SEO for plumbers: how to get found on Google when someone needs a plumber
SEO for plumbers means getting your business into Google's map results and the top of the page when someone near you searches for a plumber. Most of that comes down to five things: your Google Business Profile, your reviews, a page for each job and area, consistent business details everywhere, and a fast website. Here's how each one works, and how we do it for you.
By Shaun Chrisp, founder · Updated
5.0 from 37 Google reviews · Since 2010
Why it matters
When a pipe bursts, nobody scrolls. They look at the three plumbers in the map box at the top of Google, pick the one with the best reviews, and ring. If you're not in those three, you're not in the running.
The good news? Plenty of plumbers have never touched their SEO. A bit of proper work gets you a long way.
The five things that get plumbers ranking
1. Your Google Business Profile
This is the box that shows up in the map results. Get it right:
- Primary category "Plumber", with extra categories for what else you do, like heating engineer or bathroom fitter
- Every service listed, with a short description
- The areas you cover
- Real photos of jobs, added regularly
- Your opening hours and emergency hours, if you do callouts
2. Reviews, and plenty of them
How many reviews you have, how recent they are and how good they are all count. So does replying to them. The plumber with 140 reviews from this year usually has the edge over the one with 12 from 2021. The trick is asking every customer, every time, with a link that makes it easy.
3. A page for every job and every area
Google needs to know what you do and where. "Boiler repair Gosforth" needs a page about boiler repairs that mentions Gosforth. One "Services" page listing everything won't rank for any of it. See why town pages work.
4. The same details everywhere
Your business name, address and phone number need to match exactly on your website, your Google profile, Yell, Checkatrade, Facebook and every other directory. Mismatched details confuse Google.
5. A fast website that works on a phone
Most people searching for a plumber are on their phone, often in a hurry. If your site takes ages to load or the number's hard to find, they're gone.
There's also a newer one: AI search. More people ask ChatGPT or Google's AI "who's a good plumber near me?". The same things above (a complete profile, lots of reviews and clear pages) are what get you mentioned there too.
What we do for you
On every Growth System website
Your free website comes with SEO built in from day one: a page for every job and area, fast loading on phones, the right structure for Google, and your reviews on show. Our review system asks every customer after every job, and your past customers get asked from day one.
Local SEO on top
When you want to climb the map results, we add local SEO: your Google Business Profile done properly, your business listed consistently across the directories that matter, more review outreach, your competitors tracked and a monthly report showing where you rank and why.
Then we make sure the clicks turn into jobs
Ranking higher is pointless if you miss the calls. That's why our SEO plugs into the Growth System: missed call text back, an AI admin that answers and books 24/7, and one inbox for every enquiry. Here's the full system.
Results
DWMotorworks, an independent BMW and MINI specialist in Newcastle, has held number one on Google for "BMW specialist Newcastle".
Coopatex, an industrial firm, reached number one for their target searches within six months, including Google's featured snippets.
Not plumbers, but it's the same work. And we practise it ourselves: we show up in the map results for "web design Cramlington", where we're based.
What it costs
We recommend taking local SEO with the Growth System: £297 a month for the system and a free website, plus £297 a month for local SEO. That's £594 a month all in, and the Growth System pays for itself in 30 days, or you don't pay.
Already got a website you're happy with? Local SEO on its own is £497 a month.
No setup fee and no contract on either. Full details are on our local SEO page.
How it works
- A free 30-minute call. We pull up the map results for your trade and town, and show you exactly why the top three are beating you.
- We fix the foundations. Website, Google Business Profile, reviews and directory listings. Your new website is live in about 7 days.
- You climb. We track your rankings, keep the reviews coming and send you a monthly report in plain English.
We work with plumbers across the UK. In the North East? See web design in Newcastle and the North East. Need a new website first? Start with websites for plumbers, or see every trade on websites for tradesmen.