Local search
SEO for plumbers and heating engineers
SEO for plumbers, done every month as part of your plan: the pages, Google Business Profile and reviews that Google says decide local results. We do not promise a ranking, because nobody can.
What decides where a plumber appears on Google
For its local results, Google names three deciding things: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your listing and website match the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Prominence is how well known your business is, and Google says more reviews and better ratings help. (Google’s own explanation (opens in a new tab) .)
Google also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. So SEO for a plumber comes down to the work on those three things, done every month.
What we do for each of the three
- Relevance
- A page on your website for each job you want more of, such as boiler installs and bathrooms, and a Google Business Profile with your services filled in and posted to every month.
- Distance
- Nobody can move you closer to a customer. We make sure Google knows where you work: your service area on your listing, and an area page for each place your plan covers, one on Spark and three on Beam.
- Prominence
- A review request to every customer you send us, after every job, so your reviews keep coming in all year. Links from your trade bodies and manufacturers can be added as an extra.
The plumbing and heating searches we build for
Customers search for the job, not for a plumber in general: “boiler installation”, “boiler service”, “emergency plumber”, “bathroom fitter”. Each of those needs a page that answers it, with your area in it. Your fact file tells us which jobs you want, and those are the pages that get built and kept current.
For gas work, customers also look for your Gas Safe registration. It goes on your website and your listing once we have checked it on the official register.
Two plans, one fixed monthly fee
Spark
£394 per month
Plus a one-off setup fee of £695, covering the brand and website build.
For one service area, with everything else run at a steady pace.
Beam
£588 per month
Plus a one-off setup fee of £695, covering the brand and website build.
For more than one service area, weekly Google posts and a monthly article.
See everything in each plan, or what the website includes for a plumber.
What we will not do
- Promise a position on Google. Google decides that, and says nobody can pay for it.
- Buy links, or put your name on sites that have nothing to do with your work.
- Pay for reviews, offer anything in return for one, or choose which of the customers you send us get asked.
Questions plumbers ask about SEO
How long does SEO take for a plumber?
Your Google listing and review requests are usually live within two to four weeks, and your website's first draft within about six to eight. Reviews and search position build over months, which is why the minimum term is twelve.
Will I appear in the map results?
We cannot promise it, because Google decides the map results. What we do is the work Google names: a complete listing posted to every month, your service area set correctly, and a steady flow of new reviews.
Is SEO better than paying for leads on Checkatrade or Bark?
They do different jobs. A lead site sends work while you pay and stops when you stop. Your own listing, reviews and pages keep working after that. Many plumbers use both, and over time you can see which is earning its fee.
Our guide compares what Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Bark charge.Do you do link building?
As an extra. Local link building means links from organisations you have a real connection with, such as your trade bodies and the manufacturers you install for.
Related guides
- Website for plumbers, heating engineers and electricians: what to put on each service page
- How to add your business to Google Maps: a complete Google Business Profile for plumbers, heating engineers and electricians
- How to get more Google reviews: a guide for plumbers, heating engineers and electricians