06/06/2025 | SEO
If you run a home improvement business – whether that’s fitting kitchens, laying driveways, designing gardens, or installing bathrooms – your next customer is probably already searching for someone like you. The question is: will they find you, or your competitors?
Search engine optimisation (or SEO) is what helps your business appear when people search online for the services you offer. And when it comes to home improvements, it’s local SEO that really makes the difference – because most people want someone nearby. They’re not just searching “kitchen fitter” – they’re searching “kitchen fitter in Leeds” or “loft conversion near me”.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the practical, expert-backed local SEO tactics we use with our clients every day – with a focus on home improvement businesses here in the UK. If you’re looking to get more visibility in your area and generate more quality leads, this one’s for you.
Why local SEO matters for home improvement businesses
When someone needs a new bathroom, a conservatory or a resin driveway, they don’t want to scroll through listings for companies who are based hundreds of miles away. They want someone local. That’s why you’ll see search terms like “bathroom installation in Harrogate”, “double glazing near me” or “driveway installer Wakefield”.
Local SEO helps you get in front of those people – right when they’re looking. It means your business shows up in map listings, search result pages, and directory listings, giving you a better chance of being chosen over national chains or other local competitors.
It also builds trust. If your business pops up consistently online, with strong reviews and clear contact details, people are more likely to see you as credible and reliable. Even if your work comes mainly through referrals, people will still check you out online before picking up the phone. A strong local presence helps reinforce that word-of-mouth trust.
The essential elements of local SEO for UK home improvement businesses
1. Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
This is your most valuable (and free) local SEO tool. Your Google Business Profile is what shows up in the “map pack” – those prominent local listings that appear at the top of search results when someone looks for a service in your area.
If you haven’t already, claim your listing. Then make sure it’s fully optimised with:
- Your correct business name, address and phone number (NAP). Consistent with your business name elsewhere online.
- Opening hours and the areas you cover.
- A detailed description that includes what you do and where you do it (e.g. “kitchen designer in Leeds”).
- High-quality photos and videos of your work, your team, your vans or your tools.
- Plenty of reviews from happy customers – and responses from you to match.
We help our clients get this right from the start so they’re more visible in local searches and more appealing to potential customers.
2. Use local keywords (and speak your customers’ language)
Keywords are how search engines connect people’s questions with the answers you offer. For local SEO, the magic happens when you combine service keywords with location-specific terms.
That means using phrases like “garage conversion in West Yorkshire” or “double glazing installer in Halifax” in your page titles, headers, meta descriptions and content. It’s important to use natural language – not just stuffing keywords in for the sake of it – and to stick with UK-specific terminology.
When written well, these keywords help search engines understand what you offer – and help potential customers know they’ve found exactly what they’re looking for.
3. Get your website working hard
Your website is your digital shopfront. It doesn’t need to be flashy – but it does need to work properly and reflect your brand consistently.
First, make sure it’s mobile-friendly and loads quickly. Most people will be viewing it on their phone, and they won’t stick around if it’s slow or hard to use.
Second, make your location and contact details easy to find – ideally on every page. Your site should clearly show what you do, where you work and give people clear next steps for contacting you.
Third, use something called LocalBusiness schema – a bit of behind-the-scenes code that helps Google understand your business type and location. We often implement it for clients to improve local rankings.
Finally, create separate, detailed pages for each of your services. So, if you offer bathrooms, en-suites, and washrooms, give each one its own page. This makes it easier for search engines to rank you for each service – and gives visitors the exact information they need.
Local SEO for home improvement businesses in action: Watertight Bathrooms
We worked with Watertight Bathrooms, a Leeds-based bathroom installation company that offers high-quality, premium services. When they first came to us, their website didn’t reflect that at all. It was outdated, clunky to use, and not mobile-friendly – the kind of site that put people off rather than pulled them in.
They were being outranked on Google by smaller, less experienced competitors. Despite doing excellent work, they were practically invisible online. The site lacked keyword optimisation, had poor structure, and wasn’t doing anything to support their reputation or generate leads.
We stepped in and gave the whole thing an overhaul. That meant:
- Redesigning the website to make it mobile-friendly and easier to navigate
- Creating dedicated service pages with strong local keywords
- Clarifying their messaging and elevating the look and feel to reflect their quality
- Optimising the site with proper on-page SEO and technical tweaks
- Developing a search strategy that positioned them as a leading local provider
The results? A huge uplift in local visibility, a noticeable increase in quality enquiries, and a brand presence that finally matched the standard of their service. Now, when someone searches for a bathroom designers in Leeds, Watertight Bathrooms is right where they should be – front and centre.
