Things to Know Before Doing Keyword Research
Imagine A family in New York City wakes up to water gushing from a broken pipe at 3 AM. Panicked, they grab a phone and search for “emergency plumber near me.”
If you’re a plumber, will they find you in that moment of need? This question gets to the heart of why keyword research matters.
It’s not about tech jargon or SEO tricks – it’s about connecting people who need your help with your business, exactly when they need it.
In this guide, we’ll walk through seven essential things to know before diving into keyword research, tailored for plumbers in NYC. We’ll start with the “why” – the purpose behind each step, just like Simon Sinek’s approach of starting with why.
Along the way, we’ll ask questions to get you thinking, share stories, and use simple language (as if explaining to an 8-year-old) to make deep insights clear. By the end, you’ll have practical knowledge, backed by real stats and examples, to help grow your plumbing business online.
Before we begin, consider this: Nearly half of all Google searches have local intent (meaning people are looking for services nearby), and 80% of U.S. consumers search online for local businesses weekly.
In a huge city like New York, thousands of people are searching for plumbers each day. In fact, an SEO analysis found that about 246,000 people search for “plumbers near me” in the U.S. every month. That’s a staggering number of potential customers.
If even a small fraction of those searches are in NYC and land on your website, imagine the boost in calls and jobs for your business. (One plumbing company’s website traffic was estimated to be worth $44,700 per month in equivalent ad spend because they rank well for so many plumbing keywords!)
So, how can your business show up when homeowners and businesses in New York City desperately search for help with a leak, a clog, or a broken water heater? It all starts with choosing the right keywords – the words and phrases people type (or speak) into search engines like Google when looking for plumbing services. Let’s break down the key things you should know before doing keyword research, so your efforts are focused, effective, and primed to beat the competition.
1. Understand Your Business
Start with WHY: Why begin keyword research by looking inward at your own business? Because if you don’t clearly understand what you offer and what makes you special, you won’t know which search terms (keywords) truly fit you. Keyword research isn’t just about what’s popular – it’s about what’s relevant to your plumbing business.
Ask yourself: “What exactly does my plumbing business do, and why?” This might sound obvious (“I fix pipes!”), but dig a bit deeper.
What services do you provide most often or most expertly? Do you mainly do drain cleaning, water heater repair, leak fixes, bathroom plumbing installations, or all of the above? Make a simple list of your core services. Also, think about any specialties or unique selling points:
Are you a 24/7 emergency plumber? Do you service all five boroughs or just certain neighborhoods in NYC? Are you a small family-owned business that offers personalized service, or do you specialize in eco-friendly plumbing solutions? All these details are clues to which keywords will suit you best.
For example, if you only serve Manhattan and Brooklyn, then “plumber in Queens” isn’t a keyword you should focus on (because you wouldn’t want calls from Queens that you can’t serve). If you specialize in tankless water heater installations, then keywords around “tankless water heater installer NYC” might be very relevant, while general “boiler repair” might not (unless you do that too). If your “why” (your mission) is providing ultra-fast service for emergencies, then phrases like “24-hour plumber” or “emergency plumber in NYC” are likely top targets.
Understanding your business also means knowing what jobs are most profitable or desirable for you. Maybe fixing water heaters brings you good revenue – you wouldn’t want to miss out on people searching for “water heater repair in New York.”
On the other hand, if you don’t handle something like HVAC or sprinkler systems, you should avoid keywords related to those, even if they’re popular. Chasing irrelevant traffic wastes time and frustrates searchers who won’t find what they need on your site.
Remember, relevance is key – Google wants to show people results that exactly match what they’re looking for. If your site is about plumbing but you randomly try to rank for “air conditioner repair” because you saw it has high search volume, Google will figure out it’s not truly relevant to your site, and users will quickly leave (causing a “bounce”).
High bounce rates send negative signals, and you gain nothing from that traffic. It’s better to be the best answer for plumbing queries than to be an okay answer for a bunch of unrelated topics.
What makes your plumbing service stand out in NYC’s sea of plumbers? Think about that as you choose keywords – you want to show up for searches that align with your strengths and offerings.
If you’re “Joe’s 24/7 Drain Rescue” focusing on fast emergency service, own that niche online. If you’re “Green Home Plumbing” focusing on eco-friendly fixtures, target those specific queries.
When you understand your business and why you do what you do (maybe it’s to provide reliable help to neighbors, or to be the go-to expert in a certain area), it guides your keyword strategy. You’ll pick search terms that reflect your business identity and attract the customers you truly want.
Also, consider the scale of the NYC market. New York City is huge – millions of residents, countless businesses – and plumbing issues are common. There are also many plumbing companies. To someone searching online, what will make you the obvious choice?
Part of it will be showing up prominently (which keyword research helps with), and part is conveying your unique value. So, before diving into keywords, get clear on your business story. Why do you exist, and who do you serve best? Keep that in mind; it will help you choose the terms that connect your story to your customer’s needs.
2. Know Your Customers
Now that you’ve reflected on your business, let’s flip the perspective. Who are your customers, and what are they going through when they need you? Understanding your customer is vital for good keyword research.
If you know who is searching and why, you can predict what they might search for. Essentially, know your customers = know the keywords (or at least a good starting idea).
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Ask: “When do people in New York City need a plumber, and what problems are they trying to solve?”
Common scenarios might include: a pipe burst in a Queens basement, a drain clog in a Manhattan high-rise, a water heater failing during a cold Bronx winter morning, a toilet overflow in a Brooklyn apartment, or a restaurant in NYC with a backed-up sink during the lunch rush.
Each of these situations is urgent (some more than others), and guess what – nearly everyone nowadays will start solving the problem by searching online for a plumber. In fact, 80% of US consumers turn to search engines to find local services at least weekly, and a large share do so daily. When that search happens, people tend to contact one of the first businesses they see.
Studies show that 92% of searchers choose a business on the first page of results, and 42% will even click the Google Map pack (the top 3 map listings) for local queries. This means if your business isn’t showing up early on, most customers won’t even know you exist.
Let’s think specifically about New York City customers. New Yorkers are always on the move and they value speed and convenience. When someone’s bathroom is flooding, they’re not going to casually scroll through ten pages of search results – they’ll likely pick a plumber from the first page, if not the first few results.
Often it’s whoever seems credible and close by. If you appear up top, you’re in the game; if not, you’re essentially invisible to that customer. Consider also how they search: more than ever, people are using smartphones to find local businesses.
Over 63% of consumers prefer to get information on phones, and across age groups (from Gen Z to Boomers), a majority primarily use mobile search.
For plumbers, this is huge – a lot of your potential clients will be typing (or voice-commanding) on a phone with one hand while turning off a valve with the other! They might even search by voice: “Hey Siri, find a plumber near me” – and voice searches often word things like full questions or commands.
