Marketing for Tradies: 12 Quick Wins to Land Jobs Free

The Fastest Ways to Win More Work Without Wasting Time or Money

Before you spend a cent on tradie SEO, ads, or branding, you've got to capture the easy wins that most tradies miss - this is the stuff no agency tells you, but it's where the quick growth lives.

If you're a plumber, electrician, or builder running a trade business in suburbia, chances are you're flat out. You're busy on the tools, quoting jobs, chasing payments, and marketing feels like another job you don't have time for.

But what if there were a list of things that put you ahead of your competition quickly?

Welcome to your marketing for tradies blueprint.

Below are the real marketing moves you can make today, even on a tight budget, to grow faster, get more leads, win more jobs, and build a more profitable tradie business. These are practical, proven tactics that work.

1. Know Your Tradie Keywords - And If You're Ranking for Them

You can't rank for what you don't know. Knowing your keywords is the first step toward controlling your online visibility. If you're unsure what your core keywords are, that's the first gap.

For a plumber, it might be:

• Plumber near me

• Plumber in Sydney

• Emergency plumber Melbourne

• Toilet repair Brisbane

• Blocked drain Canberra

Use a tool like SE Ranking to plug in your service and suburb, and see what comes up.

Action Step

Make a list of your top 5 keyword phrases per service. Then Google them and ask:

• Are you showing up?

• Is your website listed?

• Are your competitors showing?

If you're not displaying for your keywords in Google search engine, you've found a priority area. Rank = relevance = revenue.

2. Fix Your Tradie Website Speed and Mobile Experience

Google prioritises sites that:

• Load fast

• Work flawlessly on mobile

• Are easy to navigate

Use PageSpeed Insights to test your site. Most tradie sites fail here.

Action Step

If your site is:

• Slow (over 3 seconds)

• Not responsive on mobile

• Clunky to use

Then it's time to fix it. A faster website = better rankings = more jobs.

3. Replace Broken Forms with Instant Chat

Online forms are outdated, and many don't even work. If your form is broken or slow, you're leaking jobs. Instant chat converts leads faster and makes you look more professional.

Action Step

Replace your contact form with a live chat system that responds instantly. Our AI Tradie Chat is built precisely for this. But at a minimum, test your current form - if it doesn't work on mobile or takes more than 3 seconds to load, it's a liability.

Your next job could start with one AI-powered message - here’s how

4. Build a Google Review System That Runs Daily

Most tradies forget this step. And it's costing them local leads.

Google reviews are your #1 local ranking factor. If you do good work and don't ask for reviews, you leave money on the table.

Action Steps

1. Ask every happy customer for a review at payment time. The exact moment they say, "Thanks mate, good job," you say, " I really appreciate it. Would you mind if I texted you the link to leave a review?"

2. Then reply to each review using service + suburb keywords: "Thanks, Sean. I'm glad we could help with your emergency plumbing in Vaucluse!"

This reinforces your authority in Google's eyes.

5. Swap Backlinks With Other Trusted Tradies

Google loves sites that are part of a trusted network. You can build this yourself.

In your blog articles, say, "We’re often asked who we trust for landscaping, building, moving, carpentry, excavating, etc. Here’s a list of top-quality tradies we’ve worked with."

This way, the backlink is editorial, natural, and helpful - exactly what Google wants.

Action Steps

• Make a blog post, "Trusted Tradies We Recommend in Sydney" and link to 3–5 mates.

• Ask them to do the same.

• Use tools like Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker to check who's linking to whom.

Backlinks aren't just about SEO. They're about building genuine local partnerships.

6. Park Your Signwritten Vans in High-Visibility Spots

This is free advertising you're already paying for but not using correctly.

Action Steps

• Ensure all vehicles are clearly branded with service, location, and phone number.

• Park in high-traffic zones (like the entrance to town or near Bunnings) during the day.

• Line up your fleet neatly outside the office after hours.

Think of every van as a moving billboard. Use it.

7. Use Local Search and Yellow Pages Strategically

People think Yellow Pages is dead. It's not, it's just underpriced attention.

Action Steps

• Buy the top spot in Yellow Pages or Local Search for your suburb. It's usually cheap.

• Pro tip: Buy two listings to take up the entire top section.

You'll win clicks from people who still search this way, and it will boost your local SEO through stronger domain signals.

8. Repurpose Your Reviews Across Your Social Media

Don't let great reviews sit idle. Share them.

Action Steps

• Take screenshots of Google reviews

• Overlay your branding and post on Facebook, Instagram, and even your tradie website

• Add captions like "Another emergency job sorted. Cheers for the review, Paul!"

It builds social proof fast and demonstrates that loyal customers trust you.

Check out the All-in-One Reputation Management Software Birdeye.

9. Post Real Job Photos Every Week

The market doesn't know your world. Every tap fixed, every trench dug proves you're doing the work.

Action Steps

• Snap photos of your team arriving at jobs, doing installs, or wrapping up work

• Post on socials or include in blogs

• Add captions with keywords and suburbs

This also helps with AI visibility - proving to Google and users you're a real local business.

10. Get Listed on High-Domain Local Classifieds

Sites like Oneflare, HiPages, TrueLocal, and ServiceSeeking already rank well.

Action Steps

• Sign up with the top 3 that show up for your keywords

• Optimise your listings with photos, reviews, and service areas

• Use a tool like Moz Domain Authority Checker to prioritise

11. Audit for Toxic Backlinks

Bad backlinks can sink your rankings.

Action Steps

• Use a tool like SEMrush Backlink Audit

• Identify spammy backlinks from overseas or unrelated sites

• Disavow them or request removal

Don't let someone else's dodgy SEO tank your visibility.

12. Check Your SEO Competition - Then Piggyback

Search your top keywords and see who ranks.

Action Steps

• List your top 10 SEO competitors for key services

• Find which directories, sites, or blogs are linking to them

• Get listed there, too

If they've already spent years building authority, ride the wave and get your business on the same page.

Final Takeaway

This blueprint is a street-smart marketing plan for real tradies in real suburbs.

Start with this checklist:

1. Do I know my keywords?

2. Is my website fast and mobile-friendly?

3. Do I ask every happy customer for a Google review?

4. Am I turning my vans into lead machines?

5. Am I showing up where my competitors are?

Once those are in place, that's when you scale.

If you want help implementing these, reach out to Tradie Agency. We're not just designers, we build systems that make sales and win jobs on autopilot.

Good tradies are busy. Great tradies are booked out. The difference is systems.

We build the digital system behind Australia’s fastest-growing trade businesses.

• Book more jobs, faster

• Win loyal, high-paying customers

• Be #1 in your local market

Check your Growth Score now – it’s free.

Talk soon,
Jack – Founder, Tradie Agency
tradieagency.com
The website, SEO, and AI system behind Australia’s top tradies