When a water heater gives out at 6 a.m. or a basement starts flooding during a spring storm, the homeowner doesn’t browse. They pull out their phone, search “plumber near me,” and call one of the first names they see. Whoever answers gets the job. Everything I do for plumbing companies is built around that moment: making sure your name is one of the first they see, and that the call actually reaches someone.
I’m Jeff, and I run Campaigns That Convert out of Plymouth. I manage Google Ads, Local Services Ads, Google Business Profiles, and GoHighLevel follow-up automation for plumbers across Metro Detroit and the rest of Michigan. No shared leads, no long contracts, and you can listen to the calls yourself.
Plumbing is an emergency trade. A burst pipe, a backed-up main line, or no hot water is a “today” problem, and the searcher calls the first company that looks legit. If you aren’t in the Local Services Ads box at the top of Google or in the three map listings below it, you don’t exist for that job, no matter how good your work is.
HomeAdvisor and Angi leads get sent to several plumbers at once. You’re competing on who calls back fastest and who quotes lowest before you’ve even seen the job. A lead from your own ad or your own Google Business Profile is a homeowner who picked you. That’s a different conversation, and usually a better ticket.
Most plumbing companies I talk to are small crews. When the owner is under a sink and the office line rolls to voicemail, a lot of callers don’t leave a message. They call the next plumber. That’s money you paid for in advertising and never got to quote.
Google Ads can burn money fast on searches like “how to unclog a drain,” “plumber salary,” or “plumbing supply store.” If nobody is checking the search terms report every week, you’re paying for DIYers and job seekers.
Every company is different, but here’s the order I usually recommend for plumbers, and why.
Your Google Business Profile is the foundation for both the map pack and Local Services Ads. Google requires a verified Business Profile linked to your Local Services account before those ads can run. I start by fixing your categories (primary “Plumber,” plus the right secondary ones), filling in every service you actually do, setting a realistic service area, and getting weekly posts and photos going. You’ll see where you rank on a Google Maps heatmap from day one. More on that on my Google Business Profile management page.
For plumbers, Local Services Ads are often the fastest path to booked emergency calls. They show at the very top of Google with the Google Verified badge, and you pay per lead instead of per click. Google treats plumbing as an “urgent” category, so the screening is stricter, and verification takes time. Google’s own help center says it averages 3 to 4 weeks after you submit documents, so I start that paperwork early. Details on my Local Services Ads management page.
Local Services Ads give you limited control over which jobs you get. Google Ads lets you go after specific, higher-value work: water heater replacement, sewer line repair, repiping, sump pumps, and drain cleaning in the cities you choose. I build campaigns around tightly matched searches, check the search terms every week, and record every call so we both know which keywords bring in paying customers.
Once the phone is ringing, I set up GoHighLevel automation so a missed call gets an automatic text within moments (“Sorry we missed you, this is [Your Company]. What’s going on with your plumbing?”). New web leads get an instant reply, finished jobs trigger a review request, and past customers get a reminder when it’s time for a water heater flush or drain maintenance.
If you’d rather see everything in one place, my services overview lays out how these four fit together.
Google Ads management is a flat monthly fee. Your ad spend is billed by Google directly to your card, so you always see exactly what went to Google. Every call is recorded, there’s no setup fee, and it’s a 3-month minimum and then month-to-month. Local Services Ads leads are also billed by Google, per lead. I don’t publish dollar amounts because the right setup depends on your service area and which services you want to grow, but I’ll give you a straight quote on a 15-minute call. See how my pricing works.
I’m based in Plymouth and work with trades businesses in Wayne, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties and anywhere else in Michigan. If you serve Canton, Livonia, Novi, Northville, Westland, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, or Detroit, my Metro Detroit page covers how I set up targeting across neighboring cities without wasting budget.
Not a plumber? I also work with HVAC companies, roofers, and tree service companies.
For most plumbing companies I’d start with a solid Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads, because emergency searchers call from the top of the page and you only pay for leads. Then I’d add Google Ads for specific job types you want more of. I wrote a longer comparison: Local Services Ads vs. Google Ads for plumbers.
That’s the goal for a lot of owners. I don’t recommend cutting them off on day one. Run your own channels until your own calls are steady, then compare cost per booked job side by side and decide with real numbers.
Yes. With Google Ads I can set exact cities, ZIP codes, or a radius, and exclude areas you don’t want. With Local Services Ads you choose your service area too, though Google decides more of who sees you. Your Google Business Profile service area should match where you actually go.
Tell me your real hours and whether you take after-hours work. I’ll set ad schedules to match, so you aren’t paying for calls nobody answers. If you do take night calls, I’ll make sure the ads and your profile say so. Keep in mind that on Local Services Ads, a missed call during your business hours can still count as a charged lead, and missed calls can hurt your ranking there.
No, I don’t run an answering service. What I can do is make sure missed calls get an instant text back and new leads get an immediate reply, so you or your office can follow up fast.
Not necessarily. Many plumbers do fine sending Google Ads traffic to one strong landing page with a clear phone number and service list. Local Services Ads don’t need a website at all. If your site is getting in the way of calls, I’ll tell you.
Book a 15-minute call and tell me which jobs you want more of: water heaters, sewer lines, drains, repipes. I’ll tell you which channel I’d start with and why. Or run the free audit to see where your plumbing company ranks on Google Maps today.
About Campaigns That Convert:
Google Ads, Local Services Ads, Google Business Profile management, and missed-call follow-up for plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers, and tree service companies.
Let’s grow your business together.
Campaigns That Convert LLC · Plymouth, MI · (313) 590-0304 · Serving Metro Detroit and Michigan
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