Checkatrade or Google reviews: which brings more work?

What each review is for

Both kinds of review do the same job in the end: they make a stranger trust you enough to ring. The difference is where that stranger is when they read it.

• A Google review is seen by people searching on Google and Google Maps. It sits on your profile right next to your phone number, at the exact moment someone is choosing who to call.
• A Checkatrade review is seen by people who go to Checkatrade to find a trade, and by anyone who clicks through to your Checkatrade page from somewhere else.

So the question is really about where your customers start looking.

Where most people start

For most jobs, most people start on Google. They type "roofer near me" or "emergency plumber Stockport" into their phone, look at the map, and ring one of the first three names. Google's own guidance says the number of reviews and your rating are part of how it decides where you appear, so Google reviews do two jobs at once: they help you show up, and they help you get picked.

Checkatrade users are a narrower group. They tend to be homeowners who want reassurance before letting someone into the house, often for bigger jobs, and some will only use a vetted trade. That group is worth having, and for some trades in some areas it is a big share of the work.

Nobody can give you a reliable split for your town. Your own records can. Ask every new caller where they found you for a month and write it down. You will know more than any national figure could tell you.

Which one to ask for first

For most trades, ask for the Google review first:

1. It brings in new work as well as winning it. A Checkatrade review helps you win the people already on Checkatrade. A Google review also helps you appear in front of people who have never heard of you.
2. The calls are yours alone. Someone who finds you on the map rings you, and nobody else is sent the same job.
3. You keep it. If you ever stop paying for a directory, your Google reviews stay on your profile.

There are good reasons to ask some customers for Checkatrade instead:

• Your Checkatrade page is thin. A profile with three reviews does little for you there, so it is worth topping up.
• Most of your work really does come through Checkatrade. If your records say so, look after the source that pays.
• Your membership asks you to collect reviews through it. Check your agreement.

What does not work well is asking every customer for both. Most people will do you one favour, and a request with two links usually gets neither.

A simple way to split it

• Ask every customer for a Google review by default, with a direct link that opens the review box. Our free review link tool makes one in a minute.
• Ask customers who found you on Checkatrade for a Checkatrade review, since that is where they will expect to leave it.
• Reply to every review on both, good and bad. Future customers read the replies as closely as the reviews.

Making either one count

A review that says "great job" helps a little. A review that says what you did and where helps far more, because the next person reading it is looking for exactly that. You cannot tell customers what to write, but you can make it easy: "If you have a minute, a line about the boiler swap would really help other people in Bramhall find us."

For the full method, including what to say and when to ask, see how to get more Google reviews. If you are weighing up whether to keep paying for lead and listing sites at all, see alternatives to Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Rated People.

Want to see how your reviews compare with the trades beating you on the map? Get your free Maps audit.

Questions owners ask

Do Checkatrade reviews help my Google ranking?

Not directly. Google ranks your profile on the map using the reviews left on Google itself. Your Checkatrade page can show up in ordinary Google results under the map, which can help people find you, but the stars on your Google profile only come from Google reviews.

Can I move my Checkatrade reviews onto Google?

No. A Google review has to be written by the customer on Google. You can show your Checkatrade rating on your website, and you can ask past customers who reviewed you there whether they would also leave a short review on Google.

Is it all right to only ask the customers I know are happy?

Google's rules say you should not pick and choose who you ask in order to collect only good reviews. The simplest way to stay inside the rules is to ask every customer, every time.