4. Be listed in trusted local directories
Appearing in the right directories helps you show up in more places – and sends positive signals to Google about your credibility. It covers all bases and gets your name in front of people who use referral sites alongside search engines:
- Yell.com
- Thomson Local
- Checkatrade
- Rated People
- TrustATrader
- Houzz UK
Make sure your NAP details are consistent across all listings. Even small differences – like “Road” vs “Rd” – can limit your visibility.
Also look for local opportunities, like council-run business directories, regional trade groups or community websites. These kinds of local citations help strengthen your presence in your area.
5. Create local-focused content
Website content doesn’t just help with SEO – it builds trust, shows you know your stuff, and gives people a reason to stay on your website. For home improvement businesses, it allows you to showcase your workmanship in all its glory and inspire customers for their own projects.
Focus on topics that are useful and relevant to your local audience. That might be:
- “Top 5 tips for planning a kitchen renovation in Wakefield”
- “Best materials for driveways in the UK climate”
- A blog post showing a recent project in a local town, with before-and-after photos
- Articles mentioning local events, suppliers or community projects you’ve supported
You don’t need to create fresh webpages every week – just aim to create helpful, relevant content that speaks to your audience and reflects where you work.
6. Build local links and partnerships
Backlinks – links from other websites to yours – are one of the strongest signals search engines look at when deciding how trustworthy your site is.
You don’t need links from big national sites. Local links carry a lot of weight. We have seen clients get backlinks from:
- Local suppliers or builders’ merchants
- Community websites, blogs or local newspapers
- Sponsorships – such as local sports teams, school events or festivals
These links help boost your rankings, build your reputation and sometimes even send direct traffic your way.
7. Manage your reviews and reputation
Reviews are a huge part of how people judge your business – and they influence your search visibility too. Customer reviews are social proof and signal that a business provides quality products or services to search engines. Google values the authenticity of reviews as a source of fresh, user-generated content, rich in relevant keywords.
Encourage your customers to leave reviews on:
- Trustpilot or Reviews.io
- Review platforms like Checkatrade
Make the process easy and send a follow-up email or text with a direct link to your review page. And always reply – even to negative reviews. A calm, professional response can turn a bad review into a positive impression.
Managing your reputation online shows potential customers that you care and helps build trust before they’ve even met you.
Common local SEO mistakes for home improvement businesses to avoid
I’ve worked with a lot of home improvement businesses over the last 10 years – and no matter the size or specialism, I see the same issues crop up. They might seem small on the surface, but they can have a big impact on how visible (or invisible) your business is online.
1. Google Business Profile left unclaimed or half-finished
If your Google Business Profile isn’t claimed, verified or properly filled out, you’re missing a huge opportunity to show up in local searches – especially on maps. Even if you’ve claimed it, leaving out key info like service areas, a business description or photos means you’re not making the most of it. It can look unprofessional to potential customers.
2. Website content copied from competitors or too generic to stand out
We get it – writing your own content isn’t easy. But copying and pasting from another company’s website or using vague, generic text like “we offer quality service at competitive prices” won’t do you any favours. Google favours unique, relevant content – and so do your customers. Your website should sound like you, reflect the work you do, and speak directly to the people you want to reach. It should tell people why you’re the better choice than your competitors.
3. Sparse or outdated content
A website that hasn’t been updated in years – or only has a handful of pages and the same images used repeatedly – sends the wrong message. It can make your business look inactive or behind the times. Google also looks at how fresh and relevant your content is when deciding where to rank you. Adding new content regularly, whether that’s project updates, blog posts or service pages, shows that your business is active, trustworthy and worth ranking.
4. The website doesn’t work properly on mobile
More than half of all website visits happen on a mobile device. If your site doesn’t load quickly, doesn’t resize properly or is fiddly to use on a phone, you’re losing potential customers. Google also takes mobile performance into account when deciding where you rank – so a poor mobile experience affects both your visitors and your visibility.
5. Business name or contact details inconsistent across directories
Even small differences in how your business name, address or phone number appears online can cause confusion – both for Google and for your customers. If one listing says “ABC Bathrooms Ltd” and another says, “ABC Bathrooms Leeds”, Google might treat them as different businesses. Make sure your NAP (name, address, phone number) is consistent everywhere – from Google to Yell to your local council directory.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Local SEO isn’t a one-time job. It’s something you build up steadily – and the results grow over time. Get it right, and you’ll see more visibility, more leads and more of the right kind of customers coming your way. Ignore it, and you’ll miss out on customers.
Consider your website like a physical showroom – you wouldn’t set it up once and leave it there to get dusty, worn and tired. You’d clean and maintain it, refresh the displays and make sure it was in good repair. Your website health – including SEO – should be treated the same.
If you’d prefer to focus on the job at hand and leave the SEO to someone else, we’re here to help. We work with home improvement businesses across Yorkshire to improve their SEO and drive long-term results.
Want to find out how your business is doing locally? Get in touch for a local SEO audit or consultation – no pressure, just honest advice.