Top 10 Google My Business Mistakes Plumbers Make

(And how your competitors are stealing your customers because of them)

Updated: January 2025

Someone's toilet is overflowing at 11 PM. They grab their phone, Google "emergency plumber near me," and guess what? Your competitor shows up first - even though you're better, faster, and cheaper.

Why? Because they fixed these 10 Google My Business mistakes and you haven't. Yet.

Good news: Most of these take less than 10 minutes to fix. Bad news: every day you wait is another day your competitors are eating your lunch.

Mistake #1: Treating Your GMB Like a "Set It and Forget It" Thing

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You set up your Google Business Profile in 2019 and haven't touched it since. Maybe you log in once a year to respond to a bad review.

✅ How To Fix It:

Google rewards active profiles. You should be posting at least once a week - photos of jobs, special offers, helpful tips. Takes 2 minutes. Seriously.

Quick Win: Post a photo of a job you completed this week with a caption like "Fixed a slab leak in [Neighborhood] today. Same-day service available - call now!" Boom. You just told Google you're active AND you service that area.

Mistake #2: Wrong Business Category

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

Your primary category is "Plumber" but you also do water heater installation, drain cleaning, and emergency repairs. You're leaving money on the table.

✅ How To Fix It:

Primary category should be your main service (probably "Plumber"). But add additional categories:

  • • Water heater installation service
  • • Drainage service
  • • Emergency plumber
  • • Plumbing supply store (if applicable)

This makes you show up for way more searches without spending a dime more.

Mistake #3: Lame Business Description

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

"We are a full-service plumbing company serving [City] since 1995. We pride ourselves on quality workmanship and customer satisfaction."

Wow. Riveting. Just like every other plumber in town.

✅ How To Fix It:

"24/7 emergency plumber in [City]. We fix burst pipes, clogged drains, water heater failures, and slab leaks. Most calls answered in under 5 minutes, on-site within 90 minutes. Flat-rate pricing - no surprises."

See the difference? Specific services, response time, and what makes you different. Use your 750 characters wisely.

Mistake #4: No Photos (Or Terrible Ones)

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You have 3 photos total: your logo, a blurry truck, and a stock photo of a wrench. Meanwhile your competitor has 50+ photos of actual work.

✅ How To Fix It:

Take your phone out on every job. Get photos of:

  • • Before and after shots
  • • Your truck/van on site
  • • Your team working
  • • Equipment you use
  • • The problem you fixed

Upload 3-5 photos per week. Google loves fresh content. Plus, people trust businesses that show their actual work - not stock photos.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Reviews (Good AND Bad)

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You have 12 five-star reviews... and never responded to any of them. Oh, and that 1-star from 3 months ago? Still sitting there with no response.

✅ How To Fix It:

Respond to EVERY review within 24 hours. Google tracks this.

For 5-star reviews:

"Thanks John! Glad we could get your water heater replaced the same day. We're here 24/7 if you ever need anything else!"

For bad reviews:

"We're sorry to hear about your experience. This isn't the level of service we aim for. Please call us at [number] so we can make this right."

Pro tip: Get more reviews by texting customers a direct link after each job. "Hey, would you mind leaving us a review? Here's the link: [URL]" Gets way more responses than asking them to "find us on Google."

Mistake #6: Wrong Service Hours

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

Your GMB says you're closed Sundays. But you do 24/7 emergency service. Someone with a burst pipe on Sunday morning just called your competitor.

✅ How To Fix It:

If you offer 24/7 emergency service, your hours should say "Open 24 hours." Don't list your office hours - list when customers can actually reach you.

Use special hours for holidays when you'll be closed. Google will automatically update it.

Mistake #7: Not Using Posts

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You've never made a single Google Post. You're literally invisible compared to competitors who post weekly.

✅ How To Fix It:

Google Posts show up right on your profile. Use them for:

  • • "$50 off water heater installation this week"
  • • "New: Same-day drain cleaning service now available"
  • • "Cold weather tip: Know where your shut-off valve is!"

Posts stay active for 7 days, so aim for 1 per week minimum. Takes 2 minutes on your phone.

Mistake #8: Missing Service Areas

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You listed your city as your service area. But you actually service 15 different neighborhoods. Google has no idea.

✅ How To Fix It:

Add every neighborhood, ZIP code, and nearby city you service. Be specific:

  • • Downtown Phoenix
  • • Scottsdale
  • • Tempe
  • • Mesa
  • • Gilbert

The more specific you are, the more local searches you'll show up for.

Mistake #9: No Q&A Section

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

Someone asked "Do you offer free estimates?" on your profile 6 months ago. You never answered. They called someone else.

✅ How To Fix It:

Monitor your Q&A section weekly. Better yet - seed it with your own questions:

  • • Q: "Do you offer 24/7 emergency service?" A: "Yes! Call [number] any time, day or night."
  • • Q: "What forms of payment do you accept?" A: "Cash, check, all major credit cards, and financing available."
  • • Q: "Do you offer free estimates?" A: "Yes, all estimates are free with no obligation."

This info shows up right on your profile. Makes it easy for customers to choose you.

Mistake #10: Not Tracking What's Working

❌ What You're Doing Wrong:

You have no idea how many people find you through Google, call you from your profile, or visit your website from GMB.

✅ How To Fix It:

Check your GMB Insights weekly:

  • • How many views you're getting
  • • Which searches you show up for
  • • How many people called you
  • • How many clicked for directions

If these numbers are going down, something's broken. If they're going up, keep doing what you're doing.

The Bottom Line

Your Google Business Profile is the most important marketing tool you have as a plumber. When someone needs a plumber RIGHT NOW, they're not browsing websites - they're looking at that map pack at the top of Google.

Fix these 10 mistakes and you'll:

Most of this takes less than an hour total to fix. The rest is just spending 10 minutes a week staying active.

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