What does this mean for you? It means your keywords (and website) should cater to local, on-the-go, urgent needs.
A person on a phone searching “plumber near me” is likely ready to call right now – in fact, 88% of local searches on mobile result in a call or visit within 24 hours, and 78% of local mobile searches lead to an offline purchase (like hiring a service).
That’s a tremendous conversion rate – local searchers are often very serious about getting help. Another stat: 76% of consumers who search for something nearby visit a business within a day, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase (or in your case, booking a job). The intent is high.
Compare that to someone casually Googling “plumbing tips” for curiosity – the person searching “emergency plumber Manhattan now” is the one who will likely call you immediately if they find you.
So, know your customers’ intent and urgency. Think about different customer types too. Are you mostly serving homeowners? Renters who might need landlord approval? Small businesses like cafes?
Each might use slightly different language (a homeowner might search “fix leak under sink”, a restaurant manager might search “commercial plumber NYC”).
New York has all kinds of people – students in dorms, families in brownstones, big companies in skyscrapers – and plumbing needs everywhere. The common thread is that when trouble strikes, they turn to search.
If you were a customer, what would you search for? For instance, if you live in Brooklyn and your only toilet is clogged, you might search “best plumber in Brooklyn for clogged toilet” or simply “toilet repair near me”.
If you’re a landlord with multiple units, you might search “plumbing service contract NYC”. Knowing your customers also means knowing the words they use. Non-plumbers might not know terms like “p-trap” or “backflow preventer” – they’ll probably search in plain language like “sink won’t drain” or “water backing up in tub.”
Try to capture the everyday language and even the local slang. For example, New Yorkers often refer to their neighborhood or borough: “Upper West Side plumber,” “Astoria Queens plumber,” etc. They might also include “NYC” in searches for clarity, e.g., “drain cleaning NYC” to ensure they get city-based results.
One more thing: consider the questions and concerns customers have. Many will search for pricing or quality indicators too, like “affordable plumber NYC” or “licensed plumber New York”.
(Side note: being a licensed plumber in NYC is critical; customers often specifically look for that because it’s required for many jobs – if you are licensed, you’ll want to target keywords like “licensed plumber in NYC” to capture those trust-seeking customers).
And nearly everyone cares about reviews – while that’s more about reputation management than keyword research, it’s worth noting that 83% of consumers use Google to read local business reviews.
So a lot of people might search your business name plus “reviews” or just notice your star rating on Google. Always keep your customers’ mindset front and center: they want a solution to their problem, quickly and from someone they feel they can trust.
To summarize, knowing your customers means you should gather clues about how they search. You can even ask past clients how they found you or what they would search in a given scenario. Look at any Google Business Profile insights you have – Google often shows business owners the top search queries that led people to their listing. For example, you might discover lots of people found you by searching “emergency plumber Queens” or “water heater repair Manhattan”.
Those are golden insights – they literally show how real customers search. Use that knowledge to guide your keyword research. When you align your keywords with your customers’ needs and language, you’re essentially speaking their language. It builds a bridge between their problem and your solution, which is exactly what you want.
3. Think Like Your Customers
We’ve talked about understanding who your customers are – now let’s dive into thinking like them at the moment they type a search. This step is all about empathy and imagination. Keyword research isn’t done in a vacuum or purely with tools; some of the best insights come from you simply predicting what a person in need would actually type or ask.
Start with a scenario and walk through it as if you’re the customer. Let’s do a quick story: It’s a freezing January night in NYC. Jane lives in a Queens apartment, and suddenly her heating stops – the radiator is ice cold. Jane is shivering and worried about pipes freezing.
What does she do? She grabs her phone and searches for something like “no heat radiator plumber Queens” or maybe “emergency boiler repair NYC” (if she thinks it’s the boiler).
Or she might not know the cause and just search “emergency plumber near me” and click the first one available at 2 AM. Now, if you are a plumber who offers emergency heating repairs, those are exactly the phrases you’d want on your site so Jane finds you.
Let’s try another: Mike owns a small restaurant in Manhattan. During lunch hour, the main sink clogging up is a nightmare. Mike pulls out his phone and likely searches “commercial plumber Manhattan” or “restaurant plumbing service NYC” or simply “drain cleaning service near me fast.”
He might include “commercial” to ensure the plumber can handle a business setting. Do you have content or keywords on your site that show you handle commercial jobs? If yes, Mike is more likely to find you.
One more: Sarah is a homeowner in Brooklyn who has been hearing a dripping sound in her wall and sees a damp spot – a possible hidden leak. It’s not an emergency gush, but she’s concerned. She might search “water leak detection plumber Brooklyn” or “plumber for leak in wall NYC.”
Alternatively, if she’s the DIY type initially, she might search “how to find a water leak in wall”. Now, think carefully: if you have a blog post on your site addressing “How to detect water leaks (and why you need a plumber to fix it)”, you could attract Sarah when she’s researching.
Even if she’s in DIY mode, your information can build trust, and she may decide this is too complex and call you, since you clearly know what you’re talking about. This is thinking like a customer at different stages: some are in urgent “do it now” mode, some are in “learn and maybe do later” mode.
We’ll talk more about intent later, but empathizing with these thought processes helps you capture both immediate and future customers.
Now, consider language and terminology. You’re a plumbing expert, but your customers likely aren’t. A big part of thinking like them is using the words they use, not the technical terms you might use internally.
For example, you might call it a “garbage disposal unit,” but a customer might search “sink grinder not working” or “garbage disposal stuck.” You know the proper term “water heater,” but some customers might type “hot water heater broken” or even just “no hot water in house.”
A “sewer line” issue might be searched as “sewer backup” or “toilet backing up.” A “faucet” might just be “kitchen tap leaking.” Always brainstorm the simple, common words.
A good tip: Write down a problem and then think of all the different ways someone might describe it. For “drain clog,” people might search: “sink won’t drain,” “clogged sink fix,” “water not going down shower,” “unclog bathtub NYC,” etc.
Don’t worry if some phrases sound unprofessional or grammatically off – remember, 15% of Google searches every day are completely new, never searched before, often because people phrase things in quirky ways. There are millions of ways to ask for the same thing. Your goal is to catch the common ones, especially those relevant to your services.
Let’s use a little trick: pretend you are the customer and start typing a question into Google to see what it suggests. If you type “why is my toilet…” Google’s autocomplete might fill in “…running?”, “…not flushing?”, “…making noise?”. These suggestions come from real popular searches. Or type “best plumber in” and you might see suggestions like “best plumber in NYC for water heaters” or “...for drain cleaning”. Those hints are gold – they literally show what people commonly search.
