Every year it hits, July gets hot, December gets festive, and suddenly the phone stops ringing. For builders, plumbers, carpenters, roofers and even electricians, the summer and Christmas slowdowns can feel like being left off the guest list to your own party. You know the demand is still out there somewhere, but it’s not coming to your phone.
It’s not just your imagination. According to Google Trends, search interest for terms like “bathroom fitter near me” and “joiner in Kent” often dips in July and again from mid-December into January. That means fewer people are actively looking for help during those periods, no matter how good your reputation is.
Customers are on holiday, their kids are off school, or they’re blowing their budget on Beer and pigs in blankets. But while the market quietens down, smart trades businesses use this downtime to get ahead of the competition, not just hibernate and wait.
“We have seen the pattern year after year: businesses who keep their SEO and content going through the quiet times end up winning the jobs when demand bounces back.” - Aimee Lycett, Local Trades Websites
You might think: why bother working on my marketing if no one’s searching? The answer is simple, because your competitors probably aren’t either.
This is your chance to climb above them on Google. SEO and local rankings don’t work overnight. Google rewards consistency. So when your plumbing mate in Peckham decides to pause all work until February, that’s your moment to leapfrog him in the search results.
What can you do when things are quiet?
As HubSpot reports, websites that update their content regularly generate 3 times more leads than those that sit idle. When things are quiet, your marketing needs to speak louder than ever.
Let’s get down to brass tacks. You can’t argue with cold hard data, and the numbers behind seasonal slumps paint a very clear picture.
According to Google Trends, search volumes for trade services like “plumber near me”, “electrician available now”, and “window repair” drop significantly during the hottest weeks of July and again from mid-December through early January. Customers are on holiday or saving for Christmas, not fixing leaky taps or booking carpenters for new wardrobes.
Our own internal data backs this up. Local Trade Websites supports dozens of businesses across the UK, and every summer and winter we see the same pattern:
One of our regular clients, a painter and decorator based in Surrey, reported:
“I used to panic every December when the phones stopped ringing. Since we built out winter landing pages and boosted our local SEO, I still get leads coming in, even in my quietest months.”
This proves an important point: when you prep your online presence ahead of time, you flatten the seasonal curve. While your competitors are sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, your business is still collecting leads and planning the next jobs.
Want your trade business to beat the holiday dip? The answer isn’t luck, it’s preparation, local SEO and strategic content.
If you want to avoid the boom-and-bust rollercoaster most trades go through, here are five practical things you can do this week, even while the phone’s quiet.
“We help tradespeople identify what Google already likes on their site, then expand on that. It’s like adding petrol to a fire that’s already burning.” - Aimee Lycett, Local Trades Websites
Quiet seasons are the perfect time to zoom out and ask: what do I want next year to look like?
When it’s busy, you’re on-site from 7 to 6. The slow periods are a gift, not a punishment, to work on your long game. Plan your content, update your prices, redesign your homepage, or even start tracking how many leads come from each service page.
With a proper strategy, you will never again rely on the phone ringing by chance.
Every trade business will face a seasonal slump, but not every one will prepare for what comes after. The carpenters, tilers, electricians and window fitters who rank well before the rush will be the ones hoovering up the leads when things heat up again.
“We grew a sash window firm from 0 to over 1,400 ranking pages using this method and we can do the same across any trade.” - Aimee Lycett, Local Trades Websites
Whether you are a roofer in Reading, a carpet fitter in Croydon, or a general builder in Bristol, the best time to optimise your website is when you’re not on site.
Want a quiet season that sets you up for a record-breaking year?
Book your free SEO audit or consultation now, and let’s get your tools turning even while the enquiries are cooling off.
