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Add comprehensive linkbuilding plan for Renegade Solar
claude Feb 22, 2026
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Rewrite linkbuilding plan: condensed month 1-2 with quality filter
claude Feb 22, 2026
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# Renegade Solar — Linkbuilding Plan (Month 1-2)

## Company

- **Trading name:** Renegade Solar (Renegade Electrical Ltd, #11368812)
- **Location:** Prestwich, North Manchester
- **Owner:** Ashley Merritt
- **Website:** renegade-solar.co.uk
- **Services:** Solar PV, battery storage, EV chargers, EICR inspections
- **Coverage:** Greater Manchester and the wider North West

---

## Current State

Renegade has listings on the core industry/accreditation platforms but is missing
from most of the high-DA general directories where competitors appear.

### What we already have

| Source | Status | Notes |
|--------|--------|-------|
| **Checkatrade** (DA ~90) | 100 reviews, 9.86/10 | Best asset. Keep requesting reviews. |
| **TrustMark** (gov-backed) | Listed, correct details | Verify website link is present and clickable. |
| **NAPIT** (industry body) | Listed but **no contact details shown** | Needs fixing — see Week 1. |
| **HIES Consumer Code** | Member R302-047 | Verify website link is present. |
| **MCS Certified** | NAP-66870 | Verify listing in their public installer search includes website link. |
| **Instagram** | @renegadeelectrical | Low activity. Bio should link to website. |
| **LinkedIn** | Company page exists | Sparse — needs fleshing out. |
| **Facebook** | @RenSolarManchester | May not be publicly visible — needs checking. |

### What's missing (the gaps that matter)

| Gap | Impact |
|-----|--------|
| **Google Business Profile** | Critical. This is the single biggest local SEO factor. Without it, Renegade is invisible in Maps and local pack results. |
| **Trustpilot** (DA ~93) | Competitor P4 Solar has 219 five-star reviews here. Renegade has no profile. |
| **Which? Trusted Traders** (DA ~90) | Multiple direct competitors listed (Solarus, Atlantic Renewables, Connect Electric). Dofollow link + strong trust signal. |
| **Yell.com** (DA ~70) | Basic but high-DA UK directory. Free listing. No reason not to be here. |
| **Houzz** (DA ~90+) | Strong DA, good for photo-heavy trades. Free pro profile. |
| **Nextdoor** (DA ~60+) | Hyper-local. Atlantic Renewables is already on here. |
| **Bark.com** (DA ~55) | Free profile. Solarus Energy listed here. |

### What we're deliberately skipping

| Site | Why |
|------|-----|
| **SolarReviews.com** | US-only site. The "Renegade Solar" profile there is a different company in Utah. Zero value. |
| **Renewable Energy Hub** (renewableenergyhub.co.uk) | Thin site, only 8 Trustpilot reviews in 10+ years, likely low DA. Not worth the effort. |
| **Solar Panels Network** (solarpanelsnetwork.com) | Generic, no evidence of real traffic or authority. Skip. |
| **Renewables Excellence** (renewablesexcellence.co.uk) | Launched mid-2025, will have negligible DA. Maybe revisit in a year. |
| **local-quotes.co.uk** | Low authority, unlikely to move the needle. |
| **MyHouseProject** (myhouseproject.co.uk) | Thin directory site. Skip. |
| **FreeIndex** | Low DA, spammy feel. Not worth it. |
| **YouTube / video content** | Ashley is too busy to produce videos right now. Revisit later if capacity changes. |
| **Guest posting on solar blogs** | Time-intensive. Better ROI from directory listings and accreditations first. Revisit in month 3+. |
| **Paid directories** (TrustATrader, MyBuilder, RatedPeople) | Pay-to-play lead gen platforms. May be worth it for leads, but that's a separate decision from linkbuilding. |

---

## Month 1 Plan

The goal: fix what we already have, then claim the free high-DA listings.

