JTANDY Blog: Websites & Local SEO Guides for Trades
How to get found on Google, get chosen over the next firm and get the phone ringing. Written by me, the way I'd explain it over a brew.
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 5 min read
Search "plumber near me" and three businesses sit on a map at the top. Here's how Google picks them, and what you can do to be one of them. Read more: How to get your business into the Google map results
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by James Tandy / / Hiring help / 3 min read
Six months, a few thousand pounds and still no calls? Here are the warning signs I'd look for, and the questions I'd ask any SEO before paying them a penny. Read more: How to spot an SEO cowboy before you pay them
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 3 min read
People are finding your website but the phone isn't ringing. Here's a ten-minute check you can do on your own phone to find out where they're dropping off. Read more: Why your website isn't bringing in enquiries
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by James Tandy / / Research / 5 min read
Directories appeared often in these OpenAI answers. That's worth investigating, but it doesn't show whether paying for a listing helps your business get recommended. Read more: Checkatrade was cited in 67.5% of my AI plumber searches
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by James Tandy / / Getting leads / 11 min read
What Checkatrade really costs tradespeople in 2026: how the tailored pricing works, the 12-month catch, and the sums to run before you sign. Read more: Checkatrade Cost in 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 7 min read
Do you actually need a website in 2026? A straight answer for small businesses: when you do, the three cases where you don't, and what Facebook can't do. Read more: Do I Need a Website for My Business? A Straight Answer
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by James Tandy / / Getting leads / 9 min read
How Checkatrade works in 2026, for homeowners and for trades: the vetting, the reviews, how enquiries flow, who pays, and what it means for your business. Read more: How Does Checkatrade Work for Tradespeople? (The Full Picture)
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 9 min read
How to choose a web design agency in the UK: the questions that expose a bad one in ten minutes, ownership traps, and how to compare quotes properly. Read more: How to Choose a Web Design Agency (Without Getting Burned)
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by James Tandy / / Getting leads / 11 min read
Is Checkatrade worth it for tradespeople in 2026? An honest review: when membership pays for itself, when it doesn't, and the alternatives. Read more: Is Checkatrade Worth It? An Honest Look for Trades
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by James Tandy / / Getting leads / 9 min read
Marketing for tradesmen that actually fills a diary: 12 practical ways UK trades get more work in 2026, ranked by effort and payoff, no agency waffle. Read more: Marketing for Tradesmen: 12 Ways to Get More Leads
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 8 min read
What actually happens during a website project: the stages from brief to launch, what's normal, where projects stall, and your job as the client. Read more: The Web Design Process: What to Expect From an Agency
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 9 min read
What website maintenance costs in the UK in 2026: real monthly figures for DIY, freelancers and care plans, what's actually included, and what to skip. Read more: Website Maintenance Cost UK: What You Should Pay
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by James Tandy / / Getting leads / 14 min read
Paying per lead, shared three ways, margin disappearing. Here is the honest arithmetic on buying roofing leads versus building visibility you own. Read more: Should You Buy Roofing Leads or Build Your Own? The Honest Maths
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 14 min read
Most electrician websites bury EV charger work on a services list. Here is how UK electrical contractors win the searches they are quietly missing. Read more: Electrician SEO: Ranking for EV Charger Installation and Rewires
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 15 min read
Your profile exists but never appears in the map pack. Here are the six usual causes, how to diagnose each one, and what you can honestly influence. Read more: Google Business Profile for Trades: Fix the Six Things That Stop You Ranking
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 11 min read
An honest local SEO timeline for UK trades: what happens in month one, month three, month six and month twelve, and the warning signs it is not working. Read more: How Long Does Local SEO Take for a Trade Business?
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 16 min read
How UK roofing enquiries are really won on Google: what homeowners search, how the map pack picks its three winners, and why timing decides the rest. Read more: How Roofers Get Found on Google: The UK Local Search Guide (2026)
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 12 min read
An honest answer to 'is SEO worth it for small business', including the five cases where I would tell a trade not to buy it at all. Read more: Is Local SEO Worth It for a Trades Business?
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 15 min read
The real UK price bands for Local SEO, what each one buys you, and how to tell a fair quote from an expensive one. Read more: What Local SEO Actually Costs in the UK (And What You Get for It)
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 13 min read
Four types of UK roofing website, what each one gets right and wrong, and the elements that actually turn a visitor into a quote request. Read more: Roofing Website Examples: What Wins the Quote Request
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 14 min read
How UK plumbers win emergency call-outs from search: map pack urgency, a page per service, Gas Safe trust signals and answering the phone. Read more: SEO for Plumbers: The Emergency Call-Out Advantage
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by James Tandy / / Local SEO / 14 min read
Location pages either earn a ranking or they are doorway pages. Here is the test, how many are justified, and why fifteen of mine are deliberately hidden from Google. Read more: Service Area Pages for Trades: The Line Between Ranking and a Doorway Page
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by James Tandy / / Websites / 14 min read
How much does a website cost UK? Real 2026 prices: what £19 a month buys, freelancer and web design agency rates, and the three-year sums nobody shows you. Read more: How Much Does a Website Cost UK? (2026 Prices)