Prado Digital · Guide

SEO for tradies: the reviews part, done for you

This is the reviews part of your SEO, done for you after every job you mark done, for A$297 + GST a month. We don't build websites, run ads or sell an SEO retainer, so this page is about the one part of getting found on Google we take off your hands.

Picture a homeowner with water coming through the ceiling at 7am. They type the trade and "near me", look at the map, check the stars, read a couple of reviews and ring someone. Most of what people call SEO for tradies comes down to whether you're one of the businesses on that map, and whether what they read makes them ring you.

Below is how a tradie gets found on Google, what you can do yourself for free, and which bit we do. If you already know you want every customer asked without you lifting a finger, that's our Google review requests after every job, done for you.

How a tradie gets found on Google

Google's own help page says local results are "mainly based on relevance, distance and popularity". It explains the third one under the heading prominence, which it calls "how well-known a business is". In tradie terms, that looks like this.

Relevance is how well your Business Profile matches what someone typed. If your profile lists the work you actually do, Google has more to match against
Distance is how far you are from the person searching. You can't change where your yard is, so this one mostly looks after itself
Prominence is how well known you are. Google says this is "based on info like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have", and that "more reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking".

Google also says "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google." Nobody can buy you a higher ranking on the map.

So getting found comes down to four things you can do something about: your Google Business Profile, your reviews, your website and keeping your details the same everywhere.

The 80/20 of being found on Google, for a tradie

A lot of SEO advice is written for online shops with hundreds of pages. A tradie who works within an hour of home needs a much shorter list, and these are the few things that matter most, in the order we'd do them.

1. A real, verified Google Business Profile

This is the listing on the map with your name, stars, number and photos. Google says "You can add or claim your business at no charge".

Verify it, because Google says a verified profile is more likely to show up in search results. Fill in every part you can: your trade, the services you offer, your hours and photos of real jobs. Google says "businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results". If you work at customers' places and don't have a shopfront, Google's guidelines say to hide your address and set a service area instead. And keep it to one profile for the business, because Google says more than one "can cause problems".

2. Reviews that keep coming in

Reviews are what homeowners read before they ring, and Google ties them to prominence. In BrightLocal's 2026 survey of US consumers, 47% said they won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews, and 74% look for reviews written in the last three months. That's an American survey, and we haven't found a recent Australian one that asks the same thing, but the point holds anywhere: a profile that went quiet two years ago looks like a business that went quiet too.

Ask every customer after every job, so new reviews keep landing, and reply to each one. Google's tips page says "when you reply to customer reviews, it shows that you value their feedback". This is the part we do for you.

3. A clear website

A small website does the job, as long as it says what you do, where you work and how to reach you, with a phone number that's easy to find. Google's guidelines ask for "a website that represents your individual business location", and its starter guide for website owners says to write things your readers will find helpful and reliable. For a tradie, that's your services, the suburbs you cover, photos of your work and your number. If your website needs work, let us know and we can talk you through what you need and who is best to help you.

4. The same details everywhere

Google's guidelines say your name should reflect your business's real-world name, "as used consistently on your shopfront, website, stationery". For a tradie, that means the same business name and number on your profile, your website, your quotes, your invoices and the side of the ute. Google also asks for a phone number that's "under the direct control of the business", so use one you'll keep.

Which part we do

The profile and your details need to be kept updated monthly, and the website is what you have right now, kept current. Reviews never finish, because every job is a new review waiting to be asked for. That's the part we take on, plus updating your profile regularly.

What you can do on your own

You can do all four of these yourself, at no cost.

Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
Fill in your services, service area, hours and photos, and keep your hours right over the holidays
Get your review link or QR code from your profile. Google's tips page says you can ask customers "to visit a Google link or scan a QR code"
Ask every customer for a review once the job's done, happy or not, and never offer anything in return. Google's policy bans incentives for reviews and bans only asking the customers you expect to be happy
Reply to every review, the good and the bad. Our guide to how to respond to Google reviews has replies you can copy
Keep your business name and number the same everywhere.

The first two and the last one are mostly done once. Asking and replying are the ones that slip, because they need doing after every single job, at the exact moment you're packing up and thinking about the next one. Then a week goes by, and it feels awkward to ring back about it.

