Plumber SEO: Tips + Best Practices to Get Customers

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October of 2022 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Having a website is a crucial first step for any plumber looking to establish a strong online presence and attract more customers. 

But sometimes, it takes a lot of work to get noticed online, even with a website. It’s more tiring when you’re competing with long-established mom-and-pop companies.

If you’re facing similar challenges, it’s essential to understand the underlying issues affecting your website’s performance and how to improve your visibility. In this guide, I shared effective SEO strategies to help you rank well on search engines and get more customers. 

But before we dive in: 

Why is SEO the Best Strategy for Plumbers?

SEO is a sustainable and effective lead-generation strategy for home service businesses, including plumbers. 

For example, the search volume for the keyword ‘plumber service’ is more than 6K MoM, with over 32K keyword variations: 

Currently, there are over 80 million sites on Google targeting this keyword: 

Let’s assume you’re ranking for the keyword ‘plumbing services near me.’ This keyword has over 18K search volume:

If 10% of this traffic gets to your site, that’s <1.8K traffic from one keyword. Now, amplify this impact by targeting five or more keywords. 

SEO is also a way to target a new market segment— especially if your competitors are not focused on SEO. A solid SEO strategy can give you a competitive edge by improving your search rankings and visibility to potential customers searching for your services online. 

Other benefits are: 

1. Long Term Benefits

While SEO is an ongoing project for your plumbing website, many long-term benefits can come from an optimized site. One of many is that you will attract your ideal clients rather than click baits or generic leads.  

For example, if your site is optimized for specific keywords such as ‘emergency pipe repair in Ohio’ or ‘water heater installation near me,’ you will likely attract homeowners or businesses actively seeking these services. 

2. Helps Educate Clients

When people think of plumbing, they likely think of leaky sinks or clogged toilets. Many people are not informed about the additional services plumbers provide, such as water treatments, backflow prevention, pipe repairs, and water heater installations. This issue is due to targeted internet marketing by companies trying to sell just bathtubs or toilets. 

But you can fill the gap by educating homeowners and businesses on plumbing maintenance tips. See the below example of some common questions people try to get answers for from Google: 

With a search engine-optimized site, you can educate your potential clients on how to handle DIY repairs without buying an entirely new fixture. This increases your credibility, and whenever they need professional services, they know who to contact. 

Brings More Customers to the Website

Of course, the most significant reason SEO is terrific for your company is that it pulls more clients to your plumbing website. Any time someone plugs a keyword related to plumbing into their search bar, your website will rank on top of the search results. Imagine ranking first place among 80 million+ sites. 

While social media is an excellent tool for extending your reach and gaining impressions for your site, it isn’t necessarily the best at holding average people’s interests. 

The goal for a service-providing business is not necessarily to gain a vast and consistent following but to give the right answer at the right time for the right client. That’s where SEO comes in.

How Can Plumbers Attract Clients to Their Website?

There are many ways you can attract clients to your website using SEO. While it can be difficult to decipher all of these techniques on your own, we can start with a few key tips. Let’s explore some key details: 

Carry Out Extensive Keyword Research

Keyword research is the basis of high-quality SEO. 

Knowing which keywords customers are typing in the search bar will help you create content that targets exactly what they are looking for. 

For instance, potential clients might use terms like  ‘emergency plumber,’ ‘Bathroom plumbing services,’ or ‘Kitchen plumbing services,’ when searching for plumbing services online. Integrating these keywords into your content can attract more customers to your website. 

Why? Because you can potentially solve their problem — and they may eventually hire you for what they can’t do by themselves. 

So, how do you get started? 

• Make a list of topics that you’d love to rank for. If you’re out of ideas, you can plug in a seed keyword into Answer the Public to get related questions that your customers are searching for: 
• Or, use Google’s auto-suggest tool to uncover long tail keywords. Here’s an idea you can start with: 

• Now that you have a list, enter the primary keyword into paid SEO tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs for more detailed analysis:

• Evaluate the keyword search volume and competitiveness: 

This informs you of the number of web users searching for a particular keyword every month and how hard it is to rank for those keywords. 

• You can also insert your competitors’ websites into the tool to uncover keywords they’re ranking for (this could help you target the same keywords and improve the content so it provides more helpful solutions to searchers): 

Tip: If your goal is generating leads, opt for long-tail keywords with conversion intent. These keywords are easy to rank for and highly specific, increasing your overall conversion rate. Read more on how to identify and target buyer intent keywords. 

Provide High-Quality Content

Not all customers are looking for a quick fix. Sometimes, they may search for a DIY post that provides quality information. For example, a step-by-step guide to resolving common plumbing issues or maintenance tips to prevent future problems.  

