Guide

SEO for builders: get found by people planning extensions and renovations

Updated 1 October 2026 · 5 minute read

Nobody books an extension on impulse. People research for weeks, look at a lot of photos and compare builders before they ring anyone. SEO for builders is about being the one they keep finding while they research.

Short answer: Have a page for each type of build you do (extensions, loft conversions, renovations, garage conversions), a page for each finished project with photos and the town, plain answers to the planning and building regulations questions people search, a complete Google Business Profile, and genuine reviews. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence.

What people search

"Builders near me" gets about 18,100 searches a month in the UK, and a top-of-page Google Ads click on it costs £1.54 to £6.18 (Local Ladder's UK Trade Lead Cost Tracker, September 2026). But big projects start much earlier, with searches about the project itself: what an extension involves, whether it needs planning permission, how long a loft conversion takes.

1. A page for each type of build

House extensions (single and double storey)
Loft conversions
Garage conversions
Renovations and refurbishments
Kitchens or other work you want more of

Each page should explain what's involved, the stages, roughly how long it takes, and show photos of that kind of work.

2. A page for every finished project

A project page, such as "Single-storey rear extension in Altrincham", with photos from start to finish, what the customer wanted and how it went, is the most persuasive thing a builder can publish. It also matches the way people search, by project and town. Always get the customer's permission first, and never show their address.

3. Answer the planning questions

People researching a project search questions like whether they need planning permission. GOV.UK says building regulations approval is different from planning permission, and you might need both. A plain-English page explaining how that works for the projects you do, linking to the Planning Portal for the official detail, is useful to customers and puts you in front of them early.

4. Your Google Business Profile

Choose the main category that best matches your work, such as Builder.
Verify it and complete everything: areas, services, hours and your website. Google says complete and accurate info makes you more likely to show in local results.
Post project photos regularly, and keep the business name exactly as you trade.

5. Reviews and memberships

Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. For big projects, reviews that describe the whole job ("kept us updated, finished on time, left the site tidy") are what customers want to read. Ask at handover, with your review link. If you belong to a scheme or trade body, such as TrustMark or the Federation of Master Builders, show it.

6. The basics behind the scenes

Clear page titles, such as "Loft conversions in Stockport | Your Business Name".
Photos that load quickly on a phone.
Business markup, and the same name, number and area everywhere you're listed.

See what yours would look like

We'll build a website for your business from your Google listing, free. You only pay £199 if you want to keep it.

Get my free preview See example sites

Sources

Prices change. Figures were checked on the date above; check the provider's site for today's price.

More for your trade

Websites for builders