Plumber SEO – The Simple Guide To SEO For Plumbers

If you’re running a plumbing Company, or you’ve just landed your first plumbing client, this guide is for you. You already know that people don’t flip through phone books anymore—they head straight to Google and search for phrases like “plumber near me” or “water heater repair”.

The big question is—how do you make sure your business shows up when people search?
That’s where Plumber SEO comes in.

I’m going to walk you through my proven plumber SEO strategy, using a real business as an example. And yes, I’m giving you my Plumber SEO Checklist—completely free—to follow along. This isn’t just theory. It’s exactly how we help real plumbing businesses rank higher on Google Search and Google Maps.

Why You Need a Plumber SEO Checklist

If you try to do SEO without a structured approach, you’ll feel like you’re chasing your tail.

You’ll constantly wonder:

• What should I fix next?

• What are my competitors doing?

• Am I missing something important?

That’s why I built this checklist—to help you stay organized and focus on what actually moves the needle.

You’ll find steps for:

• Auditing your website

• Analyzing competitors

• Optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP)

• Building backlinks

• Researching keywords

• Improving conversions on your website

And yes, you can grab it for free in the link provided. No strings attached.

Real-Life Example: Elite Rooter Plumbers.

Let’s put this strategy to the test using a real business example: Elite Rooter Plumbers.

I picked this company because they aren’t ranking well for a very competitive local keyword—“San Jose plumber”—even though their business name sounds perfect for it.

Step 1: Website Audit Using SEMrush

First, I ran their website through SEMrush, one of the most reliable SEO tools on the market. Here’s what I found:

• 76 keywords bringing in traffic

• 439 backlinks from other websites

• Authority Score: 13

While this might sound decent, it’s not enough to compete with other plumbers dominating the Miami area.

Step 2: Keyword Research

Using SEMrush, I pulled all their ranking keywords and pasted them into the checklist. This helps identify what they’re ranking for, and more importantly, what they’re missing.

You can do the same for your business or client by exporting the keywords and plugging them into the checklist for reference.

Step 3: Competitor Analysis on Google Maps

I searched for “San Jose plumber” on Google Maps and noticed something interesting.
Competitors located far away were ranking higher than Elite Rooter Plumbers., even though they’re right near the target location.

One standout was a Service Area Business (SAB), ranking #2. Despite past issues with SAB spam, Google still rewards them when done correctly.

What Top Competitors Have in Common:

• 4.9 average rating

• 100+ positive reviews

• Detailed services listed with prices

• Dozens of photos and posts

• Consistent Google Business Profile (GBP) activity

These are non-negotiables if you want to compete at the top.

Essential Free Tools to Help You Analyze Competitors

1. GMB Everywhere
   Analyze reviews, posts, and Q&A on competitor profiles.

2. PlePer Chrome Extension
   See what categories, services, and photos competitors are using.

3. Local Falcon
   Run a Grid Search to see how your business ranks in different neighborhoods.

What Elite ROoter. Is Missing

After running a full audit, here’s what stood out:

• Only 5 reviews (needs 150+ to compete)

• 4.8-star rating (top competitors have 4.9)

• Just 11 images (needs 45+)

• Minimal Q&A and posts

Step 4: Analyze Organic (Non-Map) Competitors

It’s not just about Google Maps. I also checked who’s winning in organic search results.

Competitor Findings:

• Falcon Plumbing:

  • 1,800 backlinks

  • 511 ranking keywords

  • 67 indexed pages

• Hernandez Plumbing:

  • 760 backlinks

  • 26,000+ keywords

  • 24 indexed pages

This shows that larger, content-rich websites with strong backlink profiles dominate both Maps and Search.

Step 5: Keyword Gap and Backlink Gap Analysis

I used SEMrush’s Keyword Gap Tool to compare keywords between Elite Rooter Plumber. and its top competitors. This revealed hundreds of keywords they’re missing out on.

I then used the Backlink Gap Tool to find high-authority sites linking to competitors but not to Elite Rooter Plumbers.

Key Takeaway:

• Go after trusted industry links like BBB, Yelp, and Angi.

• Avoid spammy backlinks—but if you must, point them to a low-priority blog page, not your homepage or service pages.

Step 6: Core Web Vitals and Schema Markup

Check your Core Web Vitals using Google’s free tool to ensure your site loads quickly and performs well.

Add Schema Markup (Local Business Schema) to your site to help Google understand your business better. This small tweak alone moved one of my test sites up four positions—without adding any backlinks or content.

Step 7: Review and Build Quality Citations

Citations are listings on directories like Yelp, Angi, Apple Maps, and the BBB.

• Elite Rooter. has 30+ citations.

• Top competitors have 75+ citations.

You don’t need hundreds, but aim for 100+ high-quality listings if you’re just starting out.

Step 8: Optimize Your Website for Conversions

Traffic is useless if visitors can’t easily contact you.
Here’s what Elite Rooter Plumber. is missing:

• No prominent Call-to-Action (CTA) button

• Phone number is hard to find

What You Should Do:

• Add big, bold buttons that say things like “Call Now”, “Book a Plumber”, or “Get a Free Quote”.

• Make sure your phone number is visible and clickable on every page.

If handling calls is too much, set up online booking or a contact form to streamline inquiries.

Building Your SEO Strategy Month by Month

Month 1:

• Fix Google Business Profile

• Collect More Reviews

• Add More Photos

• Start Posting on GBP

• Add CTAs to Website

Month 2 and Beyond:

• Build Backlinks

• Expand Website Content

• Optimize for More Keywords

• Continue Competitor Monitoring

Get Professional Help or Do It Yourself

If you’re serious about growing your plumbing business, you have two options:

1. Do it yourself using this guide and the free checklist.

2. Work with an expert (like me) to build and execute your SEO strategy.

You can book a consultation call with me directly to discuss your business goals, or you can hire me to handle everything for you.