How to Stop Paying for Checkatrade and Get Leads from Google Instead

Checkatrade has its place — when you're just starting out or in a new area, it can be a quick way to get initial work. But there are structural problems with using it as your primary source of leads.

You're renting visibility. The moment you stop paying your subscription, you disappear. You're also competing directly with every other tradesperson on the platform, often being compared on price. Checkatrade sets the rules and can change them whenever they want.

Perhaps most importantly, you're building Checkatrade's brand, not your own. Every review you collect on Checkatrade stays on Checkatrade — it doesn't benefit your Google ranking or your website's reputation.

When a customer finds you through Google — your own website, your Google Business Profile — they've made an active choice to reach out to you specifically. They've seen your website, read about your services, looked at your photos or reviews, and decided you're the one they want.

That's a fundamentally different starting point than a Checkatrade enquiry, which is often sent to multiple tradespeople simultaneously with price as the primary deciding factor.

Google leads tend to convert at a higher rate, complain less about price, and leave better reviews. They're customers who chose you.

This is non-negotiable. To get leads from Google, you need a website that Google can rank and that customers trust when they land on it. That means clear service pages, your location prominently featured, a mobile-friendly design, fast load times, and an easy way to contact you (phone number at the top, simple contact form).

Set up and fully optimise your Google Business Profile. This is the most direct path to appearing in local search results. Fill in every section, upload photos, and start collecting Google reviews from your existing customers.

Ask your best Checkatrade reviewers to also leave you a Google review. You'll be surprised how many will do it if you send them a direct link and a polite message.

Local SEO — the process of ranking your website in Google for local searches — takes a few months to produce results, but it's the most sustainable lead generation channel available to tradespeople.

Focus first on your Google Business Profile and website. Then build out your service and location pages. Start collecting reviews consistently. Over time, add content to your website that answers the questions your customers ask.

Don't cancel Checkatrade overnight. As your Google rankings improve and your own website starts generating leads, gradually reduce your Checkatrade investment. Eventually, when you have consistent leads coming from Google, you can make the decision about whether to maintain a Checkatrade presence for additional visibility or drop it entirely.

Realistically, building enough Google visibility to fully replace Checkatrade takes six to twelve months of consistent SEO effort. But the leads you get at the end of that process are yours — they come to your website, they trust your brand, and they're not being compared to your competitors on price.

The tradespeople who've made this transition consistently say it's one of the best business decisions they've made.