8 Ways to Grow Your Plumbing Business

Everything you're about to read and learn is how we would help you to get a solid 20-50x ROI on marketing spend per month. It includes tactics, strategies, and more. CLICK HERE FOR AUDIT.

🚨Why is Local Plumbing Marketing is Harder?

In 2025, plumbing marketing isn’t just competitive — it’s a war zone. AI is rewriting search results faster than local business owners can keep up. Google Maps is jammed with paid listings and constant ranking shifts. Reviews are harder to collect — and easier to lose. Meanwhile, big-box franchises and VC-funded rollups are taking over search results with massive budgets and in-house marketing teams. These aren't plumbers — they’re media machines. They dominate the map pack, Google Ads, and social feeds.

Add to that the rising cost of living and tighter homeowner budgets, and every plumbing lead becomes more competitive and more critical. If you're still relying on yard signs or word of mouth, you're disappearing fast.

In this article you will learn the top 20 ways to fight back and generate consistent plumbing leads — even against AI and ad-heavy competitors.

Topics you'll learn:

1. Keyword Research and Market Analysis
2. Websites that generate leads
3. Local Maps and Local SEO
4. Social Media
5. Online Reviews
6. Paid Advertising
7. Physical Marketing & Branding
8. Subcontractor Referrals

1. Find out what gutter keywords are going to get you paid

Before you start throwing money at ads or begging Google to notice you, you need to understand keywords — the exact phrases people type when they’re hunting for plumbing help. Think “emergency plumber near me,” not “serving the community since 1990.” The right keywords get you found by real buyers, not window shoppers. Some terms are too competitive, some are worthless, and some are just right. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Semrush.com can help, or you can just hire TIP and let the nerds (and AI bots) do it for you. Use your top 10–15 keywords everywhere — in your map listing, social media posts, image captions, and review requests — but on your website, each page should focus on one main keyword to help you rank faster and cleaner.

Pro TIP I:   Choose keywords with this combination: Search Volume of 20+ and difficulty of 30 or below, any and all 100+ search terms per month but only go after those with 35 difficulty or less. Any difficulty of 50 or higher is only meant for those with existing page 1 rankings already.

Top Gutter Keywords to consider (click each type to learn)

2. Make your Plumbing Website a Lead Magnet for Local Searches

Let’s be real — most plumbing websites are as useful as a clogged toilet.

If you want to get 20, 30, or 50+ plumbing leads a month, you need to follow these guidelines or hire us to do it for you!

✅ Build for Mobile

Over 60% of your traffic is coming from homeowners on their phones, usually while staring at a leaking pipe or overflowing toilet. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly — with click-to-call buttons, quote forms that don’t glitch, and fast load times — you’re losing plumbing leads. Add a sticky “Call Now” button and make sure every quote form works perfectly on mobile. You’ve got 3 seconds to impress or they’re gone.

✅ Build for Speed

Slow plumbing sites = lost calls. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, half your potential customers will bounce. That means fewer service requests, fewer quotes, and fewer booked jobs. Compress your job photos, cut bloated design, and test your mobile speed weekly. Google rewards fast sites — and so do impatient homeowners with burst pipes.

✅ Customized Design

Your plumbing company isn’t a template — your website shouldn’t be either. Use real job photos, show your vans, and let people see who they’re hiring. Sites with custom branding and visuals convert 38% better than generic ones. Make it look like you run a real business — because you do.

✅ Home Page

Your homepage is your digital entrance way.  75% of homeowners judge your plumbing business just by looking at it. So don’t waste space — use a headline like “Licensed Plumber in [Your City],” a subheadline with your offer, and real job photos. Make the CTA big and clear: “Call Now for Emergency Service.” And if you have reviews or before/after pics? Show them right away.

✅ Service Pages

f you do drain cleaning, leak repair, water heaters, or whole-home re-piping — each service needs its own page. Sites with dedicated service pages rank 45% higher in local search. Each page should include job photos, FAQs, and a call-to-action to request a quote. This tells Google what you do and gives homeowners the confidence to click “Call Now.”

✅ City Pages

Want to show up in “plumber [city]” searches? Then you need a separate page for every city you serve. Sites that use city pages see 32% more traffic from nearby neighborhoods. Add real plumbing photos, reference local landmarks or zip codes, and link back to your core services. If it looks like you work in that town — Google will believe you do.

✅ Paid Ad Landing Pages

When running plumbing ads, make sure your landing pages are hidden from your normal navigation and don’t use your main menu. They should be focused entirely on conversions. One page, one purpose: convert or bounce.

✅ Blogging

Thanks to AI tools, blogging has changed. But for plumbing SEO, local blog content still works. All you need to know is this: write 6 different blogs that answer common homeowner plumbing problems in your area. Make them hyper-local and packed with expertise.

