Short answer
Tradies win on Google through the map pack and service pages, not blog posts. Get 3 things right: a verified Google profile in the right category, steady reviews, and a page for each main service. Ads for “plumber auckland” cost about $12.52 a click (ex GST, Oct 2026), so free results are worth the work.
- The map pack (the map with three businesses) is where most tradie calls start.
- Your primary Google category is the top map-pack factor in Whitespark’s 2026 survey.
- In our experience, a steady trickle of reviews beats a big burst once a year.
- One page per service, with real job photos, usually beats one page that lists everything.
Where do tradie jobs come from on Google?
Tradie jobs come from three places on a Google results page: the paid ads marked “Sponsored”, the map pack with three local businesses, and the normal results below. SEO wins you the map pack and the normal results without paying per click.
Take a search like “electrician Glen Eden”. Here’s what the paid spots cost in Auckland. Every free click from the map pack or normal results is one you don’t pay for.
| Search | Searches a month | Cost per click (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|
| plumber auckland | 2,900 | ~$12.52 |
| electrician auckland | 1,000 | ~$8.10 |
| builder auckland | 1,000 | ~$6.90 |
| roofer auckland | 880 | ~$24.99 |
| landscaper auckland | 320 | ~$10.59 |
Google Ads data via DataForSEO, NZD, ex GST, pulled 3 Oct 2026.
Step 1: your Google Business Profile
Your free Google Business Profile drives the map pack. Whitespark’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors survey puts its primary category first. Listing your services rose to 22nd in the same survey, up from 81st in 2023.
Tradie profile checklist
- Primary category that finishes “this business IS a…”, e.g. Electrician or Plumber.
- Your real business name only. Keywords in the name can get the profile suspended.
- Hide your home address if customers don’t visit. Google asks service-area businesses to do this.
- Service areas limited to the places you can realistically serve.
- Every service listed, from hot water cylinders to switchboard upgrades.
- New job photos every month: before, after, and you on site.
- Accurate hours, including when you actually answer the phone.
Step 2: how many reviews do you need?
Aim for a steady few reviews every month rather than a big number once a year. In published local SEO tests, rankings tended to improve at around 10 reviews and could slip after a few weeks without new ones.
Ask every customer when the job is done. Send a direct review link by text. Our free review link and QR code tool makes one in a minute. Never pay for reviews or offer a discount for them. It breaks Google’s review rules.
Reply to every review in your own words. Mention the job and suburb where it fits naturally.
Step 3: service and suburb pages
A tradie website needs one page for each main service, because dedicated service pages are the top factor for local organic results in Whitespark’s 2026 survey. A page called “Heat Pump Installation West Auckland” can rank. A page saying “We do it all” usually can’t.
Don’t make 50 copies of one page with the suburb swapped. Google’s spam policies class that as doorway abuse. Build fewer pages, each with real local proof: job photos, the suburbs you’ve worked in, and a customer review.
What a good tradie service page shows
- The service and area in the title and heading.
- What the job involves and roughly how long it takes.
- Photos of jobs you’ve done in that area.
- Your licence or registration, such as LBP or EWRB, if you hold one.
- A review from a customer for that service.
- A phone-friendly contact form or tap-to-call button.
Should you pay for leads or do SEO?
Many tradies do both for a while: lead sites and ads bring work fast, while SEO builds something you own. SEO is slower. The map pack typically moves in 1 to 2 months, normal results in 3 to 6+ months. A common approach is to use lead sites while SEO builds, then rely on them less.
| Option | How you pay | Who owns it | When it stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead-gen sites | Per lead or subscription | The platform | When you stop paying |
| Google Ads | Per click, e.g. ~$12.52 for “plumber auckland” | Your account | When you stop paying |
| SEO | Setup and ongoing work | You: your site and profile | Keeps working, slowly fades if ignored |
Click price: Google Ads data via DataForSEO, NZD, ex GST, 3 Oct 2026.
Already busy? Why it still matters
When you’re flat out, SEO feels pointless. But busy seasons end. Steady enquiries let you pick the jobs, suburbs and prices you want. It also means the quiet months aren’t a scramble.
The work is small once it’s set up: a few photos a month, asking for reviews, and replying to them.
Where Web Smart HQ fits
We build websites for tradies with SEO set up and your Google Business Profile sorted. Business Plus is 5 pages for $899 + GST, with room for your main services and a project gallery. See pricing.
For ongoing local SEO, we quote after a quick look at your site and profile. Start with a free website check.