The plumbing industry is a competitive trade and demands highly skilled professionals. Whether it’s a routine maintenance check, a complex piping issue, or a critical gas leak, the services of a plumber are indispensable on a daily basis. It’s crucial for you as a seasoned Plumbing Pro to distinguish yourself within the industry through your website, to attract customers, enhance visibility, and establish trust within your industry. Let’s dive in to helpful tips and strategies to improve SEO for plumbers and why high search engine rankings are paramount for success in this industry.
Understanding SEO for Plumbers
SEO for plumbers involves the optimization of your website, content, and the implementation of SEO techniques strategically to ensure visibility in search engine results when potential customers are seeking plumbing services. This includes various tactics such as refining website content with plumbing-centric keywords, creating visually engaging content, and optimizing informative service pages.
Now, let’s delve into a robust SEO strategy for your plumbing company and explore some invaluable tips for optimizing your website.
1. Use Plumbing Related Keywords
When homeowners search for a plumber service, you want your business website to be one of the top search results. Optimizing your website for relevant keywords related to the plumbing services you offer will help your website reach top search engine rankings and is one of the most essential strategies for SEO.
For example, a customer that has a leaking pipe may search, “plumber near me,” or “plumber for leaking pipe.” If its an emergency plumbing issue, they may search, “24/7 plumber service.” If you offer any of these services, you may want to include keywords like these on your website for your services as well as your hours of operation. To find relevant keywords, you can use keyword research tools such as:
Look for keywords that have high search volume and that make sense for you to rank for. Keywords should be used in titles, headers, links, images, and all throughout the content on your website.
Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords contain three or more words. This makes the keyword search more specific and more likely to be a phrase that a customer will search for. For example, if you own a plumbing business in Calgary, ranking for the word, “plumber” may not be helpful to you as the word is very broad. A specific keyword phrase such as, “Plumber in Calgary,” showcases the service needed and the location, which will show plumbing businesses in Calgary in the search results.
The above screenshot shows the keyword landscape for the phrase “Plumber in Calgary.” While the search volume is high, it may be difficult to rank for this phrase because it is a popular keyword. In order to help your website be a top search result, you need to optimize your website and you may want to include the location where you work to help your website rank higher. The keyword should be incorporated in content across the website.
2. Optimize Titles, Meta Descriptions, and URLS
When homeowners look for plumber services on a search engine such as Google, they will first look at the title and meta description. The meta description is a short snippet of what the content is about. These are two very important elements that you should incorporate keywords in for optimal SEO.
Titles:
A few helpful tips on SEO for plumbers and optimizing your service page titles are:
- Putting the keyword phrase at the beginning of your title versus the end
- The length of the title should be 50-60 characters long
- Write it for readability – each letter should be capitalized or in sentence case
For example, your title for a blog could look like: “How to Fix a Water Leak in Your Bathroom.”
Meta Descriptions:
A few helpful tips for optimizing your meta descriptions are:
- Writing a brief summary of what the page is about
- Use the keyword phrase you want to rank for in the meta description (same as the title)
- Keep the description between 155-160 characters long
An example of a meta description for the title, “How to Fix a Water Leak in Your Bathroom,” could be about the steps to take, or, describing what the content will be, such as: “Learn from a professional plumber on how to fix a water leak in your bathroom with these five easy steps…”
Have an Effective URL Strategy
The URL structure of your website content is very important for your plumber SEO. Using a simple URL structure that is repeated throughout your website can make it easier for customers and search engines to find you and understand your page content.
For example, if your page is a location page about working in Calgary, the URL can look something like: “yourplumbingcompany.com/plumbing/calgary.”
This URL structure is easy to follow and to find for a customer, as well as for the search engines.
