The Challenge
Reliable Plumbing Co was a family-owned plumbing business in Perth struggling to compete with heavily marketed franchise plumbing companies that dominated Google search results. Despite having excellent customer service and over 20 years of experience, they were virtually invisible online. Their few Google reviews were outdated, and franchise competitors with large advertising budgets were capturing the majority of local search traffic, particularly for high-value emergency plumbing calls.
Our Strategy
Marketing Ops implemented an aggressive local SEO and paid advertising strategy designed to level the playing field against franchise competitors. We focused on Google Local Services Ads for immediate lead generation, built a comprehensive local SEO presence targeting Perth suburbs, and deployed a review generation system that rapidly built social proof and trust.
Services Used
Our Approach
- 1
Set up and optimised Google Local Services Ads with the Google Guaranteed badge, targeting emergency plumbing, blocked drains, hot water system, and general plumbing categories across the Perth metropolitan area
- 2
Implemented an aggressive local SEO campaign targeting 30+ suburb-specific keywords, creating optimised service area pages and building citations across Australian trade directories
- 3
Deployed an automated review request system using SMS and email triggers after every completed job, making it effortless for customers to leave a Google review
- 4
Optimised their Google Business Profile with professional photos, detailed service descriptions, regular Google Posts, and a Q&A section addressing common plumbing queries
- 5
Created a fast-loading mobile website with click-to-call functionality, online booking, and emergency service landing pages optimised for after-hours searches
The Results
Keyword Rankings
Achieved top 1 to 3 Google rankings for over 25 high-value plumbing keywords across Perth suburbs, including 'emergency plumber Perth' and 'blocked drains Perth'
Emergency Call-Outs
Emergency call-out bookings increased by 180%, driven primarily by Google Local Services Ads and improved organic rankings for urgent plumbing terms
Google Rating
Grew from 34 Google reviews with a 4.2 star rating to over 200 reviews with a 4.9 star average, making them the highest-rated plumber in their service area
“We were getting absolutely smashed by the big franchise plumbers on Google. Marketing Ops levelled the playing field completely. Our phone is ringing non-stop now, especially for emergency jobs which are our bread and butter. The Google Local Services Ads with the Guaranteed badge have been brilliant -- customers trust us straight away. And having over 200 five-star reviews has made a massive difference. We have had to put on two extra plumbers to handle the demand.”
Dave Kowalski
Owner, Reliable Plumbing Co
Perth, WA