🚰 Plumber Marketing Company - The Playbook

🚰 Plumber Marketing Company - The Playbook

Most plumbers I meet are great at their craft and terrible at marketing. That’s not a harsh judgment just something to be aware of. This guide gives you a straightforward, tactical system to bring predictable, high-value calls to your business every week. Get the real tools, scripts, and a 90-day plan you can implement between jobs.

Why plumbing marketing feels impossible (and the honest fix)

You’re busy running trucks, managing crews, and keeping customers happy. Marketing becomes the thing you “try when you have time.” this always ends up in inconsistent lead flow, wasted ad spend, and slow growth.

In all honesty, I find myself find in this as a marketing agency owner. The way I heard it said once was "You are trying to build the ship that is already sailing" so there there is just too much for one person to do.

The honest fix is not more tactics - it’s a automated system that runs while you work. We focus on three levers that actually move the needle for plumbers:

1. Be the first name people see when they search locally.

2. Turn searches and calls into scheduled jobs.

3. Lock the follow-up so no lead slips through.

Below I put together an operational playbook you can implement without having to spend so much.

The Three Growth Levers (Exactly what I do)

1) Local SEO: win the map pack

When a homeowner searches “emergency plumber near me,” they usually pick from the top three map results. Getting there requires a repeatable process:

Action steps (first 30 days)

• Claim & fully complete your Google Business Profile (GBP). Fill every field: services, service area, hours, FAQ, and photos of trucks/crew.

• Weekly GBP activity: post one job highlight (before/after photo + 40–60 word caption) and respond to every review within 48 hours. (there are systems to automate this and my agency has them for a relatively low fee - reach out!)

• Add service-area landing pages: create a landing page for each town/zip you serve (e.g., “Water Heater Repair — Grapevine, TX”). Keep each page short, local, and conversion-focused.

Quick checklist:

• GBP claimed and verified

• 10 recent real photos uploaded

• 5-star review request template created

• 3 service-area pages live

This works because Google rewards activity and local relevance. The more local pages + GBP engagement you have, the more likely you appear for “near me” queries.

2) Targeted paid leads that pay for themselves

Paid ads should be very intentional for plumbers not a spray-and-pray budget.

Start Simple

• Use Google Local Service Ads (if your area has them). You pay only when someone calls.

• Make short Google Search ads for people who need help fast, like:

• “water heater repair near me”

• “burst pipe repair in [city]”

• “emergency sewer repair [zip]”
  

• Spend about $300–$600 each month showing your ads again to people who visited your site but didn’t call.

Easy Ad Ideas

• Headlines: “24/7 Emergency Plumber — [City]” or “Same-Day Water Heater Repair.”

• Description: “Trained plumbers. Up-front prices. We come within 60 minutes. Call now!”

Track Every Call

• Use a special phone number for each ad.

• Save every call in your CRM (like the one we offer that does all you would need and more).

• If people call but don’t book, fix what you say on the phone - not the ad.

3) Save Time With Automation

Missed calls and zero follow-up are conversion killers. Automation fixes that.

Immediate automations to set up

• Missed-call SMS: “Hi - this is Frank from Franks Plumbing. We missed your call. Text ‘CALL’ and we’ll ring you back in 30 mins.”

• Job completion review flow: SMS → Email → 2nd SMS (if no response). Ask for a Google review link.

• Lead nurture for estimates: If someone asks for an estimate but doesn’t book, run a 7-day sequence (confirmation email → reminder SMS → trust-building case study email).

Example SMS for review request:

Thanks for choosing [Business]. If you’re happy with the work, we’d really appreciate a 30-second Google review: [short link] — it helps us keep prices fair for folks in [City].

Automations always beat manual tasks because they scale, they’re consistent, and they capture business that would otherwise vanish.

90-Day Playbook: week-by-week (do this while running the business)

Weeks 1–2 — Foundation

• GBP fully optimized + 5 service pages live.

• Install call tracking + set up a basic CRM pipeline.

• Add homepage CTA to “Schedule Same-Day Service.”

Weeks 3–4 — Launch

• Launch LSAs and 1 search campaign for 2-3 high-intent keywords.

• Start weekly GBP posts with photos.

• Create a review request SMS template and send to last 30 customers manually to seed reviews.

Weeks 5–8 — Scale

• Add Facebook retargeting (site visitors + GBP engagers).

• Analyze CPA and shift budget to the top-converting keyword.

• A/B test landing page headline and CTA (1 version with pricing, 1 without).

Weeks 9–12 — Compound

• Add maintenance/club offering (e.g., annual water heater check) and promote via email.

• Launch a referral incentive: $50 voucher for each referred paid job.

• Review results and double down on channels with positive ROI.

Goal for 90 days: 2x inbound booked jobs, better close rate, and clear data on channel ROI.

Scripts & Templates (you can use these word for word)

Phone opener for inbound calls

“Thanks for calling [Business], this is [Your Name]. Are you calling about an emergency now, or is this scheduling for later today?”

If emergency:

“I’ll dispatch a tech within [X] minutes. Can I get your address and a short description of the problem?”

Text to convert a cold lead

“Hi — this is [Name] from [Business]. We have a 2-hour window tomorrow afternoon for a quick inspection. Want me to hold it for you? Reply YES to confirm.”

Google review request (email)

Subject: Quick favor after your service

Body: “Thanks again for trusting [Business]. If you have 60 seconds, could you share your experience on Google? [link] — it helps our small local team a lot.”

Pricing & Offers that Convert

People respond to clarity and perceived value. Try these:

• Flat-rate “Standard Diagnostic + Fix” for small jobs (gives buyers certainty).

• “Emergency dispatch within 60 minutes” upsell.

• Maintenance membership: $100 add on for the whole year for priority scheduling + 10% off parts. (if you have 1000 customers per year and half of them say yes to this that is $50,000 in added revenue.)

Example packaging (landing page bullet points)

• Same-day service • Upfront pricing • Licensed & insured • 5-star guarantee

Common mistakes I fix for new clients

• No tracking: They guess which leads worked. Install tracking first.

• Generic website copy: “We’re the best” doesn’t convert. Use outcomes and proof.

• No reviews strategy: Reviews are the new word-of-mouth - automate them.

• Paying for broad keywords: “Plumber” vs “water heater repair near me” — the latter converts.

A short case study

Client: Single-owner plumbing company in DFW. Problem: seasonal lows, unpredictable schedule.

What we changed:

• LSA + 3 targeted search ads

• GBP posts + 40 new reviews within 60 days

• Missed-call SMS + appointment reminders

Result: Calls tripled in 45 days, booked jobs rose 3x, and average job value increased 20% due to upsells and packaged offers.

Final checklist (do this this week)

• Claim/optimize GBP

• Add 2 service area landing pages

• Start LSA campaign or search ads for 3 keywords

• Implement missed-call SMS automation

• Send review request to last 30 customers

Ready to stop guessing and start scaling?

If you want this built and managed, we’ll set up a 30-day launch sprint: GBP + website fixes + LSA + automations — and deliver a dashboard that shows exactly which ads and pages bring revenue.

Book a free strategy call and get custom scripts just for you at no extra cost - we want to see your success!