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What Is Trades?
Strategy & Planning
Updated 18 September 2026
Quick Answer
Trades refers to skilled manual professions — plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, and similar — a common small business category with specific marketing considerations around trust, local visibility, and word-of-mouth.
Trades vs. Local Business — What's the Difference?
| Trades | Local Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Specifically skilled manual professions | The broader category of any geographically-based business |
Why It Matters
- Trust and local visibility matter enormously in this category, since customers are often inviting someone into their home for significant work.
- Word-of-mouth and reviews tend to carry particularly strong weight in trade businesses' customer decisions.
How It Works
- A trades business relies heavily on local search visibility (Google Business Profile, local SEO) to be found for urgent or planned local needs.
- Trust signals — reviews, certifications, before/after photos of real work — address the inherent vulnerability of inviting someone into a home.
- Referrals and word-of-mouth often supplement digital visibility as a major customer source.
Key Takeaways
- Trades refers to skilled manual professions like plumbing, electrical, and carpentry.
- Trust and local visibility matter enormously in this category.
- Reviews and word-of-mouth carry particularly strong weight in customer decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What marketing matters most for a trades business?
A complete, well-reviewed Google Business Profile and strong local SEO typically matter more than broader digital marketing tactics.
How important are reviews for trades businesses specifically?
Very — since customers are inviting someone into their home or trusting them with significant work, reviews carry particularly strong weight in the decision.
Should a trades business invest in a website beyond Google Business Profile?
Yes — a website builds additional trust and credibility, showcasing real work and reviews beyond what Google Business Profile alone displays.