As a plumber, you know the importance of having a good reputation in your community. But did you know that having a strong online presence can also help you attract new customers and grow your business? That’s where local SEO for plumbers comes in.
Local SEO for plumbers, or search engine optimization, is the practice of optimizing your online presence to appear higher in search engine results for local plumbing queries. For example, if someone in your area searches for “plumber near me,” you want your website to appear at the top of the results.
Why is this important? Well, studies show that the majority of people who search for local businesses online are likely to visit or contact a business within 24 hours. So, if your website is optimized for local search, you’ll be more likely to attract new customers who are actively looking for your services.
Another benefit of local SEO is that it can help you compete with larger plumbing companies that might have more resources for marketing. By focusing on local search, you can target potential customers in your area and establish yourself as a trusted local expert in plumbing, effectively mastering digital marketing for plumbers.
But how do you optimize your online presence for local search? There are several strategies, such as optimizing your website for local keywords, claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing, and building local citations and backlinks. In this article we will cover the ins and outs of each one of these techniques so you can start ranking first for local plumbing searches.
Local Plumbing SEO Keyword Research
Local keyword research for plumbers involves finding the specific words and phrases people in your local area use when searching for plumbing services online. By knowing these keywords, you can optimize your website and other online listings to show up higher in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
How To Do Local Plumbing Keyword Research
Step 1: Brain Storm Plumbing Keywords
Start by thinking about the types of plumbing services you offer, and the areas you serve. Write down a list of words and phrases that come to mind, such as “plumbing repair in (location),” “water heater installation in (location),” “drain cleaning in (location),” and “emergency plumber in (location).”.
Step 2: Research
Use a keyword research tool, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs, to find related keywords and phrases that people are actually searching for in your area. Look for terms that have a high search volume and low competition.
Additionally, if you do not have access to any of these tools, simply look at the pages that are already ranking on the first page for these terms. Look at the keywords they use in their headers and copy to get an idea of what you should prioritize.
Step 3: Narrow it down
Refine your list of keywords and phrases to the most relevant and specific ones that best represent your business and services. Consider adding location-specific keywords, such as the name of your city or neighborhood.
Step 4: Test it out
Once you’ve narrowed down your list, it’s important to focus on creating pages that talk about the services you offer in a certain area. For example, you might create a page that talks about your 24/7 emergency plumbing services in a specific location. Once you have these service pages set up, you can start working on creating informational content for your blog.
These blog posts might be about things like how to fix a leaky faucet or 5 tips for keeping your plumbing running smoothly. While these types of posts may not bring in new customers right away, they do help Google understand what your website is all about. This can make it easier for potential customers to find you when they’re looking for plumbing services in your area.
So, in short, it’s a good idea to focus on creating service pages first, and then move on to creating informational blog posts. By doing this, you can help build trust with readers and eventually turn them into customers.
Types Of Plumbing Keywords
As a plumbing company, it’s important to understand the different types of keywords that potential customers might use when searching for plumbing services online. In general, there are two main types of plumbing keywords: informational and commercial.
Informational Plumbing Keywords
Informational plumbing keywords are search terms that people use to learn about plumbing-related topics. These keywords are often used when someone is looking for information or advice on how to address a plumbing issue or improve their plumbing knowledge.
Examples of informational plumbing keywords might include “how to fix a leaky faucet,” “what causes low water pressure,” or “how to unclog a toilet.” These keywords are focused on providing information and education rather than promoting a specific plumbing service or product.
By creating content around informational plumbing keywords, plumbing companies can provide valuable resources to potential customers, establish themselves as experts in the field, and potentially attract new business. This content can take the form of blog posts, articles, videos, or other resources that help answer common plumbing questions and provide helpful tips and advice.
Commercial Plumbing Keywords
Commercial plumbing keywords are specific words and phrases that businesses in the plumbing industry use to optimize their website and online content for commercial plumbing services. These keywords can include terms like “commercial plumbing services,” “industrial plumbing,” “plumbing for businesses,” “commercial plumbing repairs,” and “plumbing contractors for commercial buildings.”