Google’s “People Also Ask” boxes are also useful; if you search a term, you’ll often see a dropdown of related questions people ask (like “How much does a plumber cost in NYC?” or “Can I pour Drano in a clogged toilet?”). These are great for understanding customer curiosities and worries.
Now, engage with a question: If your kitchen sink was clogged, how would you search for help? You might type something straightforward like “unclog kitchen sink NYC” or ask a question like “how to unclog kitchen sink naturally”.
If you try the DIY route and it fails, your next search might be “plumber for clogged sink near me.” This is a common pattern: many people attempt a quick fix (searching for DIY answers), then realize they need a professional and search again with a hiring intent.
As a smart marketer, you could target both: have content that answers the DIY question (and gently explains when it’s time to call a plumber), and have your service page targeting the direct hire query.
Thinking like a customer also means considering seasonal or event-based searches. For instance, around winter in NYC, searches for “frozen pipes” or “no heat plumber” spike.
Around Thanksgiving (famous for turkey grease clogs, sometimes called “Brown Friday” in plumbing!), searches for “garbage disposal not working” or “drain clog Thanksgiving” might uptick.
If there’s a big rainstorm, “basement flooding pump out” might become common. These situational searches can be important – being aware of them can help you prepare content or at least include those terms on your site when relevant.
Google Trends is a great free tool to check this – you can see if interest in “frozen pipes repair” peaks every January (which it likely does in cold climates).
Let’s not forget local lingo. New York City has unique aspects – for example, many people live in apartments and might have a “super” (building superintendent) who usually handles minor issues, but they’ll call an outside plumber for bigger jobs.
Someone might search “plumber for co-op building NYC” or “NYC plumbing code help” if they’re dealing with permits. If you target commercial clients, perhaps “backflow prevention NYC” is a keyword (since businesses need backflow preventers by law).
Try to incorporate any NYC-specific terminology or needs you know of. Another example: many NYC homes have steam heating systems with boilers and radiators (older buildings), so queries like “radiator repair NYC” or “boiler plumber NYC” are quite specific to cities with older infrastructure – a suburban plumber in Arizona might never think of those, but in NYC you should.
By thinking like your customers, you essentially create a mental map of possible keywords before even touching a keyword research tool. This human touch ensures the keywords you later validate with tools are grounded in reality. In practice, you might come up with a brainstorming list like:
“emergency plumber near me” (likely huge volume)
“24 hour plumber NYC”
“best plumber in Brooklyn reviews”
“drain cleaning Queens”
“fix leaking pipe Manhattan”
“water heater repair New York City”
“toilet overflowing what to do”
“local plumber for restaurant NYC”
“licensed plumber NYC gas line” (some might search for gas line specifically if they need that)
“clogged drain home remedy” (informational)
“sump pump installer NYC” (some basements need sump pumps)
“pipe burst apartment what now”
And so on... Don’t worry if this list is long or some terms seem similar. In keyword research, you’ll often group similar ones. The idea here is to expand your perspective as wide as possible on what customers might search. Then, in upcoming steps, we’ll narrow it down and validate which terms are worth focusing on.
Before moving on, here’s a powerful proof of why thinking like the customer is so important: A marketing study found that over 75% of local searches actually convert into leads or contacts – an incredibly high number – but only if you’re aligning with what the customer really wants.
By using the same words and addressing the same issues on your site, you increase the chance that when they search, they click on you and not bounce away. People feel “This is exactly what I was looking for!” when the language matches their thinking.
That builds instant trust. So do this groundwork of empathetic thinking – it’s free, it’s creative, and it will make all the difference when you move to using tools and optimizing content.
4. Use Tools for Help
Up to now, we’ve been brainstorming and imagining from experience – which is a fantastic start. But you don’t have to do all the work with guesswork. There are some great tools that can help you discover keywords and understand how often people search them.
Think of these tools as plumber’s helpers, but instead of a wrench or a plunger, they give you data about words.
Why use tools? Because they can confirm if the phrases you thought of are popular (or rarely used), and they can suggest new ideas you might not have considered. Even the best plumber can miss a spot; likewise, you might overlook a golden keyword without a tool’s insight.
Tools can also show you roughly how many times per month a term is searched (search volume), how competitive it might be to rank for, and even what related searches exist.
Here are some tools and techniques (many are free or have free versions) that you can use:
Google Autocomplete & People Also Ask:
We mentioned this already, but it’s worth calling it a “tool” in its own right. When you go to Google and start typing, pay attention to the dropdown suggestions. They update in real time and are based on popular searches.
For instance, type “water heater repair n” and you might see suggestions like “water heater repair near me,” “water heater repair NYC cost,” etc.
Similarly, after you search, scroll down to the bottom of the results page to the “Related searches” – Google often lists 8 related search phrases. These are easy ways to expand your list. It’s free and it’s literally Google telling you “people often look for these.”
Google Keyword Planner:
This is a tool from Google Ads (originally meant for advertisers, but useful for SEO too). It’s free to use; you might need to create a Google Ads account (you don’t have to run ads, just sign up).
With Keyword Planner, you can type in a seed term like “plumber” or “drain cleaning” and set the location to e.g. New York City, and it will show you a bunch of related keywords along with average monthly search volumes and competition level (for ads).
For example, it might show you that “drain cleaning NYC” gets, say, 500 searches a month, “emergency plumber NYC” gets 1,000 (hypothetically), etc. This quantifies your hunches. It also might suggest terms you didn’t list.
The volume data helps you prioritize – for instance, if “water heater repair NYC” has 300 searches and “water heater replacement NYC” has 150, you’d probably want to target both, but you know the repair one is sought more.
Google Trends:
This is a free tool that lets you compare the relative popularity of search terms over time. If you’re curious whether “water heater repair” is searched more often in winter than summer – Google Trends will show the interest over the months. It can also compare terms: e.g., is “plumber NYC” or “plumber New York” more commonly searched? Or do people search “sewer backup” vs “sewer clog” more? Google Trends won’t give raw numbers, but it shows patterns and what’s trending up or down.
For example, Google Trends data once highlighted that searches for “burst pipe” jump on very cold days. If a cold wave is coming, you could proactively emphasize “burst pipe repair” on your site or ads.
Also, Google Trends can show interest by sub-region – you might find a certain borough searches a term more. It’s a bit advanced but fun to explore.
SEO keyword tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, etc.):
These are professional SEO tools. They are paid, but many have free trials or limited free features. For instance, Ahrefs has a free keyword generator tool online (with limited results) and SEMrush often allows a few free searches a day.
These tools have large databases of keywords and can show volume, keyword difficulty (how hard it might be to rank, based on competition), and even an “intent” label.
