To improve the online visibility of your plumbing business and attract more customers, it’s crucial to optimize your website for search engines like Google. In particular, implementing effective plumber SEO strategies can help you rank higher in search results and reach your target audience more easily.
In today’s digital age, relying solely on traditional directories like Yellow Pages is no longer sufficient, so it’s important to take advantage of the power of search engines. To help you achieve your goals, this guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to improve your online presence and increase your chances of appearing on the first page of Google.
Plumber SEO Basics
Let’s start by answering some basic (but very important) questions.
Why Is SEO Important to Plumbers?
Plumbers need to have knowledge of SEO because Google searches for local plumbers are a significant part of their business. If you don’t show up in Google searches when people in your area look for plumbing services, you’re losing potential business. Below are some statistics that emphasize the importance of SEO for plumbers.
- Over 700,000 searches are made every month for “plumbers near me” worldwide.
- There are thousands of searches every month for “emergency plumbing near me” or “gas plumber nearby.”
Is It Possible to Do SEO on My Own for My Plumbing Company?
Yes, plumber SEO is relatively easy to understand. However, tasks such as fixing technical issues and building links may require some assistance. Even if you don’t have technical skills, you can still enhance your online visibility.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Google returns two different types of local results (e.g. “plumbers near me”)
- Map Pack Results
- Regular Organic Results
You can rank both. To rank in the Google Map Pack, you must claim and optimize your free Google Business Profile.
Explore how you can do this.
1. Claim and Optimize Google Business Profile
Google Business Profiles are free listings for local businesses. It allows businesses to be ranked in the map pack.
How to claim your profile and optimize it:
A. Add or Claim Your Business
Google Maps is the recommended tool to use. Google provides a comprehensive guide on how to use it on any device.
B. Select Your Business Category
It’s simple for plumbers to select the category “Plumber” as it’s the most common option. However, if you specialize in a specific area, you may want to consider other relevant categories. Here are some examples:
- Gas Installation Service
- Drainage services
- Heating Contractor
C. Select Your Service Area
You can list up to 20 areas by entering them in the designated field.
D. Add Other Basic Information
Providing complete information on your profile helps potential customers determine if you are the best solution for their needs. Be sure to include your phone number, website, and opening hours. If possible, adding photos of your completed plumbing projects can be beneficial. Aim to make your profile as comprehensive as possible.
E. Add Services
Filling out the form accurately can prevent phone calls from people asking for services you don’t offer. This is particularly useful if you specialize in a specific area, such as bathroom installation. Providing accurate information can also prevent people from calling you for services you don’t provide.
2. Get Listed in Directories
Most business directories display your name, phone number, and address, also known as NAP citations in the SEO world. According to BrightLocal’s survey, 7 percent of SEOs consider NAP citations as the most crucial ranking factors for map pack rankings.
You can obtain NAP citations easily by following these simple steps.
A. List Your Company with Big Data Aggregators
Many directories receive information from data aggregators about your plumbing company. You could get hundreds of citations if you are listed in their directories.
Here are the top data aggregators operating in the U.S.
- Data Axle
- Localeze
- Foursquare
Other big players will also be interested in your business. These include:
- Apple Maps
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages
- Bing Places
- TomTom
- Dunn & Bradstreet
B. List Your Business in Local and Industry-Specific Directories
Next, you should focus on city-specific directories and plumbing directories. You can find them using the Site Explorer report, which displays websites linking to your competitors but not to you. Many of these directories are local business listings.
Here’s how it works:
- Paste your website into Site Explorer
- Go to the link Intersect Tool
- Enter the homepage URLs for 5-10 competitors
- Click “Show Link Opportunities”
- Search for directories relevant to your search.
Many of the links are to local business directories or plumbers.
3. More Reviews
Reviews are crucial for ranking on the map pack. According to BrightLocal, 17% SEOs believe reviews are the most important ranking factors.
How to get more reviews on your plumbing business:
- Create a review link using Google’s Business Profile Manager and send it to satisfied customers
- Print your QR code on your business cards by converting your review link
- Call previous customers and ask them for a review
- Add a review link to your website
Keyword Research
It’s important to note that people don’t always click on map pack results. Instead, they may click on the organic results. Therefore, you can’t solely rely on your Google Business Profile for business.
Your website must also be optimized to rank for relevant keyword phrases. With a good reputation and some backlinks, you can rank your homepage for obvious keywords like “plumbers near me.”
However, many people search for specific services, such as “emergency plumbing” or “drain clearing.”
To attract customers who are searching for relevant information, you should create more pages on your site. To do this, you need to understand what your potential customers are looking for.
How to make it in 3 simple steps.
1. Find Keywords Related to Service and Industry
List the services that you provide.
This is what it may look like.
- Drain unblocking
- Boiler repair
- Boiler installation
- Boiler service
- Radiator installation
- Burst pipe repair
- Drain cleaning
- Toilet installation
- Tap repair
RECOMMENDATION
You can speed up the process by checking out your Google Business Profile.
Then, copy the list and paste it into Ahrefs Keywords Explorer. Select your country in the dropdown menu, check the Matched terms report, and then add “near me ” to the “Include filter.”
You will see other local services that people are searching for, which include the keywords you have entered.
If we paste the above list into Keywords Explorer we will see terms such as:
- sewer drain cleaning near me
- Storm Drain Cleaning Near Me
- Gas boiler repair Near Me
- Commercial boiler repair Near Me
- radiator installation near me
Add any services that you missed to your list.
