Too many joiners, sash window firms, and timber specialists complete a job, hand over the invoice, and move straight to the next site, never realising they’ve just left behind one of their most powerful marketing opportunities.
Here’s the reality: every completed window installation, sill repair, or bespoke joinery commission is a goldmine for free, local marketing, if you know how to use it.
Think about it:
That one project could instantly become:
And yet, 9 out of 10 tradespeople walk away without collecting any of it.
📉 According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey (2024), 77% of homeowners say they’d leave a review if asked, but most window specialists don’t even have a system in place to collect them. That’s hundreds of missed reviews, rankings and referrals a year.
“A completed job should give you five things: a customer review, a quote you can publish, a postcode for SEO, a great photo, and a quick social media post. If you skip that, you’re missing the easiest marketing you'll ever do.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert at Sash Window Websites
You don’t need fancy software or hours of admin time. You just need to build it into your process. Because your last job could be the reason someone picks you for the next one.
When you’ve spent hours restoring timber, balancing sashes, or fitting new casement windows, the last thing you want to do is think about marketing. But here’s the truth – the best marketing isn’t staged in a studio. It happens right there on the job site, in the dust and the paint, when the work is fresh and the client is smiling.
If you consistently capture these five simple things on every project, you’ll never be short of content that builds trust, powers your SEO, and keeps enquiries rolling in.
These are pure marketing gold. Customers love transformation stories, and search engines eat them up too. Always take photos from the same angle before you start and again once you’re done. Try to include:
Even something as simple as a newly restored Edwardian sash window or a perfectly hung oak door looks fantastic online when paired with a local caption like: “Another successful sash window restoration in Maidstone!”
Rob Gould puts it simply: “A photo is proof. It’s evidence of your skills, and when tied to a location, it becomes powerful SEO content that convinces people you can do the same for them.”
There’s no better time to ask for a review than when your client is admiring the smooth glide of their newly re-corded sash or the snug seal of a draught-proofed window. Politely ask for a quick Google review while the satisfaction is fresh. Send them a direct link by text or WhatsApp – don’t make them search for it.
If they prefer the old-school route, jot down a short testimonial, show it to them, and ask for approval. Sometimes seeing another customer’s words makes them more willing to share their own.
As Aimee Lycett explains: “We’ve found clients are far more likely to leave a review if you ask face-to-face, give them an example, and then follow up with a quick link. Make it effortless, and most will do it.”
Don’t forget to note down the town, village, or even the postcode where the job took place. Location is the backbone of SEO for trades. Later, you can build project pages or blog posts around it, such as:
These location-based pieces are exactly what potential customers are searching for. They show up in Google for both the service and the place, bringing you enquiries from people nearby who want the same results.
If the homeowner is especially pleased, ask if they’d be happy to provide a short comment for your website. It doesn’t need to be long – even a sentence works wonders.
Something like: “We’re delighted with our sash window restoration. The house feels warmer already and the team were a pleasure to work with.”
Future customers trust real voices far more than marketing slogans. A single line of genuine feedback carries more weight than a whole paragraph of polished sales copy.
Finally, take a quick photo, jot a few notes, and save it as a draft for social media. Later, you can polish it and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
For example:
“Before and after of a full sash window restoration in Whitstable. These Victorian windows were overhauled, repaired, repainted, and sealed, ready to last another century.”
No need to be a content wizard. Just be authentic, keep it local, and let your craftsmanship shine.
These five actions take no more than 10–15 minutes at the end of each job. But done consistently, they create an ever-growing portfolio that boosts your visibility in Google, builds customer trust, and attracts more of the jobs you actually want.
Or as Aimee says: “Think of it as compounding interest. Each photo, each review, each location builds up over time until your website becomes a library of proof that convinces Google and customers alike.”
So, lets say you’ve just finished restoring a set of sash windows. The paint is still drying, the customer has just given you a glowing review, and you’ve snapped a few cracking before-and-after shots. Brilliant. But here’s the real question: what now? Do you simply upload a picture to Facebook, wait for your auntie to ‘like’ it, and then forget it ever happened? That’s like polishing a fine oak door only to leave it out in the rain. Instead, you should be turning that job into long-term SEO value that keeps generating enquiries long after you’ve packed away your brushes.
The truth is, every sash window repair, every bespoke joinery project, and every double-glazing upgrade can become digital gold dust. It isn’t about making more work for yourself, it’s about documenting what you already do in a way that Google can’t resist.
Think of each completed project as a seed. On its own, it’s small, but when planted in the right place online, it can grow into a page that brings in enquiries for years. That’s where location-specific landing pages come in.
Instead of writing a vague “We fix windows everywhere” page, build something focused like:
Each of these can rank in Google for both the service and the location – the very words your next customer is typing in late at night while complaining about rattling windows.
And don’t just throw up a couple of photos. Fill the page with:
As Aimee Lycett puts it: “A completed job should give you five things: a customer review, a quote you can publish, a postcode for SEO, a great photo, and a quick social media post. If you aren’t collecting those, you’re wasting the best marketing tool you have.”
Now let’s talk photos. Too many joiners and window specialists throw hundreds of random, unlabelled images into a gallery and call it a day. That’s about as useful as a box sash without its cords – it looks the part but doesn’t function.
Instead, group your images into sensible, customer-friendly categories:
Most importantly, never ignore alt text. These little descriptions tell Google what your image actually shows. Instead of leaving a photo titled IMG_4023, rename it: “Traditional sash window repair by joiner in Rochester”.