In fact, if you put a term into SEMrush’s keyword tool, it might tag it as “Transactional” (meaning the tool thinks the searcher wants to buy/hire) or “Informational” (just looking for info), etc.
For example, SEMrush’s Keyword Magic Tool labels “plumbers near me” as Transactional intent, because it knows people searching that want to hire a plumber, whereas it might label “how to fix a leaky faucet” as Informational. Seeing these labels helps confirm your own intent analysis.
These tools can also show a ton of variations. If you search “plumber NYC,” you might find suggestions like “plumber NYC free estimate,” “emergency plumber Manhattan,” “plumbers in NYC with payment plans” – who knows, people search all kinds of specific things! It’s like having a super-smart assistant that read through millions of searches and is telling you, “Here’s what I found relevant to your query.”
AnswerThePublic:
A nifty free tool (with limited daily searches) where you enter a keyword and it generates a visual wheel of questions people ask related to that keyword. If you put “plumber” or “plumbing” in, you’ll get results like “Why do plumbers cost so much?” “How do plumbers find leaks?”
“When to call a plumber for a clog?” etc. It’s great for content ideas and understanding common questions (which might be good blog topics or FAQ content on your site). For a local twist, you might try “plumber New York” and see if any location-flavored questions come up.
Your own website analytics or Search Console:
If you already have a website and it’s been up for a bit, Google Search Console (free, if you verify your site) can show you the search queries that your site has appeared for and gotten clicks for. It might be limited if you’re new or not much SEO done, but it’s worth checking.
You might be surprised that you’re already showing up for “sink clog fix NYC” even if you never explicitly targeted it – that suggests an opportunity to optimize for it more.
Your website’s analytics (Google Analytics etc.) won’t directly show search terms (due to privacy Google hides organic keywords mostly), but Search Console is the go-to for that info.
Competitor websites/tools (a peek at the next section):
Some tools let you input a competitor’s site and see what keywords they rank for. For example, Ahrefs “Site Explorer” or SEMrush “Organic Research” can show the top keywords for, say, Roto-Rooter’s NYC page or a local competitor.
Even if you don’t use a paid tool, you can glean some by just looking at their site – more on that soon. But many SEO tools give a few free competitor insights if you have their domain. This can validate if the keywords you plan to target are ones competitors are successfully getting traffic from.
Now, using tools effectively means balancing data with your own intuition. Just because a tool shows a keyword doesn’t mean it’s right for you – always ask “Is this relevant to my business?” (ties back to section 1 on relevance).
And remember that volume numbers are estimates, not exact figures. If Keyword Planner says “water heater repair near me” has 210 searches/month in your area, think of it as roughly that ballpark.
Even low-volume keywords (like 20/month) can be valuable if they’re super specific and high intent (e.g., “install dishwasher plumbing NYC” maybe doesn’t get hundreds of searches, but the few that do search it really need that service).
Another big reason to use tools is to find keyword variations and long-tail phrases. “Long-tail” keywords are those longer, specific phrases (usually 3-5 words or more) – they typically have lower search volume individually, but often higher intent and easier competition.
For example, “plumber” by itself is very broad (also someone in another state could search that, not helpful to you). But “24 hour emergency plumber Brooklyn” is a long-tail – fewer people search exactly that each month, but those who do definitely need a plumber in Brooklyn now.
Tools can help you find these longer phrases. Often, dominating lots of long-tail keywords can collectively drive a lot of traffic, and it’s often easier than trying to rank #1 for a single broad term like “plumber” (which giant sites like HomeAdvisor or Angi might dominate).
One caution: while using tools, you might see some tempting high-volume keywords that are unrelated. For instance, a keyword tool might show “plumber salary NYC” or “how to become a plumber in NY” has a lot of searches.
Clearly, those are people looking to get into the trade or curious about salaries, not customers. Unless you have a reason (maybe you run a hiring page or a blog about the industry), those aren’t your target – so you’d ignore them despite volume. This is where your human judgment pairs with tool output.
Lastly, tools can reveal seasonal trends quantitatively. You could confirm that “AC repair” spikes in July (not relevant to pure plumbing, but if you do HVAC too maybe), or that “water heater repair” spikes in winter. If you see that data, you can plan content pushes or Google Ads around those times for those keywords.
Also, the data can support your strategy when explaining to others. If you have a partner or team, showing “Look, according to Google’s tool, over 1,000 people a month search for ‘emergency plumber NYC’ – we need to make sure we appear for that” can build urgency. Or showing that “near me” searches have exploded to 800 million a month across the U.S. emphasizes that optimizing for local searches is key.
In summary, use these tools as your data compass. They’ll help you navigate where the search demand is. Coupled with your own knowledge of your business and customers, you’ll be able to create a target keyword list that is both high-impact (many people searching those terms) and highly relevant.
And one more benefit: tools can also help later when you create content by showing what related terms or questions to cover (making your content more comprehensive). For example, a tool might show that people also search “how much does drain cleaning cost” – so on your drain cleaning page, you might proactively answer that.
This level of thoroughness can set you above competitors, because your page ends up answering more of the user’s questions in one place.
Don’t be intimidated by these tools. Start with the free ones (Google’s own tools, AnswerThePublic), get comfortable, then experiment with an SEO tool’s free trial if you want deeper data.
It’s a bit like using a new gadget in plumbing – the first time might be confusing, but soon it becomes second nature and you wonder how you lived without it!
5. Check Competition
In the bustling world of New York City plumbing, you’re not alone in trying to rank on Google. Dozens (if not hundreds) of other plumbers and big companies are vying for those top spots. That’s why a smart step in keyword research is to check out the competition.
This isn’t about copying them – it’s about learning from what they’re doing right (and wrong), and finding gaps that you can fill.
Start with a simple Google search for some of the main keywords you’re interested in. For example, search “plumber in [your borough or neighborhood]”, like “plumber in Brooklyn Heights” or “Manhattan emergency plumber.” What do you see on the first page? Likely a mix:
perhaps some Google Ads at the top (ignore those for now, they paid to be there), then the Google Maps 3-pack, and then the organic results (the regular listings). In the organic results, you might see some big directory sites like Yelp, Angi (Angie’s List/HomeAdvisor), Thumbtack, etc. You might also see local competitors’ websites (Joe’s Plumbing, Bob’s Plumbing, etc.), and maybe some NYC-specific service websites or even a news article if one went viral (“Top 10 plumbers in NYC” type of thing).
Take notes on who shows up. Are the top spots dominated by massive companies/franchises? Or are there individual local businesses too? For instance, perhaps Roto-Rooter or Rescue Rooter has a strong presence. But often, Google tries to show a few local smaller businesses too, especially in the Map pack. This reconnaissance tells you a few things:
How hard a keyword might be?
