How to Get More Plumbing Calls From Google

How Google decides which plumbers show up

Google says local results are "mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity," and breaks that into relevance (how well you match the search), distance (how far you are from the person searching) and prominence (how well-known you are, partly from reviews and links) (source). It also says "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google."

You can't control how far the customer is. You can control how well your profile matches "water heater replacement" or "drain cleaning," and whether your listing gives someone with water on the floor a reason to call you.

Step 1: Verify, and keep one profile

Google says verifying makes your business "more likely to show up in search results" (source). It also allows only one profile per business; a profile it considers a duplicate "won't show on Google Search or Maps" (source). If you moved, update the address instead of starting a new profile. If you do drains and water heaters, list both as services on one profile instead of making a profile for each (source).

Step 2: Hide your home address, set your service area

Google's own example here is a plumber. Its guidelines say: "if you're a plumber and run your business from your residential address, clear the address from your Business Profile" (source). Then list your service area: up to 20 cities, ZIP codes or other areas, within about 2 hours' drive of where you're based. You can't set it as a radius (source).

A plumber based in New Braunfels might list New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Seguin, Schertz, Garden Ridge and the north San Antonio ZIP codes they dispatch to. Be honest. A customer who calls from a town you won't drive to is a wasted call for both of you.

Step 3: Pick the right category and list every service

Google says your categories "affect your local ranking," and to pick the most specific one for your main business (source). Type your trade into the category box and pick the closest match from Google's list. Add others only for real parts of your business (source).

Then fill in services. Google's own example for a plumbing business is suggested services like "Install faucet" or "Repair toilet," and you can add your own with descriptions. When people search for a service you list, Google says it "may be highlighted on your profile" (source). Think about what people actually type when something breaks:

• Water heater repair and replacement (tank and tankless)
• Drain cleaning and sewer line clogs
• Slab leak detection
• Toilet, faucet and garbage disposal repair
• Gas line work, if you're licensed for it
• Repiping and remodel rough-ins

Keep prices and phone numbers out of custom service names; Google rejects those (source).

Step 4: Make your hours tell the truth

When a pipe bursts, nobody waits for Monday, so your hours matter. Google says complete and accurate info, including hours, makes you more likely to show up in local results (source). In the profile you can set main hours, special hours for holidays, and "more hours" if different services run on different schedules (source).

Only list after-hours or 24-hour service if someone really picks up at 2 AM. If they don't, the customer finds out the hard way and you get a bad review instead of a job.

Step 5: Make it easy to reach you

• Phone: the main number on your profile should be one that gets answered. Google lets you add up to 2 more numbers (source).
• Texting: where it's available, Google lets verified businesses add a text message or WhatsApp option so customers can reach you from the profile (source). Only turn it on if someone watches it.
• Name: your real name, as it's on the truck. Names like "[Your Name] Plumbing 24/7 Emergency Plumber" break Google's rules and can get you suspended (source).

Step 6: Photos that look like a real plumbing company

Google recommends photos and videos to show what you offer (source). Use your own: the truck, a clean water heater install with the strapping and pan done right, a finished repipe, the crew. Google wants them in focus, well lit and not heavily filtered, and they show only after you verify (source).

Step 7: Reviews, the right way

Google says more reviews and positive ratings "can help your business's local ranking," and that replying shows you value feedback (source). Ask once the water's back on and the drain runs clear, then text your review link (source). When a customer reviews a service business, Google says they may be asked which service you did, from your list (source), one more reason to fill out Step 3.

Google's policy bans paying or giving discounts for reviews and asking only happy customers (source). Details: how to get more Google reviews as a contractor.

Step 8: A website that matches

A website isn't required for a profile, but it's where people go to check you out on a bigger job like a repipe or a tankless install. Google says it compiles profile info partly from "crawled web content (e.g., information from a business' official website)" (source). Keep the same name and phone as your profile, give each main service its own section, write out your towns, and make sure it loads fast on a phone (source). More here: do contractors need a website?

Step 9: Check your Calls number monthly

In Performance, Google shows views, the searches people used, and how many times people tapped your call button (source). Those are taps, not answered calls, so compare them with your own call log. If taps go up but booked jobs don't, the problem may be the phone, not Google.

Still not showing at all? Read why isn't my business showing on Google Maps. We build websites for plumbers in Seguin, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Cibolo, San Antonio and Austin. See our plumber page and services.