Free download
The Local SEO Checklist for Trades
The 22 things that decide whether your business shows up when someone nearby searches for your trade. It's the same list we work through in paid audits — printable, tickable, no jargon.
Most trades can tick fewer than half. That's not a scare line — it's why the Google Map Pack is winnable for whoever fixes these first.
What's on it
All 22 points, right here
Google Business Profile — the fastest win
- Profile claimed and verified
- Primary category is your exact trade ("Plumber", not "Contractor")
- Every service listed, each with a short description
- 10+ real photos of your work — add more monthly
- Opening hours accurate, including holidays
- Phone number matches your website exactly
- Service areas list the suburbs you actually cover
- One post a month minimum — a job, a review, an offer
Reviews — the biggest ranking lever
- Ask every satisfied customer, the same day
- Send a direct review link, not "find us on Google"
- Aim for two or more new reviews a month
- Reply to every review within a week
- Happy customers asked to mention trade + area
Your website
- Loads in under 3 seconds on a phone
- HTTPS — the padlock shows
- Click-to-call number at the top of every page
- A page for each service you offer
- The towns you serve named in real sentences
- Name, address and phone identical to your GBP
Consistency across the web
- Same details on Yell, Checkatrade, Facebook and other directories
- No old addresses or numbers left anywhere
- Facebook page details match your GBP
No secrets held back — the PDF is the same list in printable form. If working through it raises questions, the GBP Score Checker scores the profile section for you in two minutes, and the full audit is free.