This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate expertise in plumbing services. As I shared earlier, leverage the blog section on your website to share how-to guides, case studies, product reviews, or preventive maintenance tips with your audience. 

By doing this, search engines perceive your site as a credible source of information, thereby increasing your rankings on the search results.  

Focus More on Local SEO

As a plumber, 78% of your target audience will likely be local. Therefore, you should optimize your website for local search. This includes adding your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) to your website.  

Another option is claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP). This increases your chances of ranking for the local map pack to boost visibility for local searches. 

Additionally, if you’re targeting several local areas simultaneously, create location-specific pages tailored to each target area.

For instance, if you’re servicing California, you can create location pages for cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Include localized information such as partnerships with local businesses in that area, testimonials from local customers, etc. 

Have Memorable URLs

One of SEO’s best practices is matching your company name to your URL. This eliminates confusion when a customer decides to look up your business later. Using your company name as a URL also makes it easier for clients to remember you.

Additionally, keeping your pages (like services and contact) shorter makes it easier for customers to find your information using only Google search rankings. It’s not enjoyable to search for ten minutes for the contact information of a plumbing site.

Your website should include at least these four pages:

• Homepage: which welcomes potential customers as they arrive.
• About Us Page: Share your journey, experience, training, and expertise.
• Services/What We Offer Page: Showcases all your services to visitors.
• Contact Us Page: Displays your address, phone number, Social Media Platforms, and other contact methods.

Tip: Remember to implement a breadcrumb schema on your website to provide a hierarchical structure of your web pages to search engines and users. This improves your page architecture and website’s appearance in the search results. 

This brings us to the next: 

Optimize Your Website for Mobile Responsiveness

64% of local searches occur on a mobile device.  Therefore, ensure your website is mobile-friendly, i.e., having a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and loads quickly on mobile devices.  

Also, reduce your page load speed. You want your website to load quickly because a sluggish site can discourage potential customers from navigating your site. This can negatively impact your ranking in the search results and how clients feel about your business. 

On the flip side, optimizing your site for mobile responsiveness improves user experience and boosts your website’s ranking in mobile search results.

Tip: Check your site’s speed using Google’s Page Speed Insights.

Optimize for Voice Search

With the rise of voice-activated virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, optimizing your website for voice search attracts more clients and makes it more accessible to people with special abilities. 

Research from Statista shows that about 8.4 billion people are expected to use voice search assistants globally. This is an untapped traffic goldmine for you to stay ahead of the curve and reach new market segments. 

To do this, focus on long-tail keywords and natural language phrases that people will likely use when performing voice searches. For instance, instead of targeting the keyword ‘plumber,’ you can target the phrase ‘find a plumber near me.’

Earn Backlinks To Your Site

Backlinks – links that direct clients from other websites to yours – are an important ranking factor in SEO.  They attest to your site’s credibility; the more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authoritative your website appears to search engines and clients. 

There are several ways to attract or build quality backlinks: 

• Reach out to industry associations, local business directories, and relevant websites to request backlinks to your site. You may need to publish on their websites or sponsor an event so they can mention you and embed a link to your website. 
• Create shareable content that other websites will want to link to. All these increase your ranking on SERPs and bring more traffic to your website.
• Partner with other home service businesses providing complementary services, such as HVAC contractors, electricians, etc. This can be through co-branded promotions, joint advertising campaigns, guest posts, etc. 
• Get listed on important review sites and plumbing/construction industry directories. You can also encourage your happy clients to write positive reviews about their experiences on these review sites. 

Monitor and Analyze Performance

SEO is an ongoing process, so monitor your website’s performance regularly and make adjustments when needed. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you track your website’s traffic, rankings, and user behavior. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas for improvement and refine your SEO strategy accordingly.

Why Local SEO is Important for Plumbers

Local SEO should be one of your major considerations as a service-based business that provides services to the local area. Google considers location when searching for relevant sources to share with its users.

While plumbers may acquire competition nationwide, a customer looking to fix a leaky pipe will dismiss a plumber miles away for one that is closer. Local SEO ensures your company shows up in the ‘near me’ section of Google when a customer nearby searches for a plumbing service. It’s why Google always filters search results based on location if you have noticed.

How to Improve Local SEO in Google

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to improve Google’s local SEO. We’ll list a few here so your business can connect with your local target market and begin appearing in “near me” searches. However, we always encourage you to seek a professional eye when ranking number one in your area.

Add a Google My Business Page

One of the first things you should do when improving your local SEO is to create a Google Business Profile. 

According to Bright Local, businesses that use GBP and input photos of their store for Google Image search receive 1,065% more website clicks than businesses that don’t. The best part is creating a GBP is free, but you have to optimize your profile to appear for ‘near me’ searches. 

