GBP Guides and Tips for Trade Businesses
Practical advice on Google Business Profile optimisation from the team at Local Markers. We write about the ranking factors, mistakes, and strategies that actually move the needle for plumbers, electricians, builders, roofers, and other trade businesses across the UK.
Every article below is written from what we see in real GBP audits — not theory. Whether you manage your own profile or want to understand what a specialist does differently, these guides give you the detail without the jargon. Browse by topic or start with our most recent posts.
How Google Maps Works for Tradespeople
Google Maps and Google Search rank local businesses differently. Here is how each one works and what it means for tradespeople who want to be found.
Read article →Google Reviews vs Checkatrade Reviews. Which Matter More?
Google reviews and Checkatrade reviews serve very different purposes. One drives visibility and rankings while the other adds …
Read article →Google Local Services Ads vs Free GBP. Which Is Better?
Local Services Ads put you at the very top of Google with a paid Google Guaranteed badge. Your GBP does it for free. Here is how …
Read article →Setting Up Google Business Profile for a New Trade Business
Starting from zero reviews and no online presence? Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up your Google Business Profile as a …
Read article →How to Fill In Your GBP Services Section Properly
The services section in Google Business Profile directly affects which searches you appear for. Here is a step-by-step guide with …
Read article →GBP Photos: Exactly What to Upload and How to Do It
A complete guide to Google Business Profile photos for tradespeople. What categories to fill, technical specs, how to take great …
Read article →GBP Case Study: How a North Wales Plumber Tripled Calls
An anonymised case study showing how a North Wales plumber went from 20 profile views a month to over 200, tripled Google calls, …
Read article →GBP Case Study: An Electrician's Journey to the Map Pack
An anonymised case study following a Flintshire electrician from zero online presence to consistent map pack positioning and over …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Roofers
A step-by-step GBP guide for roofers covering categories, services, seasonal posting, before-and-after photo strategy, emergency …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Plumbers
Everything a plumber needs to set up and optimise their Google Business Profile to win more local work, from categories and …
Read article →Google Business Profile Guide for Painters & Decorators
A practical GBP guide for painters and decorators. covering categories, photo strategy, colour transformations, interior vs …
Read article →Google Business Profile for Multi-Trade Businesses
When you offer plumbing, building, and electrical work, managing your Google presence gets complicated. Here is how to handle …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Locksmiths
A locksmith-specific GBP guide covering emergency ranking, 24/7 availability setup, auto vs residential categories, fighting fake …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Landscapers
Everything a landscaper needs to know about Google Business Profile. from categories and seasonal content to before-and-after …
Read article →Google Business Profile Guide for Kitchen Fitters
Everything a kitchen fitter needs to know about Google Business Profile. from Kitchen Remodeler category and brand mentions to …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Heating Engineers
A heating engineer-specific GBP guide covering category choices, Gas Safe visibility, boiler brand keywords, seasonal posting …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Electricians
A full guide for electricians on setting up and managing their Google Business Profile, covering categories, NICEIC …
Read article →The Complete Google Business Profile Guide for Builders
A builder-specific GBP guide covering category selection, project photo strategy, long-timeline posting, quote request funnels, …
Read article →Google Business Profile Guide for Bathroom Fitters
A bathroom fitter's guide to Google Business Profile. covering Bathroom Remodeler category, before-and-after photo strategy, …
Read article →The 5-Minute GBP Audit You Can Do Right Now
A quick self-audit checklist to find the most common Google Business Profile problems. Check your name, categories, reviews, …
Read article →Do Google Ads Help Your Google Business Profile Rank?
The honest answer is no direct effect. But ads can help indirectly through brand searches and review generation. Here is when …
Read article →Checkatrade vs Google Business Profile. Where Should You Invest?
Checkatrade charges you monthly. Google Business Profile is free. But cost is only part of the story. here is a proper comparison …
Read article →Can I Have Two Google Business Profiles for the Same Business?
When multiple Google listings make sense, when they break the rules, and what to do instead if you offer several trades or cover …
Read article →Building a Review Machine for Your Trade Business
Most tradespeople know reviews matter but have no system for generating them. Here is how to build a repeatable process using …
Read article →How to See What Your Google Business Profile Competitors Are Doing
The tradespeople beating you in Google's map pack aren't guessing. Their profiles follow a pattern. Here's how to analyse your …
Read article →How to Rank in a Town You're Not Based In
Most tradespeople only rank in the town where their business address is registered. But with the right approach, you can show up …
Read article →Does Your Website Affect Your Google Business Profile Ranking?
Your Google Business Profile and your website are connected. and a weak website can limit how high your profile ranks. Here's …
Read article →Why Proximity Alone Won't Get You Into the Local Pack
Being the closest tradesperson to a customer doesn't mean you'll show up first in Google. Here's why proximity is just one of …
Read article →Google Posts That Actually Get Seen. A Guide for Tradespeople
Google Posts let you publish updates directly to your business listing. and most tradespeople never use them. Here's how to write …
Read article →What We Found When We Audited 50 North Wales Trade Business Profiles
We audited 50 Google Business Profiles for tradespeople across North Wales. The same problems appeared on almost every profile — …
Read article →Local Search Ranking Factors in 2026 — What Actually Moves the Needle
Google's local search algorithm uses dozens of signals to decide who shows up in the map pack. For North Wales tradespeople, …
Read article →How to Ask for a Google Review Without It Feeling Awkward
Three specific moments and exact scripts that make asking North Wales trade customers for a Google review feel natural. including …
Read article →How Many Google Reviews Do You Actually Need to Rank Locally?
