From Fence Panels to Page Rank: A Tradesman’s Take on Local Visibility

This post is a featured guest article from one of our local trade partners. We're always keen to spotlight brilliant businesses in our network, and today we’re sharing insights from a fellow expert in the industry. Read on for their perspective below.

We’ve been around a long time — over 40 years now — as a local fencing company in Medway and beyond. Sheridan Fencing has always stayed small and hands-on. But time catches up with all of us. What worked years ago doesn’t always work now. You can quickly go from being the name everyone knows to being last year’s news.

In 2022, after what I’d call far too long sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, I decided something had to change. That’s when I came across SEO... and YouTube. Honestly, for someone who’s spent most of their life outside putting up fences, it was a completely different kind of graft.

The Learning Curve of SEO

I spent the best part of a year just tinkering. I tweaked the website, learned bits here and there, and redesigned it over and over. It was a steep learning curve, but I actually started enjoying it. More importantly, it worked.

We went from getting about 4 clicks a day on the website to over 70. It might not sound massive in digital marketing terms, but for a small local fencing business, that’s a game-changer.

Blogging: A Surprising Source of Leads

What surprised me most was seeing jobs come in from blogs I’d written myself. Turns out, people really do search for that stuff. I wrote a post about hedgehog-friendly fencing — and we landed three jobs from it. Who’d have thought?

So if you’re wondering whether this SEO stuff actually works — yes, it does. You don’t need to be a tech wizard either. I’m definitely not. You just need time, a bit of patience, and a willingness to learn.

When to Seek Help

That said, if you’re flat-out busy running your own business — or you just want someone else to handle all that digital side of things — I’d recommend the team at Business Sorted Kent. They know what they’re doing, and they keep it simple.

Conclusion: Embrace Change

In conclusion, adapting to the digital world can be daunting, but it is essential. Embracing SEO and digital marketing can breathe new life into your business. It has certainly transformed ours.

If you’re still skeptical, I encourage you to give it a try. You might be surprised by the results.

Dave Relf

Sheridan Fencing