March 18, 2025
The plumbing industry has changed a lot in recent years. Word-of-mouth and Yellow Pages ads aren’t enough anymore to keep your phone ringing with new jobs. Today’s homeowners turn to the internet first when they need plumbing services, whether for emergency repairs or planned renovations. This shift means digital marketing for plumbers is now a must for business survival and growth.
At Nexvato, we’ve worked with dozens of plumbing companies across the country. We’ve seen how the right online approach can transform struggling businesses into thriving ones. Many plumbers tell us they’re great at fixing pipes but feel lost when it comes to marketing online. This is completely normal since you’ve spent years mastering your trade, not digital marketing.
Many plumbing companies still rely only on traditional marketing methods. They think digital strategies cost too much or aren’t needed for local service businesses.
This thinking costs them a lot of potential work. Recent industry data shows that over 97% of customers search online first when they need plumbing services. If your business doesn’t show up in these searches, you’re invisible to these potential customers.
The cost of this invisibility adds up quickly. Each missed call means lost revenue—not just for the immediate job, but for all future work and referrals from that customer. We worked with a plumbing company in Phoenix that doubted digital marketing’s value. After setting up basic SEO and local search strategies, they tracked an extra 43 calls per month, with an average job value of $350.
That’s nearly $15,000 in monthly revenue they had been missing by neglecting their online presence. Beyond immediate revenue, there’s the long-term cost to consider. Plumbing companies that build strong online visibility now are creating brand recognition and customer loyalty that will become more valuable as more of the market shifts online.
Creating a solid online presence forms the foundation of effective digital marketing for plumbers. Think of it as building your digital storefront—a place where potential customers can find you and learn about your services. Even small plumbing companies can build a professional online presence without huge investments. Your business can compete effectively with the right approach.
Your online presence starts with a professional website that showcases your services, service area, and what makes your plumbing company different. Your website doesn’t need to be fancy, but it should be clean, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. Include clear information about your services, service areas, business hours, and multiple ways to contact you.
Photos of your team and work (with customer permission) help build trust with potential customers. Customer testimonials and reviews are also powerful additions that boost credibility. Remember to highlight any special credentials, certifications, or awards your plumbing business has earned. These details help you stand out from competitors and build confidence with potential customers.
Having a website is just the starting point. The real goal is to turn website visitors into paying customers. This process is called conversion, and it’s a critical part of digital marketing for plumbers. A website that looks great but doesn’t generate calls or form submissions isn’t doing its job effectively. Your site must actively work to create new business.
Start by making your contact information visible on every page of your website. Place your phone number in the header where it’s immediately noticeable. For emergency plumbing services, make sure your phone number stands out, possibly with text that encourages immediate calls. Create easy-to-find contact forms that don’t ask for too much information—name, phone, email, and a brief issue description are usually enough.
Adding live chat can also increase conversions, especially for customers browsing during business hours who have quick questions. One often-overlooked element is clear service area information. Potential customers want to know right away if you serve their location. Include a list of cities or a map of your service area on your homepage and service pages for clarity.
Finally, make sure to test how your website works on mobile devices since many emergency plumbing searches happen on smartphones. Your site should look good and function well on all devices, from desktop computers to tablets and phones. This mobile-friendly approach is essential as more people use their phones to find services.
While SEO builds your online visibility over time, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising through platforms like Google Ads can deliver immediate results. PPC is an important part of digital marketing for plumbers who need to generate leads quickly or want to add to their organic search traffic. With Google Ads, your plumbing company appears at the top of search results for specific keywords.
The key advantage of PPC is control. You decide exactly which searches trigger your ads, what geographic areas to target, and how much you’re willing to pay per click. This precision allows you to focus your budget on the most valuable potential customers. For example, you might bid more on terms like “emergency plumber near me” than “how to fix a leaky faucet.”
Start with a focused campaign targeting your most profitable services in your main service areas. Use specific keywords that show clear intent, such as “plumber for water heater replacement” or “fix clogged drain [city name].” These specific terms often cost less than general plumbing terms and attract more serious customers who know exactly what they need.
Create ads that highlight what makes your plumbing company special—whether that’s 24/7 service, free estimates, or years of experience. Include a clear call to action that tells people what to do next: “Call now” or “Book online today.” Your ads should create a sense of urgency while clearly explaining why someone should choose your plumbing company over others.
One worry many plumbing companies have about Google Ads is cost control. Without proper management, PPC campaigns can quickly become expensive with little return on investment. Effective budget management is therefore crucial for successful digital marketing for plumbers using paid advertising. A strategic approach ensures you get the most from your ad spending.
