You are great at your trade. Marketing is the problem.
You did not become a plumber, electrician, or builder to spend your evenings worrying about Google rankings. But in 2026, the tradespeople who market themselves properly get the best jobs, the best customers, and charge the best rates. Here is what we hear every week:
Paying £10-50 per lead with zero brand equity
You are handing Checkatrade, MyBuilder, or Bark a chunk of every job. They build their brand with your money. When you stop paying, the leads stop instantly. You own nothing.
A white van with a phone number is not a strategy
Your entire marketing is a van wrap and word of mouth. That worked in 2010. In 2026, customers Google everything before they call. If you are not showing up online, your competitor is.
Competitors ranking above you on Google Maps
You have been trading for fifteen years, but some bloke who started last year is top of Google Maps in your area. He is not better than you. He just has a better Google Business Profile.
Feast or famine: too busy or no work
One month you are turning jobs down. The next you are chasing invoices and wondering where the phone calls went. Without a pipeline, your workload is entirely at the mercy of chance.
Happy customers who stay silent
You have done brilliant work for hundreds of people, but they never leave a review. Meanwhile, the tradesman with 200 Google reviews gets every new enquiry in the area.
Byter Academy's Trades Marketing course gives you the exact system to stop renting leads and start owning your pipeline. Built for tradespeople, not marketing graduates.
Curriculum
What you'll learn
Six modules curated from our best marketing tracks, specifically tailored for tradespeople. 30+ lessons, 12+ hours of practical content.
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
Get your business to the top of Google Maps. Optimise your profile, build citations on Checkatrade, Yell, and FreeIndex, and rank for searches like 'plumber near me' in your area.
Google Ads & PPC
Run Google Ads that bring in leads for under £20 each. Learn campaign structure, location targeting, call-only ads, negative keywords, and how to measure your cost per lead properly.
Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram)
Use Facebook and Instagram ads to reach homeowners in your area. Target by location, interests, and demographics. Run before-and-after campaigns that convert browsers into enquiries.
Content Strategy & Planning
Plan your content so you are not scrambling for ideas. Build a simple system for photographing jobs, posting consistently, and turning your best work into a portfolio that sells for you.
Email Marketing Mastery
Build an email list of past customers and stay top of mind. Send seasonal reminders, maintenance tips, and follow-ups that generate repeat business and referrals on autopilot.
Review Management
Build a review machine that runs without you thinking about it. Learn when to ask, how to ask without being awkward, and how to turn five-star reviews into your best marketing asset.
Featured Module
The Lead Independence Playbook
Understand the real cost of every lead source and build a marketing system that you actually own.
Checkatrade vs Your Own Website vs Google Ads
We break down the actual cost per lead from Checkatrade (£15-50), MyBuilder (£10-30), Bark (£5-25), running your own website with SEO (£0-5 once established), and Google Ads (£8-20). See the numbers side by side so you can decide where your budget goes.
When Directories Actually Make Sense
Directories are not always bad. If you are starting out, they generate leads fast. We show you when to use them, when to reduce your spend, and at what point your own pipeline should take over completely.
Building Your Own Pipeline
The end goal: a website that ranks on Google, a Google Business Profile that dominates your area, a review engine that runs on autopilot, and a follow-up system that converts enquiries into booked jobs. We build this with you step by step.
Featured Module
Google Local Services Ads
The green tick badge that sits above every other search result. If you are a tradesperson and you are not using Local Services Ads, you are leaving the easiest leads on the table.
The Google Guaranteed Badge
How to get verified, what documents you need, and why this badge builds instant trust with customers who do not know you yet.
How LSAs Work for Trades
Unlike Google Ads, you pay per lead, not per click. We cover how the bidding works, how to set your budget, and how to dispute bad leads.
Pay-Per-Lead vs PPC
A direct comparison of Local Services Ads versus traditional Google Ads. When to use each, and how to run both together without cannibalising your own budget.
Getting Set Up
A walkthrough of the entire application process. Background checks, insurance verification, licence uploads, and profile optimisation for maximum visibility.
Featured Module
The Review Machine
Reviews are everything for trades. A tradesperson with 150 five-star Google reviews will always beat one with ten, regardless of who does better work.
Why reviews are everything for trades
When someone needs a plumber at 7pm on a Tuesday, they are not reading your website copy. They are looking at your star rating and how many reviews you have. We show you why reviews outperform every other marketing channel for tradespeople.
How to ask without being awkward
Most tradespeople hate asking for reviews. We give you scripts, templates, and a simple system that feels natural. A text message with a direct link, sent at the right moment, is all it takes.
Timing: ask when the customer is happiest
For a plumber, that is the moment the leak is fixed. For a builder, it is when you hand over the finished kitchen. For a cleaner, it is when they walk into a spotless house. We map the perfect review moment for every trade.
Google vs Trustpilot vs Checkatrade reviews
Google reviews help your SEO ranking. Checkatrade reviews help you on that platform. Trustpilot builds general credibility. We show you where to focus first and how to spread reviews across platforms strategically.
Featured Module
The Van-to-Brand Strategy
Going from one-man-band to a professional brand that commands higher prices and attracts better customers. This is the module that changes how people perceive your business.
Van Livery as Marketing
Your van is seen by thousands of people every week. A professional wrap with your logo, number, and website turns it into a moving billboard. We cover what to include, what to leave off, and design principles that work.
Uniforms & Presentation
Branded polo shirts, clean boots, ID badges. Customers trust tradespeople who look the part. The investment is small, but the impact on how customers perceive you is significant.
Branded Quotes & Invoices
Stop sending quotes from a Notes app. Professional templates with your logo, terms, and a clear breakdown of costs. This alone can increase your conversion rate from quote to booking.
Social Proof on Every Touchpoint
Your email signature, your quote footer, your invoice, your van, your social profiles. Every touchpoint should include your review count and star rating. Make trust visible everywhere.
I was spending over £800 a month on Checkatrade and MyBuilder combined. After going through the trades marketing course, I set up my own Google Business Profile properly, started running Google Ads at £400 a month, and built a review system. Within three months I was getting more leads from my own channels than I ever got from directories. I cancelled both subscriptions and have not looked back.
Danny R.
Plumber, South East London
Ready to stop renting leads?
Start with the free foundation lessons or unlock the full trades marketing curriculum with Pro.
Free
£0
Start with the foundation lessons. No card required, no time limit.
- ✓ 22 foundation lessons
- ✓ Interactive exercises
- ✓ Progress tracking
- ✓ Marketing calculators
Pro
£23/month
Unlock all trades marketing lessons, plus the entire Byter Academy curriculum across every industry.
- ✓ All trades marketing modules
- ✓ Google Ads & Local SEO deep dives
- ✓ Review machine templates
- ✓ AI-powered capstone feedback
- ✓ Downloadable templates
- ✓ 460+ lessons across all courses
More resources for tradespeople
Local SEO for Tradesmen
How to get your business on Google Maps and rank above competitors in your area.
Google Ads for Tradesmen
How to get leads for under £20 each using Google Ads, with campaign structures built for trades.
Social Media for Trades
Before and after content, TikTok for trades, and turning Facebook community groups into leads.
Marketing Glossary
New to marketing jargon? Look up any term in our plain-English glossary.
Free Calculators
ROI calculator, ad budget planner, and CPA calculator. All free.
FAQ
Common questions about Byter Academy, pricing, and how the platform works.