How to get your tradie business on Google (the right way)
When someone needs a plumber at 7pm on a Sunday, they do not open a phone book. They type "plumber near me" into Google and call one of the first three results. If you are not in that list, you do not exist for that job. It does not matter how good you are.
Here is how to actually get there, in plain steps.
Step one: claim your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile is the free listing that shows your name, phone, hours, reviews and a map pin. It is the single most important thing for getting found locally, and it is more important than your website for most trade jobs.
Go to google.com/business and claim or create your listing. Google will verify you are real, usually by post or phone. Do not skip this. An unclaimed or unverified listing is a listing Google does not trust.
Step two: fill in every single field
Most tradies fill in half the form and wonder why they do not rank. Google rewards complete listings. That means:
- The right primary category. "Plumber," not "Contractor." Be specific. You can add extra categories too.
- Service areas. List the suburbs you actually cover. This is what Google matches against "near me" searches.
- Hours, including whether you do emergencies. If you take after-hours calls, say so.
- Photos. Real ones, of real jobs and your van. Listings with photos get far more clicks than ones without.
- Services. List them out. Hot water, blocked drains, gas fitting, whatever you do.
Step three: get reviews, and reply to them
Reviews are the biggest lever you can pull. A business with 40 reviews at 4.8 stars beats a business with 3 reviews every time, even if the work is identical.
The trick is to ask, every time, while the job is fresh (the full playbook is in how to get more Google reviews). The customer is happiest the moment you have fixed their problem. A simple text with a direct link to your review page, sent that afternoon, will get you more reviews than any clever tactic. Then reply to each one, good or bad. Google watches whether you engage.
This is exactly the kind of thing that should run on autopilot. A good system texts the review link the day after a job is marked complete, so you never have to remember.
Step four: connect your website
Once your listing is solid, your website backs it up. When someone taps through from Google, a fast, clear website with your services and a booking or contact button turns the click into a job. A slow or broken site sends them back to the next result.
The two work together: the listing gets you found, the website closes the deal.
The mistakes that bury you
- Different phone numbers or business names across your listing, website and Facebook. Google reads inconsistency as a sign you might not be legitimate. Keep it identical everywhere.
- A fake or stuffed business name like "Best Cheap Emergency Plumber Sydney." Google penalises this now.
- Letting the listing go stale. No new photos, no replies to reviews, hours that are wrong. A dead listing slides down the rankings.
Want it handled?
Getting found on Google is not hard, but it is fiddly and it never really finishes. It is the part we take off your plate: we set up the listing properly, connect it to your website, and keep it current so you stay in that top group. Have a look at how it works or book a free chat.