Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
The map results at the top of local searches come from Google Business Profile, and it is free. Claim your listing, then complete every field: categories, services, service area, hours, phone, photos of real work, and a link to your website. Most local businesses stop at half-done, which is why a complete profile alone often jumps ahead of them.
Collect reviews relentlessly
Reviews are the strongest local ranking signal you can influence and the first thing customers read. Build a habit: after every good job, send a short message with your review link. Reply to every review, including the awkward ones — replies are read by future customers, not past ones.
Say what you do and where you do it — on the page
Google cannot rank you for 'electrician in Stockport' if neither word appears on your website. The fix is honest copywriting, not keyword stuffing: a homepage headline that names your trade and area, a page per main service, and your towns listed where customers can see them. Write for the customer; the rankings follow the clarity.
Get the technical basics right once
Fast loading, working on mobile, one clear heading per page, titles and descriptions that name your trade and area, and an XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console. None of this is exotic — every website Reflow builds ships with it — but a site missing these basics fights with one hand tied.
Consistency matters too: the same business name, address and phone number on your website, Google profile and directories. Mismatched details quietly erode Google's confidence in showing you.
What to ignore for now
Directory submission packages, guaranteed-ranking cold calls, and anyone offering hundreds of backlinks for £50 — all either useless or harmful. A complete Google profile, steady reviews and a clear fast website will outperform every shortcut being sold to you.