Set a daily budget that allows for consistent visibility throughout the month. It’s better to have steady exposure than to use your entire monthly budget in the first week. Track which keywords and ads perform best by monitoring your click-through rates and conversion rates. This data shows you what’s working and what’s not.
Google Ads provides basic tracking, but for more accurate measurement, set up call tracking that records which ads generate phone calls. This data helps you understand exactly how many leads and customers your ads produce. One plumbing company we work with found that emergency service keywords cost more per click, but the average job value was three times higher than maintenance service jobs.
Use performance data to keep improving your campaigns. Put more budget toward what works and reduce spending on underperforming keywords and ads. A well-managed Google Ads campaign for plumbers should deliver a positive return on investment, with each dollar spent generating several dollars in revenue. This positive ROI makes PPC advertising sustainable for your business.
Social media might not seem like an obvious fit for plumbing companies, but when used strategically, platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be effective channels for digital marketing for plumbers. The key is understanding how to use social media in ways that make sense for a service business rather than trying to copy what retail or entertainment brands do.
Facebook remains the most valuable social platform for most plumbing companies because of its broad reach and detailed location targeting options. Create a business page that includes all your essential information, and post content regularly—but focus on quality over quantity. Three good posts per week are better than daily posts with little value.
Show the human side of your business by introducing team members, sharing before-and-after photos of interesting jobs (with customer permission), and posting about your involvement in community events. These personal touches help potential customers connect with your business on a more emotional level, building trust and recognition.
Use social media to share seasonal plumbing tips, such as winterization advice in fall or water conservation tips in summer. Customer testimonials and reviews also make excellent social content. Remember that social media is about building relationships and brand awareness more than generating immediate leads. However, it creates familiarity so that when someone needs a plumber, your company comes to mind.
While organic (unpaid) social media helps with brand awareness, paid social advertising allows for more precise targeting and lead generation. Facebook and Instagram ads offer powerful targeting capabilities for digital marketing for plumbers focusing on specific service areas or customer types. These platforms let you reach exactly who you want to reach.
One effective approach is to create ads targeting homeowners in your service area with content related to common plumbing issues. Unlike Google Ads, where you’re reaching people actively searching for plumbing services, social media ads can catch potential customers before an urgent need arises. This proactive approach helps you stay top-of-mind for future plumbing needs.
For example, create an ad about the importance of water heater maintenance targeting homeowners in older neighborhoods where units might be nearing the end of their lifespan. Include a special offer for inspections to encourage action. Video content often performs well in social ads—a quick 30-second video showing signs of a water heater that needs replacement can be more compelling than a static image.
For maximum effectiveness, install the Facebook pixel on your website to track conversions and build custom audiences based on people who have already visited your site. This allows you to create retargeting campaigns that show ads to people who have previously shown interest in your services but haven’t yet contacted you. These warm leads are more likely to convert than completely cold audiences.
Email marketing is often overlooked in digital marketing for plumbers, but it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to generate repeat business and referrals. Once you’ve served a customer, email provides a direct channel to stay in touch and remain top-of-mind for future plumbing needs. Email marketing helps you build and maintain customer relationships over time.
Start building your email list by collecting addresses from customers during service calls or through your website. Always get permission to send marketing emails and make the benefits clear—such as maintenance reminders, special offers, or helpful seasonal tips. Create a simple welcome email for new subscribers that thanks them and sets expectations for what content they’ll receive.
Regular newsletters (monthly or quarterly) keep your plumbing company in customers’ minds without being intrusive. Include a mix of helpful information, company news, and special offers. The key is providing value with each email, not just asking for business. Your emails should be helpful resources that customers look forward to receiving.
Segment your list when possible to send more relevant content—for example, sending water heater maintenance reminders only to customers who have water heaters installed or serviced by your company. This targeted approach increases engagement by ensuring customers only receive information that’s relevant to their specific situation. Personalization makes your emails more effective.
Automation makes email marketing even more powerful and efficient for plumbing companies. By setting up automated email sequences, you can deliver the right message to customers at the right time without having to manually send each email. This saves you time while improving customer service and generating more repeat business.
Service reminder emails are particularly valuable in the plumbing industry. Set up automated emails to remind customers about seasonal maintenance for sump pumps before rainy seasons, water heater flushes annually, or main line cleanings every few years depending on their property. These reminders provide a service to your customers while generating additional business for your company.
Post-service follow-up emails are another powerful automation. Send an automatic email a few days after completing a job to thank the customer, request feedback, and encourage reviews on Google or other platforms. This improves your online reputation while opening a channel for addressing any concerns before they become negative reviews. Catching issues early prevents damage to your reputation.
