How painters and decorators get found on Google is almost entirely a visual problem. Before a homeowner spends money redecorating, they want to see your work — the finish, the colour choices, the transformation. If they can't find you, or they find you but can't see your work, they call someone whose photos they can judge.
The decorators with full diaries aren't always the most skilled. They're the ones whose work is visible online and whose Google presence makes it easy to trust them before a single word is exchanged. Here's how to build that presence.
Why Painting and Decorating is a Search-First Trade
Unlike emergency trades (plumbing, electrical), decorating is a considered purchase. Homeowners spend days or weeks researching before they contact anyone. That research almost always starts on Google:
- "Painter decorator near me"
- "Interior decorator [your town]"
- "Wallpaper hanging [your area]"
- "Exterior painting [city]"
This research phase is your opportunity. A homeowner who spends ten minutes on your website looking at your gallery, reading your reviews, and seeing your quote form is already half-sold before they pick up the phone.
Your Google Business Profile: The First Impression
Before most homeowners visit your website, they see your Google Business Profile. For a decorator, the photos section is the most important part:
- Upload before and after shots: The transformation is the proof. A dull, dated room next to the finished result — bright, fresh, professionally finished — is more convincing than any written description.
- Show different room types: Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, hallways. Potential clients want to see you've done something similar to what they're planning.
- Show different techniques: Wallpapering, feature walls, exterior masonry, ceiling roses. Each one demonstrates range and attracts a different search query.
- Update it regularly: A profile with photos uploaded this month signals an active business. Google rewards freshness.
Your Website: The Gallery That Closes the Job
When a potential client clicks through to your website, they're looking for one thing: evidence. Can this decorator do what I need, to the standard I want, at a price I can work with?
What your site needs:
- Gallery organised by room or project type: Don't dump all photos in one grid. Separate interior, exterior, wallpapering, and commercial. A homeowner planning a bedroom redecoration wants to see bedrooms specifically.
- Written description of your work: A brief explanation of each job — what the brief was, what products were used, how long it took — adds credibility and gives Google text to index alongside your images.
- Quote request form: Make it easy to start the conversation. Ask for the room(s), rough square footage if they know it, and their preferred timeline. This pre-qualifies enquiries and saves both sides time.
- Coverage area: Which towns, postcodes, or counties you cover — listed explicitly. This is how you rank for "[your town] decorator" searches.
We build free websites for painters and decorators — gallery, quote form, coverage area, reviews — in seven days, no invoice.
Ranking for Specific Jobs, Not Just "Decorator"
"Painter decorator near me" is competitive. These are much less so:
- "Wallpaper hanging [your town]"
- "Venetian plaster decorator [city]"
- "Exterior house painting [county]"
- "Commercial decorator [your area]"
- "Feature wall [your town]"
If you mention each of these job types naturally in your website copy — and ideally have a photo or two showing that work — you can rank for all of them simultaneously. The competition for these specific searches is a fraction of the competition for the generic term.
Google Reviews for Decorators
A review that says "transformed our living room — the finish was immaculate and he was tidy throughout" is worth more than ten stars with no comment. Specific reviews build trust and help you rank for room-specific searches.
The system that gets you consistent reviews:
- When a job is complete and the homeowner is clearly delighted, show them your Google review link on your phone
- Ask them to mention the room and what they thought of the finish — most happy clients will write something genuine and specific
- Respond to every review — it signals to Google that your profile is active and engaged
- Aim for two reviews per month. In six months, you'll have a profile that dominates local search results
Start This Week
- Get a website with a proper gallery. We build them free for painters and decorators.
- Upload ten before/after photos to your Google Business Profile today.
- List every job type you do on your website — interior, exterior, wallpapering, commercial — with its own section.
- Include every town and area you cover in your website copy.
- Ask your last three happy clients for a Google review and send them the link directly.
A homeowner in your area is planning a redecoration right now and searching for a decorator to trust with it. Make sure they find you — and when they do, make sure your photos do the persuading before you say a word.