SEO is one of those terms that gets thrown around a lot and explained poorly. Most explanations are written for marketers, not for someone who spends their days on tools and on site. So let's start from the beginning.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It means making your business easier to find on Google. That's all it is.
Local SEO is a specific slice of that — it's about getting found when someone nearby searches for what you do. Think "electrician Bristol" or "roofer near me." That search has local intent. The person isn't looking for an article about roofing; they want someone who can come to their house this week.
That's your customer. And local SEO is how they find you.
How Local Search Actually Works
When someone searches for a tradesperson on Google, they typically see two things: a map with a handful of business listings (called the "Local Pack"), and below that, regular website results.
The Local Pack is prime real estate. It shows your business name, rating, location, phone number, and a link to your website. Getting into those top three spots for your service in your area is genuinely life-changing for a small trades business. Plenty of contractors have filled their diary on Google Maps alone.
Below the map, the standard search results show websites. This is where having a well-structured site with the right content pays off — it puts you in front of people who scroll past the map, or who search in a way that doesn't trigger it.
Both matter, and they work together.
Why Local SEO Is Different from General SEO
General SEO often focuses on high-traffic topics and national or global audiences. If you're writing articles to get traffic from across the country, that's general SEO — and it's competitive, slow, and not especially useful for a trades business that only works within 30 miles of home.
Local SEO is targeted. You're not competing with every tradesperson in the country — you're competing with the ones in your area. And most of them are not doing much online at all. The bar to outrank them is lower than you'd think.
This is the opportunity. You don't need to be an SEO expert. You need to do the basics well — and then do them consistently.
Five Things That Affect Your Local Ranking
Here are the factors that actually move the needle for a local trades business.
1. Google Business Profile
This is your listing on Google Maps. If you haven't claimed it, you need to do that today. A complete, accurate, regularly updated GBP is the single biggest factor in local search ranking. Google wants to show businesses it trusts are real, active, and relevant. Your profile is how you demonstrate that.
2. Your Website with Proper Service Pages
Google reads your website to understand what you do. If your site has a single page saying "we do plumbing," that's vague. A site with a dedicated page for boiler installation, a separate page for emergency callouts, and another for bathroom fitting tells Google exactly what services you offer — and it can match you to the right searches.
3. Location Pages
If you cover multiple towns or areas, a dedicated page for each one helps enormously. A page titled "Electrician in Swindon" with content about the work you do there tells Google you serve that area — not just the town where your business is registered.
4. Customer Reviews
The volume and quality of your Google reviews affects both your ranking and your click-through rate. A business with 47 reviews at 4.8 stars is going to get chosen over a competitor with 5 reviews at 4.0, even if they appear in the same spot. Reviews also give Google fresh, trust-building signals about your business.
5. Schema Markup
Schema markup is code on your website that tells Google exactly what type of business you are, what services you offer, and where you're located — in a format Google can read directly without interpreting it. Most website builders don't include proper schema markup. When yours does, it's a meaningful advantage over competitors who don't have it.
The Honest Picture
If you have a good Google Business Profile, a structured website with service and location pages, and a steady flow of customer reviews, you will outrank most of your local competitors. Not because you've done anything mysterious — just because they haven't bothered.
Most tradespeople don't do any of this. Which is exactly why it's such an opportunity for the ones who do.
At DCS, I build sites for trades businesses that are structured specifically for local SEO — correct schema markup, proper service pages, location content, and everything that Google is actually looking for. Get in touch if you want to talk through what your business needs.