Short answer: SEO for plumbers works best one job at a time. In our 2 November 2026 check of 20 plumbing searches in Australia, “gas plumber” (3,600 searches a month, difficulty 11), “solar hot water repairs” (880, difficulty 6), “burst pipe” (880, difficulty 11) and “sewer repair” (difficulty 8) were all easy to rank for and worth A$10 to A$14 a click in ads. Build a page for each of those jobs, add an after-hours page only if you answer after hours, and put your licence number on every page.
Our article on SEO for tradies covers the basics that apply to every trade: the Google Business Profile, job pages, licence numbers, suburb pages and call tracking. This one is for plumbers only. We pulled Australian search data for 20 plumbing jobs on 2 November 2026 to see which pages are worth building first.
Which plumbing jobs do Australians search for?
Two numbers matter for each search. Difficulty tells you how hard it is to reach page one. The ad price tells you what other plumbers pay for one click, which is a fair guide to how much a call from that search is worth. A search with low difficulty and a high ad price is the best place to start.
Which pages should a plumber build first?
This is the order we would use, based only on the data above:
| Order | Job page | Searches a month | Difficulty | Ad click |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas plumber | 3,600 | 11 | A$13.83 |
| 2 | Burst pipe repairs | 880 | 11 | A$10.88 |
| 3 | Solar hot water repairs | 880 | 6 | A$10.40 |
| 4 | Water heater repairs | 260 | 6 | A$14.72 |
| 5 | Drain camera inspection | 480 | 13 | A$6.10 |
| 6 | Sewer repair | 210 | 8 | A$11.33 |
| 7 | Toilet repairs | 880 | 16 | A$11.28 |
| 8 | Roof plumber | 2,400 | 21 | A$8.36 |
| 9 | After-hours plumber | 1,000 | 21 | A$16.23 |
| 10 | Leak detection | 3,600 | 29 | A$9.28 |
You do not need all ten. Pick the jobs you do most and like most, and start there. One good page a fortnight is a realistic pace for a busy plumbing business.
Gas: the biggest easy win
“Gas plumber” was the standout in our check: 3,600 searches a month, difficulty 11 and A$13.83 a click. If you hold a gas licence, a gas page should be your first new page. Cover the gas jobs you really do, such as cooktop and heater connections, gas hot water, leak finding and compliance certificates, and say which suburbs you cover.
“Gas leak” gets another 1,900 searches, but at A$5.59 a click many of those people want to know what to do right now, not hire someone. Answer that clearly on your gas page and point to your state’s official gas emergency advice. A plumber who answers the worried question well is the one they call next.
Licensing matters more on a gas page than anywhere else. In South Australia, the government says a business that carries out or organises plumbing or gas fitting work must hold a contractor’s licence, and the person doing the work must also be registered as a plumber or gas fitter. Show both on the page, so customers can see you are allowed to do the job.
Hot water: a page for each system type
Hot water searches split by system. “Solar hot water repairs” (880, difficulty 6) and “water heater repairs” (260, difficulty 6) are easy to rank for and well paid. A single “hot water” page cannot match all of them, so we suggest one page each for the systems you service: gas, electric, solar and heat pump.
Brand searches show up too: “rheem hot water repairs” had 170 searches at difficulty 19. If you are an authorised repairer for a brand, say so on the page and name the models you work on. If you are not authorised, do not imply that you are.
One search to treat differently: “heat pump hot water” gets 8,100 searches a month, but the ad price is only A$2.07. People searching that are mostly researching or buying, not calling for a repair. A plain guide on heat pump systems, with your installation service at the end, fits that search better than a repair page.
Drains and sewer: low difficulty, easy to show
All three drain searches in our check were easy: “drain camera inspection” (480, difficulty 13), “hydro jetting” (390, difficulty 17) and “sewer repair” (210, difficulty 8). Drain work also gives you something most plumbing sites lack: real images. Still frames from your drain camera, with the customer’s permission and no address shown, explain the job better than any stock photo.