For larger jobs like bathroom remodels or repipes, create a sequence of emails that educates customers about what to expect during and after the project. Remember to keep your emails mobile-friendly with clear calls to action, as many people check email on their phones. The best part about email marketing is its return on investment—often returning $30-$40 for every dollar spent.
Your online reputation is critical in the plumbing industry. Potential customers rely heavily on reviews when choosing a plumber, especially for higher-value jobs. A strategic approach to reputation management should be a core component of digital marketing for plumbers who want to stand out from competitors. Your reviews can make or break your business.
Start by claiming your business profiles on all relevant review platforms, including Google, Yelp, Facebook, NextDoor, Angi, and HomeAdvisor if you use their service. Ensure your information is consistent across all platforms. Develop a systematic approach to requesting reviews from satisfied customers. The best time to ask is immediately after successfully completing a job, when the customer’s positive experience is fresh.
Make the review process as simple as possible by sending direct links to your review profiles via text or email. While you can’t control what customers write, you can increase your chances of positive reviews by providing exceptional service and setting clear expectations throughout the job. Training your team to deliver excellent customer service is an important part of reputation management.
Monitor your reviews regularly across all platforms so you can respond quickly to any new feedback. Set up email alerts for new reviews when possible. Staying on top of your online reputation requires ongoing attention, but the effort pays off in terms of customer trust and new business generation. Reviews are one of the top factors in customer decision-making.
Even the best plumbing companies occasionally receive negative reviews. How you respond to criticism can actually turn a negative situation into a positive demonstration of your professionalism and commitment to customer satisfaction. Your response to negative reviews matters as much as the reviews themselves in many cases.
Always respond to negative reviews promptly and professionally. Begin by thanking the reviewer for their feedback, even if you disagree with their assessment.
Avoid being defensive or making excuses. Instead, express regret that their experience didn’t meet expectations, and offer to discuss the situation offline to find a resolution. Include your direct contact information in your response to make follow-up easy.
This approach shows other potential customers that you take service seriously and work to resolve issues when they arise. When appropriate, after resolving a situation, you can politely ask if the customer would consider updating their review to reflect the resolution. Many customers appreciate the follow-up and will modify their review once their concerns have been addressed properly.
Remember that a few negative reviews among many positive ones can actually increase your credibility—customers are sometimes suspicious of businesses with only perfect reviews. What matters most is how you respond and address concerns. A thoughtful response to a negative review can sometimes be more powerful than dozens of positive reviews in showing your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Video content has become increasingly important in digital marketing for plumbers. Homeowners appreciate seeing how things work and who they’ll be inviting into their homes. Video builds trust and explains complicated plumbing concepts better than text alone. The visual nature of plumbing work makes video particularly effective for showing your expertise and quality.
You don’t need expensive equipment or professional production to create effective videos. A smartphone with a decent camera is enough to start. Begin with a simple introduction video about your company, featuring your team and explaining your approach to plumbing services. This helps potential customers feel comfortable with who will be entering their home.
Create short videos (under 2 minutes) showing common issues and simple fixes—like how to shut off water to a toilet or sink in an emergency. These helpful videos establish your expertise while providing value to viewers. “Behind the scenes” videos showing your team at work help build trust by giving potential customers a glimpse of your professionalism and attention to detail.
Post your videos on YouTube and embed them on your website. YouTube is the second-largest search engine after Google, and many people search there directly for how-to content related to plumbing issues. Creating a library of helpful videos positions your company as an authority while helping you appear in more search results. Video content works for you 24/7.
Customer testimonial videos are particularly powerful for plumbing companies. They provide social proof from real customers that can significantly increase trust with potential clients who are researching plumbers online. Seeing and hearing from satisfied customers creates an emotional connection that written reviews can’t match. These videos feel more authentic and trustworthy.
When you complete a job where the customer is especially pleased, ask if they would be willing to share a brief testimonial on camera. Many happy customers are glad to help if you make it simple for them. Keep testimonial videos brief—30 to 60 seconds is ideal. Ask customers to share their specific problem, how your company helped, and what they liked about working with you.
Authentic, unscripted testimonials are more believable than polished marketing messages. These videos can be featured on your website, shared on social media, and included in email marketing campaigns. The power of seeing a real customer speak positively about their experience can’t be overstated. It removes doubts from potential customers’ minds.
One of our plumbing clients in Denver created a series of customer testimonial videos for their service pages. After adding these videos, they saw a 24% increase in contact form submissions from their website. Many new customers mentioned that the testimonials influenced their decision to call. This clear return on investment shows the power of video testimonials in building trust and driving business growth.
