For plumbers, electricians and heating engineers, a small number of correctly structured reviews outperforms a large number of thin ones. High-intent local searchers do not read 200 reviews — they scan the top three and call. This is what to make sure those three say.
Encourage job-type detail
Ask the customer to name the actual job — 'replaced immersion heater', 'traced buried leak under kitchen floor'. Long-tail terms in reviews rank the profile for the same searches.
Named engineer, named suburb
'Dave came out to Perton within 90 minutes' is worth 10 generic 'great service' reviews for local pack ranking. Coach engineers to leave a business card with the review invitation.
Same-day invitation, no exceptions
Trades work is emotional — the boiler was broken, now it is not. The gratitude window closes fast. Same-day beats next-day 3:1 in trades.
- Named engineer in the invite
- Same-day timing
- Photo of the finished job encouraged
- Reply within 24 hours
Emergency-callout reviews
'Answered at 11pm on a Sunday' is the highest-converting phrase in trades reviews. If you offer emergency callout, prompt for the time of call in the invitation.
FAQ
Should I list on Checkatrade too?
Yes, alongside a verified platform. The two feed different search behaviours. Do not rely on Checkatrade alone — no rich-results schema on your own site.
Are photo reviews worth the ask?
In trades, absolutely. A before/after photo pair converts local searchers at up to 3× the text-only baseline.
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Discussion (2)
- Priya S.· 2 days ago
Really practical breakdown — the four-part reply structure is now on our till-side crib sheet. Thank you.
- Dan (Cannock Plumbing)· 5 days ago
Went from 12 reviews to 47 in three months following almost exactly this playbook. It works.