It’s 2 AM. A homeowner’s water heater just flooded their basement. They grab their phone and search “emergency plumber near me.” Your competitors show up at the top of the results. You don’t.
If you’re relying on word-of-mouth and referrals, you’re invisible when it matters most. Meanwhile, 70% of mobile searchers call businesses directly from Google search results. That’s money walking past you to someone else.
Maybe you tried Google Ads before and it didn’t work. Budget burned through, phones didn’t ring, and you walked away thinking it was a waste. The problem wasn’t the platform—it was how it was set up. When Search Ads are done right, they put you in front of people who need a plumber now. Here’s how they work and why they’re worth the investment.
What Are Search Ads? (and Why Plumbers Use Them)
Search Ads are the text ads you see at the top and bottom of Google search results. They’re direct response marketing—designed to get people to act immediately. When someone searches “emergency plumber near me” or “water heater repair Lancaster,” your ad shows up if you’re running a campaign targeting those keywords.
You only pay when someone clicks. That’s it. No click, no charge.
Search Ads are different from Google Local Services Ads, which appear above Search Ads and show the Google Guaranteed badge. LSAs work on a pay-per-lead model. Search Ads give you more control over targeting, messaging, and budget.
Why plumbers use them: they target high-intent searches. Someone typing “burst pipe repair” isn’t browsing—they’re hiring. Compare that to Display Ads, which show banner ads across websites. Display ads average under 1% click-through rates. Search Ads in home services average 2.87% to 5.71%. That’s a big difference when you’re paying per click.
How the Auction System Works
Google runs an auction every time someone searches. Your ad’s position isn’t just about who bids the most—it’s about relevance.
Your Ad Rank determines where you show up. Ad Rank is calculated by multiplying your maximum bid by your Quality Score. Quality Score is Google’s 1-10 rating of how relevant your ad is to the search. It’s based on three things: expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience.
Here’s why that matters: a smaller plumbing company with a Quality Score of 8 can outrank a larger competitor with a Quality Score of 4, even if the competitor bids more. You’re not just competing on budget. You’re competing on how well your ad matches what someone’s looking for.
If your ad says “Emergency Plumber – 24/7 Service” and your landing page is your homepage with a generic “Contact Us” button, your Quality Score drops. If your landing page is a dedicated emergency plumbing page with your phone number front and center, your Quality Score goes up. Google rewards relevance with better ad positions and lower costs.
What Search Ads Actually Cost
The average cost per click for plumbing is $5 to $8.67, depending on your market and keywords. Plumbing has one of the lower click-through rates in home services at around 2.87%, which means you’ll need a solid budget to test and optimize.
Most plumbers start with $10 to $50 per day, or $300 to $1,500 per month. That budget goes further if your campaigns are structured well.
Emergency keywords like “emergency plumber” or “burst pipe repair” cost more because competitors know they convert. Broader keywords like “plumber” cost less but attract less qualified clicks—someone might be researching careers or looking for DIY advice.
Here’s the ROI context: the average small plumbing job is around $400-$500. If you’re paying $50 per lead and closing 30% of those leads, you’re spending $150 to land a new job. That’s a solid return on a first time customer. The key is making sure your clicks turn into calls, which is where setup and targeting matter.
Expect to run campaigns for at least 60 to 90 days before you have enough data to know what’s working. Search Ads aren’t instant—Google needs time to learn which searches convert for your business and optimize bids accordingly.
Keywords, Search Intent, and Targeting
Not all searches are equal. Someone searching “emergency plumber near me” is ready to hire. Someone searching “how to fix a leaky faucet” is not your customer—they’re researching DIY solutions.
This is search intent. Commercial intent keywords like “emergency plumber,” “water heater repair,” or “drain cleaning service” are high-value because they signal someone ready to pay. Informational intent keywords like “how to unclog a drain” waste your budget.
Long-tail keywords work well for plumbers. “Tankless water heater repair Lancaster PA” has lower competition and higher intent than just “plumber.” You’re targeting someone who knows exactly what they need.
Geo-targeting is critical. You’re not serving the entire state—you’re serving a 20-mile radius. Set your campaigns to show ads only in your service area. Don’t pay for clicks from people you can’t help.
Negative keywords prevent waste. If you don’t do commercial plumbing, add “commercial” as a negative keyword. Add “DIY,” “jobs,” “salary,” and “free” to your negative keyword list. These searches aren’t customers.
Why Search Ads Require Expertise
Here’s where most plumbing businesses waste money: they set up one generic campaign, target broad keywords, send all traffic to their homepage, and never optimize.
Campaign structure matters. You should have separate campaigns for each service—emergency plumbing, water heater repair, drain cleaning. Each campaign has its own budget, keywords, and landing pages. This gives you control over what you spend and where.
Ad copy has to match search intent. If someone searches “emergency plumber near me,” your ad should say “24/7 Emergency Plumber” and link to a page about emergency service—not your homepage.
Landing pages need to be fast, mobile-friendly, and relevant. If your keyword is “emergency plumber,” the landing page should have your phone number at the top, explain your emergency services, and make it easy to call or book. If it takes three clicks to find your phone number, you’re losing calls.
Then there’s ongoing work: A/B testing ad copy, adjusting bids based on performance, adding negative keywords, optimizing for mobile, and tracking what converts. Poor setup burns budget fast. Expert management means tighter targeting, better Quality Scores, lower costs per click, and higher conversion rates.
The Bottom Line
Search Ads work because they put you in front of people actively searching for plumbers. They’re measurable, scalable, and profitable when done right.
But they’re not simple. Quality Score, keyword strategy, ad copy, landing pages, bid management, and tracking all matter. You can start on your own, but most plumbers waste thousands figuring it out the hard way.
If you’re serious about filling your schedule with the right jobs—not just more calls, but better calls—Search Ads are worth the investment. But get help if you want to avoid costly mistakes and see results faster.
If you’re ready to see how Search Ads can grow your plumbing business without wasting your budget, crftsmn can help you build campaigns that actually work.