SEO for Solar Installers New Zealand: Get Found Locally

Executive Summary

How a solar installer gets found on Google

Your Google Business Profile is what puts you on the map for "solar installer near me" and "solar battery [suburb]"
EWRB registration, SEANZ membership, reviews and real install photos win quotes direct, before a homeowner posts a job on Builderscrack
A website with a page per job (rooftop solar, battery storage, system upgrades) so Google can match you to the search
Suburb pages for the areas you actually cover, not a vague "all of Auckland"
Why this beats paying for shared Builderscrack leads, and how long it really takes

This is the solar version of our local SEO guide for tradies. If you want a solar installer website built to do all of this, see websites and marketing for solar installers.

SEO for solar installers means showing up when someone in your area searches for solar on Google, in the map results and on the web, without paying for every lead. For an installer that is mostly local: "solar installer Hastings", "solar panel installation Tauranga", "solar battery near me". Get it right and the booked quotes come straight to you, not shared with three other installers on Builderscrack.

Here is the thing most installers miss. Most solar leads get posted on Builderscrack and chased by several installers at once, so you pay a subscription to race three other installers to the cheapest quote 1. The installer who shows up in the top three on the map, with EWRB registration and real install photos on show, gets the homeowner to book direct. If that is not you, you are paying to chase shared leads while your own phone stays quiet.

A few numbers worth knowing:

Around 97% of people use online search to find a local business like a solar installer 2.

76% of people who search for something nearby on their phone contact a business within a day, but only if it shows up 3.

Most people read reviews and check registration before they call, and the installer with recent reviews wins the click 2.

Below is the order to sort it, solar-specific, in plain English.

What Does SEO for a Solar Installer Actually Mean?

It is not one thing. For a solar installer it is four things working together:

Your Google Business Profile (the map listing)
Your reviews and registration
Your website, with a page for each type of system you install
Suburb pages for the areas you cover

Homeowners buying solar are doing real research before they spend thousands: checking your EWRB registration, reading reviews, comparing systems. They tap the first installer on the map who looks registered, reviewed and local. SEO is about being that installer, so they book a quote with you before they post the job on Builderscrack.

Start With Your Google Business Profile

This is the single biggest lever, it is free, and most installers have it half done or not at all. Your Google Business Profile is what gets you into the map pack, the three businesses Google shows at the top before anything else.

Set it up properly for solar:

Categories: set "Solar energy company" or "Solar energy contractor" as primary, then add the ones that fit, like Solar panel maintenance service
Services: list the jobs people actually search for, rooftop solar installation, battery storage, system upgrades, solar repairs and maintenance, not just "solar"
Photos: real install photos, panels on a roof, a battery on a garage wall, your registered team on site, not stock images
Registration and licence: put your EWRB electrical registration and your SEANZ membership in the description. Grid-connected solar is Prescribed Electrical Work, and only someone registered and licensed with the Electrical Workers Registration Board can carry out or supervise it 4. It is the first thing a homeowner checks, and showing it up front is your biggest trust signal
Service area: the areas you genuinely cover

Action: Claim and complete your listing this week. Full walkthrough: the Google Business Profile guide for New Zealand tradies.

Get Reviews After Every Install

Two installers sit next to each other in the map results. One has 60 reviews at 4.9 stars, the other has three. The homeowner about to spend NZ$15,000 on a system picks the first one without thinking. Reviews decide who gets the quote, and they lift you in the map rankings too.

Solar is a considered, high-value purchase, so reviews carry real weight. The trick is the timing and the ask:

Ask when the system is commissioned and the homeowner can see it generating on their app
Make it one tap with a direct Google review link, texted to them
Reviews that mention the suburb and the system ("6.6kW system installed in Hastings, saving us a fortune") help your local ranking more than a bare "great service"

Action: Build the review ask into every install. How to get them flowing: Google reviews for tradies.

Build a Website That Ranks for Solar Searches

Your Google listing gets you on the map. A website is what lets you rank for the searches and turn a click into a booked quote. A Facebook page will not do this, it barely shows in Google and you do not own it.

The key for a solar installer is a page for each type of job you quote, because that is how people search:

Rooftop solar installation
Battery storage
System upgrades and additions
Solar repairs and maintenance

A single "Services" page that lists everything in one paragraph rarely ranks for any of it. Separate pages, each with the system type, the suburbs, real install photos, your EWRB registration and SEANZ membership, and a quote button, give Google something to match and the homeowner a reason to book. Battery storage in particular is a fast-growing search, since without a feed-in tariff most homeowners are chasing bill savings by using more of their own generation, so a dedicated page is an easy one to own.

Action: If you are on Facebook or a one-page site, that is the gap. See what a good tradie website looks like, or how we build solar installer websites.

Target the Suburbs You Actually Cover

If you want to rank for "solar installer Hastings" and "solar panels Havelock North", you generally need a page that speaks to each area, not a homepage claiming "all of Hawke's Bay". These are suburb pages.