Using commercial plumbing keywords strategically throughout your website and content can help your business rank higher in search engine results pages for relevant searches. By targeting these keywords, you can help potential customers find your business when they are searching for commercial plumbing services.
How To Enhance On-Page SEO for Your Plumbing Website
On page SEO refers to everything you can do on your plumbing website to improve your visibility online. This includes tactics like improving site structure, internal linking, choosing the right headers, and more.
Improving Your Plumbing Website Structure
When you visit a website, have you ever noticed that it looks organized? This is because the website has a site structure and hierarchy. Think of it like a house with rooms that are organized in a specific way to make it easy to find what you’re looking for.
Site structure and hierarchy refer to how the pages on a website are organized and how they relate to each other. A good site structure helps visitors find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, and it can also improve a website’s visibility on search engines like Google.
For a plumbing company, the best way to set up a site structure and hierarchy is to start with a clear and simple navigation menu. This should include pages for services, about us, contact us, and any other important information that visitors may need.
Next, create subpages for each service that the plumbing company offers. For example, there could be separate pages for plumbing repairs, installations, and maintenance. Each subpage should have a clear and descriptive title that explains what the page is about.
It’s also important to consider the order of pages in the navigation menu. The most important pages should be listed first, with less important pages listed later. As a rule of thumb, each page should be a maximum of three clicks away from the home page. This helps visitors find what they’re looking for more quickly, and it can also improve the website’s visibility on search engines.
Internal Linking Strategy For Plumbers
Internal linking is a strategy used on a website to connect pages to one another. It helps to keep visitors on the site for longer by guiding them to related content, and it also helps search engines understand the structure of the site.
For a plumbing company, internal linking can be set up by linking pages on the site that relate to one another, such as pages about different plumbing services offered or pages with informative blog posts about plumbing. This allows visitors to easily navigate the site and find the information they need, while also providing search engines with a clear hierarchy of the site’s content.
To set up internal linking for a plumbing company, it’s important to consider the user experience and make sure that links are relevant and helpful. For example, a link from a page about fixing leaky faucets to a page about water heater installation wouldn’t be very helpful for the user. Instead, linking to a page about different plumbing services offered or to an informative blog post about faucet repair would be more useful.
It’s also important to make sure that the links are placed in a way that makes sense and is easy to follow. Placing links within the text of a page, using descriptive anchor text (the clickable text that appears on a link), and avoiding overloading a page with too many links are all good practices to follow.
Technical SEO For Plumbing Websites
Technical SEO for plumbers involves optimizing elements such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, website structure, meta tags, headers, alt text, and more. Essentially, technical SEO involves improving the website’s infrastructure and code to help search engines understand and rank the website better.
Below is a short list of the most common technical SEO practices:
Optimize Website Speed
Optimizing website speed is an important aspect of creating a successful plumbing website. Some of the best ways to do this is by compressing images, reducing file sizes, and minimizing HTTP requests. When a website loads slowly, it can lead to a poor user experience and may cause potential customers to leave your site.
By compressing images and reducing file sizes, you can help your website load faster. This involves using image compression software to reduce the size of your images without sacrificing image quality. You can also reduce file sizes by optimizing your website’s code, such as minifying CSS and JavaScript files.
Another way to optimize website speed is to minimize HTTP requests. This means reducing the number of requests that are made when a user visits your website. This can be done by simplifying your website’s design and reducing the number of images and videos on each page.
To diagnose your website speed, you can use tools like PageSpeed Insights. This tool will analyze your website and provide suggestions for improving your website’s speed and performance. It will also provide a score for your website’s speed and performance on both mobile and desktop devices.
Ensure That Your Website Is Mobile-Friendly
Ensuring that your plumbing website is mobile-friendly and responsive is critical for achieving high search engine rankings and improving user experience. With the rise of mobile devices and the increasing use of search engines on smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-friendly website is more important than ever.
Google has recognized this trend and now uses mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor in its search algorithm. This means that websites that are optimized for mobile devices are more likely to appear at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) than those that are not.
