Don’t Panic — Organic SEO For Plumbing Is Alive And Well
In the plumbing industry, where safety, health and comfort are paramount, search engines are a critical gateway for connecting businesses with customers in need of reliable services. At Leadhub, we help plumbing companies optimize their SEO strategies to adapt to AI-driven changes in search.
Our recent analysis of 241 plumbing-related keywords sheds light on the current SEO landscape for plumbing businesses, emphasizing the importance of traditional SERP features and the limited impact of AI-generated overviews (AIOs) on this industry. Download our e-book below!
The Power Of Short-Tail Keywords And Geographic Modifiers
Our research shows that short-tail keywords dominate plumbing-related searches, reflecting a strong demand for broad, high-volume search terms like “plumbing repair” and “emergency plumber.”
Notably, short-tail keywords with geographic modifiers (e.g., “plumber in Austin”) also make up a significant portion of searches. For plumbing businesses, this underscores the importance of local SEO and the need to optimize for broad, location-based searches.
Understanding the balance between broad and location-specific keywords is essential. Short-tail keywords offer exposure to a wider audience, while geographic modifiers enable businesses to connect with local customers who are actively seeking nearby services.
AI Overviews In Plumbing Searches: Not A Major Factor (Yet)
As AI-generated overviews (AIOs) become more prevalent in some industries, plumbing remains largely unaffected. In our analysis, AIOs appeared in only 6.6% of plumbing-related searches — significantly less than the average across other verticals.
AIOs were more common with long-tail keywords, where they appeared in 30% of searches, suggesting that Google surfaces these summaries primarily for highly specific queries.
For plumbing businesses focused on short-tail keywords, the low AIO presence means that traditional SEO efforts, such as optimizing for organic rankings and enhancing user experience, are still essential. Even as AIOs appear more often with long-tail keywords, their role is to add context rather than siphon traffic, making them less of a competitive threat and more of an opportunity for businesses targeting specific services or products.
Dominant SERP Features For Plumbing Keywords
Interestingly, organic blue links are the most frequently occurring SERP feature in the plumbing vertical, appearing in 32.4% of searches. This reinforces the value of traditional SEO practices, particularly for short-tail keywords that drive large volumes of traffic.
Unlike some other industries, where AI-driven changes are reshaping the SERP landscape, plumbing companies still benefit from focusing on fundamental SEO tactics to secure these high-ranking, clickable blue links.
Map packs follow closely, appearing in 29.9% of plumbing-related searches. For a highly localized service industry like plumbing, this feature is essential. When users search for “plumber near me” or “emergency plumber,” they expect geographically relevant results, making Google Business Profile optimization and local citations critical for success. For plumbing companies, ranking in the map pack can directly translate to higher visibility and more leads from users seeking immediate assistance.
How Plumbing Businesses Can Optimize For Organic Blue Links
With organic blue links dominating plumbing SERPs, focusing on traditional SEO strategies is essential for attracting customers. Here are some effective tactics to optimize for these high-visibility results:
- Target relevant keywords
- Create in-depth, user-focused content
- Optimize page speed and user experience
- Use structured data
- Have a strong off-page strategy
- Regularly update and optimize content
- Optimize for local SEO
For more details on executing these vital SEO techniques, explore the full SGE study!
The Least Popular SERP Feature: Image Packs
In our analysis, image packs appeared in only 1.2% of plumbing-related searches, making them the least relevant SERP feature for this vertical. Unlike visually driven industries, plumbing customers are generally looking for functional solutions rather than inspiration. Therefore, optimizing for image packs is unlikely to yield significant traffic for most plumbing businesses.
That said, if your business offers visually appealing services, such as bathroom or kitchen remodeling, it may still be worth including high-quality images on relevant pages. This strategy could capture the limited image pack traffic while showcasing your work’s quality and appeal.
Leveraging Local SEO And Traditional Strategies For Success
For plumbing businesses, traditional SEO remains powerful, with organic blue links and map packs dominating the search landscape. The presence of AIOs in plumbing searches is minimal, allowing businesses to focus on established SEO tactics without being heavily impacted by AI-driven changes.
At Leadhub, we specialize in creating effective SEO strategies for plumbing businesses, helping them enhance their local visibility, rank well in organic search and adapt to the latest digital trends. Connect with us today to explore how we can help your business navigate the evolving search landscape and attract more customers through optimized SEO.
