Local SEO Checklist for UK Trades: 10 Things That Get You Found

On this page

1. 1. Set up your Google Business Profile properly
2. 2. Use your real business name
3. 3. Pick the right categories
4. 4. Collect real reviews and reply to them
5. 5. Give each main job its own page on your website
6. 6. Cover your areas honestly, not with copies
7. 7. Keep your details the same everywhere
8. 8. Make your website fast and easy on a phone
9. 9. Tell Google about your business with structured data
10. 10. Check what is working
11. Local SEO mistakes trades make
12. How long does it take?
13. Want help getting found locally?
14. Frequently asked questions

When someone’s boiler breaks or a tap will not stop dripping, they pick up a phone and search for someone nearby. If you are a plumber, electrician, builder or any other trade, those local searches are where a lot of your work comes from.

This local SEO checklist for trades covers the 10 things that matter most, in the order we would tackle them. For the bigger picture, start with how local SEO works.

1. Set up your Google Business Profile properly

Your Business Profile is what appears in the map results for local searches. Trades that travel to customers can still have one, as a service-area business: you hide your address and list the areas you cover instead. Google says a service area should not stretch further than about two hours’ driving time from where you are based. Our Business Profile setup checklist goes through every step.

2. Use your real business name

Google’s guidelines say your name should match the name on your signage, website and invoices, with no added keywords, phone numbers or locations. “Smith Plumbing | Cheap Emergency Plumber Leeds” breaks the rules and can get a profile suspended. Use “Smith Plumbing”.

3. Pick the right categories

Choose the one primary category that best describes your main work, such as “Plumber” or “Electrician”. Google’s advice is to use as few categories as possible to describe your core business. Add more only where they honestly apply.

4. Collect real reviews and reply to them

Google says the number of reviews you have, and positive ratings, can help your local ranking. Ask every happy customer, make it easy with a direct link, and reply to every review politely, including the critical ones. Play by the rules: Google does not allow rewards for reviews, asking only happy customers, or discouraging negative ones, and it can remove those reviews and restrict your profile. Our guide to getting more Google reviews shows how to do this properly.

5. Give each main job its own page on your website

A single page that says “we do everything” is hard for Google to match to a search. Create a clear page for each main service, such as boiler repair, rewiring or loft conversions, explaining what you do, who it is for and what the process is. Add real photos of your own work and mention the places you cover naturally.

6. Cover your areas honestly, not with copies

If you work across several towns, a page for each can help, but only if each one has something genuinely useful to say. Copying one page and swapping the town name does not work and can do harm. Our guide for tradespeople covers how to build service area pages properly. For a sense of the local picture, see our free UK area guides and trade guides.

7. Keep your details the same everywhere

Your business name, address and phone number should match on your website, your Business Profile, your social profiles and any directories. Small differences, such as “Street” in one place and “St” in another, can create doubt. A handful of accurate listings on respected directories is better than dozens of messy ones.

8. Make your website fast and easy on a phone

Many customers will find you on a phone, often in a hurry. If your site is slow or hard to use, they will call the next name. Put your phone number and a clear call or quote button where people can see them straight away. Our guide on whether website speed affects SEO explains what to measure.

9. Tell Google about your business with structured data

Structured data is a small piece of code that describes your business to Google. Google says its local business markup can feed the information shown in a knowledge panel when people search for a business. The name and address are required, and phone number, website and opening hours are recommended. Google also says it does not guarantee that any feature will appear in search results, so treat it as a tidy-up rather than a shortcut. Your web designer can add this.

10. Check what is working

Do not guess. Use two free sources: the Performance report in your Business Profile for calls, direction requests and website clicks, and Google Search Console for how your website performs in search. Look monthly, and judge by enquiries rather than rankings alone.

Local SEO mistakes trades make

• Stuffing towns and keywords into the business name
• Using a virtual office or PO box as an address
• Listing service areas you do not really cover
• Buying reviews or asking friends and family to write them
• Making a separate page for every town with nothing different on it
• Never replying to reviews

How long does it take?

Some fixes show quickly, like correcting wrong opening hours or claiming a profile. Climbing the rankings takes longer, and depends on how competitive your area is. Anyone promising a number-one spot in a fixed number of weeks is guessing. For a realistic picture, read how long SEO takes to work.

Want help getting found locally?

We help UK trades and local businesses get found on Google, from tidying their Business Profile to building the website pages that bring in enquiries. Try our free website check and we will tell you what we would fix first, or read more about our SEO service.

Google’s guidelines and structured data details checked against its help pages on 8 October 2026. Google changes its tools often, so check its help pages if something looks different.

If you would rather have this done for you, see our local SEO services.

Frequently asked questions