### Week 1: Fix existing listings

These are quick, free, and just require logging in to existing accounts.

| # | Task | Time | Detail |
|---|------|------|--------|
| 1 | **Fix NAPIT listing** | 15 min | Log in at napit.org.uk, add phone (07868 643 147), email, and website URL. Currently shows nothing. |
| 2 | **Check TrustMark listing** | 10 min | Verify the website field links to renegade-solar.co.uk and is clickable. TrustMark currently shows the address as Middleton, Rochdale — confirm this is correct or update. |
| 3 | **Check HIES listing** | 10 min | Search for member R302-047 at hiesscheme.org.uk. Verify website link is present. |
| 4 | **Check MCS listing** | 10 min | Search the MCS installer database for NAP-66870. Verify website link is present and correct. |
| 5 | **Verify Octopus Energy partner link** | 10 min | Check whether octopus.energy or any Octopus partner page links back to renegade-solar.co.uk. If not, contact them — Ashley is an Octopus Trusted Partner, there should be a listing. |
| 6 | **Instagram bio** | 5 min | Make sure bio links to renegade-solar.co.uk (not a linktree or similar). |
| 7 | **LinkedIn company page** | 30 min | Add proper description, service list, Prestwich location, website URL. Link Ashley's personal profile as Director/Founder. |

### Week 2: Google Business Profile

This is the single most important action in the entire plan.

| # | Task | Time | Detail |
|---|------|------|--------|
| 8 | **Create or claim Google Business Profile** | 30-60 min | Go to business.google.com. Search for the business. If it exists, claim it. If not, create it. |
| 9 | **Fully optimise the profile** | 1 hr | Add: business name ("Renegade Solar"), primary category ("Solar Energy Company"), secondary categories ("Electrician", "Battery Storage"), all services, business hours, phone, website, service area (Greater Manchester postcodes). Upload 10+ photos of completed installations. Write a proper business description. |
| 10 | **Request Google reviews** | ongoing | Text/email 10-20 past customers the direct Google review link. Aim for 20+ reviews in the first month. A personal message from Ashley works better than a generic email. Checkatrade proves customers are happy — they just need to say it on Google too. |

### Weeks 3-4: High-DA free directory listings

One listing per day. Each takes 10-20 minutes. Use **consistent NAP** everywhere:

> **Renegade Solar**
> Prestwich, Manchester
> 07868 643 147
> renegade-solar.co.uk

| # | Directory | Est. DA | Cost | Notes |
|---|-----------|---------|------|-------|
| 11 | **Trustpilot** | ~93 | Free | Claim the business profile at business.trustpilot.com. Once live, start requesting reviews from customers. Even 10-15 reviews puts Renegade on the map here. |
| 12 | **Yell.com** | ~70 | Free | Create a basic free listing. Don't bother with their paid upgrades. |
| 13 | **Bark.com** | ~55 | Free | Create a pro profile. Competitor Solarus Energy is here. Bark also generates leads, which is a bonus. |
| 14 | **Nextdoor** | ~60 | Free | Claim business page. Hyper-local — residents in Prestwich, Whitefield, Bury, etc. see recommendations from neighbours. Atlantic Renewables is already listed. |
| 15 | **Houzz** | ~90+ | Free | Create a professional profile. Upload installation photos. Houzz is photo-driven, which works well for before/after solar installs. High DA for a free listing. |
| 16 | **192.com** | ~55 | Free | Submit a basic business listing. Competitor Solarus Energy is listed here. |
| 17 | **CompareMySolar** | ~40 | Free | Submit installer profile. This is a Dutch-run comparison tool but has UK presence. Atlantic Renewables is here. Lower priority than the others but still free and quick. |

---

## Month 2 Plan

The goal: pursue the high-value listings that require applications/vetting, and
start building the review base across platforms.

### Which? Trusted Traders (the big one)

| # | Task | Time | Detail |
|---|------|------|--------|
| 18 | **Apply for Which? Trusted Traders** | 1-2 hrs | This is the highest-value directory listing available to a business like Renegade. Which? has ~DA 90, the "Endorsed by Which?" badge is a genuine trust signal, and multiple Manchester competitors already have it (Solarus, Atlantic Renewables, Connect Electric, Spectra Solar, TJS Solar). The listing includes a dofollow link, customer reviews, photo gallery, and "Endorsed" badge. Application involves a vetting/assessment process. Start it early in month 2. |

### Accreditations that generate links

These aren't just directory listings — they're genuine accreditations that create
trust signals AND backlinks.