What SEO automation means for a tradie

Change the details to suit, and write each one fresh. Readers can spot a copy-and-paste reply, so put their name and the actual job in every one.

What can run by itself

Asking after every job. The request goes out once the job's marked done, under your business name, with a link straight to your Google review page.
Reminders. People who meant to leave a review and forgot get a gentle nudge, and the nudges stop once they click or opt out.
Replies. Each new review gets a reply, so nothing sits unanswered.
Showing your reviews. Your newest Google reviews can show on your own website and update by themselves.

What can't

Being good at the job. No message can get a good review out of a customer who had a bad day with you. The reviews follow the work.
A real profile. Your profile has to be your real business, with your real name, number and service area, verified by you.
Real customers. Every review has to come from someone you actually worked for. Google's policy bans paid reviews and content "not based on a real experience".
Your call on the tough ones. When a hard review comes in, you're the one who knows what happened on that job.

If someone sells you SEO automation that writes reviews, only sends the request to happy customers or offers a discount for five stars, walk away. Google bans all three.

The reviews part, done for you

You finish the job and mark it done. From there, your customer gets a friendly message under your business name asking how it went, then a link to leave a Google review, with up to three reminders if they forget. Your customers from the past year who were never asked get asked too, slowly and never all at once, so you're not starting from zero.

Every new review gets a reply written for you. When a tough one comes in, it's your call: answer it yourself, or a calm standard reply goes out. Your newest reviews show on your website, and five-star ones can go out on your social pages. Every customer gets asked the same way, nobody gets filtered out and nobody gets a reward, which keeps you on the right side of Google's rules.

Your part is giving us access once and marking jobs done. It's live within 72 hours of us getting what we need, and the how it works page shows each step.

It costs A$297 + GST a month (A$326.70), with no setup fee. That's less than one small job a month. It's month to month and you can cancel any time, and your reviews stay on your Google profile if you stop. The pricing page lists everything that's included.

More Google reviews in your first 30 days, or your first month refunded in full, as long as you're finishing jobs and marking them done. The guarantee page has the full wording.

We're based on the Sunshine Coast, and we're after a handful of tradies we can look after properly. If you'd like to compare this with software you'd run yourself, Google review management for tradies lays the options side by side.

What nobody can promise you

Google's page on hiring an SEO says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google", and that if someone guarantees first place, you should find someone else. Its starter guide says there are no secrets that will automatically rank a site first, and that changes can take anything from a few hours to several months to show.

That's why our guarantee covers more Google reviews and nothing else, because reviews are the one thing we do. And if you need ads or a full SEO retainer, you'll want someone else for those. Google suggests asking anyone you're thinking of hiring questions like these

Can you show me examples of your previous work and share some success stories?
What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe?
How do you measure your success?
What's your experience in my industry?
How long have you been in business?

Ask us the same questions. Whatever the answers, the 30-day guarantee means we carry the risk and you don't. Meanwhile you get to find out.

SEO for your trade

SEO for tradies: the reviews part, done for you

COMMON QUESTIONS

What is local SEO for tradies?

It's getting your trade business to show up when people nearby search Google for your kind of work, mostly on the map. For a tradie, it comes down to a verified Google Business Profile, reviews that keep coming in, a clear website and the same business details everywhere.

Do Google reviews help my ranking?

Google says prominence is based partly on how many reviews you have, and that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. It doesn't say reviews alone will put you on top.

Can I pay Google to rank higher on Maps?

No. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

Can I do all this myself?

Yes. Setting up your profile, asking for reviews and replying are all free. The hard part is asking after every job, every week, which is the part we do for you.

Do you build websites or run Google Ads?

No. We do one thing, Google review requests after every job, with a reply to every new review. However we can guide you on your website if you get in touch.

How much does it cost?

A$297 + GST a month (A$326.70), with no setup fee. It's month to month and you can cancel any time.

Every customer asked, without you asking

You already do the work that earns good reviews. The gap is the ask, after every job, when you're flat out and the next job's waiting. Mark the job done, and your customer gets asked, reminded and answered, so your Google profile starts showing what you do every day. That's Google review requests after every job, done for you, for less than one small job a month.