3. Create Plumbing Industry-Related Content
Another great way to increase SEO for your website is by creating content that is relevant to the industry. The content may include:
- Blogs on plumbing services, advice, and tips
- Infographics on a plumbing concept or diagram
- Videos or tutorials on a Pro performing a plumbing service
- Informative guides about common questions and answers
Plumbing is a highly skilled trade, and creating educational content can be helpful for both customers and aspiring plumbers alike. Creating relevant content will also increase the chances of someone linking back to your website. This can help with SEO searches for wider audiences and build credibility for you as a plumber. By using keyword research tools as stated above, you can find phrases that people are searching for and use them to help with content ideas.
A few examples of content you can create as a Plumbing Pro are on frequently asked questions such as:
- How To Unclog A Toilet
- 5 Plumbing Tools You Need In Your Home
- How To Clear A Blocked Drain
Include Images in Your Content
Customers like to see visuals of your work to see if you are a good professional to hire. It also boosts your credibility and expertise by showcasing your work. For a blog on “How to Clear a Blocked Drain,” you may want to include a before or after image of the drain, the tools you used, or an image of each step you took to complete the job.
Social Media
Utilizing social media platforms is another way to showcase your plumbing business and skills as a Pro. You can showcase live videos of you on the job using Instagram, create a Facebook Business Page showcasing all the services you provide with your company information and images, or use LinkedIn to post your articles and content, as well as network with other Plumbing Pros in the industry. LinkedIn is also a great platform to post infographics you create. By making your social media content SEO-friendly with keyword phrases, image alt texts, and being consistent, you can increase your chances of your content being a top search result when customers are searching for certain plumbing services.
Use Internal Links
Throughout your website, include links to other relevant content on your site to improve SEO. If you have a page on “Bathroom Plumbing Services,” you can link to other blogs you have written on related plumbing topics, such as, “How to Unclog a Toilet.”
4. Create Specific Website Pages
There are several kinds of website pages you can create to help your plumber website appear user-friendly and help improve your plumber SEO:
Service Pages
Creating specific pages about all the plumbing services you provide is helpful for SEO when customers search for a specific service. You can create individual pages on topics such as:
- Bathroom Plumbing
- Drain Cleaning
- Pipe Replacement Services
About Page
As a Plumbing Pro, you may be a sole-proprietor and work on a contractor basis. Also, many plumbing services are one-person jobs. Creating an About page can be very beneficial for you as Pro and your SEO by showcasing who you are, your credentials, the services you provide, your contact number, reviews, and hours of operation. If a customer comes across your About page on a Google search, they can simply directly contact you for a job.
Location Pages and Local SEO for Plumbers
Local SEO is a great strategy for your plumbing business to appear in search results for a specific location or area. If you serve only a certain geographic area, you should use location keywords throughout your website. 46% of Google searches have to do with location. Search engine results such as Google will use a location algorithm to rank your website in customer searches for specific locations. For example, if you work in Mississauga, you can create a page called, “Plumbing Services in Mississauga,” and in that page include the areas within it you work in. This is a helpful SEO strategy for customers to get in contact with you from wherever they live and can also help in emergency plumbing situations. You can also include a map of the areas where you work as a visual aid.
5. List Your Plumbing Business in Online Directories
Online directories and citations are how customers will find your plumbing business. Having a listing in an online directory shows search engines that your plumbing business exists and improves your online visibility. Also, it is important to keep your business listing up to date.
Claim a Google My Business Listing
When customers search for Plumbers, they often look at the Google My Business profiles that appear in search results. Creating an online listing is essential for improving plumber website’s SEO. In your listing, include information such as the name of your business and your name, an address, contact number, website URL, hours of operation, and reviews. You should also write a brief description of the plumbing services you provide, such as pipe installation, leaks, and bathroom plumbing services. Your listing is another great opportunity to post images of your work, such as before and after shots, and projects you are proud of to help showcase your plumbing expertise.