If all top results are huge authority sites or directories, it may be tougher (not impossible!) to outrank them. But if you see a few small biz websites ranking, that’s a sign you can compete there with good SEO.
What content ranks?
Click on a couple of competitor websites that rank for important keywords (like “emergency plumber NYC”). What do their pages look like? Do they have a dedicated page about emergency plumbing with the keyword in the title and content? How do they structure it?
Maybe they mention 24/7 service, list quick response times, etc. This can give you ideas on what information Google (and customers) value for that query. If one competitor’s page has a big FAQ section about emergency plumbing, perhaps that helps them rank (and helps customers). You might want to do something similar, but better.
While you’re looking, pay attention to what keywords they seem to be targeting. Often you can tell by the phrasing on their site. If a site’s homepage title says “24/7 Emergency Plumber in New York City – XYZ Plumbing,” it’s clear they target “emergency plumber New York City.”
If their services page has headings like “Drain Cleaning in Brooklyn” or “Water Heater Repair Services,” those are likely keywords. Jot those down if they match your services (and you haven’t already listed them).
You can also use some specific Google search tricks:
The site: operator – for example, search site:competitorwebsite.com plumber to see what pages Google has indexed for them and what terms show up in their snippets. Or site:competitor.com "New York" to find if they have specific pages per location.
Look at their HTML title tags and meta descriptions (these often show in the Google results as the blue link and the snippet). They often literally list keywords there. If a competitor’s snippet says “Serving Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn – Licensed Plumber, 20 Years Experience” – they’re clearly trying to catch borough names. That’s a hint that maybe having borough-specific pages or at least mentions could help.
Consider tools for competitor analysis: As mentioned, tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs can show the top keywords a competitor ranks for.
For example, you could plug in a well-known NYC plumbing site and discover that they rank highly for “boiler repair NYC,” or “sump pump installation Bronx,” or things you might not have thought of. Some tools might show this in a free version or trial.
Even without a paid tool, you can manually search some of those terms to verify if that competitor appears – confirming that keyword is part of their strategy.
What to look for specifically:
Services they highlight: Do they have separate pages for each service (e.g., one page for drain cleaning, one for water heaters, one for bathroom plumbing, etc.)? If yes, that’s likely because each service can target its own keywords. You might want to do the same if you haven’t.
Locations they target: NYC is huge. Some companies create pages like “Plumber in Manhattan”, “Plumber in Queens”, etc. If you serve multiple boroughs, you might consider pages or at least sections of content for each, to capture those location-specific searches. However, be careful: don’t create thin, duplicate pages just swapping out neighborhood names – Google doesn’t like that. But you can have genuinely useful pages for different areas (mentioning you know the local building types, traffic, how quickly you can reach, etc. – things that show you’re truly local to that area).
Content length and quality: Are your competitors writing in-depth content or just a few lines? For example, Moz (an SEO company) often advises that more comprehensive content tends to rank better, because it answers more of the user’s questions. If you see all the top-ranking pages for “water heater repair NYC” are 1,000+ words with tips, signs of water heater issues, FAQs, etc., and your page is only 200 words, you likely need to beef up your content to compete.
Use of media or trust signals: Do they show before/after pictures, customer testimonials, badges (like “Licensed Master Plumber” or awards)? Those might not directly affect keywords, but they affect user behavior (which can indirectly affect SEO if users stay on their site longer or choose them more). If everyone prominent has “⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-star rated on Yelp” visible, that might be something to highlight as well (assuming you have good reviews).
A key part of this is to find opportunities they missed. Maybe you notice none of the top sites have a blog post about a certain common problem (like “preventing frozen pipes NYC”). That could be something you create to stand out and attract that search.
Or perhaps none of them explicitly mention “24-hour plumber” on their homepage even if they offer it – if you do, make sure you emphasize it (some folks search “24 hr plumber” specifically). Find those gaps.
Competition check also extends to looking at online reviews and Q&A about competitors. See what customers mention: Do many reviews say “I searched for an emergency plumber and glad I found X” – that confirms people search “emergency plumber”.
Or do they ask on forums “Can anyone recommend a plumber in Queens who does sewer camera inspection?” – aha, “sewer camera inspection” might be a keyword if you offer that service, which competitors might not be advertising clearly.
Another aspect: check directory sites like Yelp or Angi for top keywords. Yelp might list common search phrases (like when you’re on Yelp it says “People also searched for...”). Or simply note the categories they use (e.g., Yelp might categorize under “Plumbing, Water Heater Installation, Hydro-jetting” etc. – those categories are essentially keywords).
It’s also worth searching beyond Google: try Bing for the same keywords (some older clientele use Bing or voice search via Alexa which uses Bing). Bing results might differ slightly, and maybe a competitor that’s not on Google first page is on Bing’s first page.
If so, investigate why (maybe their site is particularly Microsoft-friendly, or just less competition there – could be an opportunity to list on Bing Places too for local).
While checking competition, you might find something interesting about behavior: For example, if Yelp is always number 1 or 2 for certain searches, you might consider getting more reviews on Yelp or ensuring your Yelp listing is well-optimized, because many people might click that first and then pick a plumber from there.
Same with HomeAdvisor/Angi – if those dominate, being listed there could help you get indirect leads. However, for our purposes, we focus on your own site’s keyword strategy to try to bypass these middlemen and get direct leads.
Keep in mind the stat we cited earlier: 47% of Google’s local organic results are business websites, 31% are directories.
This means roughly half the slots are actual local businesses’ own sites – you want to be among that group. Directories will take a chunk of spots, but they don’t answer specific questions as well as you can on your own site.
If you produce superior, relevant content, you can outrank some directories for long-tail queries. For instance, Yelp might rank for “plumber Brooklyn”, but maybe you can rank for “tankless water heater installer Brooklyn” because that’s more niche and Yelp’s page isn’t specifically about that.
Also, recall: 92% of people choose a business from the first page. That implies if your competitor is there and you’re not, they’re probably getting the call. But this also means many plumbers not on page 1 get almost no online leads.
By doing keyword research and SEO, you’re trying to leapfrog ahead. Keep the competitive fire: if others can do it, you can too, perhaps by being more focused or more localized or just providing better info.
One more angle – look at competitors’ Google Business Profiles (the listings in Google Maps). What keywords appear in their reviews? Sometimes, customers mention things like “XYZ Plumbing fixed my water heater” or “quick emergency service”.
Google’s algorithm does consider review content for local ranking (and certainly users read them). If you notice competitors’ reviews highlighting certain services, that hints those services are common and valued, you should ensure your keyword strategy covers those as well.
In summary, checking the competition ensures you’re not flying blind. It’s like if you were opening a new shop on a street – you’d walk the street to see what other shops are doing, where foot traffic goes, how they attract customers.
