Is SEO Dead for Plumbers?
This is a new article, but the article title itself is not that new or unique, other than it being directed towards the plumbing industry specifically. Do a quick Google search and you will find many articles with the title, “Is SEO Dead?” And many will actually say that it is dead. Let me say this up front and remove the suspense: as long as search engines exist and people use them to find products, services and information, SEO will be alive, kicking and extremely important for your plumbing business!
SEO for plumbers remains very important. The search for plumbers in most all markets is extremely competitive and those doing the searching are often wary. So not only do you need to be at or near the top of search rankings, but you also need to stand out and portray trust.
Why Do They Say SEO is Dead?
Pay-Per-Click is Killing SEO
The majority of clicks on a search page are still for the organic search results (70% to 80% depending on which report you read). While AdWords and Bing Ads are a great way to promote your plumbing business and get to the top of the page quickly, the growth potential is much higher with SEO. It is simply a numbers game in which organic search driven by strong SEO wins hands down.
Traditional Marketing Methods are Making a Come Back
There is really no evidence to support this claim, though it is made about as often as the claim that SEO is dead. Traditional marketing methods and media are still viable and have a place in most marketing plans for plumbers and those in the home services industries; however, they still have the same limitations that allowed the internet to become so important. The one hard-to-get-around stat is:
SEO leads have about a 15% close rate, while outbound leads (traditional marketing) leads have about a 2% close rate.
SEO is Hard
In the early days, if you took care of the basic on-page elements of your website, you could pretty quickly outpace the competition to rank on page 1, in the top 5 and even in the very top spot. You can still make big gains by doing so, and in some markets it may make you the leader, but not in most markets. You need to think about in-depth technical seo like page load speeds, crawl rate and proper redirects. You need to consider backlinking, which is a tedious and time-consuming task. And you have to be vigilant in tracking your traffic/rankings and maintenance of your website. Because of this, many want to give up on SEO and are looking for any excuse to do so.
SEO is Slow
You can get an AdWords or Bing Ads account up and running in one day with your ads in the top spot. SEO efforts, even in best-case scenarios, take months. In ultra-competitive markets, it can take a year. However, if you get the results, the payoff can be big! It is an investment in the future of your plumbing business.
SEO is More Important than Ever for Plumbers
Not only is SEO not dead, but it is more important than ever before. And this is especially true for plumbers. There are more and more devices connected to the internet than ever before and that is increasing at an exponential pace. With all the new gadgets out there that connect to the internet, there are more searches than ever before. Most people don’t have a plumber in their back pocket to call when there is a problem. So, they do a search on their computer, their phone, their smartwatch, etc. If you want to be seen, you have to be on those searching devices.
Organic Search is Still King
As stated earlier, 70% to 80% of searchers click on the organic listings. Also, 75% of searchers don’t go past the first page. So, if you get your plumbing company to page 1 of Google and Bing, you essentially have a captive audience of the majority of people who are searching for your services. And, your company is in front of them at the exact moment they are looking for your specific services. Where else can you find yourself in that position?
How Plumbers Can Take Advantage of SEO
Find the Right SEO Agency
First, you need to make sure you have a quality SEO agency working with you. This is a company that has the experience, expertise but also a few other intangibles.
- They need to listen to your needs/goals
- They need to understand your business.
- They need to be good communicators.
- They should work without binding contracts.
- They should offer custom solutions, not squeeze you into an existing plan
Go For More Than Just Rankings
Ranking well for your most important keywords is the first accomplishment for SEO efforts, but there are 2 other steps involved. You need to get them to click on your listing once you are on the first page. You then need your website to do its job of getting those visitors to contact you via phone or email through a contact or appointment form. So, in review, you need:
- strong organic search rankings
- high click-thru-rates to the website on those rankings
- a well-converting website
Get Those Online Reviews
You and your guys do a great job taking care of your customers. You should be rewarded for it. Happy customers are usually happy to give you reviews, but you have to ask for them. A strong review presence on Google, Yelp, Home Advisor, Facebook and other 3rd-party sites are critical to getting people to give you a call. People are scared of getting ripped off on purchases and services for which they have very little knowledge. Plumbing is one of those services, so they will look for reviews. Reviews that are not on your website, i.e. that you cannot manipulate, are critical to gaining the trust of searchers and getting them to contact you.
Get a Free SEO Consultation
If you have any questions about this information or would like to schedule a free consultation, please feel free to reach out to us by phone. You will get an actual person on the other end of the line and will not have to go through any sort of phone tree to get to a live voice.
Just give us a call at 1-800-577-3829. We would love the chance to speak with you!
