any opportunities.  
• Not Monitoring Results: If you don’t track and analyse your performance, you will never know what is working and what is not. Set up analytics tools sooner and read your results more often to help you refine your strategy.

Partner with Make My Website: Your SEO Success Story Starts Here

Getting your website to rank high on search engines takes skill, hard work, and ongoing effort. While this guide gives tips on SEO for tradespeople, putting these ideas into practice while managing your business can be challenging. That’s where Make My Website can help.

We’re experts in SEO for tradespeople and know the specific challenges and chances in your field. Our team has helped many trade businesses in Australia get top search rankings and attract steady, high-quality leads using effective SEO methods. We take care of everything from technical website improvements to creating content so you can concentrate on your main job – looking after your customers.

With Make My Website, you’ll receive:

• A team of SEO experts who know the trades’ industry well  
• Personalised SEO plans made just for your trade and local area  
• Regular updates on how your site is performing, with clear communication  
• Ongoing improvements to keep your rankings strong and growing  
• Special focus on local SEO to help you stand out in your service area

Want to improve your website and get more customers? Contact Make My Website now for a free SEO review. Find out how we can help your trade business grow with innovative SEO plans.