SEO for Plumbers: Benefits, Costs + How to Get More Customers

SEO for plumbers is a strategy to help plumbing websites rank in organic search results. Learn how it works, why you should use it, costs, and expert tips to grow your business.

Here, you’ll find:

1. What is SEO for plumbers?
2. How much does SEO for plumbers cost?
3. Common SEO terms to know
4. Why use SEO for your plumbing company?
5. Local SEO for plumbers: Your top SEO weapon
6. Expert tips for plumber search engine optimization
7. SEO services for plumbing companies: Who to use?

The first thing most people do if they have a blocked toilet, leaky faucet, or need a water heater installed: go straight to Google.

If you work in the plumbing industry, search engine optimization (or SEO) can help you rank higher in the search engine results. This means more eyes on your website, more traffic, and more new customers.

Not sure where to start when it comes to SEO? This comprehensive guide to SEO for plumbers will look at how to get ahead in the search engine rankings, enhance your online presence as a business owner, and stay one step ahead of your competitors.

What is SEO for plumbers?

SEO for plumbers is the process of optimizing your website to make it rank as high as possible in search engines so you can get more traffic and customers.

The search engines use a set of rules known as a search algorithm to understand how to rank web pages for specific search results. When a user enters a search query, the search engine arranges web pages based on a variety of ranking factors, displaying them in the order it thinks the user will find useful.

The ultimate aim of plumber SEO is to rank on the first page of the search engines, ideally in the first three results. This is because potential customers are more likely to pay attention to your website and click through.

According to Backlinko, the top three Google search results get 54% of all clicks, so it pays to optimize your pages as much as possible.

For example, the website below appears at #1 in the search result, which means the plumbing business uses an SEO strategy to rank above competitors.

(Image: Google search results page)

How much does SEO for plumbers cost?

It typically costs anywhere from $500-$3,000 each month, depending on your goals.
SEO agency pricing costs between:

• $500-$1,000 a month for local SEO
• $3,000-$10,000 a month for fixed rates
• $5,000-$30,000 for one-off projects

Remember, it’s not just the upfront cost of SEO, it’s the return on investment. If you spend $12,000 on SEO in a year but get $400,000 back in revenue, it’s well worth the money.

SEO is a cost-effective marketing channel, but there are costs to consider. It depends on the tools you use, and whether you do the work in-house or hire a marketing agency.

For example, if you want to carry out keyword research, invest in a keyword research tool like Moz or Ahrefs.

If you want to enhance your on-page or technical SEO, get an SEO audit tool like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb.

If you use an SEO company to steer your search engine optimization, the cost will vary depending on your goals and how much work there is.

For example, a local SEO strategy is typically less costly than a traditional SEO strategy because you’re focusing your efforts on a smaller geographical area.

Common SEO terms to know

If you want to increase your website rank, you need to know the terminology. Here are words and phrases you may hear when improving the SEO for your plumbing company.

• Content marketing: This refers to creating and distributing valuable and helpful content that drives your target audience to your website. Content marketing includes everything from blog articles, videos, infographics, and social media posts. Creating quality content marketing can help you build backlinks and improve the user experience on your site, which helps with SEO.
• Landing page: A landing page is a standalone web page with one distinct call-to-action. For example, you could have a landing page to encourage a customer to book an appointment. It’s important to SEO-optimize your landing pages to get traffic and drive conversions.
• Local SEO: This is a specific type of SEO, which focuses on increasing your visibility in the local search results. We’ll show you how to do this below if you provide local services.
• Off-page SEO: SEO optimization can be split into three key areas — off-page, on-page, and technical. Off-page SEO covers everything done away from your website, including link building, building engagement across your social media profiles, and guest blogging.
• On-page SEO: On-page SEO concerns how you optimize your website content for search engines. This includes adding relevant keywords to your pages, using headers, and updating title tags and meta descriptions.
• SERP: This stands for “search engine results page,” and is what search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo display when presenting search results to a user
• Technical SEO: Technical SEO concerns how you optimize the code or elements on your website to improve the user experience and make it easier for the search engines to understand your pages. This includes making your site mobile-responsive, reducing page load speed, and using markup to give the search engines more context.

Why use SEO for your plumbing company?

There’s a lot of demand for high-quality plumbing services. Take the keyword “plumbing services,” with 386 million results on Google. Optimizing your plumbing website for SEO increases the chances of your business ranking as well as possible.

However, SEO has a lot of other benefits too, especially if you’re a small business or a local plumber.