Without proper measurement, it’s impossible to know which aspects of your digital marketing for plumbers are working and which need improvement. Setting up basic analytics allows you to make data-driven decisions about where to invest your marketing budget for the best return. Tracking the right metrics helps you improve results over time.
Google Analytics is a free tool that provides valuable insights about your website visitors—where they come from, which pages they visit, how long they stay, and what actions they take. Install Google Analytics on your website and set up goals to track important actions like contact form submissions or clicks on your phone number. These conversions show when website visitors become potential customers.
For phone calls, which are the primary conversion for most plumbing companies, consider implementing call tracking. This service assigns different phone numbers to different marketing channels, allowing you to see exactly which sources generate the most calls. Knowing which marketing efforts drive actual phone calls helps you focus on what works best.
Review your data monthly to identify trends and make adjustments to your strategy. For example, if your Google Ads campaign is generating twice as many leads as your Facebook ads at a similar cost, you might consider shifting more budget toward Google. Data-driven decisions lead to better results and less wasted marketing spend. Small improvements add up to significant gains over time.
The ultimate measure of success for any digital marketing for plumbers is return on investment (ROI). Understanding your marketing ROI helps you make smart decisions about which strategies to continue, expand, or discontinue. Good marketing should generate more revenue than it costs, ideally by a significant margin.
To calculate ROI accurately, track both the cost of your marketing efforts and the revenue they generate. For each marketing channel, record your monthly spending, the number of leads it produces, and how many of those leads convert to paying customers. Then calculate the total revenue from those customers. The difference between revenue and cost shows your return on investment.
For example, if your Google Ads campaign costs $1,000 per month and generates 20 leads, of which 8 become customers with an average job value of $500, that’s $4,000 in revenue from a $1,000 investment—a 4:1 ROI. This positive return makes continued investment worthwhile. Different marketing channels will have different ROI figures.
Don’t forget to factor in lifetime customer value. A new customer acquired through marketing might spend $500 on their first service call, but if they become a loyal customer who calls you twice a year for the next five years, their true value is much higher. This long-term perspective is particularly important when evaluating marketing channels like SEO that deliver value for years.
Managing comprehensive digital marketing for plumbers requires time, expertise, and consistent effort—resources that many busy plumbing company owners don’t have. Partnering with a specialized agency like Nexvato allows you to implement effective marketing strategies without taking your focus away from running your business. Our team becomes your marketing department.
At Nexvato, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities in the plumbing industry. Our team has helped dozens of plumbing companies across the country develop and implement digital marketing strategies that deliver measurable results. We take time to understand your specific business goals, service areas, and competitive landscape before developing a customized marketing plan.
Unlike general marketing agencies, we have deep experience with the plumbing customer journey and know which approaches work best for different types of plumbing services. Our clients appreciate that we speak their language and understand the practical realities of their business—from seasonal fluctuations to emergency service requirements. This industry-specific knowledge helps us create more effective campaigns.
We handle all aspects of implementation, from website development to SEO, paid advertising, content creation, and reputation management. This allows you to focus on providing excellent service to the new customers our marketing brings to your business. Our comprehensive approach ensures all elements of your marketing work together toward your business goals.
The demand for quality plumbing services continues to grow, but so does the competition. Implementing effective digital marketing for plumbers is no longer optional for companies that want to thrive. The good news is that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Help is available to guide you through this process.
Whether you decide to handle your marketing in-house or partner with professionals like our team at Nexvato, the important thing is to start taking deliberate steps to improve your online presence. Begin by assessing your current digital footprint—how easily can potential customers find your business online? Is your website professional and mobile-friendly? Are you showing up in local search results?
Use this assessment to identify the most pressing opportunities for improvement. Even small steps, like claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile or updating your website with current services and contact information, can make a meaningful difference in your visibility to potential customers. Start with these basics before moving to more advanced strategies.
The plumbing companies that invest in digital marketing now will build a competitive advantage that becomes increasingly valuable as more homeowners and businesses turn to online search for their plumbing needs. Those who wait will find it harder and more expensive to catch up later. Taking action today is an investment in your business’s future success and stability.
We invite you to reach out for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your specific situation and goals. Our team would be happy to provide insights about the opportunities we see for your plumbing business and explain how our digital marketing services could help you achieve sustainable growth. Contact us today to start a conversation about turning your plumbing expertise into the thriving, growing business you deserve.
Ready to boost your online presence and drive real results? Let’s talk about how we can help you reach new heights—schedule a free consultation today!
Nexvato specializes in elevating businesses online with a comprehensive suite of services including cutting-edge web design, dynamic digital marketing, strategic SEO, and effective retargeting. Our integrated approach ensures seamless digital experiences, driving sales and enhancing online visibility.