On Google’s “street”, you do the same digitally. Learn from their successes, avoid their mistakes, and aim to differentiate. If all competitors provide generic info, you provide detailed, friendly guidance. If competitors ignore a certain borough or service, you become the go-to for that.
And importantly, if a competitor is doing something exceptionally well (say, ranking #1 consistently for many plumbing terms), analyze them deeply – their site architecture, their content, their backlinks, perhaps. They’ve cracked the SEO puzzle, so reverse-engineering it teaches you.
Remember, SEO is a long game but also an open-book test in some ways – the answers of what works are out there on the search results; you just have to read them and do it better. As Simon Sinek might put it, understanding why your competitors rank (their strategy) can inspire you to innovate on how you approach your own keyword targeting.
6. Check Relevancy
At this point, you might have a hefty list of potential keywords from your brainstorming, customer thinking, tool research, and competitor analysis. Now comes a crucial reality check: relevancy. Not all keywords are worth pursuing, even if they have high search volume or even if your competitors use them.
You want to focus on terms that are relevant to your actual business and the services you provide. This might sound straightforward, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to get lured by a shiny high-volume keyword that doesn’t actually fit what you do.
Why is relevancy so important? Because attracting visitors who aren’t actually looking for what you offer is a lose-lose. They come to your site, realize you don’t have what they need, and leave immediately – this is called “bouncing.”
A high bounce rate is bad for two reasons: one, it means no conversion (they didn’t call you or fill a form), and two, it can signal to Google that your page wasn’t useful for that search, potentially hurting your ranking over time.
In local search, relevance is one of Google’s key ranking factors for map listings too – Google’s own guideline says businesses that best match what someone’s searching for are more likely to be shown. It’s common sense: if your website clearly matches the query, you’ll do better than if it’s only tangentially related.
So, go through your keyword list and filter out anything that doesn’t align with what you do. For example:
If you saw keywords like “plumbing classes NYC” or “plumber union NYC” or “DIY plumbing tips” – unless you specifically offer training or are writing a DIY blog series, these aren’t relevant to your goal of getting plumbing clients. They might bring traffic, but not customers.
If you only do residential plumbing, then keywords like “commercial plumber” or “industrial plumbing NYC” are not relevant – skip those.
If you don’t handle gas line work (maybe you’re not certified for that), avoid targeting “gas plumber NYC” or similar.
If you don’t offer 24/7 service, then “emergency plumber” might not be truly relevant (even though you might be tempted because it’s high intent – but you don’t want calls at 3 AM if you can’t answer them). In that case, maybe focus on keywords without that if you only work business hours.
Check location relevance: If you never go to Staten Island or the Bronx, don’t try to rank for those place names. It might draw someone from there, and when they call, you’d have to turn them down – wasting their time and yours. (And maybe earning a bad impression.)
It’s also a good time to revisit the user intent behind each keyword and see if it matches what you offer. We’ll delve deeper into intent in the next section, but relevance and intent are closely tied.
For instance, a keyword “how to fix a leaky faucet” is relevant to plumbing broadly, but the intent is someone wanting to fix it themselves. You could target it with a helpful guide (to build trust, as content marketing), but know that query isn’t directly someone looking to hire you right now.
Meanwhile “leaky faucet repair service” has the intent of hiring. Both are relevant to your service (you do fix faucets), but the intent differs. So you might keep both but handle them differently on your site (one as a blog post, one as a service page).
When checking relevancy, consider also your service areas. Many keyword tools might give you suggestions for areas outside your range, especially if they know you’re in NYC they might still list “plumber New Jersey” or something.
Unless you’re licensed in NJ and willing to go there, those are out. Google’s algorithm also uses something called “distance” for local queries – it tends to show businesses that are physically close to the searcher. If you optimize for an area you’re not in, even if someone there sees your site, they might realize you’re far away and skip you (or Google might not rank you high to begin with for that area’s searches).
It’s usually best to target primarily the areas you truly serve and maybe some neighboring ones if you’re on the border or willing to travel.
Another aspect of relevancy: the specificity of the keyword vs the scope of your services. For example, say a keyword “sump pump installation Queens” shows up. Do you do sump pump installs?
If yes, great – relevant. If you rarely do them or don’t want to focus on that, you might not prioritize it. Sometimes plumbing overlaps with other trades (like some plumbers also do a bit of sprinkler systems or bathroom remodeling or appliance installation).
If you don’t want certain kinds of jobs, you don’t need to optimize for those keywords. Focus on what you want more of. It’s okay to “say no” to a keyword if it’s not the kind of work you want, even if you could technically do it. Your marketing should attract your ideal jobs.
To illustrate the importance of staying relevant, consider this: 62% of consumers will disregard a business if they find incorrect or misleading information online.
If your site pops up for “water damage restoration” because you mentioned it in passing, but you’re not actually a water damage restoration company (which is often a separate service, though related to plumbing disasters), users will feel misled and leave – they’ll disregard you for not being what they sought.
Or if your Google Business Profile or website claims a service you don’t actually provide, it can lead to bad reviews or frustration. It’s always better to be transparent and clear about what you do.
Quality over quantity is the mantra here. It’s more valuable to have 50 visits a month that turn into 5 calls, than 500 visits that turn into 0 calls because those visitors weren’t looking for what you really offer.
Relevance is directly tied to conversion. Highly relevant traffic means the person finds exactly what they searched for on your site – they’re likely to stick around, read, and contact you. Less relevant traffic just inflates your website numbers but not your business.
A good practice is to map each keyword to a specific page or content on your site. If you can’t figure out where on your site a keyword would naturally fit, it might be a sign it’s not relevant or you need to create a new page for it.
For example, you have a page for “Drain Cleaning Service” that covers clogs, etc., which targets various clog-related keywords. If you have a keyword “sewer camera inspection NYC” and you do that, you might need a page about your sewer camera inspection service because it’s a unique thing.
But if a keyword is “free plumbing consultation NYC” and you don’t offer free consultations explicitly, you wouldn’t target that (or you’d decide to offer it if you see value, but don’t just throw the phrase on your site without actually offering it – that’s misleading).
Also, recall that Google’s ranking algorithm looks at page content relevance heavily. It tries to match the search query with the best possible page.
If your page is about water heater repair and you try to also rank it for something unrelated like kitchen remodeling, it won’t do well for the unrelated term because the content doesn’t satisfy that. Keep your pages focused on a topic and target the relevant keywords for that topic on that page.
In SEO, we often say “one primary keyword (or a set of very closely related ones) per page” as a guideline. Don’t try to cram every keyword onto your homepage; instead, distribute them logically.