• It means more targeted traffic. Using SEO means you can attract the customers most likely to benefit from your services, meaning higher conversion rates and less wasted time
• It’s long-lasting. Unlike PPC advertising, where you stop ranking as soon as you stop paying, SEO can generate leads for your plumbing business for years to come
• It increases trust in your business. Trust and reputation are critical when choosing a plumber. Google has gone on record advising that it ranks web pages higher that show expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This means a high search engine rank shows your plumbing business is a credible choice.
• It’s cost-effective. SEO is one of the most affordable ways to drive website traffic and encourage lead generation, with a higher return on investment than PPC advertising. This is because so many people use search engines, and there’s high purchase intent. If someone has a blocked toilet or a leaking shower, they won’t waste time shopping around.

Local SEO for plumbers: Your top SEO weapon

Unless you’re a large national or international organization, you’ll likely operate in a specific service area, such as a town, city, or state. This means you can benefit hugely from local SEO.

Local SEO helps your plumbing business stand out, since you’re promoting in a targeted area. So it’s easier to attract the right customers and sell your services.

With local SEO, you increase the chances of ranking on the first page of Google, whether people are searching for “drain cleaning near me” or “local plumber in my area.”

Keyword optimization, backlinks, and ensuring your plumbing website loads quickly are all important for local SEO. We’re also going to show you two additional ways to stand out in the local search engine results: by creating a Google Business profile and creating citations on local directories.

Create a Google Business Profile

One way to give your plumbing business a boost in the local search engine results is by creating a free Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business).

A Google Business Profile lets you claim ownership of your business on Google. Sign up, prove you work there (by phone, mail, or by submitting a video), and you’re ready to go.

Your Google Business Profile appears if a customer searches for you directly, or uses a search term Google thinks your business is a good match for.

You can use your GBP to:

• Direct customers to your website (our top tip: use a UTM tracking parameter on your Google Business Profile to identify how much traffic you get through Google Analytics)
• Provide directions in Google Maps
• Demonstrate your opening times
• Get phone calls and appointments
• Advise which areas you serve and which services you provide
• Show (and respond to) customer reviews

Google Business Profiles are fantastic for local SEO because they provide the search engine with additional context about your business. For example, if you specify that you’re available 24 hours a day, Google is more likely to promote your business to people searching for “emergency plumbers near me.”

Mateo Beltroy, founder at Triton Digital, agrees: “Although it may not seem like it, Google Business Profiles are as much a part of SEO as great content, technical SEO and backlinks. We’ve found that an optimized Google Business Profile has accounted for 36% of local phone calls received by our plumbing clients on average.”

Another advantage of a Google Business Profile is it increases the chance of your business appearing in the “Google Map Pack” aka “Three Pack” or “Google Snack Pack.”

This section of the Google search results appears at the top of Google, above the organic search results and Google Search sponsored results. This is highly valuable real estate, increasing the chances of a customer click.

So, how can you take advantage of your Google Business Profile in local search? Fill in all fields possible, keep your profile regularly updated, and reply to reviews, FAQs, and queries within 24 hours. This will show Google that you’re active and engaged.

Create citations on local directories

A citation is a mention of your business’s contact details on an external website. This can be an online directory, another website, or a local news site – as long as it’s not yours.

There are three key pieces of information needed in a citation, known as NAP:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number

Like the Google Business Profile, citations help search engines understand where you are in proximity to a customer and show that you’re open for business.

Citations aren’t the most powerful local ranking factor, but they’re good for plumbing SEO because they’re easy to get. Update your citations on every directory you feature on. So if you move to a new place of operations or change your phone number, update the phone number on your citations.

Expert tips for plumber search engine optimization

How do you improve your online visibility and ensure exceptional search engine results? Here is some additional guidance to boost your rankings.

• Do your keyword research
• Create individual service pages
• Ask for reviews
• Become a voice of authority

Do your keyword research

All search engine optimization starts with choosing the right keywords. When you include the words and phrases your target audience uses, you’re more likely to appear at the top of the search engine results and get their attention.

Keyword research can feel daunting at first. The trick is to find keywords people search for, but your competitors don’t use.

Here are several ways to simplify the process:

• Speak to your customers to learn what words and phrases they use – check out online reviews, social media comments, and emails they send you
• Focus on long-tail keywords, specific three or four-word terms. These phrases typically have less competition, so they’re easier to rank for. For example, instead of “radiators,” try “radiator heater maintenance.”
• Use location-specific keywords to get more attention in the areas you provide services to. For example, “radiator heater maintenance in Boston.”
• Avoid keyword stuffing when optimizing your pages for keywords. For instance, using keywords too much or in inappropriate places. This can drop your web page rankings. So use your keywords where it feels natural to use them.

Create individual service pages

When you operate a plumbing company, you may offer multiple services to customers. But rather than cramming everything onto one page (for example, your homepage), individual service pages can boost SEO.