What an after-hours plumbing page needs
“After hours plumber” had the highest ad price in our list at A$16.23 a click, and “24 hour plumber” gets 1,300 searches a month. These pages bring calls, but only if they are honest.
Put on the page
- The hours you really answer, in plain words.
- A call button that stays on screen on phones.
- The jobs you treat as urgent: burst pipes, blocked sewers, no hot water, gas smells.
- How you charge after hours: call-out fee or rate, stated plainly.
- The suburbs you can reach at night.
- Your licence number.
Leave off
✗ “24/7” if nobody answers at 2am.
✗ A contact form as the only option for an emergency.
✗ Response times you cannot keep.
✗ Prices that change once you arrive.
Licence numbers in plumbing ads
Queensland is strict. The QBCC says any advertising a licensee organises or publishes must contain the name the licensee is licensed under, and must state that you are licensed under the QBCC Act along with your licensee number. Trading names can be used, but “an advertisement with only the trading name will most likely be non-compliant.” In South Australia, the licence number must be on all advertising too, including websites, as we showed in the tradies article. For a website, the safest setup is your licensed name and number in the footer of every page, plus on each job page. Other states have their own rules, so check with your regulator.
Commercial plumbing needs its own pages
Some searches come from businesses, not homeowners. “Backflow testing” (880 a month, difficulty 28) and “roof plumber” (2,400, difficulty 21) often come from property managers, strata managers and builders. They read pages differently: they want your licences, insurance details, how you report on completed work and how you invoice. Write those pages for them, separate from your homeowner pages.
Our view on plumbing SEO
Most plumbing websites we see have one services page, a contact form and stock photos. In our data, the searches that are easy to win are specific jobs, so a plumber with ten honest job pages, real photos and a licence number on every page has a good chance against much bigger firms in their area. It takes months, not weeks, but each page keeps bringing calls without a cost per click.
We have a team in Woodville Park, Adelaide, and build plumbing and trade websites with a page for each job, plus the Google Business Profile setup that goes with them. See our local SEO service and Australian website and SEO page, or message us on WhatsApp on 0494 866 992 with the jobs you want more of.
Common questions
How do plumbers get more calls from Google?
Show up in Google Maps with a complete Google Business Profile, and build a page for each plumbing job you want more of. In our check, job searches such as “gas plumber” (3,600 a month, difficulty 11) and “solar hot water repairs” (880, difficulty 6) are far easier to rank for than “plumber” plus a city name.
Which plumbing service pages should I build first?
Start with jobs that have low keyword difficulty and a high ad price, because both mean a page can rank and the calls are worth money. From our data: gas plumber, burst pipe, solar hot water repairs, water heater repairs, drain camera inspection and sewer repair. Then leak detection, roof plumber and after-hours plumbing.
Is an after-hours plumbing page worth it?
Yes, if you really answer the phone after hours. “After hours plumber” had the highest ad price in our check at A$16.23 a click, so every call from a ranking page saves real money. Only list the hours you actually work.
Do plumbers have to show a licence number in ads?
In Queensland, the QBCC says advertising must contain the name you are licensed under and state you are licensed under the QBCC Act with your licensee number; an ad with only a trading name will most likely be non-compliant. South Australia also requires the licence number on advertising, including websites. Check your own state regulator.
Should I write about heat pump hot water?
As a guide, yes; as a repair page, probably not. “Heat pump hot water” gets 8,100 searches a month in Australia but the ad price is only A$2.07, which suggests people are researching or buying a system rather than calling a plumber. A plain-English guide can still bring installation enquiries.
How long does SEO take for a plumber?
Google Business Profile fixes can show within weeks. New job pages usually take a few months, faster for low-difficulty searches like “sewer repair” (difficulty 8) or “water heater repairs” (difficulty 6). Searches like “24 hour plumber” (difficulty 29) take longer.
Data: our own Semrush keyword check for Australia (database au), 20 plumbing searches, 2 November 2026. Search numbers are monthly averages and estimates; ad prices are averages. Sources checked 2 November 2026: QBCC, Advertising; SA.GOV.AU, Plumbing, gas fitting and electrical registration and contractors’ licences. This article is general information, not legal advice.