The Flooring Benchmark

Most Aussie flooring businesses leave about $3,255/mo on the table. Here’s where the leak is. Every number sourced. No guesses.

What good looks like across the five measures — the Google review bar, the website scorecard, the GBP setup, the ops baseline, and the buyer’s actual questions. Every figure is sourced or labelled. No guesses.

modelled — sizes the leak, not a quote. Average job value (AJV) from modelled: 30m² blend: laminate $55–$95 / vinyl-hybrid $65–$110 / engineered $120–$200 per m² (35/35/30) (imperialflooringaustralia, asestimation); close rate from hipages platform analysis (20minutemarketing.com.au); default 10 enquiries/month.

Field data · 2026-06-12 · How we score

Where you stand

Five things decide whether a flooring gets found and gets the call. Here’s where you stand on each — and the number to beat.

The review bar	36 reviews (your suburb)	→
The website scorecard	30.7/45 vs market 31/45	→
The Google profile	category check primary category review	→
Your numbers	AJV $3,100 · leak $3,255/mo	→
What buyers ask	8 questions to answer in writing	→

Run the Visibility Check — see how you score →

Download the 2-page benchmark (PDF)

The 45-point test for your trade

Flooring sites score 30.7 / 45 on the same nine-dimension rubric we ran across 289 Australian trade sites. The market median is 31/45. Read the trade score as a guide, not a hard stat — it rests on 6 AU sites. Your Google review bar above is the harder number. Top of the pack: OzGrind Polished Concrete at 34/45.

The two weakest spots are SEO/AI Usefulness (2.5/5) and Trust Above Fold (2.83/5). Good sites look good and they convert. They don't answer buyer questions in plain form.

Dimension	Trade average /5
3-Second Clarity	3.83
Visual Polish	3.17
Trust Above Fold weakest	2.83
CTA Clarity	4
Local Relevance	4
Service Architecture	4
Proof Depth	3.5
SEO/AI Usefulness weakest	2.5
Mobile/Speed Confidence	2.83

The one to study

Madera Floors — maderafloors.com.au

Copy this: Copy the architectural/premium positioning and sustainable material language.

Design direction: Premium, calm, image-led, strong whitespace and proof

Build rule. Use AU model for realistic owner-operator structure; use national/US models for scale, proof, conversion and service-page architecture.

You know the bar. Now see if you’re getting seen →

Your Map Pack reality

Your suburb's bar: about 36 Google reviews (Google Places API (New) (field median)). The quiet quarter sits at 14, the top quarter at 71, the busiest carries 523 — across 326 listings.

Reviews here are table stakes. The top-3 (median 41) carry about the same as spots 4–6 (median 36). Hit the bar, then win on distance, category fit, and site signals.

Metro	Median reviews
Adelaide	20
Ballarat	25
Brisbane	42
Cairns	23
Canberra	27
Darwin	12
Geelong	14
Gold Coast	51
Hobart	48
Melbourne	37
Newcastle	38
Perth	47
Sunshine Coast	53
Sydney	63
Toowoomba	28
Townsville	23
Wollongong	33

Reviews get you seen. The profile they tap decides what happens next →

The Google profile

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is the cheapest win on this page. It costs nothing. It moves first.

Most in your trade have the main category set right. Check yours is the most exact one Google offers. Bland always loses to exact.

What we measure — and what we won’t

Review count and prominence rank are public — we read them via the Google Places API. The owner-only fields — photo count, post cadence, messaging response speed — we never scrape from a competitor. Connect your own profile to read those.

Profile set right. Now answer what they ask before they ring →

What homeowners ask before they hire you

A homeowner searches before they call. They're already looking, reading and choosing. Below are the real questions — from accounts across 8 states.

Answer each one on your site in plain form. That's the SEO/AI gap, closed.

How much will this cost me?

$80–$250 per m² installed Price/cost · source

What do I need to know?

Uneven or damaged subfloors must be repaired before laying boards Price/cost · Comparison · source

How do my options compare?

Hybrid holds up significantly better than timber or laminate against everyday claw wear… the surface is water-resistant and non-porous, so pet messes don't soak in Comparison/alternatives · source

What do I need to know?

Moisture is the biggest risk… the leading cause of movement and damage Trust/red-flags · Edge-cases · source

How do I know they're any good?

Installers who avoid giving written quotes and cannot provide licenses, insurance, or references are major red flags Trust/red-flags · source

How do my options compare?

Refinishing a hardwood floor is five times cheaper than having it replaced Comparison/alternatives · source

What actually happens during the job?

All furniture must be moved out of the room to properly install carpet Process/what-happens-next · source

What do I need to know?

If the flooring was not installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, the warranty is void Outcome/guarantee/risk-reversal · source

Read what your customers are reading — the flooring buyer guide on Need A Trade

Skip the answers and watch the leak →

Where your trade leaks money

AJV: $3,100 (modelled: 30m² blend: laminate $55–$95 / vinyl-hybrid $65–$110 / engineered $120–$200 per m² (35/35/30) (imperialflooringaustralia, asestimation)). Close rate: 20–25%. With follow-up: up to 33%. (hipages platform analysis (20minutemarketing.com.au))

Revenue-leak calculator

Enquiries a month Your close rate (%)

Benchmark close rate ~25–33% (hipages platform data). AJV is modelled — see the label above. This is an estimate to size the leak, not a quote.

Stop the leak — Run the Visibility Check

That’s the cost. Here’s the plan →

The 30/60/90 play

Three stages. Each one closes a gap on a measure above.

First 30 days — Foundation.
- Fix the two weak dimensions on the scorecard.
- Set the right Google profile category.
- Tighten the above-the-fold trust strip.
By 60 days — Proof.
- Start the review engine. Ask every completed job.
- Push toward the 36 review bar.
- Add before/after proof to the weakest dimension.
By 90 days — Activation.
- Publish the structured FAQ/answer blocks.
- Wire fast response to every enquiry.
- Re-score against the 45-point test. Aim for at least 4 points up.