Marketing for tradies that actually books jobs.
The complete Australian playbook for plumbers, sparkies, builders, roofers and franchise networks. Get more leads from Google. Convert 3x more of the leads you already have. Stop paying for enquiries that go to voicemail.
Every profitable Australian trade business runs these five things.
Ignore the shiny stuff. These five channels drive 90% of leads for every plumber, electrician, builder, roofer and landscaper in Australia earning $1M+ per van.
1. Google Business Profile + reviews
The #1 source of local leads for any tradie. Weekly 5-star reviews, keyword-rich responses, service-area optimisation. See the reputation playbook.
2. Google Ads on buying-intent keywords
Not brand awareness — 'emergency plumber [suburb]', 'blocked drain [suburb]', 'electrician near me'. Immediate leads, measurable ROI.
3. Conversion-tuned website
Pricing visible above the fold, 60-second lead form, phone number in the header, trust badges. Not a portfolio — a lead machine.
4. Missed-call text-back + AI call answering
The average tradie misses 30–50% of calls. Every missed call is a lead your competitor books. Fix this before scaling ad spend.
5. Repeat-work + reactivation campaigns
Your existing customer list is worth more than your ad budget. SMS reminders, service anniversaries, seasonal offers.
Bonus: SEO content for long-term compounding
Suburb pages, service pages, buyer-guide content. Slower than ads but the traffic is free forever once it ranks.
More leads won't fix a leaky bucket.
Before spending another dollar on ads, fix these five leaks. Most Australian tradies find a 2–3x revenue lift here without touching their marketing budget.
Missed calls
30–50% of tradie calls go to voicemail. 85% of those callers never call back — they call the next tradie in the search results.
Slow web-form response
A lead that waits 5 minutes is roughly half as likely to convert. Waits an hour, one-tenth as likely. Most tradies reply next day.
No pricing on the website
The #1 reason visitors bounce. Not because your price is too high — because uncertainty is worse than a high price.
No review request system
You do great work but nobody sees it. Your rating is 4.3 while the tradie across town is at 4.9. Guess who Google shows first.
No follow-up on quotes
The average tradie sends a quote and then… nothing. A 3-touch follow-up sequence lifts quote conversion 40–60%.
No repeat-work engine
Your best future customer is your last customer. Zero SMS. Zero reactivation. Zero anniversary offers. Money left on the table.
Marketing channels, broken down.
SEO for Tradies
The 3–6 month plan to dominate Google Local Pack and organic search in your suburbs.
Read guideGoogle Ads for Tradies
Which keywords to bid on, what to pay per click, and the ad copy that books jobs.
Read guideCRM for Tradies
The lead-tracking, follow-up and repeat-work system every tradie should own.
Read guideReputation & Reviews
Automated 5-star Google review requests with smart routing.
Read guideMarketing for Plumbers
Trade-specific plays for Australian plumbing businesses.
Read guideMarketing for Electricians
Trade-specific plays for Australian sparkies.
Read guideMarketing for tradies — your questions.
What is the best marketing for tradies in Australia?
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The highest-ROI marketing stack for an Australian tradie is: (1) a conversion-tuned website with pricing visible and a 60-second lead form, (2) a fully optimised Google Business Profile earning weekly 5-star reviews, (3) Google Ads targeting emergency and buying-intent keywords in your service suburbs, (4) missed-call text-back and AI call answering so no lead ever hits voicemail. Social media, letterbox drops and vehicle wraps are secondary — start with the four above.
How much should a tradie spend on marketing?
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Most profitable Australian trade businesses spend 5–10% of revenue on marketing once established. In the growth phase (year 1–3) 10–15% is normal. The bigger lever is conversion rate: a business converting 40% of leads at $2,000 average job value gets 4x more revenue from the same ad spend as one converting 10%. Fix conversion first, then scale spend.
Do Facebook and Instagram ads work for tradies?
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For emergency and reactive work (blocked drain, hot water failure, electrical fault) Facebook and Instagram are inefficient because intent isn't there — people search Google when the pipe bursts. For planned work (kitchen renovation, solar install, new build electrical, landscaping) social ads can work with strong before/after creative and lead-form campaigns. Google Ads and SEO should always be the base layer.
How long does marketing take to work for a tradie?
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Google Ads and Local Services Ads produce leads within 24–48 hours of launch. Google Business Profile improvements show up in 2–6 weeks. SEO for competitive tradie keywords takes 3–6 months for meaningful ranking, 6–12 months for domination. Reputation-driven referral and repeat work compounds over years.
What's the biggest marketing mistake tradies make?
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Chasing more leads before fixing lead response. The average Australian tradie misses 30–50% of inbound calls and never follows up on web enquiries within an hour. Doubling ad spend doubles the leaks. Fix missed-call text-back, AI call answering and web-form response first — usually a 2–3x revenue lift with zero extra marketing spend.
Should tradies do their own marketing or outsource it?
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The strategy and creative should be owned (you know your customers). The execution — Google Ads bid management, GBP posting, review automation, website updates, SMS follow-up sequences — is worth outsourcing to a specialist. Generalist marketing agencies rarely understand the tradie sales cycle; look for tradie-specific providers.
Ready to stop leaking leads?
Book a free discovery call and we'll map the exact marketing plan for your trade business.