We spoke to, a web design agency that specializes in building websites for the trades.

“One of the most effective SEO tips for plumbers is creating individual service pages for each of your main services, such as boiler installations or facilities management,” explains George Howarth, owner of Commercio Digital.

“When you create a page on your website specifically for these services, you’ll target customers who will be searching for that service, and your website will have a larger reach.

For example, a website they built for a plumbing business that offers boiler services to a commercial audience, has ‘commercial boiler service’ as its top-ranking impression keyword on Google.

When you create your service pages, on-page optimization is essential.

Do this by:

• Knowing which keywords to use and optimize your headings and copy for them
• Ensuring your page is clear and easy to read, with no walls of text
• Adding a clear call-to-action, so customers know what steps to take next. For example, on a plumbing service page, your call-to-action could be to get in touch to book an appointment or arrange a quote

Also ensure your pages load quickly and are mobile-responsive. Google Search Console can tell you how fast your pages load on desktop and mobile, and where there’s room for improvement.

Ask for reviews

Feedback from your customers acts as a trust signal within the search engines. The more positive reviews you receive, the stronger your credibility and the higher you rank.

Online reviews don’t just boost your search engine rank but can lead to new business opportunities. According to Brightlocal, 98% of customers read online reviews for local businesses before choosing someone to work with.

Where should you ask customers to leave reviews? According to Brightlocal, customers are most likely to check reviews on Google, with Yelp and Facebook next in line. So if you have a Google Business Profile, it’s the perfect opportunity to ask for a review.

Become a voice of authority

People in need of plumbing services want someone who knows what they’re doing. Becoming a voice of authority in your industry can show how trustworthy you are, which is a positive ranking signal on search engines like Google.

Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines measure the authoritativeness, experience, and expertise of content online. The better you perform, the more likely Google is to promote you to potential customers.

One of the ways to show off your experience is through a blog on your plumbing website.

Let’s say someone is looking up how to unblock their toilet on Google. You can create an SEO-optimized blog on your website showing people how to do it, guiding traffic to your website. To get conversions, the final call-to-action could be that customers can save time and effort by calling you to fix the problem.

Abhi Bavishi, a growth marketer, took the unorthodox approach to creating a blog for a plumbing client, covering topics from plumbing fixtures to bathroom renovation tips.

“Google values websites with diverse, fresh, quality content,” explains bavishi. “If it sees that you update your site regularly, it’s a positive signal that your business is credible, trustworthy, and most importantly, active. The blog led to a 30% increase in organic traffic over six months.”

If you plan to blog, have your target audience in mind to attract high-quality leads and maximize your SEO efforts.

What can you do to boost your E-E-A-T and become a voice of authority if you don’t have the time to manage a blog? Guest post on other websites, provide quotes to industry experts, and journalists, or create content on platforms like YouTube.

SEO services for plumbing companies: Who to use?

If you decide to use the services of an SEO consultant or digital marketing agency, do your research. Here are our tips for finding the perfect SEO experts to work alongside.

• Understand your goals and budget. This will help potential agencies put together a marketing strategy that perfectly meets your needs.
• Read reviews, case studies and testimonials online. It’s always ideal to work alongside agencies with previous experience of plumbers and home services, since they’ll understand your niche and the unique challenges you experience. For example, using HawkSEM’s SEO for home services, HVAC installation specialist NorthStock increased conversions by 53%

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good SEO company will be open and transparent with you from the start. For example, you may want to ask about their approach towards AI-generated content.

One other thing to mention. If an SEO agency promises to get you on the first page of Google, or even the top result, you should proceed with caution.

There are many factors that affect the search engine algorithm, and it’s impossible to guarantee where your website will end up ranking. These agencies may also use “black hat” techniques that may mean your site gets penalized in the search engine results.

Reliable and credible SEO specialists will always work hard to ensure you get the best results.

The takeaway

Implementing an SEO strategy when you’re a plumbing company is not as hard as you might think. By focusing on your local area, carrying out keyword research, and ensuring your website loads fast, you’re one step closer to increasing your leads.

Interested in working with HawkSEM to improve your search engine results?

SEO is a core competency here at HawkSEM, and we take a performance-driven approach when it comes to SEO for plumbers. We take time to learn about your business, target audience, and buyer persona and create a bespoke SEO program developed specifically to help you achieve your goals.

When you work with us, you have a dedicated senior strategist that spearheads your campaign and ensures it’s optimized to get the maximum amount of organic, targeted leads.”

Contact us today for your free consultation, and let’s work together to create an efficient SEO campaign that drives your plumbing business forward.