3. Local SEO is still a top priority

Having a website is great. But if your local listings are outdated or half-done, you’re still invisible. Over 64% of customers use Google Business Profiles to find and contact local service pros — and 85% of local clicks go to the top 3 map results.



Most plumbing companies stop after setting up Google. That’s a mistake. You need to fully optimize your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, and at least 50 other local directories if you want to show up across platforms. More listings = more trust in Google’s eyes.

🧭 Google Business Profile: Get It All In

Google rewards the businesses that fill in everything — not just the basics. That includes:

✅ A full description (with your main plumbing keywords)
✅ Categories like “Plumber,” “Drain Cleaning,” or “Water Heater Service”
✅ Photos of jobs, vans, teams, and close-ups
✅ Each service listed in detail with a short description
✅ Products added — even if they’re “service products” like “Tankless Water Heater Installation”
✅ Service areas by city, not zip
✅ A custom link to your quote page
✅ Posts every week with a photo, CTA, and link
✅ Companies that update their profile weekly get 7x more clicks than those who leave it untouched

🌍 Go Beyond Google: Bing, Yelp, and 55+ Listings

Here’s what most plumbing companies don’t know: Google checks your info against other websites to decide if you’re trustworthy.

That means your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) must be identical on:
– Bing Places
– Yelp
– NextDoor
– Angi
– Apple Maps
– Facebook
– Instagram
– Yellow Pages
– Chamber of Commerce listings
– 50+ smaller local directories

Use a local citation tool like Semrush, BrightLocal, or Yext — or just hire us — to fix, update, and sync all of them. When your NAP is consistent across the web, you show up more and rank higher in Maps.

📱 Social Media Profiles Count, Too

Your Google ranking isn’t just based on reviews or backlinks — it also checks your brand presence. Make sure your business info is updated and matches across:

– Facebook Business Page
– Instagram Business Account
– YouTube Channel
– LinkedIn Business Page
– Any job board or contractor marketplace you’re on



Also, use your Google short name (g.page/yourname) as your link in bios — that builds direct authority to your Maps listing.

4. Post Your Gutter Jobs to Social Media

Posting to Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn isn’t just about showing off pretty copper pipes (though it helps).
Regular posting actually helps your local SEO. Google and Bing both scan social media for signs your plumbing business is active, trusted, and local — and that includes your Google Business Profile and Bing Places listing.

Here’s what works best for plumbers:

✅ Post 1–3 times per week
✅ Use real photos and videos from job sites — before and after, pipe repairs, re-piping installs
✅ Add short captions like: “Replaced busted copper line in Sparks — water pressure fully restored!”
✅ Always include your city and service in the caption
✅ Use hashtags like #sparksplumber, #drainrepair, #waterheaterinstall
✅ Cross-post to Google and Bing Business Profiles (they allow image and text posts now)

The goal? Turn your job site into your content engine.

Businesses that post regular updates with geo-tagged content see 2x the engagement on Google Business Profiles and up to 62% more profile views on Bing.

Pro Tip: Every time you finish a job, take 2 minutes to snap 2 photos — one before, one after. Send it to whoever runs your marketing (or post it yourself) and write a one-line summary. The photos build trust. The city and service in the caption help search engines. And it shows prospects that you’re booked, active, and professional.

5. Build 100s of 5-Star Reviews

Want to rank in the top 3 on Google Maps? Want customers to pick your plumbing company over the one with 12 reviews and no logo?
Then you need consistent, high-quality reviews — month after month.



Google and Bing both use reviews to decide who gets shown in the local pack. It’s not just about how many you have — it’s also about how often you get them, what they say, and how fast you respond.
Plumbers that respond to reviews within 24 hours get 12% more leads, and companies that ask twice (in person and via follow-up) get 3x more reviews.

💬 Get Better Reviews

Getting reviews isn’t about luck — it’s a skill. Start by reading the customer: if they’re smiling, praising your crew, or thanking you for fixing the leak fast, that’s your cue. Don’t just hand them a card. Say something like:

“If you’re happy, I’d really appreciate a quick Google review — even just a line about your plumbing repair in Sparks. It helps us more than you know.”

Want to supercharge your reviews? Ask them to include a photo of the finished work, or mention details like “fixed leaking pipe under my kitchen sink in Spanish Springs.” Google eats that up for local SEO.

💬 The QR 5-Star Review Card

Redesign your plumbing business cards to have a QR Code that sends customers directly to your Google Review page. This hack has helped clients double or quadruple their reviews in just a few months!

💬 Track Who hasn't given a Review

After each job, send a review link by text or email.
Save it as a shortcut in your phone so it’s ready to paste. If they don’t leave one right away, follow up after 7 days, and again at 30 days.  Use a simple CRM, spreadsheet, or even a Google Sheet to track every customer and their review status. That way, no opportunity slips through the cracks.

