Online Marketing for Plumbers

Plumbers will always be in demand, so it’s easy to assume marketing spend is wasted effort. In practice, most people now search online the moment a pipe bursts, rather than reaching for a directory. Directory listings and flyers alone won’t put you ahead of local competitors; you need an active online presence that keeps building trust with the people who need you.

Plumbers need the internet

Advertising in newspapers or on TV is really expensive, especially if you’re a sole trader; these forms of advertising are also being superseded by the internet. It’s almost reflexive now – a pipe bursts and everyone jumps online to find a local, well-regarded plumber.

Plumbing is competitive, so you need to stand out from your rivals. You need to make sure that your enterprise is among the first search results and that your website is friendly and easy to use.

Start a blog

Yes, really! Your website shouldn’t just be your details and a list of services, it should market you and your expertise. A blog can contain helpful information and tips for your clients, as by helping them to avoid calling you, they’ll actually trust you more!

It’s not 100% altruism, though! Having a blog does amazing things for your internet presence. Your posts can be shared, linked to, included in your newsletters and so on, helping you to reach a huge audience pretty much for free!

Updating your blog gives search engines lots of new content, which they love; it also shows customers that you’re still out there, ready for action. You can sort out all your best keywords and write a post around all of them, drawing in traffic to your site.

Long-form content

Detailed articles of 1,500 words or more still perform well, provided the information is genuinely useful rather than padded out. A plumbing glossary or a set of how-to guides adds credibility to your site and keeps visitors reading for longer, which supports your ranking and lowers your bounce rate. Well-researched long-form content also earns more links from other sites, since it reads as the authoritative source on the topic.

Make sure you have a social media presence

By using social media, you have your very own public announcement channel! You can offer a daily tip, or tell customers about your latest discounts, or new services and products if you do installations.

By inviting people to like or follow you, you’re also reaching all their contacts, so you’re casting a very wide web indeed!

Your Twitter or Facebook page is also a great way to deal with customer feedback and to make all your great reviews public.