This is where you can sneak in those juicy keywords and locations that feed straight into image search results. According to HubSpot, properly optimised images can improve website traffic by up to 12% source.
Here’s where the fun starts. A single day’s job – like replacing rotten sash cords or upgrading old single glazing – can easily be turned into a blog post. Not the dry “job completed today” type, but a 600-word story with photos, client quotes, and the exact search terms your next lead will use.
For example:
Rob Gould, SEO specialist at Sash Window Websites, explains: “We’ve seen companies land on page one of Google just from regular case study blogs. Real jobs, real towns, real customers – it’s the most authentic SEO content you can get.”
Your Google Business Profile isn’t just an online address book. It’s a trust signal and a ranking powerhouse for local trades. Upload those before-and-after shots directly to your profile, add the customer’s review, and tag each image with the location.
Imagine someone in Canterbury searching “sash window repair near me” and your latest project pops up, complete with photos and a five-star review. That’s free advertising on the world’s busiest platform.
As Aimee notes: “Google loves activity. Every update to your Business Profile – whether it’s a photo, a review, or a description – tells Google your business is alive, relevant, and worth ranking.”
And finally, squeeze every drop of value out of that completed job. Use your content across:
One job really can become ten or more pieces of content, all pointing people back to your business. The beauty is you’re not reinventing the wheel – you’re simply repackaging what you’re already doing, in ways that customers and Google both love.
Or as Rob Gould likes to put it: “It’s not about doing more work, it’s about showing off the work you’re already proud of in the right places.”
Let’s be honest, most joiners, carpenters, and sash window specialists don’t finish a long day of draught proofing, cord replacement, or timber restoration and think, “Can’t wait to write a blog post tonight.” It’s not laziness, it’s reality. You’ve been sanding, lifting, and glazing for ten hours straight, so sitting down to upload photos or type out a case study is never going to happen unless it’s part of a simple, repeatable system.
The secret to turning your completed work into ongoing free marketing is automation. Not in the sense of robots doing your job, but in building a routine that works every single time – without draining your evenings or distracting you from what you do best.
Keep a short checklist on your phone or pinned inside the van. At the end of each project, whether it’s restoring Edwardian sash windows in Canterbury or fitting new casements in Maidstone, run through the basics:
The whole process takes less than five minutes, but it gives you all the raw materials needed for SEO-rich content that will last for years.
As Aimee Lycett explains: “A simple checklist takes the pressure off. You don’t need to remember every detail weeks later. Capture it on-site, and you’ve already got the building blocks for SEO content.”
Not a fan of typing? No problem. Pull out your phone, hit record, and say it as if you’re chatting to a mate down the pub:
“Repaired three sash cords in Rochester, replaced the pulley wheels, and repainted the sashes. Client said the windows glide smoother than ever. Job took two days. She was delighted.”
From that short note, we (at Sash Window Websites) can turn it into:
And you didn’t have to type a single sentence.
Rob Gould puts it nicely: “Voice notes are gold. In two minutes, you can create content that fuels a website, a Google profile, and a blog. Tradespeople often underestimate how valuable those quick recordings can be.”
Customers are far more likely to leave a review if you make it painless. Right after the job is done – or once the invoice is settled – send a friendly WhatsApp message with your review link:
“Thanks again for having us. If you’re happy with the sash window restoration, would you mind leaving us a quick review here? It really helps small businesses like ours.”
Set up a shortcut in your phone so you don’t have to keep typing the same thing. Make it easy, make it polite, and most customers will happily oblige.
As Aimee says: “When asked in a friendly, no-pressure way, most clients will leave a review. It’s about making it simple and quick.”
Don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need to upload after every single job. Instead, set aside 20 minutes once a week to:
If you’re working with Sash Window Websites, we’ll handle everything for you – from writing blog posts and optimising photos to building SEO-focused project pages. That way, your jobs keep generating enquiries while you’re already on the next project.
The last step is keeping an eye on what’s working. You don’t need to drown in spreadsheets or hire a data analyst. Just use a few simple tools:
The best part? It compounds. Each review you collect, each gallery image you upload, and each blog post you publish becomes part of your permanent digital footprint. Over time, it snowballs into a steady flow of leads without any extra ad spend.
As Rob Gould says: “Good marketing for joiners and window companies isn’t about a one-off boost. It’s about stacking up small pieces of content until you’ve built a library that Google can’t ignore.”
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this:
Every sash window you restore, every rotten sill you replace, and every bespoke joinery project you complete is an opportunity to get more work – for free.
You don’t need flashy adverts or gimmicky videos to bring in customers. You just need the basics:
That’s it. Simple, repeatable, and incredibly powerful.
Aimee Lycett sums it up perfectly: “The most effective trade marketing doesn’t look like marketing. It looks like real jobs, real people, and real locations. That’s what builds trust and gets you found online.”
And here’s the beauty – unlike paid ads, this content keeps working. A case study on a sash window overhaul in Canterbury or a glowing review from a homeowner in Maidstone won’t vanish in a week. It sits there quietly, climbing Google, proving your expertise, and nudging new clients towards picking up the phone.
Rob Gould, sash window specialist and SEO expert, puts it like this: “A £2,000 advert disappears as soon as the budget runs out. But a single well-written project page or review can bring enquiries for years. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
At Sash Window Websites, we specialise in helping joiners, carpenters, and sash window companies transform everyday projects into long-term digital assets. From SEO-rich landing pages to case-study blogs, review integration, and photo galleries that actually rank, we take the work you’re already doing and make it visible where it matters.
Book your free consultation today and let’s turn your next sash window restoration into your next five enquiries.
