SEO for Joiners and Carpenters – 5 Top Tips

SEO refers to Search Engine Optimisation. The process of SEO is implementing key changes to increase the visibility of your site on search engine results.

SEO can take many forms but one of the simplest ways to begin is through including keywords. If you insert keywords customers might use when searching for contractors on your website, your business has a better chance of showing up higher in their search results.

‘Joiners in my area’

‘Good Carpenters near me’

These searches can yield many, many results. Given the mountain of choice, most people will only look at the top few results. In fact, research shows the top result has a CTR (click-through-rate) of over 30%, 10X higher than those at the bottom.

SEO can help you get to the top of the list.

When ranking search results, search engines like Google take a number of factors into account. If you are looking to increase online traction to your business, you need to secure a high placement through these factors. 

For most woodworkers, your business is going to be primarily local. You probably aren’t looking to travel more than a couple of hours to reach clients. And likewise, clients usually prefer to find contractors close to home.

This makes Local SEO especially important. You want to ensure your getting as much visibility in local searches as possible. Any easy way to start is to use location focused keywords and phrases:

Including these key phrases can start to get your website ranked higher on local searchers.

If you haven’t already, you can continue building your Local SEO through marking your company on Google Maps through a Google My Business Profile.

Many potential customers use these as an initial means of deciding which companies are worth looking into. They will likely look for good reviews and pictures of your work, so if you keep these updated you can increase your credibility.

AI-powered search is becoming an important source of local enquiries, with Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity all now answering questions that would previously have sent homeowners straight to your website.

Google AI Overviews are the biggest priority. They surface at the top of results for queries like “how much does bespoke fitted furniture cost?” or “what is the difference between a joiner and a carpenter?” To appear here, you need to:

For ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, the priority is brand authority and citation. Listings on trade directories like Checkatrade and Rated People, positive reviews, and mentions on local sites all help these AI tools surface your business as a trusted local option.

The great news is that most of what makes a strong SEO strategy also feeds directly into AEO and GEO. Things like well-structured content, quality backlinks, and a credible online presence are just as important for AI search as they are for traditional rankings. Joiners and carpenters who get these fundamentals right will be well placed as AI search continues to grow.

Below are our list of 5 tips to help take your SEO for your workshop to the next level:

Establishing a clear view of the right keywords to include in your website is essential.

As stated above, search engines like Google take keywords and phrases to rank website placement on search results.

To identify the perfect keywords, you need to think from the perspective of a client.

What words would they use to look for the right joiner? Are there any specific features or styles they might include?

You may find some words through this process you hadn’t thought about yet.

For example: 

It is likely many of these may already be on your website as USP (unique selling points) of your business. But if you haven’t included these USPs, make sure to include them! Don’t forget to put them in your meta titles and descriptions (more on this in Tip 2!).

Additionally, you can also use specialised tools like Google Planner. But, these may be inaccessible to those not using an SEO agency.  

On top of including keywords in the body of your website’s content, it is just as important to include it in your metadata. Such as your page titles and meta descriptions.

To edit these, you will have to to access the content management system (CMS) of your website or edit it directly in HTML. 

Google Webmaster support has some useful guidance on how to do this!

Once you’ve secured those all important clicks, the next step is keeping user engagement once they reach your site through Technical SEO.

Technical SEO refers to optimizing the technical infrastructure of your workshop’s website.  

Potential or returning customers interacting with your website are looking for a fast, reliable and simple experience. If it is poorly laid out or slow, most will click away,

You could be losing all the potential customers you just gained through your SEO keyword work!

So how can you improve your website?

If you can work on your technical SEO, you can make sure you are not only attracting clicks but keeping them.

You could use free SEO audit tools. However, the information they provide is more geared towards SEO specialists so might be tricky to make sense of. 

In case you want additional help, consider a full SEO audit. This can be a great way to begin identifying and resolving your website’s technical limitations. 

A great way to generate regular site traffic is through creating relevant content on your site that users can engage with.

This could be something as easy as including photographs of your work or writing profiles about your employees! Understanding the people they may be letting into their homes can be reassuring, and it can be a great way to show off their individual skills and experience.

Even if the content doesn’t directly generate jobs, it can increase interest in your website from casual browsers who could become customers down the line.

Another example of site content you could consider is a blog! Here are some examples of the kind of blog content you might want to think about:

By doing this, it can also enable you to include long-tail keywords, that are more specific to your workshop and boost your SEO further. 

Another quick form of engagement on your site is a ‘call to action button’ – a quick way for clients to get in contact or book a consultation. Keeping your communication and booking process quick and easy can help clients chose you over other workshops.

With how saturated the joinery and carpentry market can be, you need to find more ways to set yourself apart.

Often overlooked, building quality links that recommend your website can be that difference. Not only can they provide extra clicks through the links themselves, but they also add to your search engine ranking!

Quality is the important word here. While having many links is good, if they aren’t of a great quality they wont have the same impact.

Google and other search engines take the quality of the links into account when ranking your website. Because of this, you should aim to get yourself on trustworthy, well-known sites.

How can you build links for your carpentry/joinery site?

Consider reaching out to a woodworking magazine. In exchange for writing some great content for free, you can get credible back links to your site.

If creative article writing isn’t your thing, collaboration could be another route. Do you have any high-quality tool, wood supply or other companies you regularly collaborate with? Creating links on your sites to one another can be an effective way to boost both of your link SEO.

Reviews are unsurprisingly an essential for attracting new business. Getting your workshop on review sites can be another great link builder.

Moreover, PR can be very valuable. Hosting small events or promotions in your area can encourage new business and build up your brand locally. Social Media can be especially important with PR as it encourages your community to engage with and share your work.

You may want to consider a targeted content marketing strategy to figure out how to make the right, strong links.

The impacts of your SEO journey likely wont show immediately. So if you are looking for a quick solution, PPC or Pay-Per-Click might be right for you.

Admittedly, paid advertisements will usually garner the most site traffic. They appear earlier on the page than organic results and can steal customer attention. If you can afford these adverts they may be worth considering. However, will have to pay for both the click and potentially a PPC expert to set up the ad.    

You could try running the ads themselves, as Google have made setting up adverts much more accessible to individuals. But, you may find yourself spending money on the wrong keywords if you aren’t confident in what you are doing.