2. Check Relative Popularity
It’s recommended to create separate pages for each service you provide, prioritizing the ones that people search for the most. Repeat the previous step using your list of services. Keywords Explorer reports are sorted according to monthly searches, giving you an idea of which services receive the most searches.
Keep in mind that this data represents national search popularity, and what happens in one place is likely to happen in another. Therefore, it’s not location-specific.
3. Add Keywords to the Pages
Most service keywords deserve their own page, but in cases where Google ranks similar results, it may be better to group them together. For instance, searches for “drain clearing near me,” “drain unblocking near me,” and “drain cleaning near me” may produce virtually indistinguishable results. Therefore, there’s no need for multiple pages in these cases. You can create one page instead.
Content Creation
Knowing which keywords to use is crucial, but it’s not enough unless you create pages that target those keywords. Apart from that, you should also create a few more pages. Let’s take a look at all of them.
1. Create Service Pages
You should create a page for each of your main services.
It can be difficult to determine what works best for you because there are so many different ways to create these pages. However, if you need a starting point, here is a rough template to follow.
Focus on these four areas:
- Clarity– Help visitors to understand if this service is for them by linking it to problems they might be facing
- Catchment– Make it easy for visitors to understand if you are serving them by providing a map with locations.
- Confidence – Help visitors understand why they choose your business. Reviews, accreditations, and unique selling points are key here.
- Contact: Tell visitors how they can contact you
This is not rocket science. You only need to alter the clarification of service between pages. All pages can use the same contact, confidence, and catchment information.
2. Create an “About Us” Page
Even if plumbers don’t invest in SEO, they still have an “About Us” page. These pages are useful for demonstrating E-A.T., even though they rarely appear in search results.
E-A.T. stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Ranking factors are mapped to these qualities, even though it’s not an official Google ranking factor.
Here are some ideas to demonstrate E-A.T. on your “about page”:
- How did the business start?
- How long you have been in the plumbing business or as a plumber
- Your certifications and accreditations
- Explain your insurance and license
- Reviews and testimonials of happy customers
3. Create a Location Page
If you are a solo plumber, creating a location page may not be necessary. However, if you have multiple locations or service areas scattered around the country, it’s essential to list them on your location page.
On-page SEO
It is important to have pages that are relevant to the services you offer. You can optimize your pages to increase their effectiveness.
A. Create Compelling Meta Descriptions and Title Tags
Meta descriptions and title tags are crucial elements as they often appear in search results. While it’s important to be creative, it’s also important to ensure that they are accurate and compelling to attract potential customers.
Title Tags
Simplicity will win the day. In most cases, a pipe is enough to separate your service or business name.
[Business Name]
Use your main service for location pages and add “in [location]”.
[Business Name]
Meta Descriptions
There’s no need to reinvent anything here. Give a few details about your service or business.
Here’s an example that is useful:
Need help with your drainage? Mike’s Plumbing Company is able to unblock and fix any drainage problem. We are here to assist you 24/7.
Keep these within around 120 characters. If you don’t, they may truncate.
B. Use Short, Descriptive URL Slugs
The URL slug describes the content of the page.
They help users understand the context and content of the page before they click. If they are too long, the search engine will cut them off. So keep it short.
Here is a simple format to use for URL slugs on service pages:
service-name
Example:
drain-cleaning
Just the service name with dashes between words. It’s that simple. There is no need to include additional keywords or locations.
Instead of writing the address, use the name of the location.
Technical SEO
Having optimized pages for search engines is great, but it’s useless if Google cannot find and index them. Only indexed and known pages will appear in search engine results. That’s where technical SEO comes into play.
lthough the terminology may seem daunting, the basics of SEO are straightforward. In this section, we will cover how to prepare your website for technical success and how to keep it healthy through monitoring.
A. Plan the Site Structure
The structure of your website will determine how it is structured. It is important for the following reasons:
- Your website visitors will navigate through it.
- Google will find your entire website.
B. Use HTTPS
HTTPS provides a safe way for users to access websites. SEO is important because has been a ranking factor for a while.
Visit your website and check the search bar to see if HTTPS is enabled. You’re using HTTPS if there is a lock icon next to the website address.
C. Monitor SEO Health
The health of your website’s search engine optimization can affect its ranking or even prevent it from appearing in Google.
Here’s an example of a tiny piece of HTML called by SEOs a noindex tag:
<meta name=”robots” content=”noindex” />
This code may appear harmless, but it prevents Google from indexing a page or returning it in its search results. This code would prevent your page from appearing in search results, even if it was ranked number one.
It is an extreme case, but it shows the importance of tracking your SEO health.
Checking your Health Score is a great first step if you are new to AWT. This metric provides a high-level overview of the technical SEO health of your website. You can dig deeper into the individual reports if it does not look good.
Boost Your Plumbing Business with Effective SEO Strategies – Contact LUX Today!
At Lux Digital Marketing, we understand the importance of effective digital marketing strategies for your plumbing business. Our team of experts can help you increase your online presence, attract more customers, and ultimately grow your business.
From SEO to website design and social media marketing, we have the skills and expertise to help you succeed in the digital world.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help take your plumbing business to the next level.
Services We Offer:
- Search Engine Optimization
- Web Design
- Google Maps Marketing
- Most importantly, ranking you number 1 on Google!