6. Better ROI on Paid Advertising

Paid ads work — but only if you run them smart. You don’t need a huge budget to start, but you do need the right platform and the right targeting. Start small, test results, and scale what works. Here’s the breakdown:

Always run plumbing installation or water heater replacement campaigns. Never mix them together. And don’t waste your money running ads for clogged drains — you’ll never make your money back!

✅ Google CPC Ads

Once you’ve got at least $1,500/month to spend, it’s time to graduate to full Google CPC (Cost-Per-Click) ads. These let you target specific keywords like “emergency plumber [city]” or “water heater install near me.”



Set up separate campaigns for different services like water heaters, leak repairs, or pipe replacements — and send leads to a clean landing page with no distractions.

✅ Facebook Ads

If you’ve got videos of your crew in action, before/after pipe repairs, or happy customer testimonials, Facebook Ads are perfect.

They don’t always bring the highest-intent leads — but they build trust and brand visibility fast. Use local targeting, job photos, short captions with city names, and Messenger or lead form buttons.
It’s great for getting seen before peak season hits.

SAY NO to Yelp Gutter Ads

Yelp is fine if you’re after one-off jobs like garbage disposal swaps or faucet fixes. But for big-ticket installs and long-term leads? Be careful.



Yelp favors businesses with tons of 5-star reviews, and most homeowners send bulk quote requests without calling. You’ll pay more per lead — so test it, but don’t build your pipeline on it.

SAY NO to NextDoor Ads

Nextdoor works okay for quick fixes like toilet leaks or minor pipe repairs — especially if you're active in the neighborhood.


But just like Yelp, it's better for low-value leads. Most users are friendly, but not serious. You can test local offers, but don’t expect repipe jobs or water heater installs from it.

7. Brands and Professionalism Win Bigger Customers and Growth During Slow Periods

Homeowners don’t remember “that guy who fixed the toilet once.” They remember the company with the clean van, sharp plumbing logo, matching uniforms, and a professional quote that looked like it came from a real business — not a side hustle. Branding builds trust fast, and during slow seasons, it’s what separates the booked-out pros from the ones still knocking.

Whether you’re quoting a full re-pipe or a small leak repair, your brand and presentation matter. Here’s how to show up like the company everyone recommends.

✅  Piping Hot Logo

Your logo doesn’t need to be fancy — it just needs to be recognizable, look good on dark/light backgrounds, and work on vans, shirts, signs, and invoices. Keep it clean and bold. No tiny text. No gradients. No clip art.

✅ 3x5 Door Knocker - use anywhere

Perfect for walk-and-drop canvassing. Leave these after jobs, at neighboring homes, or at local businesses. Include a QR code to your reviews, your phone number, and a photo of your team or a clean plumbing install.  This is a low-cost way to build awareness on every street you work.

✅ CRM = Easier Quotes and Invoicing

If you’re still quoting in Notes or Word, it’s time to level up. A CRM (or even a smart Google Sheet system like we build) can save time, organize leads, and help you track who’s paid and who hasn’t.  Faster quotes = more booked jobs. Organized follow-ups = more repeat customers.

✅ Vehicle Wraps and Uniforms

Your van is a rolling billboard. Your shirts and hats are your brand in motion. Don’t miss out on the easiest visibility tool you’ve got. A clean, wrapped vehicle and matching gear make you look legit — even before the homeowner opens the door. Bonus: you’ll start getting calls from people who just saw your van drive by.

8. Build a Home Improvement Network of Referrals, Customers, and Growth

You don’t need to run ads every day to grow. Sometimes the best leads come from other contractors and past customers who already trust you.

Building a strong referral network — both online and in person — can keep your schedule full, especially during slow months. The key is building areal local network — not just hoping someone sends you a name. Here’s how to do it right:

✅ Build a Local Contractor Circle

Team up with electricians, HVAC techs, roofers, painters, tile setters, and general contractors — anyone who sees the inside of a home. Every one of them walks past broken pipes, leaking water heaters, or slow drains.


If they trust you, they’ll send you leads (and expect the same in return). Create a small group chat or monthly meetup to share updates, customers, and insight.

✅ Partner Your Marketing

Next you’ll want to help each other rank higher on Google! Trade website backlinks and social media mentions with your local partners. Link to their business in your “Trusted Local Pros” blog or city page.
Ask them to do the same. Google sees this as a signal of local trust — and it builds visibility for everyone.

Do you need exclusive and full Plumber Marketing results?

If you're tired of the DIY marketing or unreliable and expensive agencies, give us a call and let's offer you the full Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Service stack. See 20-35x ROI every month with no long terms, just exclusive marketing and business growth.