Your homepage might target “plumber in New York City” generally and convey your brand and main services. Then have subpages for specifics – each of those should stick to their relevant niche.
In short, as you refine your list, strike out the off-target keywords. You can always keep a separate list of “maybe later” or blog ideas if you want to address some broader things for content marketing, but your core SEO efforts should hone in on what you truly do and what brings you business.
Staying relevant is how you ensure that once people find you through a search, they feel “Yes, this is exactly what I needed,” and that’s the first step to turning them into a satisfied customer.
(Fun analogy: If keyword research is like fishing for customers, then relevance is using the right bait. If you use bait that attracts the wrong kind of fish, you’ll get nibblers you can’t actually catch. Use the bait that attracts the fish you want to catch!)
One more pro tip: Regularly revisit your keyword list for relevance over time. Your business might evolve – maybe you start offering a new service, or stop offering one. Make sure your SEO targets evolve too.
And monitor what kind of searches actually lead people to you (via Search Console). If you see you’re getting visitors for something irrelevant, consider adjusting your content to clarify (so Google might not send those folks as much, or if it’s a misunderstanding, clarify so those visitors actually find what they need on your site).
Alright, we’ve trimmed our keywords to the most relevant ones. The final check (and perhaps the most nuanced) is understanding the intent behind those searches and making sure our content aligns with that. Let’s dive into that next.
7. Check Intent of Keywords
We touched on this earlier, but now let’s focus: Search intent is the why behind a query – what is the searcher really looking to do or get? In keyword research, understanding intent is like unlocking the secret to satisfying the searcher (and thus satisfying Google, which wants to serve up the most relevant content for the intent).
There are generally a few categories of intent:
Informational: The user wants information or answers. (e.g., “Why is my water pressure low?”)
Navigational: The user wants to go to a specific website or page. (e.g., “Roto-Rooter NYC website” – not as relevant for our targeting, since they already know the company.)
Commercial Investigation: The user is researching with the intent to maybe buy/hire, but comparing or learning more before decision. (e.g., “best plumbing company in NYC”, “tankless vs traditional water heater”, “plumber reviews Queens”)
Transactional (or Direct Hire intent): The user is ready to act – they want to purchase or contact someone for a service. (e.g., “call emergency plumber now”, “schedule drain cleaning service Manhattan”).
For a plumber’s keyword strategy, transactional and commercial intent keywords are typically the most directly valuable – they lead to conversions (calls, bookings). Informational can be valuable too as part of a longer funnel or to draw in people who might convert later, plus to establish your authority and SEO presence. But you usually want to distinguish them because you handle them differently on your site.
Take each keyword (or group of similar ones) on your refined list and ask: “What is the person who searches this actually trying to do?”
If the keyword is “emergency plumber near me”, the intent is crystal clear: they have an emergency and need a plumber immediately. They likely want to call someone right now. The content that best serves this intent is a page that immediately shows you offer emergency plumbing, with a big phone number “24/7 Emergency Service – Call Now” and maybe reassurance like “We arrive within 1 hour” etc. They don’t want to read a long blog; they want to see you’re available now. If your emergency plumber page started with a 500-word essay on the history of plumbing emergencies, you’d likely lose them. Instead, you’d cut to the chase: “Got a burst pipe or severe leak? We offer 24/7 emergency plumbing in NYC. [Phone number]. We’ll dispatch a technician immediately.” Then you can have more details below for SEO, but the top should match that urgent intent.
If the keyword is “how to fix a dripping faucet”, the intent is informational/DIY. They aren’t immediately looking to hire; they want a solution or advice. The best content might be a step-by-step guide or a short video or an article with troubleshooting tips. Now, as a plumber who ultimately wants business, you might still cater to this intent by providing a helpful guide (maybe titled “How to Fix a Dripping Faucet – 5 Steps from a NYC Plumber”). Within that, you can say, “If you follow these steps and the drip persists, it might be time to call a professional.” You’ve helped them, and if they can’t solve it or don’t want to, who will they think of? The helpful plumber who wrote the guide – you. This way, an informational intent query could lead to a conversion down the line or at least build your brand trust. But you wouldn’t put this info on a main service page; it might belong on a blog or FAQ.
If the keyword is “water heater repair cost NYC”, the intent is commercial investigation. They’re probably trying to figure out how much they might need to pay, possibly comparing providers or deciding whether to repair or replace. The best approach could be a blog post or a service page section that discusses costs openly: e.g., “Water Heater Repair Cost in NYC – What to Expect.” If most competitors hide pricing, you providing even a range or factors affecting cost could attract and please users. A statistic here: people often search cost-related queries; being transparent can build trust. (By the way, make sure to update such info if prices change or at least give updated ranges. You could cite something like “According to HomeAdvisor, the average plumbing job in NYC ranges from $X to $Y” if you find a stat, or provide your own typical range.)
If the keyword is “best plumber in New York City” or “plumber NYC reviews”, the intent is people want assurance of quality – possibly they’re looking for lists or top-rated companies. Google might show lists (like “10 Best Plumbers in NYC [Local Newspaper]”) or show Google Maps listing with high review stars. To capture this, you’d want your Google reviews to shine (so work on getting good reviews). On your site, you might not put “we are the best” (everyone says that), but you can highlight your 5-star rating, customer testimonials, awards, etc. While not a single “keyword” to target on a page, optimizing for being seen as “the best” is about reputation. Also, ensure your page titles and content reflect that you are a top-quality plumber in NYC. If you have any accolades or membership (like “Top Rated on HomeAdvisor 2025”), mention it.
Now, how to use intent practically:
Match the content format to intent. For hiring intent (transactional), you want pages that drive action – clear service pages with contact info, maybe a quote form, phone numbers, and trust signals (like licenses, experience, testimonials) to encourage them to choose you. For informational, you might have blog articles, how-to guides, tip lists – content that informs without immediately selling. For commercial investigative, maybe comparison content (e.g., “Why choose tankless water heater – pros and cons” or “Plumbing vs Drain Service – which to call for a clog?”) to help them decide (with a nudge towards your service if appropriate).
Use the right tone and depth. Someone searching “emergency plumber now” doesn’t want to scroll a lot; they want quick reassurance and then a phone call. Someone searching “how to unclog a drain naturally” might be willing to read an entire article or watch a video.
Include calls-to-action appropriately. Even on an informational page, you can have a gentle CTA like “Need professional help? Our NYC plumbers are just a call away.” But the page should primarily fulfill the informational need first. On a transactional page, your CTA is front and center (“Call now for service” etc.).
Google has become very good at detecting intent and delivering accordingly. For example, if you search a question, you’ll often see a quick answer or an article; if you search a service, you see listings and ads.
