28 Boiler Leads a Month, Outselling British Gas Locally
How Steve R., a Gas Safe registered heating engineer in Manchester, stopped competing with nationals on their terms and built a local lead machine that converts at 40%+.
The Problem
Steve had been a Gas Safe registered heating engineer for 9 years. Excellent at the technical work, struggled with the business side. He was competing against British Gas, HomeServe, and local boiler companies with marketing budgets he could not match.
When homeowners searched "new boiler Manchester", they found the nationals at the top of Google. Steve was invisible. His only option was Checkatrade, where he was one of 15 heating engineers competing for every lead.
He knew he offered better value than British Gas — same quality boilers, better service, lower prices. But customers could not find him. They defaulted to the big names because they did not know local alternatives existed.
Winter was busy but still stressful — too many emergency repairs, not enough planned installations. Summer was dead. Steve wanted year-round stability and more of the high-value boiler installations.
The Solution
Built a professional website with Gas Safe registration number on every page, manufacturer accreditations (Worcester Bosch, Vaillant), and finance options prominently displayed
Created dedicated pages for every service: boiler installations, boiler repairs, boiler servicing, central heating, landlord gas certificates, powerflush
Published content targeting buying decisions: "Boiler installation cost Manchester", "Best combi boilers 2026", "Boiler on finance Manchester"
Optimised Google Business Profile with Gas Safe certification, service photos, and 5-star reviews
Targeted Manchester and surrounding areas: Stockport, Sale, Altrincham, Didsbury, Chorlton with location pages
Implemented automated review collection — now the highest-reviewed local heating engineer in South Manchester
Keywords Now Ranking on Page 1
The Timeline
Week 1-2
Foundation
New website built with Gas Safe registration prominently displayed. Dedicated pages for boiler installations, repairs, servicing, and landlord certificates. Google Business Profile created with Gas Safe certification verified.
Week 3-4
Content & Trust
Created content: "Boiler installation cost Manchester 2026", "Best combi boilers 2026", "Boiler finance options". Added Worcester Bosch and Vaillant accreditation badges.
Week 5-8
Rankings Climb
First page 1 rankings for "boiler installation Manchester". Review collection generated 24 new reviews. First direct boiler installation enquiry came in week 6.
Week 9-12
Beating British Gas
28 enquiries per month for boiler work. Conversion rate 40%+ because customers chose Steve, not a faceless national company. Stopped all Checkatrade spend.
“I was invisible next to British Gas. Now I am the top-ranked local heating engineer in South Manchester. Customers call me because they found me on Google, read my reviews, and chose me over the nationals. My conversion rate is over 40% because these are warm leads who already trust me.”
— Steve R., Heating Engineer, Manchester
Why Local Beats National (When You Are Visible)
Price advantage. Steve can offer the same Worcester Bosch boiler as British Gas for £800-£1,200 less. No call centre overhead, no national advertising budget, no shareholders to pay.
Service advantage. Customers deal with Steve directly, not a call centre. Same engineer every time. Faster response. Personal service that nationals cannot match.
Trust through reviews. 67 five-star reviews from local customers outweighs any national brand. Homeowners read reviews from people in their area and feel confident.
The problem was visibility, not competitiveness. Steve was always better value than British Gas. He just needed customers to find him. Google SEO solved that.
Monthly Enquiry Breakdown
The mix is perfect. Boiler installations are the high-value work. Repairs and servicing fill gaps. Landlord certificates create recurring customers. All coming from one Google presence.
The ROI
Monthly investment
£297
Additional monthly revenue
£11,400
Checkatrade spend (before)
£280/month
Checkatrade spend (after)
£0
Return on investment
38.4x
Ready to Compete with the Nationals?
Book a free 20-minute call. We will show you exactly how many boiler leads you are missing on Google each month.
Get My Free Audit