Review count alone won't rank your North Wales trade business on Google. Recency, velocity, and response rate all matter. here's …
Read article →How to Set Up Messaging on Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile messaging lets customers contact you directly from your listing. no phone call needed. Here's how to set …
Read article →Google Keeps Suggesting Edits to Your Business Profile — Here's What to Do
Google lets the public suggest edits to your business profile — and sometimes applies them automatically. For North Wales …
Read article →How to Use the Products Section on Your Google Business Profile
Most tradespeople ignore the Products section on their Google Business Profile. Here's why that's a missed opportunity. and how …
Read article →How Google Reviews With Keywords in Them Help You Rank
When a customer writes "boiler repair in Rhyl" in their review, Google reads it as a relevance signal. Keyword-rich reviews …
Read article →Google Business Profile vs Yell vs Checkatrade. Which One Actually Drives Leads
Google Business Profile is free and generates the highest-intent trade leads in North Wales. Yell and Checkatrade serve a …
Read article →The Right Google Business Profile Categories for Plumbers
Most North Wales plumbers pick one GBP category and stop. The right primary and up to nine secondary categories unlock boiler, …
Read article →Why Your Google Reviews Stopped Coming In
Four common reasons a North Wales trade business stops receiving Google reviews. how to diagnose which one applies to you and how …
Read article →The Right Google Business Profile Categories for Electricians
Most electricians set one GBP category and stop. Adding the right secondaries unlocks EV charger, fire alarm, security, and PAT …
Read article →The Right Google Business Profile Categories for Builders
Most builders pick one GBP category. The right secondary categories unlock searches for extensions, loft conversions, …
Read article →What a Fake Google Review Can Do to Your Business — and How to Fight It
A fake one-star review can drop your rating and cost you calls from North Wales customers. Here's how to identify it, report it …
Read article →You're Busy Every Day — But Google Thinks You Don't Exist
Many tradespeople in North Wales are fully booked through word of mouth — and have almost no Google presence. Here's why that …
Read article →How Much Does Google Business Profile Management Cost in the UK?
GBP management prices in the UK range from free to £500+ a month. Here's what you actually get at each price point — and what to …
Read article →Managing Your Google Business Profile Yourself vs Paying Someone: An Honest Comparison
DIY GBP management is possible. But it takes more time than most people think — and less time than most people give it. Here's …
Read article →What Does a Google Business Profile Management Service Actually Do?
If you've heard of GBP management services but aren't sure what you'd actually get, here's exactly what happens — week by week.
Read article →How Trade Businesses in North Wales Are Losing Jobs to Competitors on Google
Read article →We're Based in North Wales. We Work With Businesses Anywhere. Here's Why That Works.
Google's local ranking algorithm doesn't change depending on where your optimiser sits. The signals that get a plumber in …
Read article →Why Your Google Business Profile Isn't Showing in the Map Pack
Four common problems stop North Wales trade businesses appearing in the Google map pack. incomplete profiles, low review counts, …
Read article →How Google Decides Which Businesses Show in the Map Pack
Ever wondered why your competitor shows up in Google's map pack and you don't? It comes down to three factors. and understanding …
Read article →Why Your Business Details Need to Match Everywhere Online
Your business name, address and phone number appear in dozens of places online. If they don't all say the same thing, Google …
Read article →How to Keep Your Google Business Profile Hours Accurate
Incorrect business hours on Google are one of the most common causes of wasted calls and lost trust. Here is how to keep yours …
Read article →How Google Business Profile Works If You Don't Have a Business Address
Many sole traders and small trade businesses operate from home or a vehicle with no separate commercial premises. Google Business …
Read article →How to Respond to Negative Google Reviews Without Making It Worse
A bad review feels personal. The way you respond to it is one of the most visible things a potential customer will ever see. Here …
Read article →How to Read Your Google Business Profile Insights
Google gives you free performance data for your Business Profile. Most trade businesses either do not know it exists or do not …
Read article →Why Google Suspends Business Profiles and How to Get Reinstated
A suspended Google Business Profile disappears from Search and Maps without warning. Understanding why it happens is the first …
Read article →How to Write a Google Business Profile Description That Works
Your business description is 750 characters to tell Google and potential customers exactly what you do. Most trade businesses …
Read article →How to Use the Google Business Profile Q&A Section
Every Google Business Profile has a public Q&A section. Anyone can post a question and anyone can answer it. including you. …
Read article →How to Set Your Service Area on Google Business Profile
Your service area setting tells Google where you work. Set it incorrectly and you miss searches in towns you drive to every week.
Read article →How Google Posts Can Help Your Listing Rank Higher
Google Posts are short updates that appear directly on your listing in Search and Maps. Most trade businesses have never …
Read article →How to Choose the Right Google Business Profile Category
Your primary category is the single biggest signal you give Google about what your business does. Most tradespeople pick the …
Read article →How to Get More Reviews on Google (The Tradesperson's Guide)
Reviews are the most powerful ranking factor you control. A plumber with 40 reviews beats a plumber with 4, almost every time. …
Read article →7 GBP Mistakes Tradespeople Make (And How to Fix Them)
Most tradespeople set up a Google Business Profile and forget about it. Then wonder why the phone's quiet. These are the seven …
Read article →Why GBP Photos Matter More Than You Think
Most tradespeople treat their Google Business Profile photos as an afterthought — a few blurry shots uploaded once, never touched …
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