Marketing for tradies: what actually brings in jobs

You're good at what you do. The problem is that being good doesn't make the phone ring on its own. Here's the marketing that actually brings in jobs for tradies, and the order to do it in.

Why most tradie marketing doesn't bring in jobs

Nobody needs a plumber until the moment they really, really need a plumber. Then they grab their phone, search Google, look at the map and the reviews, and call someone.

So the marketing that wins jobs is the marketing that's there at that moment. A logo on the ute is nice. A business card on a corkboard is nice. Neither shows up when someone searches "electrician near me" at 7pm on a Sunday.

Start with your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the listing that shows up in Google Maps and the map results. In our view, it's the most important piece of marketing most tradies have, and it's often half finished.

Get verified

Google says Customers can only find your business profile on Google after you complete verification. Unverified means invisible. Do this first.

Working from home? Hide your address

Most tradies go to the customer, not the other way round. Google's setup guide is clear: if you don't have a storefront where you receive customers, you must hide your business address. You set up as a service area business and list the areas you cover instead.

Fill in everything

Google says Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results. That means the right categories, your services, your hours (including holiday hours) and your phone number.

Add real photos of your work

Google's photo tips suggest you Capture photos of your team providing different types of service to customers. Before and after shots, the team on site, the finished job. Not stock photos of a smiling model holding a spanner.

Get reviews from every job

When people compare tradies on Google, they read the reviews. Google also says More reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking. So reviews help you get found and get picked.

The trick is asking. Happy customers mean to leave a review and forget. Google suggests asking customers to visit a Google link or scan a QR code, so make it one tap: send the link by text after every job, and keep a QR code in the ute.

Reply to every review, good and bad. Google's review tips say to keep replies short, honest and personal, and that a prompt response shows you value your customers' feedback.

And stay on the right side of the rules. The ACCC says it's against the law to create fake reviews or arrange for others to, and that any incentive for a review must apply whether it's positive or negative, and be clearly disclosed. Google goes further and prohibits offering incentives for reviews at all. So no "five stars for ten percent off".

Our reputation management service sets all this up for you. Review requests go out by text and email after every job, and every review gets a reply. It runs on Lumero, our review software, which is included free for Loud Yak clients.

A website that works on a phone

Your customers are searching on their phones, often standing next to the leaking tap. Google itself uses the phone version of your site to decide where you rank. In Google's words, it uses the mobile version of a site's content, crawled with the smartphone agent, for indexing and ranking.

A tradie website that brings in jobs doesn't need to be fancy. It needs:

• Your phone number at the top, tap to call.
• A page for each service you want to be found for.
• The suburbs or areas you cover, spelled out.
• Photos of real jobs and your reviews.
• A short quote form that works with a thumb.

Every Loud Yak website is built mobile first, with a dashboard so you can change your hours or run a special without calling a developer.

Local SEO: getting into the map

When someone searches for a trade near them, Google shows a map with a handful of businesses first. Getting into that map is what local SEO is for.

Google says Local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Google's page explains popularity under the heading prominence: how well known your business is, which Google says is based partly on how many websites link to you and how many reviews you have.

You can't move your depot closer to every customer. So the work goes into relevance and prominence: a complete profile, service pages on your website, reviews, and mentions on other websites. And no, you can't skip it with a credit card. Google says There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google.

Google Ads: calls this week, not next year

Local SEO takes time. If you need the phone ringing now, Google Ads can put you at the top of the search results as soon as your campaigns go live. We explain the mechanics in how Google Ads works.

For tradies, three settings make or break it:

• Location targeting. Google lets you target a radius around a location, so you only show up where you'll actually travel.
• Negative keywords. These stop your ads showing on searches containing words like "jobs", "apprenticeship" or "DIY". Those clicks never turn into work.
• Call tracking. Google Ads can track calls made from your ads and calls to the number on your website, so you know which ads brought in jobs.

Our Google Ads management is built around exactly that: searches from people ready to hire, in the areas you serve, with every call tracked.

Answer fast, or someone else will

All the marketing in the world is wasted if the enquiry sits in your inbox until Thursday. In our experience, people often contact more than one tradie, and the first one to reply properly is often the one who gets the job.

You're on the tools all day, so build a system rather than relying on willpower:

• Text back missed calls straight away, even if it's just "On a job, will call you at lunch".
• Reply to quote requests the same day, even if the full quote takes longer.
• Follow up quotes a few days later. A polite nudge wins jobs that silence loses.

The order we'd do it in

1. Google Business Profile: verified, complete, with real photos.
2. Reviews: ask after every job, reply to every review.
3. Website: fast, phone-first, a page for each service.
4. Fast follow-up: so the enquiries you already get turn into jobs.
5. Local SEO: to win the map for the jobs you want most.
6. Google Ads: when you need more calls than SEO is bringing in yet.

Social media, letterbox drops and sponsoring the local footy club can all help. They just work better once the basics above are doing their job, because the first thing anyone does after seeing your name is look you up on Google.

FAQ

What is the best marketing for tradies?

For most tradies, it's showing up on Google when someone nearby searches: a complete Google Business Profile, plenty of recent reviews, a phone-friendly website and local SEO. Google Ads helps when you need calls quickly.

Do tradies need a website if they have a Google Business Profile?

We'd say yes. Your website is where you list every service and area in detail, it's a page you control, and it's where your Google Ads clicks should land.

Can I hide my home address on Google?

Yes, and if you don't serve customers at your address, Google says you must. Set up as a service area business and list the areas you cover instead.

Can I offer a discount for Google reviews?

No. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, and the ACCC says any incentive must apply to positive and negative reviews alike and be clearly disclosed. Just ask every customer, every time.

Sources

1. Google Business Profile Help: Sign up for Business Profile
2. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
3. Google Business Profile Help: Tips for business-specific photos
4. Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more Google reviews
5. ACCC: Online reviews for products and services
6. Google Search Central: Mobile site and mobile-first indexing best practices
7. Google Ads Help: Target ads to geographic locations
8. Google Ads Help: About keyword matching options
9. Google Ads Help: About phone call conversion tracking