Here’s how:

• Include Accurate Information

When you create a Google My Business page, you want to ensure that the information presented on the page is the same as what is listed on your site, social media, store windows, etc. Your hours and location should be consistent throughout your digital presence to avoid any confusion.

• Business Hours:

Business hours should be one of the main facts you list throughout your lead-generation, digital, and web content marketing strategies. Ensure that your customers know when they can reach out to you and when you can provide service.

• Location:

Location is a must for local SEO. If you have multiple site locations, list them all and include a phone number or email so potential clients can contact you. Include your locations in Google My Business to help customers find you on Google Maps or in the ‘near me’ portion of a web page search.

Get Reviews

When it comes to standing out amongst the local competition, nothing is greater than reviews. Ask your clients to give a review after they receive the service. Reviews are an excellent way to showcase your business’s authenticity and repeatability.

When choosing between two competing local businesses, clients are more likely to look at the reviews on Google or other sites (Yelp, Facebook, Angie’s List, etc.) to compare the two businesses’ quality based on prior customer experience.

• Review Management:

An important thing to do that will help your business appear more honest and trustworthy is to reply to reviews. It can be hard to respond to every review you get once your business expands, but replying to individual reviews (positive or negative) shows that you care about your customers and encourages more reviews down the road. Handle the reviews politely and honestly and encourage additional prospects to reach out if they have any questions or concerns.

Add Photos

Photos are essential for any site when it comes to SEO. They help your brand and business come to life and appear relatable to your customers. Including pictures of the local service area, your site location, and your team or office space makes your business look authentic and memorable.

Depending on the services you provide, photos of your business can sometimes be a deciding factor for your client. They’re also a great way to boost plumbing page SEO through alt text that tells Google exactly what the picture is, helps add necessary keywords to your site, and tells Google what it can expect from your source—further boosting your relevance in SEO.

Additionally, including photos allows people to share your services with others visually. It also allows your service and company to appear in a Google image search, which is another way that clients may come to find your business if they are looking for a particular plumbing solution.

Use Local Structured Data Markup

Structured data markup (or schema markup) is a code added to your website that helps search engines better understand the context and content of your web pages. It provides search engines with additional information about your business, such as your address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews. 

Structured data improves your business’s visibility in local search results and boosts the chances of your site appearing in Google’s featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other rich search results.

The good news is you don’t have to do it yourself. Schema.org has a standard vocabulary you can use to define your business type and the key information about it. You can also use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate basic local business schema.

Should I Hire an SEO Company for My Website?

Yes, you should partner with an SEO company for your plumbing business. 

However, this depends on numerous factors. If you lack the time, resources, and expertise to effectively manage your site’s SEO, outsourcing to a professional SEO company is the way to go. 

An SEO company brings specialized knowledge and experience to help you achieve better rankings and attract more traffic to your site. However, research and choose a reputable company like HigherVisibility for optimum results.

Read more: How to find a reputable SEO agency that aligns with your business goals. 

When Will Results Be Noticeable?

It can take four to twelve months to see a difference in SEO. This is because it can take time to climb through the Google ranks, and potential customers can take time to find you via search rankings.

Three vital factors that influence your visibility on local search results are: 

• Relevance: Does your site page reflect the keyword being searched?

Relevance is one of the most important aspects of SEO. When a person searches a keyword phrase in Google’s search bar, the search engine does its best to find relevant sources for that search term. This explains why keyword research is the foundation of your SEO success. 

• Distance: Is your business location ideal for those searching for a plumber?

When it comes to local SEO, distance is everything. You want to be clear about the exact area your company covers. It’s of little to no use for plumbers if your prospect finds your service only to discover that you are three hundred miles away.

• Prominence: How well does the local area know your business?

It’s important to stand out locally. When people in your town or city think of plumbing, you want them to think of your business. Enhancing prominence in your location typically requires a combination of traditional and digital advertising methods, such as featuring on billboards or erecting a storefront sign.

These factors will affect the overall success of your page SEO changes. If SEO isn’t your strong suit, reach out to our SEO consultant for a free custom strategy for your website.  

Continuing Plumber SEO

SEO is not a once-and-done ordeal. It requires continual upkeep. At HigherVisibility, we partner with you to continuously improve your site and help build a community within your industry where your clients view you as an expert.

Creating more content, posts, and connections will help keep your business alive online and at the forefront of your prospect’s attention.  

Why Us?

HigherVisibility has been helping businesses to grow online since 2009. We specialize in SEO for companies ranging from small, local businesses to Fortune 1000s. Our goal is to create a customized strategy that will propel your business through the ranks and increase your online presence.

We understand that gaining a consistent clientele in plumbing is challenging. This is why we combine SEO with conversion rate optimization when working with plumbing or other home service businesses.