Create a HomeStars Profile
If you are looking to get listed in directories that are catered to home services, you can create a free listing on HomeStars. HomeStars is the largest marketplace in Canada for home service professionals to get connected with homeowners. As a plumber, you can create a listing with all of your contact information, social media links, images of your work, your website, credentials, and reviews.
Other online directories you can use are:
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages
- Facebook Marketplace
- Bing Local
- Nextdoor
6. Collect Positive Reviews from Satisfied Customers
One of the most essential aspects of optimizing your plumber website’s SEO is by accumulating positive reviews. Online written reviews will help your plumbing business rank higher in search results and help showcase your plumbing business as trustworthy and credible. After you complete a job to your customers satisfaction, you should always remember to ask them to write you a review. It is also a great practice to respond to reviews to engage with your customers and show that you care about them and your work. Collecting 5-star reviews helps to enhance your SEO and makes your plumbing business stand out among other Pros.
7. Improving Technical Areas of your Website
Taking time to improve the backend of your plumber website is important because it ensures optimal website performance for potential customers. Having a clear and concise site structure, navigation menus, and strengthening your website security, will improve your SEO and user experience, therefore attracting more customers seeking your plumbing services. Here are some things you can do to improve your technical plumber SEO:
Conduct a Site Audit
Conducting a site audit is important for you to identify any technical issues that could be affecting the performance of your plumber website. The audit will display issues such as broken links, duplicated content, and slow loading times. Addressing these issues will improve your website overall and help your performance in search engine results.
Improve Page Speed
Plumbing issues can be an emergency, so it is important that your website can load quickly so that customers can get your contact information. Your page speed can be the reason why a customer decides to find a different plumber. For good SEO, your website should load within 3 seconds.
A few tips for improving your page speed are:
- Optimizing and compressing images that may be too large as they delay loading times
- Caching web pages can help minimize the work needed by your server to load files
- Removing unnecessary plugins
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile is essential for customers to find your plumbing business and contact you. It is important to optimize your plumbing website to display well on mobile devices. Plumbing emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. By ensuring you have a mobile-friendly website, customers can reach you while on the go. On your contact page, make sure your mobile number is a click-to-call button for easy access for customers.
8. Benefits of SEO for Plumbers
Once you have SEO-optimized your plumber website, you can reap some of the benefits:
More Online Visibility
Incorporating effective SEO strategies can help plumbing websites rank higher in search engine results pages for industry-related keywords. This makes it easier for customers to find you when searching for plumbing services online.
Increased Targeted Traffic
Targeting specific keywords and phrases that customers looking for plumbing services may be searching for has potential to convert into new leads and customers.
Cost-Saving Opportunities
The cost of traditional advertising and print ads can be costly compared to optimizing your plumber website for SEO. Creating relevant content, getting listed in business directories, and gathering positive reviews, are all cost-effective ways plumbers can increase their SEO traffic.
Have a Competitive Advantage
Customers will research on a plumber online before making any hiring decisions on a Pro. Plumbers who invest in SEO gain a competitive advantage over those who do not, as they are more likely to be found by potential customers during their search process.
Achieve Long-Term Results and Growth
The great thing about investing in SEO and optimizing your website is the results can be long-lasting. With limited amount of ongoing efforts, your plumber website can maintain high SEO rankings, allowing you to continue to attract organic traffic in the long-term.
Optimize Your Plumber Business with Digital Marketing Services
Investing time and effort in SEO for plumbers is a cost-effective way to attract more customers, build trust and credibility within the industry, stand out among other plumbers, and achieve long-term results in your marketing efforts.
HomeStars offers a range of marketing services aimed at helping home service pros improve their online presence, attract more customers, and grow their business within the home services industry. With a chance to collect online written reviews, showcase your work as a plumbing pro, and various advertising opportunities, HomeStars is a great platform for you to increase your SEO search results and gain leads.
If you want to improve your plumber company’s online presence, you can get in touch with us to ensure your business is being found by homeowners who are looking for an Plumbing Pro.
