Fresh photos from recent jobs. One of our clients - a rendering specialist - started uploading before-and-after shots every week.

Four months later, their enquiries had increased.

Google's algorithm favours businesses that stay active.

If your last post was months ago and you've ignored your reviews, you might as well be invisible.

Google doesn't care how good your work is. It cares whether you're engaged.

What you should do: Block out 20 minutes every Monday. Upload a photo from last week. Reply to any reviews.

Check your opening hours are correct. That's it. Twenty minutes could be the difference between your phone ringing or staying silent.

2. Reviews stopped being optional 📱

You've heard this before, I know. But something changed this year. People don't just read reviews anymore - they expect them.

If you've got fewer than ten reviews, or your most recent one is from 2023, potential customers assume you're either brand new or not very good.

The businesses getting reviews weren't bribing people or begging. They just made it easy.

They asked at the right moment - when the customer was happy with the finished job - and sent a link that took 30 seconds to click.

One of our home improvement clients went from three reviews to 42 in six months. Their conversion rate jumped 35%.

When someone's comparing three quotes, they pick the business that looks established. Simple as that.

What you should do: Build asking for reviews into your process. When you finish a job and the customer's pleased, ask them.

Send the link by email or text. Make it as easy as possible. Do this every single time.

3. Local directories became the quiet winner 🎯

This surprised me. With everyone banging on about Instagram and TikTok, the businesses dominating their local area were the ones listed everywhere online.

Checkatrade, Yell, Trustpilot, trade directories, smaller local sites. It's boring work.

But it works. Google looks at how many trusted sites mention your business when someone searches in your area. The more places you're listed properly, the higher you rank.

Businesses that got themselves on 25 to 50 directories saw steady ranking improvements all year. It's like building proof across the internet that you're legitimate. Google pays attention to that.

What you should do: Start with the obvious ones - Checkatrade, Yell, Trustpilot, plus any directories specific to your trade.

Make absolutely certain your business name, address and phone number match exactly on every single listing.

Inconsistencies confuse Google and damage your rankings.

4. Websites that actually converted beat pretty websites 💻

Uncomfortable truth time: your website probably looks fine. But does it turn visitors into customers?

The winners this year weren't the businesses with the fanciest designs. They were the ones that made it dead simple for visitors to get in touch. Big phone numbers.

Contact forms that didn't ask for your inside leg measurement. Fast loading on mobile.

A double glazing company had a new site earlier this year.

Their old site looked decent enough, but the contact form was buried three clicks deep and asked for eight different bits of information.

It was stripped back - massive phone number, tap-to-call on mobile, contact form asking for name, number and a quick message. His enquiries increased as a result of this.

Your website exists to get you work. That's it. It's not there to win design awards.

What you should do: Open your website on your phone right now. Can you ring your business in one tap? Can you fill out the contact form in under 30 seconds?

If the answer's no, fix it. This could be the best hour you spend all year.

5. Showing up consistently beats doing things perfectly ⏰



This is what separates growing businesses from stagnant ones. The most successful local companies this year weren't doing anything clever. They just kept showing up.

Weekly GBP posts. Monthly emails to past customers. Adding new projects to their website and asking for reviews after every job.

None of this is rocket science, but most businesses do it for a few weeks, get busy, then forget about it for half a year.

The ones that built these tasks into their weekly routine - even if it was only 30 minutes - saw results compound over time.

Better visibility. Stronger reputation. The phone kept ringing even when things went quiet for everyone else.

What you should do: Pick one thing from this list. Commit to doing it every week for three months. Just one thing. Don't try everything at once. Build the habit first.

Add more later.

Here's the thing

None of this is groundbreaking. You won't see these tactics hyped up in the latest marketing trend report. But they work. They worked for hundreds of local service businesses in 2025, and they'll work even better in 2026 for anyone smart enough to actually implement them.

Your competitors are reading stuff like this too. The difference is whether you'll do something about it or just nod along and forget about it by tomorrow.

If you want help with any of this, give us a shout. This is what we do at Get Customers Fast - we handle the marketing so you can focus on the work you're actually good at.

Ring us on 01268 439917 or email info@getcustomersfast.co.uk.

Here's to 2026 being your best year yet. 🚀