In addition to improving your search engine rankings, having a mobile-friendly website can also improve user experience. Visitors to your website are more likely to stay on your website longer and engage with your content if it is optimized for their device. This means that you are more likely to convert website visitors into customers if your website is mobile-friendly and responsive.
To ensure that your plumbing website is mobile-friendly and responsive, there are several things you can do. First, you can use a responsive design that automatically adjusts your website’s layout and content to fit the screen size of the device being used. This means that your website will look and work well on any device, whether it is a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.
Other ways to optimize your website for mobile devices include using mobile-friendly fonts and button sizes, optimizing images for mobile devices, and using mobile-specific features like click-to-call and location-based services. By implementing these mobile-friendly optimizations, you can improve your website’s search engine ranking and provide a better user experience for your visitors, ultimately leading to more conversions and business for your plumbing company.
Use Structured Data Markup (Schema)
Structured data markup, also known as schema markup, is a type of code that can be added to a website to help search engines understand the content of the site more effectively. It provides additional information about the different elements of a web page, such as the page title, author name, images, and videos.
For a plumbing website, structured data markup can be used to provide more information to search engines about the specific services offered, such as commercial or residential plumbing, emergency plumbing services, water heater installation and repair, and more. By using structured data markup to indicate these specific services, search engines can more easily understand the content of the website and deliver more targeted search results to users.
In addition to improving search engine visibility, structured data markup can also enhance the appearance of search engine results pages (SERPs) with rich snippets. For example, a plumbing website that includes structured data markup for “emergency plumbing services” may display a “call now” button or “emergency” icon next to their listing in the search results, making it stand out more to potential customers.
To implement structured data markup for a plumbing website, plumbing companies can use the Schema.org vocabulary and follow the guidelines provided by search engines like Google. There are also several online tools and plugins available that can help with adding schema markup to a website.
Ensure That Your Website Has A Secure Https Connection
Having a secure HTTPS connection for your plumbing website is crucial for both user trust and search engine rankings. In 2014, Google announced that HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a ranking factor in their search algorithm. This means that websites with HTTPS connections may receive a slight boost in search engine rankings compared to websites that are not secure.
An HTTPS connection uses a secure protocol to encrypt data that is transmitted between a user’s browser and your website’s server. This protects sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card details, and other personal information from being intercepted by malicious third parties. By implementing HTTPS, you can help ensure that your plumbing website is safe and trustworthy for your visitors.
Implement 301 Redirects When Needed
Implementing 301 redirects on a plumbing website is a crucial part of technical SEO. A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one web page to another, and it is used to direct visitors and search engines to the correct page when the original URL no longer exists or has been changed.
When a website undergoes changes such as page restructuring, content updates, or changes in domain name, it is common for some of the URLs to become outdated or broken. When visitors or search engines encounter these broken links, they are likely to be frustrated, and it can negatively impact the user experience on your website. In addition, broken links can harm your SEO efforts by reducing the authority and trustworthiness of your website.
By implementing 301 redirects, you can effectively address these issues and ensure that both visitors and search engines are directed to the correct page. For example, if you have changed the URL of a page on your website, a 301 redirect will direct users and search engines to the new URL. This ensures that visitors are not left on a dead-end page, and that search engines can continue to index your website properly.
To implement 301 redirects, you will need to use a redirect plugin or access your website’s .htaccess file. It’s important to ensure that the redirect is set up correctly and that it points to the most relevant and accurate page on your website.
Optimize Your Plumbing Website’s Metadata
Optimizing your website’s metadata, including page titles, headers, and meta descriptions, is an essential component of on-page SEO for a plumbing website. The metadata provides important information to search engines and users about the content of your website. This can help improve your website’s search engine visibility and attract more organic traffic to your site.
To optimize your website’s metadata, start by creating clear and descriptive page titles that accurately reflect the content of each page on your website. Page titles should include your main target keywords and provide a clear indication of what the page is about. This will help both search engines and users understand the content of the page.
Next, use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and indicate the hierarchy of information on your page. The H1 tag should be used for the main page heading, and subsequent headers (H2, H3, etc.) should be used to organize and divide the content into sections. This makes it easier for search engines to understand the structure and content of your website.
