Search engine optimization is crucial for helping potential customers find your plumbing services online. With more consumers turning to the internet to find local trade professionals, having a strong SEO strategy can significantly grow your company.

In this article, we’ll explore 11 proven ways plumbing companies can improve their website visibility and search rankings. Whether you run a single-location operation or a multiple-unit franchise, these SEO tips will help you reach more consumers in your service area.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It refers to strategies that help your website show up higher in organic search results. SEO helps people find your company when they search queries like "plumber near me" or "24-hour plumbing service."

There are two main facets to SEO:

• On-page SEO — Optimizing individual web pages with relevant content, metadata, URLs, headings, etc.; and
• Off-page SEO — Building external signals like backlinks, reviews, and citations to boost authority.

This guide will focus on actionable on-page recommendations to improve your core website's search visibility.

1. Optimizing your Google Business Profile listing(s)

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) listings appear prominently in local search results. Setting up a complete, optimized profile should be the first step in your plumbing SEO strategy.

Include your company name, full address, phone number, website, operating hours and service categories. Write detailed company descriptions and FAQs about your offerings. Add photos showcasing your team and work.

For multiple-location providers, create a separate listing for each location to help consumers find the most convenient one for them. Assign location-specific phone numbers when possible.

Pro tip: Enable posts to share news, and interact with potential consumers to build trust and authority.

2. Optimize page content

Your on-page content significantly impacts search rankings. Follow these best practices to boost your page’s ranking:

• Include your target keywords: Use relevant keywords naturally in headings, page text, URLs, alt text, etc. Don't over-optimize;
• Provide useful information: Write detailed content that answers consumer questions and concerns;
• Improve readability: Break your content into scannable sections with bullet points and bolded subheadings;
• Insert images/videos: Visuals demonstrate your services and increase engagement; and
• Update regularly: Search engines favor websites with fresh, evergreen content.

For multiple-location companies, tailor your page content to each local service area when possible.

3. Structure your website

Your site structure and internal linking also affect SEO. Aim for:

• A simple information architecture with logical pages and hierarchy;
• Descriptive page URLs like "plumbing-services-cityname;"
• Intuitive primary navigation and footer navigation;
• Contextual internal links between related pages; and
• Minimal use of orphan pages or dead-end URLs.

This makes pages easier for search engines to crawl through and creates a user-friendly site.

4. Optimize website speed

Site speed impacts both SEO and user experience. Slow load times lead to high bounce rates (users clicking back to search results).

Test your website’s speed and optimize it with tools like Website Grader, which evaluates your website based on 40 factors, including:

• Performance;
• Mobile-friendliness;
• Search engine optimization; and
• Security.

Your report can help you find opportunities to compress images, enable caching, minimize redirects and upgrade servers if needed. Faster sites improve visitor satisfaction.

5. Set up analytics

Analytics provide data to inform your SEO efforts. Install Google Analytics or a privacy-focused alternative like Matomo. Track key metrics like:

• Traffic sources;
• Top landing/exit pages;
• Bounce rates;
• Site speed; and
• Location.

Review your reports regularly and optimize to improve conversions.

6. Claim and optimize online listings

Beyond Google, claim and complete profiles on popular directories, review sites and citation sources. This will improve your local SEO and visibility. Important sites include:

• Facebook;
• Yelp;
• Yellowpages;
• Angie's List;
• Manta;
• Apple Maps;
• Bing Places; and
• Local listing aggregators.

7. Encourage customer reviews

Positive online reviews build social proof and trust for your company. Make it easy for happy customers to leave five-star reviews on Google, Facebook and third-party sites. This shows potential consumers that you offer quality services.

For multiple-location brands, seek location-specific reviews when possible. Also, monitor and politely respond to any negative reviews. Software and tools can automate some of the monitoring, managing, and promoting of online customer reviews.

8. Create link-worthy assets

Attracting backlinks from other sites signals authority to search engines. Develop assets that others will want to reference, like:

• Industry studies and original data;
• Tools and calculators;  
• Charts and guides;
• Infographics; and
• Email newsletters.

Reach out to partners to request links, but avoid shady link-building tactics Google can penalize you for.

9. Keep pages mobile-friendly

Over 60% of searches happen on mobile devices. Google factors mobile experience into search rankings. These features help ensure your site is fully optimized for mobile users:

• Responsive design;
• Legible text sizing;
• Tap-friendly buttons and links;
• Minimized horizontal scrolling; and
• Fast load speeds.

10. Leverage search box autocomplete prediction optimization

When searching online, 71% of consumers use autocomplete suggestions in the search box. Consumers use these recommendations to find plumbing services in your area with searches like:

• “plumber near me;”
• “24-hour plumber [city];” and
• “[city] plumbing companies.”

If you can use autocomplete optimization to have the search box suggest your name next to search queries, you can outrank competitors and essentially eliminate them as competition in local searches. Having your company name appear in Bing, YouTube and Google autocomplete predictive suggestions makes it easy to power up your search engine listing.

11. Execute an ongoing SEO strategy

With these steps, you can make meaningful SEO gains for your plumbing company. But search engine optimization is an ongoing process. Continue expanding your content, monitoring metrics, and refining efforts over time.