What do customers search for when they need a tradesperson?
Customers often search for the job they need done, not the trade. In the UK, more people search for “boiler service” than for “plumber near me”, more search for “EICR” than for “electrician near me”, and more search for “loft conversion” than for “builders near me”. A trades website that only describes the trade misses a large share of the people looking for its work.
The figures below are Ahrefs Keywords Explorer estimates of average monthly UK searches, taken in September 2026.
How many people search for a tradesperson near them?
Trade searches are local by default
Average monthly UK searches for “near me” trade terms
- These 9 “near me” searches
- 85,000/mo
- “electrician exeter”
- 350/mo
- plumbers near me 25,000
- roofers near me 12,000
- handyman near me 11,000
- electricians near me 8,100
- joiners near me 7,100
- builders near me 6,800
- painters and decorators near me 6,400
- landscapers near me 4,700
- carpenters near me 3,900
View as a table
| Keyword | Monthly searches |
|---|---|
| plumbers near me | 25,000 |
| roofers near me | 12,000 |
| handyman near me | 11,000 |
| electricians near me | 8,100 |
| joiners near me | 7,100 |
| builders near me | 6,800 |
| painters and decorators near me | 6,400 |
| landscapers near me | 4,700 |
| carpenters near me | 3,900 |
Source: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer · UK · September 2026
“Near me” searches are the obvious starting point. “Plumbers near me” gets about 25,000 UK searches a month (the singular “plumber near me” gets another 14,000), “roofers near me” 12,000 and “handyman near me” 11,000. Together, the nine trade searches above come to about 85,000 a month.
Google answers these searches based on where the searcher is, which is why your service area and Google Business Profile need to be clear and accurate.
Searches that name a town are much smaller but very specific: “electrician exeter” gets about 350 a month and “plumber exeter” about 300.
What do people search for when they need a plumber?
Customers search for the job, not just the trade
Average monthly UK searches for plumbing and heating terms
- boiler servicePlanned job 15,000
- plumber near meThe trade 14,000
- emergency plumberUrgent job 7,800
- boiler repairUrgent job 5,300
- boiler installationPlanned job 4,600
- blocked drainUrgent job 3,700
- landlord gas safety certificatePlanned job 1,200
View as a table
| Keyword | Type | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|
| boiler service | Planned job | 15,000 |
| plumber near me | The trade | 14,000 |
| emergency plumber | Urgent job | 7,800 |
| boiler repair | Urgent job | 5,300 |
| boiler installation | Planned job | 4,600 |
| blocked drain | Urgent job | 3,700 |
| landlord gas safety certificate | Planned job | 1,200 |
Source: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer · UK · September 2026
The single biggest plumbing search here isn’t “plumber near me”. It’s “boiler service”, at about 15,000 a month. Emergency plumbing (7,800), boiler repairs (5,300), boiler installations (4,600) and blocked drains (3,700) are all large searches in their own right.
These split into urgent jobs, where the customer wants a phone number fast, and planned jobs, where they compare a few options first. The two need different pages. More on this in SEO for plumbers.
What do people search for when they need an electrician?
Customers search for the job, not just the trade
Average monthly UK searches for electrical terms
- eicrTesting 25,000
- electrician near meThe trade 24,000
- ev charger installationInstallation 13,000
- emergency electricianUrgent job 4,300
- rewire house costPlanned job 350
- consumer unit replacementPlanned job 300
View as a table
| Keyword | Type | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|
| eicr | Testing | 25,000 |
| electrician near me | The trade | 24,000 |
| ev charger installation | Installation | 13,000 |
| emergency electrician | Urgent job | 4,300 |
| rewire house cost | Planned job | 350 |
| consumer unit replacement | Planned job | 300 |
Source: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer · UK · September 2026
“EICR” gets about 25,000 UK searches a month, slightly more than “electrician near me”. EV charger installation is another big one, at about 13,000.
Electrical searches come from different customers too. Landlords look for EICRs, homeowners for EV chargers, rewires and consumer units, and everyone for an emergency electrician at some point. More in SEO for electricians.
What do people search for when they need a builder?
Customers search for the project, not just the builder
Average monthly UK searches for building terms
- loft conversionProject 10,000
- builders near meThe trade 6,800
- house extensionProject 2,400
- kitchen extensionProject 2,300
- loft conversion near meProject, local 1,200
- extension builders near meProject, local 800
View as a table
| Keyword | Type | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|
| loft conversion | Project | 10,000 |
| builders near me | The trade | 6,800 |
| house extension | Project | 2,400 |
| kitchen extension | Project | 2,300 |
| loft conversion near me | Project, local | 1,200 |
| extension builders near me | Project, local | 800 |
Source: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer · UK · September 2026
“Loft conversion” gets about 10,000 UK searches a month, more than “builders near me” at 6,800. House extensions and kitchen extensions add another 4,700 between them.
Building projects are bigger decisions, often researched over weeks or months before anyone gets in touch. Clear project pages with real examples help homeowners shortlist you. More in SEO for builders.
What does this mean for a trades website?
| If your site has… | You can be found for… |
|---|---|
| One general “services” page | Searches for your trade, if you rank at all |
| A page for each job you do | The trade and each job, like “boiler service” or “EICR” |
| Pages that name the areas you cover | Local searches that include a town name |
Give each job its own page. Each job is a separate search. A page that explains the job, who it’s for and how to book it gives Google, AI search tools and customers a clear match.
Name the areas you cover. It helps Google show you for local searches and tells customers straight away whether you cover them.
Match urgent and planned jobs. Urgent jobs need a phone number at the top of the page on mobile. Planned jobs need detail, proof of your work and an easy way to ask for a quote.
What does this data not show?
These are national UK figures, not figures for any one town, and they’re Ahrefs estimates rather than exact counts. They show which searches are big relative to each other, not how many enquiries a particular business will get.
To see which searches already bring people to your own site, check the queries report in Google Search Console. For a review of what’s helping and holding back your website, see SEO for trades or book an SEO audit.