| # | Accreditation | What it does | Detail |
|---|---------------|-------------|--------|
| 19 | **OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles)** | gov.uk-adjacent listing as approved EV charger installer | If Renegade does OZEV-approved EV charger installs, this should be straightforward. Generates a listing on a high-authority government-adjacent domain. |
| 20 | **CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety)** | H&S accreditation with directory listing | Useful for winning commercial solar work AND generates a backlink. Competitor Solarus Energy has CHAS Elite. |
| 21 | **RECC (Renewable Energy Consumer Code)** | Consumer protection scheme with member directory | Alternative/complement to HIES. Some installers hold both. Worth investigating if the additional consumer protection badge helps win customers. |

### Green Manchester directories

| # | Directory | Detail |
|---|-----------|--------|
| 22 | **Bee Net Zero / Green Economy Marketplace** | The website claims Renegade is already a Green Economy member. Verify this is actually live at greeneconomy.co.uk. If not, apply. Bee Net Zero is a GM Combined Authority initiative with decent institutional backing. |
| 23 | **GM Green City** | If there's a solar installer directory on gmgreencity.com, apply to be listed. This is council-backed so will have decent authority. |

### Supplier partnerships

| # | Supplier | Detail |
|---|----------|--------|
| 24 | **DMEGC** | Ashley installs DMEGC panels and the website has a page about it. Ask DMEGC if they have an "approved installers" or "where to buy" page on their UK/EU website. If yes, get Renegade listed. |
| 25 | **Solax** | Same approach — check if Solax has an installer finder on their website. |
| 26 | **AlphaESS** | Same approach. |
| 27 | **Trina Solar** | Same approach — Renegade rates the Trina Vertex series. |

### Reviews (ongoing through month 2)

| # | Platform | Target | Detail |
|---|----------|--------|--------|
| 28 | **Google** | 20+ reviews | Keep requesting. This is the most impactful review platform. |
| 29 | **Trustpilot** | 10+ reviews | Send the direct review link to happy customers. |
| 30 | **Checkatrade** | Maintain flow | Already strong at 100 reviews. Keep it ticking over with 2-3 per month. |

---

## What Good Looks Like (End of Month 2)

If Ashley works through this list, by the end of month 2 the link profile
should look like:

**Industry/accreditation links (high trust):**
- MCS (verified, with website link) ✓
- NAPIT (with full contact details) ✓
- TrustMark (with website link) ✓
- HIES (with website link) ✓
- Which? Trusted Traders (application in progress or approved)
- OZEV (if applicable)
- CHAS (application in progress or approved)

**High-DA directory links:**
- Google Business Profile (with 20+ reviews)
- Checkatrade (existing, 100+ reviews)
- Trustpilot (new, building reviews)
- Yell.com
- Houzz
- Nextdoor
- Bark.com
- 192.com
- CompareMySolar

**Supplier/partner links:**
- Octopus Energy (verified)
- DMEGC / Solax / AlphaESS / Trina (where available)
- Green Economy Marketplace (verified)

**Social profiles (with backlinks):**
- LinkedIn (complete)
- Instagram (bio link)
- Facebook (verified public)

That's roughly 20+ quality backlinks from a mix of high-DA directories,
industry bodies, and local/green platforms — all achievable within 2 months
without producing any content or video, and without paying for any dodgy
directory listings.

---

## Consistent NAP (use everywhere)

> **Business name:** Renegade Solar
> **Address:** Prestwich, Manchester (use full address where required)
> **Phone:** 07868 643 147
> **Website:** https://www.renegade-solar.co.uk
> **Email:** renegadeelectrical99@gmail.com

Use this exact format everywhere. NAP consistency across listings is a
direct local SEO ranking factor. Don't use "Renegade Electrical" on some
and "Renegade Solar" on others unless the platform specifically requires the
registered company name.

---

## What to revisit later (month 3+)

These are worth doing eventually but don't belong in the first two months:

- **Content marketing:** Publish case studies on the website, write a "Manchester terrace solar guide." These become linkable assets but require time to create.
- **Local press:** Pitch Ashley's story to Manchester Evening News, I Love MCR, etc. Good angle but needs a hook (community project, milestone, etc.)
- **Guest posting:** Contribute to solar industry blogs. Time-intensive; do it when the directory foundation is solid.
- **Video content:** YouTube, Instagram Reels, TikTok. When Ashley has capacity. Installation timelapses are gold but take time to film and edit.
- **Business networks:** GM Chamber of Commerce, FSB, Prestwich business groups — membership with directory listings. Worth it but not urgent.
- **MoneySavingExpert forums:** Build presence as a helpful contributor in solar threads. Long game.