The tradie marketing playbook

The biggest mistake tradies make

It is not a bad website or the wrong keywords. It is not running ads at all, or trying it yourself for a few weeks, deciding it does not work and giving up. That decision is what keeps good tradies on the tools instead of running a business. Done properly, marketing is a machine that turns a known amount of money into a known number of jobs.

Step 1: be where people search

When a pipe bursts, nobody scrolls Instagram. They search Google, or ask an AI assistant, and call one of the first businesses they see. That is why trades suit search better than anything else. Our two best tradie results both came from search:

• OL Plumbing: around 30 leads a month, roughly 15 from SEO and 15 from Google Ads, on a low ad spend (client reported).
• Steve Blake Concreting: 63% of website traffic from organic search, and more than 10 enquiries a month (client reported).

Step 2: Google reviews

Both of those clients benefited heavily from Google reviews. Reviews decide who gets the call in the map pack, and they are what AI assistants repeat when someone asks for a recommendation. Ask every happy customer, on the day the job is finished, with a direct link. Reply to every review, good or bad.

Step 3: Google Ads for leads this week

SEO is the foundation; Google Ads is the fuel. Ads put you at the top of the search from the first week, while SEO builds underneath.

• What a lead costs: around $50 for most trades on Google Ads in Melbourne in 2026, in our accounts. See our cost per lead benchmarks.
• Minimum spend: $50 a day. Less than that and there is not enough data to tell what works.
• Track calls and forms, so the budget goes to the searches that book jobs, not the ones that just click.

Step 4: SEO that compounds

A page for every service you want more of, and for the suburbs you actually cover, each written properly for that service and that area. Copying one page with the suburb name swapped does not rank. We have rebuilt plenty of those after other agencies. Add your Google Business Profile, fast mobile pages and click-to-call on every page.

The first enquiries from SEO often come in the first one or two months from quick wins. See how long SEO takes for the full timeline.

Step 5: Meta ads, for the right trades

Facebook and Instagram ads work for trades where people can be prompted before they search: cleaning, painting, landscaping, renovations. Cleaning businesses can get leads for $10 to $20 on Meta. Electricians, plumbers and similar trades usually see $20 to $50. For emergency trades, search still wins.

Step 6: call back in 10 minutes

This is the habit that doubles everything above. A lead who called three tradies will book the first one who calls back.

• Call every new lead back within 10 minutes.
• No answer? Try again, up to five times, over the next days. Text between calls.
• Write down every attempt, so nobody falls through the cracks.

If you are on a roof all day, have the calls go to someone who is not, or use a service that answers for you. A lead you paid $50 for is worth nothing if it goes to voicemail and never gets a call back.

What it costs

A realistic starting point for a tradie: SEO from $1,450 a month, or Google Ads at $1,450 a month plus about $1,500 in ad spend. Both together from $2,950 plus ad spend. All prices exclude GST. Our pricing guide compares this with what other Melbourne agencies charge.

Tradie offer, until 31 December 2026: start a 6 month SEO package and we build your website free. Already have one? We replace it without losing your rankings.

Common questions

What is the best marketing for tradies?

Search. People look for trades on Google and AI assistants when they need them, so Google Ads, SEO, a Google Business Profile and Google reviews bring in most jobs. Meta ads work well for some trades, such as cleaning and painting.

How much does a lead cost for a tradie?

In our accounts, around $50 a lead on Google Ads for most trades in Melbourne in 2026. On Meta, cleaning businesses can get leads for $10 to $20, and trades like plumbing and electrical usually pay $20 to $50.

How quickly should a tradie call back a lead?

Within 10 minutes. If they do not answer, try again up to five times over the following days. Most leads book the first business that calls them back.

Sources. OL Plumbing and Steve Blake Concreting lead figures are client reported; Steve Blake traffic share from the client's Google Analytics 4. Cost per lead ranges are WEDEE's working benchmarks, November 2026.