As a tradesman, I’ve always believed that doing quality work and building a solid reputation were enough to keep the jobs coming in, and for a long time, they were. However, in the ever-evolving digital age, even the best electrician, plumber, or carpenter can struggle to get noticed if they’re not showing up online.
This means that as a tradesperson, if you want to keep the phone ringing and the diary full, then you’ve got to do more than just good work; you need to cultivate your online presence. This is where local SEO comes in.
Here, we take an in-depth look at Local SEO, covering what it is, how it works why it is so important for those in the trades.
What is Local SEO?.
In simple terms, local SEO is how your business shows up on Google when someone nearby searches for your trade. This digital marketing strategy focuses on improving businesses’ visibility in local search results, helping to attract customers searching for goods or services in a specific geographic location.
By optimising their online presence, trade businesses can rank higher in search results on platforms such as Google, which increases the chance of being found by potential customers. If, for example, someone types in “plumber near me” or “electrician in Cambridge,” local SEO is what determines if your business pops up or if your competitor does.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago, most trade-based businesses rely on word of mouth, flyers, and the odd advert in a local paper, which was effective at the time. Now, the majority of people looking for a tradesman will pull out their phone and search online, which means that if you’re not showing up near the top of the results, then you’re basically invisible.
Why Local SEO Matters.
Local SEO focuses on making sure your trade-based business appears in search results when potential customers in your area are looking for your services. It involves things like:
- Optimising your Google Business Profile with up-to-date info, photos, and reviews.
- Making sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across the internet.
- Getting customer reviews, especially on Google.
- Using location-based keywords on your website (e.g. “Bristol plumber” or “emergency electrician in Leeds”).
When I first started looking into local SEO, I thought it was all tech jargon, but then I utilised the services of an SEO consultant. This knowledgeable expert helped me to understand what needed to be done and focused on implementing tactics and making changes that would benefit my business online. This included things like claiming my Google listing, asking happy clients to leave reviews, and adding the towns I serve to my website.
Within weeks, I saw a noticeable uptick in calls, messages and website visits and more importantly, the jobs coming in were also consistently closer to home, which saved me both time and fuel driving back and forth.
Local SEO For Your Trade Business.
People trust Google, and if, when searching for a local tradesperson, they see your name come up with great reviews and accurate information, they’re far more likely to contact you than scroll past.
So, if you’re a tradesman who is on the tools more than the laptop, then local SEO might seem like something that you can put off. But trust me, it’s worth the time, effort and investment if it means securing your business’s future. If you need any guidance or advice regarding local SEO or if you have any questions, then the experienced team at Freelance SEO will be more than happy to help.
