How to Research Competitors (and Beat Them): A Practical Guide for Tradies & Local Businesses

Most local businesses think their competition comes down to "who charges less" or "who's been around longer."

Wrong.

In 2025, customers choose the business that:

• Looks the most trustworthy
• Shows the best work
• Makes it easiest to book
• Appears first when they search
• Has the strongest online presence

If you want to dominate your area, you need to understand exactly what your competitors are doing — and then outsmart them, not outspend them.

Here's a step-by-step guide any tradie or home-service business can follow.

1️⃣ Start With Google Business Profiles (Because This Is Where 80% of Customers Choose a Tradie)

Google Business Profiles (GBP) are the modern battleground.

Before they ever visit your website, customers compare you on Google.

What to check:

Number of reviews

If your top competitor has 150 reviews and you have 12…

You're losing trust before the customer even reads anything.

How to beat them:

• Set a goal: +5 reviews per week
• Ask every customer
• Offer a QR code at the job site
• Ask family/friends to seed initial credibility

Review quality

Look at what customers praise your competitors for:

Examples:

• "Always on time"
• "Clean workmanship"
• "Quick response"
• "Friendly communication"

Categories & keywords

Check what categories competitors use:

• "Electrician"
• "Emergency Electrician"
• "EV Charger Installation"
• "Lighting Contractor"

Match their categories — or choose better, more specific ones.

Photos posted

Photos influence customers more than people realise.

Look at:

• How often competitors post
• Before/after images
• Job-site photos
• Team photos
• Branding consistency

The businesses dominating Google Maps often upload 50–200+ photos. If your competitor has 10 photos and you have 100, you automatically look more active and trustworthy.

Beat them by:

• Uploading every job
• Using clear, bright photos
• Showing face + branding
• Posting weekly updates

2️⃣ Analyse Their Website (This Alone Can Tell You How to Outperform Them)

Most tradie websites are outdated, slow, or confusing.

Your job isn't to copy — it's to spot weaknesses.

Check their website for:

Speed & performance

Use:

Google PageSpeed → https://pagespeed.web.dev/

Call-to-action placement

Do they have:

• A phone number at the top?
• A "Request a Quote" form?
• A booking button?
• A chatbot?

If they don't, this is where you shine.

Service pages

Do they have:

• Pages for each service?
• Local suburb pages?
• Before/after galleries?

If not → you can outrank them by building structured pages.

Trust signals

Look for:

• Testimonials
• Certifications
• Guarantees
• Job photos
• Awards
• About page

If these trust signals are weak or missing, customers will trust YOU more when you include them. This is a huge opportunity to stand out.

3️⃣ Study Their Visual Branding (Because Customers Buy the Business That Looks Professional)

Most businesses ignore this, but it matters more every year.

Look at their:

• Logo
• Colours
• Photo quality
• Vehicle branding
• Team uniforms
• Social media themes

A competitor with clean, consistent branding looks reliable.

One with messy branding looks sketchy.

4️⃣ Check Their Google Ads (Yes, You Can See What Ads They Are Running)

Most business owners don't know this, but you can spy on competitor ads legally.

How to do it:

🔍 Method 1: Google Ad Transparency Center

Search:

https://adstransparency.google.com/

Type in:

• Competitor's business name
• Top tradies in your area
• Your service + your suburb

See:

• Their ads
• Headlines
• Descriptions
• Landing pages

This tells you EXACTLY how they are targeting customers. You can see their ad copy, offers, and landing pages — giving you a blueprint for what works in your market.

🔍 Method 2: Search your service manually

Examples:

• "roof repair Sydney"
• "blocked drain Parramatta"
• "solar installation Brisbane"

Check:

• Who appears first
• How many competitors are running ads
• Their copy
• Their offers (e.g., "$0 call-out fee", "same-day service")

This shows what's working in your market.

5️⃣ Check Their Facebook & Instagram Ads

You can spy on Meta ads too.

Go to any competitor's Facebook page

Scroll down → click "Page Transparency" → "Active Ads".

You'll see:

• What ads they're running
• Their photos/videos
• Their wording
• Their offers
• Their landing pages

6️⃣ Identify Their Weak Spots (This Is Where You Win)

After researching your competitors, ask:

Where are they weak?

Examples:

• Bad photos
• Low reviews
• No videos
• Slow website
• No clear CTA
• No branding
• Outdated logo
• No Google ads
• No social media presence
• Missing service pages
• No chatbot
• No automation
• No quote follow-ups
• No SMS/email system

Your goal is to turn their gap into your strength. Every weakness you spot is an opportunity to outperform them.

7️⃣ Build Your Advantage (Here's How You Beat Them Fast)

You don't need to outspend them.

You just need to out-execute them.

Here's how:

• Upload 50–100 job photos
• Ask for reviews every single day
• Improve your Google Business categories
• Write better descriptions
• Add a booking form to your website
• Add a chatbot (AI chat widgets are amazing for this)
• Make your website mobile-first
• Use clean, modern branding
• Run simple Google ads
• Create a solid "About" page with your face
• Build service-specific pages
• Add suburb landing pages
• Post weekly content on Google, Facebook, Instagram

Final Thoughts: Your Competitors Are Telling You Exactly How to Beat Them

Competitor research isn't about copying.

It's about understanding:

• Where they're strong → match it.
• Where they're weak → dominate it.

Local business success isn't random.

It's strategic.

The businesses willing to study their competition will always win more customers, build more trust, and grow faster than those who don't. Your competitors are showing you exactly what works — and what doesn't. Use that intelligence to your advantage.