PPC for Plumbers: A Complete Guide

PPC advertising for plumbers is a digital marketing strategy where plumbing companies pay to display ads in search engine results and other online platforms, and only pay when someone clicks on the ad. Learn how to set up a campaign for success in this guide.

Whether it’s for routine maintenance or an emergency, you want to be the first plumbing business local customers call.

With pay-per-click advertising, you can reach new customers in need of your plumbing expertise, show off the quality and reliability of your service team, and remind people of the importance of preventative care.

In this guide, we’ll outline the costs, benefits, and means to set up your own successful plumbing PPC campaign.

What is PPC for plumbing companies?

PPC for plumbing companies is a digital advertising strategy where plumbers run online advertisements to attract people searching for a plumber. These ads show up as sponsored results on the search engine results page (SERP).

Business owners use PPC ads to target their local audience and are only charged when someone clicks their ad.

Why is plumber PPC advertising so effective?

PPC for plumbers attracts potential customers searching for plumbing solutions when they’re in-market.

Just think about your typical service call. Clients may find you through word-of-mouth referrals, but increasingly, they find your business through local search (by typing “plumbers near me” in a Google or Bing search, for example).

Unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which typically takes many months to drive results, you can get high-quality ads up and running within a few hours — and start seeing clicks and conversions immediately.

How much does PPC cost for plumbing companies?

On average, plumbers typically invest anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000 each month on PPC ads.

But if you’re promoting multiple locations, expect to spend upwards of $15,000 monthly. It’s a spectrum that accommodates the solo tradesman and the larger plumbing enterprises.

As for the cost per click, Google ads average between $2 and $5. However, one the most expensive plumber keywords “plumber near me” has a cost per click (CPC) of $22.30:

(Image: Screenshot)

Note that the price you pay per click isn’t set in stone. It can go beneath your max bid, thanks to variables like your ad’s Quality Score and the keyword competition.

To keep your PPC costs from draining your budget, craft top-notch ads and landing pages. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower CPCs.

“A stellar Google Ads Quality Score could mean you’re paying less per click than a competitor who’s also vying for the same keyword but doesn’t quite measure up in the quality department,” explains HawkSEM founder and CEO Sam Yadegar.

“It’s a savvy strategy that’s helped us slash our clients’ cost per conversion by up to 50%.”

Setting clear budget boundaries and regularly reviewing your campaign’s performance ensures your PPC efforts align with your marketing ambitions and financial limits.

So plumbers, ready to turn the PPC valve and let the leads flow? Remember, it’s not just about spending cash on ads — it’s about smart budgeting and strategic planning.

8 steps to improve PPC campaign success

How do you optimize your paid ads to reach ideal customers seeking your services in your location?

Improve your PPC marketing in eight steps to create ads that capture attention and motivate potential customers to request a service call.

1. Define your PPC campaign goal
2. Start with keyword research
3. Write ad copy highlighting common pain points
4. Optimize your plumbing website
5. Target your ideal customers
6. Set your PPC ad budget
7. Set up conversion tracking
8. Monitor and optimize ads to speed success

1. Define your PPC campaign goal

Clearly define your campaign goals before considering specifics, like ad copy and creatives.

Perhaps your goal is to increase service calls, drive traffic and leads to your website, or offer a limited-time incentive.

Whatever it is, build your campaign strategy with this goal in mind to find the best ways to reach your target audience and measure success.

2. Start with keyword research

With search ads, your goal is to determine the different search terms your target audience may type into a search engine to find your services.

For example, keyword phrases like “water heater install,” “rusty pipes,” or “clogged sink” may indicate a person is in need of your services.

By targeting these keywords in your campaign, your ad shows when they need you most — increasing the likelihood new customers engage your business.

Further reading: How to Do Keyword Research: Tools to Use + Proven Tips

3. Write ad copy highlighting common pain points

When a potential customer searches for your services, your ad copy must stand out from other plumbers in the area.

Clearly and concisely describe your services, years in business, operating area, incentives or promotions, and what makes your business better than alternatives. Also, incorporate phrases and words from your keyword research.

Speak to plumbing pain points to connect your ad copy to customers’ needs. Emphasize emergency plumbing services to motivate those facing a plumbing crisis and speak to seasonality to remind customers of routine maintenance and drive urgency (such as “we’ll winterize your home”).

Most importantly, write a clear call-to-action (like “Schedule an Appointment Today”), so customers know how to quickly reach out to your business.

4. Optimize your plumbing website

Ads that link to high-quality websites are more likely to surface for desirable search terms.

To improve your ad’s chances of appearing at the top of the SERP for valuable keywords — and improve user experience for potential customers who land on your website — make sure to apply website optimization best practices.

From mobile optimization to web design, your site should be easy to navigate and clearly outline who you are and your value proposition.

