How to Grow a Painting and Decorating Business in the UK

Painting and decorating work is won on trust and timing. People search when they are ready to book. Your job is to show up, prove quality fast, and make contact easy. This guide gives a simple plan for steady growth using search.

For deeper reading built for trades, see our experts in trades search.

Key takeaways

• Focus on buyer intent searches in the towns you serve.

• Build a quick, tidy website that makes calling or messaging simple.

• Keep your Google Business Profile active with photos and reviews.

• Publish service and location pages. Add guides and case studies.

• Track calls and quotes. Fix the weakest step first.

• Use other channels as support. Rely on SEO for long term growth.

Residential painting & decorating project - the customer found the painting business through organic Google search.

Understand demand and set targets

List your core offers. Interior painting. Exterior painting. Wallpapering. Woodwork and trim. Kitchen cabinet spraying. Commercial redecoration. Map the towns you can reach in under an hour. Note seasonality. Exterior work peaks in warmer months. Use winter to publish content and build reviews.

Model likely outcomes before you invest. You can work out your SEO ROI by adjusting click through rate, site conversion, close rate, and average order value. Use figures that match how you sell.

Pick three priority services and five core towns. Target buyer intent phrases such as “exterior painters in Chester” or “kitchen cabinet spraying Stockport.” Avoid broad terms that attract DIY searches or job seekers.

Build a website that turns visits into calls

People skim. They decide fast. Your site must feel clean, quick, and trustworthy.

Include the essentials:

• A short value statement high on the page.

• Click to call and WhatsApp buttons that stand out.

• Pages for each core service.

• Location pages for the towns you want.

• Reviews with names and towns.

• A tidy gallery with before and after photos.

• A short contact form with only the fields you need.

Write in plain English. Explain your process. Preparation. Protection. Coats and finish. Show what affects price. Room size. Height. Access. Paint brand. Give rough ranges where you can. Use photos from your own jobs. Compress images so pages load quickly on mobile.

Make trust obvious

Add simple proof points. City and Guilds. NVQ. CSCS where relevant. Public liability cover. Safe use of scaffolding and towers. Clean work sites and dust control. Keep them short and clear. Place them near calls to action.

Google Search Console showing clicks, impressions, average CTR and average position.

Local SEO that brings ready to book customers

SEO helps you show up for “painters near me” and specific job searches. Focus on three parts.

On page optimisation

Give each page a precise H1 that matches intent. Use descriptive H2s like “Interior painting services” or “Exterior painters in Warrington.” Add short FAQs that answer common questions. Paint brands you use. Number of coats. Drying times. Typical timelines for a three bed house. Use schema where helpful. Keep images small with descriptive file names.

Content that answers real questions

Publish helpful guides that match real problems. Good topics include how to choose paint finishes for high traffic rooms. When to repaint exterior woodwork. How to prep walls for wallpaper. Simple colour tips for small rooms. Keep guides practical and short. Link from guides to the service and town pages they support.

Links that clients trust

Ask suppliers, paint merchants, and trade bodies for a website mention. Offer a short case study that features their products. Join local business groups and request a listing. Sponsor a junior team and ask for a credit link. Choose links that a homeowner or facilities manager would trust.

Keep your Google Business Profile active

Your Profile often appears before your website. Treat it like a second homepage.

• Use “Painter” or “Painting” related categories. Add “Wallpaper installer” if relevant.

• Set a real service area.

• Upload new photos each month. Show tidy prep, straight lines, and clean finishes.

• Post short updates.

• Ask for reviews after every job. Reply to each one.

Photos and reviews drive both ranking and conversion. They prove you do careful work right now in the area.

Visual representation of a Painter & Decorator business on Google Maps.

Prove quality with simple case studies

Create a repeatable format and use it often.

• Project overview and goals.

• Property type and constraints.

• Prep steps and paint system used.

• Outcome and time on site.

• Two to four photos with captions.

Publish each case study on your site. Link to the matching service and town page. Share a short version on your Profile. This builds trust and gives Google more proof of relevance.

Improve your response and quoting process

Speed wins painting work. Many enquiries are time bound. New baby on the way. Move in date. Sale photos. Aim to respond the same day. Use a checklist for site visits. Measure walls and ceilings. Note damage. Check humidity for exteriors. Send tidy quotes that outline areas, prep, coats, brands, and finish. Offer optional upgrades such as durable scrubbable paint. Follow up once by phone and once by message. Track outcomes so you can lift your close rate.

Why SEO beats other options for painters and decorators

Google Ads can help fill gaps. Results stop when spend stops. Costs move with competition. You also need strong landing pages and tracking.

Facebook and Instagram are useful for proof and inspiration. People are not always ready to book while scrolling. Leads can be early stage and price sensitive.

Lead apps can add volume. You pay to bid and often fight many firms at once. The platform brand grows. Yours does not. Admin time increases.

Word of mouth is valuable and should continue. It is not predictable on its own. You cannot plan growth on random referrals.

SEO builds an asset you control. Your website and Profile gain strength as you add content and reviews. You appear when people are ready to book in the towns you want. This is why SEO is the best long term channel for painting and decorating businesses.

Visual representation of cost per lead - Google Ads (PPC) vs SEO.

Common mistakes to avoid

• One generic page that lists every service and town.

• Stock photos instead of real work.

• No phone number visible at the top.

• Slow mobile pages and broken forms.

• Ignoring reviews or leaving them unanswered.

• Posts that sell rather than help.

Fix these and enquiries from organic search will rise.

A simple 90 day plan

Week one. Set targets. Map service and town pages. Audit your site and Profile.

Weeks two to four. Publish or improve your core service pages. Add town pages. Update your Profile description and photos. Collect new reviews.

Weeks five to eight. Write helpful guides. Build supplier or association links. Publish detailed case studies.

Weeks nine to twelve. Review rankings and calls. Improve page titles and headings where needed. Add more town pages. Publish more case studies. Repeat the review cycle.

Stay consistent. Small actions each week compound into steady growth in calls, quotes, and booked projects.