In addition to page titles and headers, meta descriptions are also important for optimizing your website’s metadata. Meta descriptions are brief summaries of the content on each page, which appear in search engine results pages below the page title. Meta descriptions should be informative, concise, and include your target keywords. This can help attract more clicks from search engine users and improve your website’s click-through rates
Optimize Your Plumbing Companies Google My Business
Have you ever noticed that when you perform a local search, the results look a bit different?
Instead of the regular list of webpages that appears on Google, at the top is a map with a list of highly rated businesses in your general area.
This is what is known as the Local Pack, and it’s why optimizing your Google My Business is so important as a plumbing company.
Instead of sorting through webpages, users are able to look through businesses in their direct vicinity along with valuable information such as services offered, hours of operation, contact information, and an aggregate review rating.
Below we will cover the best practices when it comes to optimizing your plumbing companies GMB.
How To Set Up and Optimize Your Google My Business Plumbing Listing
Step 1: Claim Your Listing
- Go to Google.com/business and click “Manage Now” to start the process of claiming your business.
- Search for your business by name and address. If your business is already listed, you will need to verify your ownership by phone or mail. If your business is not listed, you will need to create a new listing.
- Once you have verified your ownership, you can start optimizing your GMB listing. Add your business hours, phone number, website URL, and other relevant information to help potential customers find and contact you.
Step 2: Add Your NAP Information (Name, Address, Phone Number)
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number, and it refers to the basic information that identifies a business. NAP information is crucial for businesses, as it helps potential customers find and contact them.
It’s important to keep your NAP information consistent across all online platforms, such as your website, social media profiles, and directory listings. Inconsistencies in NAP information can confuse search engines and customers, potentially leading to a lower search ranking or missed business opportunities.
For example, if your business name is listed as “John’s Plumbing” on your website, but as “John’s Plumbing LLC” on your Google My Business profile, search engines may not recognize them as the same business. This can lead to lower search engine visibility and missed opportunities for potential customers to find and contact your business.
Step 3: Selecting The Right Category and Services
To choose the correct category for your plumbing business, start by considering the services that you offer. There are several categories available on Google My Business that are relevant to plumbing, including “plumber,” “plumbing service,” “plumbing contractor,” and “drainage service.” Choose the category that best describes the primary services you offer.
It’s also important to select the specific services you offer within your chosen category. For example, if your primary service is “plumbing service,” you may want to select specific services such as “pipe repair,” “water heater installation,” or “drain cleaning.” This helps potential customers understand the specific services you offer and can help your business appear in more relevant search results.
Step 4: Creating The Perfect Description
A well-crafted business description should clearly explain who you are, what your plumbing services are, and where you provide plumbing services. This can include information about your company’s history, values, and expertise, as well as details about the types of plumbing services you offer, such as commercial or residential plumbing, repairs, installations, and maintenance.
Step 5: Start Collecting Reviews
Reviews on your Google My Business profile are one of the most important aspects of ranking higher in the local pack and attracting more leads and phone calls for your plumbing business. In fact, research has shown that businesses with more reviews tend to receive significantly more calls and leads than those with fewer reviews.
To start building your review base, it’s important to reach out to past customers and ask them to leave a review for your business. You can do this by sending personalized emails or messages to your previous customers, thanking them for their business and kindly requesting a review.
Additionally, after completing work for new customers, it’s important to remind them to leave a review. You can do this by adding a review call to action in an email or message thanking them for their business and reminding them of the importance of reviews for your business.
By building a strong base of positive reviews on your Google My Business profile, you can improve your business’s visibility in local search results and attract more potential customers to your business. It’s important to prioritize customer satisfaction and encourage them to share their positive experiences with others.
How Off-Page Local SEO Can Boost Your Plumbing Website
Off-page SEO refers to the activities that take place outside of your website to improve its search engine ranking. One of the most important aspects of off-page SEO is building backlinks to your plumbing site. A backlink is when another website links to your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy and authoritative your website appears to search engines. The main types of backlinks we will focus on are directories, citations, and social media.
