SEO takes time. Anyone promising page one in a few weeks is overpromising — or cutting corners that bite later. I build a solid foundation that improves your visibility for the long run.
SEO in plain English
Before any jargon — here's what local SEO actually means for a trade business, in four lines.
Showing up on Google when someone nearby searches for your trade — "electrician near me", "plumber in Edinburgh" — so they find you, not a competitor.
More customer enquiries for tradespeople start with a search. If you're not in the results, the work simply goes to whoever is.
You don't need to rank across the whole country — just your area. Show up for the towns you actually work in and you've won.
Outside the big city centres the competition is manageable. A properly set-up site with clear local content can rank well without the constant effort national SEO demands.
What local SEO actually involves
No fixed packages. Every trade business is different — how competitive your area is, where you're based and what you offer all change what's worth doing. I look at your situation first, then advise on what genuinely moves the needle. Broadly, local SEO for tradespeople comes down to these.
Making your site tell Google clearly what you do, where you do it and why customers should choose you — titles, headings and content structure that match how people actually search.
Setting up and optimising your GBP properly. For many trades this is what gets you into the map results — which often appear above the normal organic listings.
Pages written specifically for the towns and areas you cover, each targeting the searches customers in that area are actually making — so "your trade + town" lands somewhere relevant.
Google weighs reviews heavily for local rankings. I'll advise on how to get more of them, consistently, without it feeling like a chore — plus keeping your details consistent across the directories that matter for your trade.
Page speed, mobile performance and structured data — the under-the-hood stuff Google checks before it decides whether to rank your site at all.
Keeping an eye on what's working and what isn't, and giving you a straight read on progress — not jargon-filled reports designed to look busy.
What I won't do
It's worth being clear about a few things. The honesty is the whole point — it's what tells you the advice you'll get is the advice that's right for you, not the advice that bills most.
- No guaranteed rankings. Nobody can promise them — Google's algorithm changes constantly, and any provider making that claim is overstating what they control.
- No charging for things you don't need. A sole-trader plumber in a quiet market town needs a very different approach to a builder competing in Edinburgh city centre. I'll tell you what's worth doing for your situation.
- No long lock-in contracts. If what we're doing isn't working or isn't worth the cost, you should be free to stop. I'd rather keep things straightforward.
- No jargon for the sake of it. You'll get plain answers on what's happening and why — not a report dressed up to look like more than it is.
SEO & AI search — worth knowing
Search is changing. More people are using AI tools and voice assistants to find local services, and while Google is still dominant, these are increasingly influential for local trade searches. The good news: the same foundations that help you rank on Google also help AI tools recommend your business — clear website content, accurate business information, local relevance and a solid review profile all contribute. There's no separate "AI SEO" strategy required; building your online presence properly covers both. The businesses that show up in AI recommendations tend to be the ones with the clearest, most consistent online presence — and that's exactly what I help you build.
SEO for tradespeople in Edinburgh
Edinburgh searches are local right down to the postcode. Someone in Leith looking for an electrician, or in Morningside needing an EICR, is searching for their bit of the city — not "Edinburgh" in general. The trick is simple: name the Edinburgh areas and EH postcodes you actually work in your page content, and you give Google a reason to show you for those exact searches.
SEO for tradespeople in Scotland
Scotland-first, town by town. A joiner in Glasgow and a roofer in Fife aren't competing for the same searches — so each town you cover earns its own local content, written for the people searching there. Cover five towns properly and you've got five genuine chances to be found, instead of one vague page that ranks nowhere.
SEO for tradespeople in the rest of the UK & Ireland
I'm Edinburgh-based, but I build for trades right across the UK & Ireland — and the same local-content principle applies wherever you work. Write the town and the trade into the page and you'll rank for it; that holds just as true in Manchester or Belfast as it does in Leith.
Why local focus is crucial: Google rewards pages that genuinely name the place and the trade. Generic "we cover everywhere" pages don't rank — the place and trade have to be there in the content for the search to find you. That's the whole game, and it's why each area you work in deserves its own words on the page.
Beyond your website
Your website is the core, but it's not the whole picture. Google reads signals from across your entire online presence when deciding how to rank you locally — and a few well-maintained profiles, with consistent details and genuine reviews, will do more for your visibility than most paid advertising.
- Google Business Profile — the single most important thing outside your website for local search
- Consistent name, address and phone number everywhere they appear
- Facebook business page — kept consistent with your other details
- Checkatrade, Rated People, MyBuilder, TrustATrader — relevant directories with reviews
- Instagram — particularly useful for visual trades: landscaping, joinery, kitchens, bathrooms
- Online reviews — on Google, Checkatrade, wherever your customers are most active
You don't need to be everywhere — just consistent where it counts. For more on how local search works for trades, this article on what makes a trades website work covers the foundations, and this explains why Facebook alone isn't enough.
What trades say about working with Gary
Prefer to do it yourself?
Not every tradesperson needs a full ongoing SEO service. If you're handy and willing to put the time in, there's a lot you can do yourself — and I'm happy to give you a steer rather than charge for something you could manage on your own. If what you actually need is guidance — what pages to create, what to write, how to get more reviews, which directories are worth being on — get in touch and I'll point you in the right direction. That kind of practical advice doesn't need to cost much. Grab the free DIY checklist and the odd monthly tip below.