Contents
- 1. Fix Your Title Tags: The Door Sign of Your Pages
- 2. Meta Descriptions: The Teaser for Your Listings
- 3. URL Slugs: Make Your Links Readable
- 4. Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Organise Your Content
- 5. Image Alt Text: Describing Your Work
- 6. Internal Linking: Guide Prospects Around
- 7. Mobile Speed: No One Waits for a Slow Van
- 8. Mobile-Friendly Design: Fit to Smaller Screens
- 9. Schema Markup: Speak Google's Language
- 10. Regular Content Updates: Keep It Fresh
- Putting It All Together: Your Weekly SEO Checklist
- Get Your DIY SEO Sorted
You’re ace at tiling, wiring, or welding, but when it comes to SEO, you’re stuck in the toolbox. No worries—that’s why we’ve put together ten DIY SEO quick fixes you can handle between call-outs. Think of these as the spanners and spirit levels of the digital world: basic tools that make a massive difference. Grab your phone, fire up your laptop on the van’s Wi-Fi hotspot, and let’s get your website working as hard as you do on-site.
1. Fix Your Title Tags: The Door Sign of Your Pages
Title tags are like the sign above your van door—they tell Google and visitors what service you offer. If your homepage tag reads “Home”, you’re invisible. Change it to:
How to:
In WordPress, install a plugin like Yoast SEO.
Under “SEO → Titles & Meta,” enter your custom title.
Keep it under 60 characters so it doesn’t get chopped off.
2. Meta Descriptions: The Teaser for Your Listings
Meta descriptions are the blurb under your title in search results. They don’t affect ranking directly, but a good one boosts clicks.
Example:
Tips:
Include your main keyword (“emergency plumbing [Your Town]”).
Keep it under 160 characters.
End with a clear call-to-action: “Call now,” “Get a free quote.”
3. URL Slugs: Make Your Links Readable
Your page URLs should be as clear as a well-marked toolbox. Instead of /page?id=123, use:
How to:
In WordPress, edit the “Permalink” below your page title.
Use hyphens, lowercase letters, and include the service + location.
4. Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Organise Your Content
Headers are the scaffolding of your page. Treat H1 as your page title, H2s as main sections, and H3s as subsections.
Example Structure:
Quick Fix:
Make sure you have exactly one H1 per page.
Use H2s to break up content into scannable chunks.
5. Image Alt Text: Describing Your Work
Search engines can’t see photos—but they can read alt text. Every image of your tiling or rewiring should have descriptive alt text:
Why It Matters:
Improves accessibility.
Gives you a chance to include keywords naturally.
DIY Tip: Right-click an image in WordPress’s Media Library, click “Edit,” and add the alt text field.
6. Internal Linking: Guide Prospects Around
Treat internal links like direction signs at a building site. Link related pages:
From your blog post on “Preventing Frozen Pipes” link to your services page:
“For professional pipe insulation, visit our Winter Plumbing Services.”
How to:
Edit your post or page in WordPress.
Highlight the text, click the link icon, and paste the target URL.
7. Mobile Speed: No One Waits for a Slow Van
If your site loads in 8 seconds, you’re losing customers faster than a leaky tap drains a bucket. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test and follow its top two recommendations (usually image compression or caching).
Quick Wins:
Compress images with TinyPNG.
Enable caching via a plugin like WP Super Cache.
Minify CSS/JS with Autoptimize.
8. Mobile-Friendly Design: Fit to Smaller Screens
Most searches for “plumber near me” happen on phones. Ensure your site is responsive:
In WordPress, choose a modern, mobile-friendly theme.
Test using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
Make your “Call Now” button sticky at the bottom of the screen.
9. Schema Markup: Speak Google’s Language
Schema tells search engines exactly what your content means. For trades, start with LocalBusiness schema:
Tip: Use the free Schema Markup Generator and paste the output into your site’s header.
10. Regular Content Updates: Keep It Fresh
Google loves active sites. Even a quick 300-word seasonal update keeps you relevant:
Winter: “How to Prevent Burst Pipes This Winter”
Summer: “Top Tips for Garden Decking Maintenance”
DIY Routine:
Block out one hour each month.
Update an old post or add a short new one.
Share it on your social channels to boost traffic.
Putting It All Together: Your Weekly SEO Checklist
Title & Meta Check: Update one page’s title tag and meta description.
URL & Headers: Clean one URL and verify H1/H2 structure.
Alt Text Audit: Add alt text to three images.
Internal Links: Add two links between related pages.
Speed & Mobile: Run a PageSpeed test and fix one issue.
Schema Snippet: Implement or tweak your LocalBusiness schema.
Content Refresh: Update or add a 300-word seasonal post.
Thirty minutes to an hour every week, and you’ll see your site climb in the local pack faster than you can cloak a radiator.
Get Your DIY SEO Sorted
No fancy agency needed—these ten on-site quick fixes will give your website the tune-up it needs to capture more calls and quote requests. Think of SEO like maintaining your tools: a little care every week prevents breakdowns and keeps your pipeline flowing.
At SEO For The Trade, we help UK tradies implement these exact tactics and more. If you’d rather focus on site work than site audits, give us a bell or drop us an email. Let’s get your DIY SEO running like a well-oiled machine—no spanners required.