Website SEO Checklist for Trades
A practical run-through of the things that actually make a difference to whether local customers find you and get in touch. Work down it in order — the early items are worth far more than the later ones.
1. The basics that get you found locally
Google Business Profile claimed and filled in
Correct trade category, phone number, opening hours, service area and at least a few photos of real jobs.
Your business name, address details and phone number match everywhere
Website, Google, Facebook and any directories should show the same phone number and business name, character for character.
The phone number on your site is a tap-to-call link
On a phone it should dial straight away, not make someone copy it out.
Your main town or city appears in the homepage title and opening lines
Written naturally — 'Electrician in Liverpool', not a list of every town within fifty miles.
2. Pages that can actually rank
One page per service you want work from
A single 'Services' page listing eight things rarely ranks for any of them. Give the big earners their own page.
Area pages only where you genuinely work
Each one needs real, different content — jobs you've done there, travel times, local quirks. Thin copies get ignored.
Every page has one clear H1 heading
It should say what the page is about in plain words, not 'Welcome'.
Page titles are unique and front-load the topic
Under about 60 characters, with the service and place near the start.
Meta descriptions read like a sentence, not a keyword list
Around 150 characters, written to make the right person click.
Internal links between related pages
Link your service pages to each other and to your contact page using descriptive wording.
3. Trust signals on the page
Real photos of your own work
Before and after shots beat stock images every time. Compress them so they load quickly.
Reviews shown on the site, not just on Google
A few genuine quotes with first names near your enquiry form.
Qualifications, memberships and insurance visible
Whatever applies to your trade — put the logos where people can see them without scrolling far.
A face and a name
People are hiring a person. A short 'about' section with a photo does more than another paragraph of sales copy.
4. Making it easy to enquire
A way to contact you visible without scrolling
Phone number in the header, and a button that says what happens next.
A short enquiry form
Name, contact detail, and what they need. Every extra field costs you enquiries.
Form submissions actually arriving
Test it yourself once a month. Broken forms are the single most common problem I find.
WhatsApp or text option if that suits your customers
Plenty of people will message when they won't ring.
5. Technical health
The site loads quickly on a phone on mobile data
Test it away from your wi-fi. Large uncompressed images are usually the culprit.
Everything works on a small screen
No sideways scrolling, no tiny text, buttons big enough to tap with a thumb.
Secure connection (the padlock in the address bar)
Browsers warn people off sites without it.
No broken links or missing pages
Especially after a redesign — old page addresses should redirect to the new ones.
Google Search Console connected
It's free, and it tells you what people searched before they landed on you.
A sitemap submitted to Search Console
Helps Google find every page rather than stumbling across them.
6. Keeping it going
Ask for a review after every good job
A steady trickle beats twenty reviews in one week and then nothing for a year.
Add new work to the site every month or two
Even a few photos and two lines of description keeps the site looking alive.
Check your details are still right
Hours, service area, phone number. They drift over time.
Look at Search Console once a month
Ten minutes tells you which pages are getting seen and which are invisible.
Where to go next
Guides that go deeper on the items above.
How local search results are decided.
The steps to being indexed and found.
Most of your visitors are on a phone.
The pages and sections worth having.
How I build sites for trades.
See how your current site measures up.
Website SEO Checklist for Trades
A one-page checklist covering the things that genuinely help a trade website get found and turn visitors into calls. No fluff, no jargon — just what to check and why it matters.
Turn an outdated website into a trust-building enquiry machine.
Send your website link and I'll review it for trust, clarity and enquiries — then design a free homepage concept showing how it could look.
Or call 07960 020 613