Done right, each one has genuine local detail: the suburb, the systems you install there, a real review from that area, and your service info. Done lazily, as copy-paste clones with only the suburb name swapped, Google treats them as spam and they fail. Quality over quantity: a handful of real suburb pages beats twenty thin ones.

Action: Map the suburbs worth targeting and build proper pages. The how and the traps: suburb pages for tradies.

Should a Solar Installer Bother With Builderscrack?

Builderscrack and similar lead platforms post the same homeowner enquiry to several installers at once, so you pay a subscription to compete on price against installers you have never met. They can deliver a lead the same day, but you pay whether you win the job or not, and the moment you stop paying the work stops.

SEO is the opposite: it takes longer to build, but the quotes come straight to you, you do not pay per lead, and your registration and reviews do the selling. Most smart installers use a bit of both early on, then lean on their own Google presence as it builds.

Action: Run the maths for your jobs. Is Builderscrack worth it for solar installers breaks down the real cost per booked job.

How Long Until a Solar Installer Sees Results?

Honest answer: your Google listing can start showing within 2 to 4 weeks, and suburb-level searches ("solar installer Napier") can move faster than competitive head terms ("solar Auckland"), which take months. Reviews and rankings build over 3 to 6 months of steady effort.

Anyone promising you page one in two weeks for "solar [your city]" is selling hope. Start now, because power price rises and cold-snap bill shock drive enquiry spikes you want to be visible for, even without a rebate to chase.

Action: Set realistic expectations. How long SEO takes for tradies has the channel-by-channel timeline. Habit checklist for the map pack: the Google Maps top 3.

Want Us to Check Where Your Solar Business Shows Up?

The quickest way to know is to have someone check it and tell you straight.

Free Google listing audit: we check whether you appear in the map for your trade and suburbs, whether your registration is on show, and how you stack up against local installers. PDF in 24 hours.
Free website audit: if you have a site, we check whether it is fast, found, and built to turn searches into booked quotes.

Want it built for you instead of doing it yourself? See websites and marketing for solar installers.

What a solar installer website costs

Single Page$1,099
one page, conversion sections, Call + Get a quote
Multi-Page$2,199$1,899Founding Offer
Home, About, Reviews, Contact + page per service
Multi-Page + Extras$3,299
above + ~10 suburb pages + Google Business Profile optimisation

Maintenance: optional $50/month for edits on existing pages (what maintenance covers)

Free strategy call →

A 20-minute call and a plan for more leads. No sales pitch.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do solar installers get more customers from Google?

Start with a complete Google Business Profile so you appear in the map results for solar installer and solar battery searches in your area, get reviews after every install, and have a website with a page for each type of system you install and your EWRB registration on show. Those three together get you found and chosen.

What is the best way for a solar installer to rank on Google Maps?

A fully completed Google Business Profile (correct solar categories, real install photos, EWRB registration and SEANZ membership, service areas), a steady flow of recent reviews that mention the suburb and the system, and a website with matching details. Reviews and consistency are the biggest levers for the Maps top 3.

Do solar installers need a website, or is a Google listing enough?

You need both. The Google listing puts you on the map, but a website lets you rank for specific searches like battery storage in your suburb, prove your registration, and turn a click into a booked quote before the homeowner posts on Builderscrack. A listing without a website behind it ranks worse and converts worse.

Is SEO better than Builderscrack for solar leads?

They do different jobs. Builderscrack gives instant but paid, shared leads where it is a race to the cheapest quote. SEO takes longer but the quotes come straight to you, you pay nothing per lead, and your registration and reviews do the selling. Most installers use light Builderscrack spend early, then rely on their own Google presence as it grows.

Does New Zealand have a solar rebate?

No. Unlike Australia's federal STC rebate, New Zealand has no national solar rebate, subsidy or feed-in tariff scheme. Homeowners generally fund solar through savings or a bank green loan, and save on their power bill by using their own generation or selling excess back to their retailer for a bill credit. Do not promise customers a rebate that does not exist, sell them on the running cost savings instead.

Do I need to be EWRB registered to install solar?

Yes. Grid-connected solar is Prescribed Electrical Work under the Electricity Act 1992, so it can only be carried out or supervised by someone registered and licensed with the Electrical Workers Registration Board. SEANZ membership on top of that signals you meet the wider industry's installation standards.

How long does SEO take for a solar business?

Your Google listing can show within 2 to 4 weeks. Suburb-level searches can move faster, while competitive city terms take 3 to 6 months or more. It builds steadily, so the key is to be visible before the next power price rise or cold-snap enquiry spike.

What should be on a solar installer's website to rank?

A page for each system you install (rooftop solar, battery storage, system upgrades), each with the suburbs you serve, real install photos, your EWRB registration and SEANZ membership, and a quote button. Suburb pages for the areas you cover, and your Google reviews on show.

References:

This is the solar installer guide. For the full version covering every trade, see local SEO for tradies.

Published by Made 4 Tradies. Kiwi-owned, run by a Hawke's Bay local. Serving Hawke's Bay, Hastings, Napier, and nationwide.

SEO for Solar Installers: How to Get Found by Local Customers in New Zealand