Lead sites alternative · updated October 2026
An alternative to lead sites where the leads are yours.
The main alternative to paying lead sites and directories is to win jobs through your own Google Business Profile and website, so customers call you directly and the enquiry isn’t shared. Cervo Studio sets this up for UK trades for £0 to build and £197 a month.
What paying for leads costs
Is paying for leads worth it?
It depends on one number: what each job you win from it costs you. Add up a year of membership, lead fees and listing packages, then divide by the jobs they actually brought in.
Cost per job = what you paid ÷ jobs you won
If that figure is comfortably below your profit on a typical job, it’s earning its keep. If it isn’t, or you can’t tell, that’s the money a system you own can win back.
| Average UK costs for trades | Typical figure, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Directory membership, as advertised | From about £30–£60 a month |
| What members report paying in busy areas | £100–£200 a month, often plus lead fees |
| Pay-per-lead credits | From a few pounds to about £40 a lead, usually shared with other trades |
| Agency marketing packages | Around £250–£300 a month, often on 12-month terms |
| Cost per job won, in worked examples | About £90–£200 |
Your numbers
What does a job really cost you?
The monthly fee isn’t the number that matters. The cost of each job you actually win is. Put in your own figures: it takes ten seconds.
Most trades we speak to have never worked it out. Many are surprised.
Directory memberships, lead credits and listing packages.
Up a ladder, under a sink, driving between jobs.
Your numbers stay on this page. Missed calls a year = your weekly figure × 48 working weeks.
Switching, step by step
How to leave without losing work.
Don’t cancel first. Build what you own, run both for a while, and let the numbers decide.
When to keep a lead site: if you’re brand new with no reviews yet, or your cost per job is clearly below your margin, a vetted directory badge can still be worth paying for.
- Find your renewal date. Check your contract for the term and the notice you need to give.
- Set up what you own. A complete Google Business Profile and a website with your services, towns and reviews.
- Catch every call. Forward unanswered calls to text-back, so no new enquiry is lost while you’re working.
- Ask past customers for Google reviews. Reviews on a directory usually stay there, so start building your own.
- Compare for two or three months. Cost per job from each source, side by side, in your monthly report.
- Give notice before it renews, once your own channel brings in enough work.
The Own-Your-Leads system
One system. Five jobs done for you.
Each part fixes one leak between “someone needs a tradesperson” and “they booked you”. We set it all up and keep it running. You do the jobs.
01 · Get found
A website that wins the call
Up to 5 pages plus 3 service or town pages. Tap-to-call, WhatsApp and a quote form on every page, your reviews shown, and fast on a phone. Built for how your customers search.
02 · Get found
Google profile, done properly
Set up or cleaned up: services, areas, photos and categories, then a fresh post every week and replies to your reviews.
03 · Never miss one
Missed-call text-back
Miss a call and the caller gets a text within seconds: “Sorry I missed you, what do you need and what’s your postcode?” They wait for you instead of ringing the next number.
04 · Get chosen
Reviews that ask for themselves
After each job, your customer gets a friendly text with your Google review link. More reviews, more calls.
05 · Know what works
A monthly jobs report
Every call, form and text, with where it came from. One page a month, in plain English, so you can compare your cost per job with the lead sites.
Also included: UK hosting, security and backups, set-up so ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers can describe you accurately, and 30 minutes of changes each month.
Questions
Leaving lead sites, answered.
What is the best alternative to paid lead sites?
For most trades, your own Google Business Profile plus a website built to win calls. Customers searching on Google Maps contact you directly, the enquiry isn’t shared, and the reviews you collect stay yours. Most other directories and pay-per-lead marketplaces share the same pay-to-compete model.
Can I take my directory reviews with me?
Usually not as Google reviews: reviews belong to the platform where they were left. You can link to your profile while it’s live, and start asking happy customers for Google reviews now. Our system sends that request automatically after every job.
How long before Google brings in jobs?
Fixes to your Google profile can show within a few weeks. New pages and reviews usually take two to four months to build up. That’s why we suggest running both at first and comparing the cost per job.
What does Cervo Studio cost instead?
£0 to build and £197 a month for the website, Google profile upkeep, missed-call text-back, review requests and a monthly jobs report. Six months, then month to month. If you’re leaving a lead site or agency package, your first month is free.
Do you guarantee I’ll get more jobs?
No one can honestly guarantee rankings or leads. We promise the work, a report that shows every enquiry and where it came from, and a homepage you can see before paying anything.
Free · no hard sell · see it before you pay
Your next job is ringing.
Book a short call. We’ll show you what Google and ChatGPT say about you today, and how many enquiries you could be missing.
10 founding places left: £197 a month, locked for as long as you stay.