Websites For The Trades: What do I need to do to rank on Google in my local area?

You know what, we get it. You're trying to grow your business but clients aren't consistently coming through, it's a right pain in the arse. Stick with us for 5 minutes, and we'll tell you everything you need to know when it comes to getting ranked on Google and converting people through your website.

Pick The Right Keywords

If you want your website to show up when people search for your trade, you need to use the words they are actually typing into Google. It sounds simple but most people get it wrong.

Think about what your customers would search for if they needed your services. If you are a plumber, they may not be searching for "expert plumbing solutions," they will type in things like:

• "toilet repairs near me"
• "shower installations Witney"
• "emergency plumber Andover"
• "boiler servicing Rutland"

The key is to cover both cases, on your homepage use your general trade, but then have a list of dedicated services pages within your website, breaking down your services by what you deliver for your clients.

Local SEO: Be Seen In The Right Places

Google needs to know where you operate. If you only mention one massive town with lots of competition you are not going to rank as highly. Try to break down your locations that you serve to small geographical pockets, ideally with no more than about 100,000 people. The more precise you can go, the more effective this will be.

We would recommend applying this principle to the last point we made too, so have a location page for every dedicated service you offer. This will soar you up the Google rankings within months.

Website Speed Is Everything

2 seconds. That's how quickly your website needs to load. And no, that's not just for you, that's for everyone. You aren't able to sell 24/7, that's what your website does for you. A slow website will lead to clients leaving and finding a competitor, so you need to make sure you load in under 2 seconds for everyone.

It's very easy to test, go to Google Pagespeed Insights, put in your website URL and make sure you come back with 90+ scores on the 4 metrics at the top, and that your Largest Contentful Paint score is below 2-3 seconds. If it isn't, something's wrong.

Check out our blog on Google Pagespeed Insights to find out more.

Google Business Profile: The Quickest Way To Get Found

If you are not on Google Business Profile (GBP), you are doing something massively wrong. It's the easiest way of giving yourself a presence on Google, and takes no time at all to setup. Here is what you need to do:

1. Set up a Google Business Profile if you have not already
2. Add your business name, address, website URL and phone number (make sure the information matches your website)
3. Add all your services with proper keywords as we mentioned above
4. Upload photos of your work, and make sure they are high resolution
5. Get customers to leave 5 star Google reviews – the more you have, the higher you rank
6. Post updates about jobs you have done and any special offers

Doing these things will help you rank higher in local searches and bring in more work.

Getting Website Visitors To Actually Contact You

Getting people onto your site is only half the battle. You need them to actually pick up the phone or send a message. Here is how you do that:

Make It Easy To Contact You

• Have a big phone number at the top of every page
• Use a simple contact form that does not ask for too many details
• Add a "Click to Call" button for mobile users

Reduce the friction between finding out about you and getting in touch.

Show That You Are Trustworthy

• Display real customer reviews on your site
• Add example photos of your work throughout the website
• Have a section about who you are and why you are good at your job, including a picture of your face

Want Us To Handle It?

If this sounds like too much effort, we can do it all for you with prices starting at £179/mo. If you want to speak to us about your website, you can book a call here or send an email to hello@testvalleydigital.com.