Why Your Plumbing Business Should Utilize Directories
Directories are online platforms that list information about local businesses, such as their business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. For plumbing businesses, having accurate and consistent information across different directories is important for local SEO.
When a plumbing business is listed in multiple directories, it helps to build credibility and authority for the business. This is because search engines like Google view consistent and accurate information across different directories as a signal of reliability and trustworthiness.
In addition, directories can also help plumbing businesses to improve their online visibility and attract more potential customers. This is because directories are often used by people who are looking for local services, and having a presence in directories can increase the chances of your business being found by potential customers.
Here are a few directory sites that you should consider using.
Google My Business – This is the most important directory site for plumbers and all local businesses. It’s free to list your business and it can help your business show up in Google Maps and search results.
Yelp – This is a popular directory site where customers can leave reviews and ratings for businesses. Plumbers can create a free business listing and respond to customer reviews.
HomeAdvisor – This is a directory site for home services, including plumbing. HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local professionals and allows plumbers to create a free business profile.
Angie’s List – This is a subscription-based directory site for home services, including plumbing. Angie’s List allows customers to leave reviews and ratings for businesses.
Yellow Pages – This is a popular online directory site that lists businesses by category and location. Plumbers can create a free business listing and add details about their services.
Better Business Bureau – This is a directory site that focuses on promoting ethical business practices. Plumbers can create a free business profile and respond to customer complaints.
Local.com – This is a directory site that lists businesses by location and category. Plumbers can create a free business listing and add details about their services.
What Citations Are and How To Use Them
Directories and citations are both important for local SEO for plumbing businesses, but they serve slightly different purposes.
Directories are online platforms that list information about local businesses, including their name, address, phone number, and website. These directories can include general business directories as well as industry-specific directories for plumbers. The main purpose of directories is to help potential customers find your plumbing business online.
On the other hand, citations refer to mentions of your plumbing business’s name, address, and phone number on other websites, including directories, review sites, and social media. Citations are important for local SEO because they help to establish the credibility and authority of your plumbing business.
To use directories and citations effectively, plumbing businesses should focus on creating accurate and consistent listings across different platforms. This means ensuring that your business name, address, and phone number are the same across all listings and directories. This consistency helps search engines to verify the information about your business and improve your local search rankings.
Why Social Media Is Important For Plumbing SEO
Social media has become a vital part of digital marketing, and it plays a crucial role in improving search engine optimization (SEO) for several reasons.
Firstly, social media links are considered as a valuable component of a website’s backlink profile. Backlinks are links that point from one website to another and are an important ranking factor for search engines like Google. The more high-quality links a website has, the higher it can rank in search engine results pages. Social media platforms are a great source of backlinks that can help a website increase its authority and visibility.
Secondly, an active social media presence can help demonstrate to Google that your website is a legitimate business and a trusted source of information. Having a strong and consistent social media presence can signal to search engines that your website is relevant and valuable to users. This, in turn, can improve your website’s search engine ranking and drive more organic traffic to your site.
Lastly, social media can be an excellent way to engage with your audience and create a loyal user base. By using social media to share valuable and engaging content, you can establish a strong relationship with your customers and foster brand loyalty. This can lead to increased customer retention, referrals, and ultimately, more conversions.
Final Thoughts on Local SEO For Plumbers
In today’s digital age, more and more people are turning to search engines like Google to find information and services, including plumbing services. As a result, it’s crucial for plumbing businesses to have a strong online presence in order to attract potential customers and drive leads.
By implementing effective SEO techniques, such as optimizing your website for relevant keywords, building high-quality backlinks, and creating valuable content, you can improve your website’s search engine ranking and visibility. This can result in more traffic to your site and ultimately, more leads for your plumbing business.
However, we understand that implementing SEO techniques can be overwhelming and time-consuming, especially for busy plumbing contractors. That’s why we recommend considering working with a digital marketing agency like 7ten Digital Marketing, which specializes in digital marketing for contractors.
Our team of experts can help you develop a customized digital marketing strategy tailored to your specific needs and goals. We have the knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively boost your online presence and drive more leads through Google, so you can focus on providing quality plumbing services to your customers.