5. Target your ideal customers

Paid ads offer various ways to target your ideal customers with a compelling offer at an opportune time.

As a plumber, take advantage of four key PPC targeting opportunities:

• Use geo-targeting to appear in specific locations to tap into your local customer base. Geo-targeting ensures you’re not wasting your advertising budget outside your service area (e.g., advertising your plumbing business in New York City, when you only serve Los Angeles). Take full advantage of those “plumbers near me” local searches.
• Add ad assets (formerly ad extensions) to supply additional compelling details in your ads and target local users. For example, use location extensions to display your business location, sitelink extensions to drive traffic to your seasonal offer web page, or a call asset to add a clickable phone number and make it easier for customers to reach your service team.
• Try mobile targeting to stay accessible to potential customers searching for plumbing services from their phones. You can adjust bid modifiers to specifically focus on mobile users. Optimize your website or service landing pages to look and work great on smaller screens.
• Implement remarketing to previous customers or people familiar with your brand. Remarketing is a digital marketing strategy that serves ads across other websites, search, and social media platforms to people who previously visited your website. It’s a highly effective way to re-engage potential customers who already have brand awareness and familiarity with your services in the plumbing industry.

6. Set your PPC ad budget

How much are you willing to spend per PPC campaign to reach the right audience?

This is a personal decision made up of many factors, like your overall marketing budget, business goals, and the number of quality leads you need to grow profitably.

Set a maximum budget to determine how much your cost per click is for each campaign. You can always adjust and optimize later.

7. Set up conversion tracking

Measuring your ad’s performance is key to continuously improving results. Setting up conversion tracking shows which ads get your customers to act — like filling out a service appointment request.

Plus, understanding high-performing ads or keywords can improve underperforming ads to mimic qualities that work best.

Then you could start running similar “winning” ads in other service locations to expand your local strategy and reach new customers.

8. Monitor and optimize ads to speed success

Paid advertising puts you in charge of your ad spend and performance — you’re not pouring money down the drain (pun intended) and hoping it works out.

PPC offers instant measurement of performance metrics, like clickthrough rate and cost-per-click, to inform ways to improve your ad success.

You can even A/B test different ad copies, headlines, and images to quickly learn how customers respond to different treatments and apply that information to other campaigns.

With continuous PPC management and optimization, you can move your budget to those ads performing better and turn off ones that aren’t.

4 examples of PPC campaigns for plumbers

Let’s take a look at PPC ad examples for real plumbing businesses across pay-per-click platforms, including social media ads and Google Ads campaigns.

1. Paid search ads for plumbers

Paid search ads display your ads at the most opportune time: the moment a person needs and is looking for your services.

The combination of a high-intent searcher, timing, and relevance is key to paid search driving high ROI.

Super Service Today is fully leveraging Google’s advertising features and optimization best practices.

The company uses assets to highlight vital information, like its $89 repair diagnostic, a common pain point solution (clogs), and a value proposition (24-hour availability).

2. Plumber YouTube ad

YouTube has over 2.7 billion active users. Needless to say, capturing the attention of only a fraction of this audience can be a boon to your plumbing business.

YouTube offers various targeting options and multiple ad formats, including non-skippable in-stream video ads, non-video display ads, and out-stream ads to target mobile devices.

Plumbers Today is leveraging a non-video display ad to tap into Youtube’s huge audience, without investing in video marketing.

Like a paid search ad, Plumbers Today’s ad displays when people search for plumbing-related services.

We love how it’s using geolocation targeting — clicking the ad brings the searcher to a personalized landing page for their city.

Plumbers Today also maximizes every inch of ad space, describing how it helps customers, and its operating hours and low prices.

(Image: Screenshot)

3. Facebook ads for plumber businesses

Plumbers advertising on Facebook gain access to an enormous pool of potential customers who visit the platform to ask peers for service recommendations.

We love the example below from Snell Heating and Air Conditioning. The headline and imagery places the compelling offer front and center, while the smiling technician captures scrollers’ attention and puts a human face to the business’s name.

The copy has been updated to a seasonal description, and the offer expiration date drives urgency to take advantage of the 20% incentive before time runs out.

(Image: Screenshot)

The takeaway

With the right PPC strategy, your plumbing ads can bring in more qualified leads and boost your return on investment (ROI).

However, strategizing, building, and managing PPC marketing campaigns is both time-consuming and complex. For many plumbers, the best next step is to partner with a marketing agency to do the job well.

If you need help along the way, reach out to HawkSEM to schedule a free PPC services consultation.

We’ll connect you with senior-level online marketing experts to build the right campaign strategy, develop compelling ad creative and copy, launch and continuously optimize ads to take over your local service market.

This article has been updated and was originally published in August 2024.