So when optimizing, think “Would my page be exactly what Google wants to show for this query’s intent?” If someone searches “plumbing maintenance tips,” Google likely shows blogs or checklists, not a “Book service now” page.
Conversely, if someone searches “plumbing service near me,” Google shows the map pack and service pages. So tailor your page to fit that mold.
One interesting stat: 18% of local smartphone searches lead to a purchase within a day, showing how fast transactional intent can convert, while more general searches might not convert at all immediately.
Also, 51% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product through a search, which means your informational content can be a discovery path for new clients who weren’t directly searching for a plumber to hire but stumbled on your helpful info and kept you in mind.
Let’s ensure some examples for clarity:
Transactional Intent Example: “24 hour plumber Bronx”. Intent: hire now. Your strategy: Have a page titled “24-Hour Emergency Plumber – Bronx, NYC” optimized for that. On that page, immediately say “Emergency Plumbing in the Bronx – Call 24/7 [Phone].” Talk about how you handle burst pipes, no heat, etc., in the Bronx specifically (mention quick response in Bronx neighborhoods, understanding of old Bronx buildings plumbing, whatever local touch). Add maybe a quick testimonial: “They came at 2 AM and saved the day!” to build trust. This page lives to convert an urgent user.
Informational Intent Example: “DIY drain cleaning vs professional”. Intent: learn if they can DIY or should hire. Strategy: Write a blog post “Clogged Drain: DIY Fixes vs. Calling a Professional Plumber” where you list safe DIY methods (plunger, baking soda & vinegar, etc.), and then explain when those might not be enough (e.g., main line clogs, recurring clogs) and why a professional with a snake or hydro-jet might be needed. End with a gentle pitch: “If you’re in NYC and your drain just won’t unclog, our team is here to help 24/7.” This educates and guides the decision.
Commercial Intent Example: “tankless water heater vs traditional cost savings”. Intent: they are considering options before hiring anyone. Strategy: perhaps a page on your site “Tankless vs Traditional Water Heaters: A NYC Perspective.” Explain pros/cons, costs in NYC context (e.g., energy costs here, space saving in small apartments, etc.). By doing so, you capture those researching. And since you install water heaters, you can say, “When you’re ready to upgrade or need advice, contact us for a consultation.” Now you’ve engaged them in their research phase; when they decide to act, you have a foot in the door.
Check the intent alignment for each keyword and corresponding page. If you find a mismatch, adjust the content or focus. For example, if you realize you tried to optimize your homepage for an informational query, maybe that effort is better spent on a blog page.
Or if a service page is not converting, maybe you put too much info and not enough direct call-to-action – perhaps you treated a transactional query too much like an informational one.
A classic failure of intent alignment is something like this: A user searches “water heater troubleshooting” (intent: fix it themselves or diagnose).
They click a result that is actually a plumber’s service page that only says “We fix water heaters, call us.” The user is like, “This doesn’t help me troubleshoot, I’ll hit back.” That plumber page might have ranked because of decent SEO, but it didn’t satisfy the intent, so the user left (and Google notices quick bounces).
Over time, Google might drop that page in rankings because it wasn’t fulfilling the searcher’s need. It’s better if that plumber had a troubleshooting guide (informational) for that query. Alternatively, if the query was “water heater repair service”, the user wants that service page. See how the nuance works?
Aiming to meet intent also often means covering related questions on the page. For a transactional page, the related intent might be questions like “Do they service my area? Are they licensed?
How fast can they come? How much might it cost?” Answering those on the page (in an FAQ section perhaps) helps satisfy the intent fully. For an informational page, related intents might be other questions the user will have next – e.g., after reading how to troubleshoot, they might wonder “how much if I call someone?” or “where to buy replacement parts” – you can address some of that or again gently guide to your services for convenience.
In fact, Google’s “People Also Ask” questions that show up can guide you on intent fulfillment. If you target “water heater repair NYC” and see PAAs like “How much does it cost to replace a water heater in NYC?” or “What causes a water heater to stop working?”,
Consider answering those on your page. That way, whether the user wanted a service or just initial info, your page gives both – thus satisfying both immediate hire intent and the investigative intent in one place. Backlinko found that comprehensive content that touches on multiple related intents tends to rank well because it keeps users engaged.
To tie it back to Simon Sinek’s style: always ask “Why is the person searching this? What is their deeper need or question?” That’s the why (intent).
Then ensure your content (the how and what you provide) addresses that why fully. If you respect the user’s intent at every step, you build trust. They feel “this site gets what I was looking for.”
And that feeling often precedes them picking up the phone to call you because you’ve already been helpful or at least straight-to-the-point in the way they wanted.
Alright! We’ve gone through all seven key steps: from understanding your business and customers to thinking like them, using tools, spying on competitors, and making sure your chosen keywords are relevant and intent-aligned.
Now, let’s wrap this up with some actionable next steps and a concise meta description and SEO title that could be used for this article if it were on your website.
Conclusion & Next Steps
You’ve now learned the WHY and HOW of effective keyword research for your plumbing business. By understanding your own services deeply and empathizing with your customers’ thoughts, you’re positioned to choose keywords that truly connect you with the right clients.
We explored how to use powerful (yet often free) tools to gather data and how to spy on competitors to outshine them. We emphasized always staying relevant, focusing on what you actually do, and tailoring your content to the real intent behind each search query.
This might feel like a lot of information (it is!), but remember: the goal is simple. You want a New Yorker with a plumbing problem to find your business as the clear and helpful solution. Every tip in this guide ladders up to that goal.
What should you do next? Here are some actionable next steps to turn this knowledge into results:
List Your Core Services & Unique Selling Points: Write down everything your business offers (e.g., drain cleaning, water heater repair, emergency service, etc.) and what makes you stand out (24/7 availability, 20+ years of experience, local knowledge of NYC buildings, etc.). This will guide your keyword focus and content tone.
Brainstorm Customer Queries: For each service, imagine at least 5 different things a customer might search. Use the questions we posed: If I have X problem, what would I type into Google? Involve your team or even ask a couple of friendly customers what they would search – you might get terms you hadn’t thought of.
Use Google Auto-Suggest and Related Searches: Take those brainstormed ideas to Google and see what it suggests. Note down any interesting additional keywords (especially long-tail phrases or common questions).
Check Google Keyword Planner or a Free SEO Tool: Input your main keywords, filter to New York City if possible, and record the search volumes and any new suggestions. Identify which terms have high volume and high relevance. Don’t ignore those modest volume long-tail terms – they often convert great.
Study the Competition: Google the top 5-10 keywords you plan to target. Note who’s on page one. Visit their sites – what keywords are they clearly targeting? How can you make your content more useful or more specific than theirs? Jot down ideas like “Competitor A has a good FAQ on drain clogs – I will also include an FAQ but even more detailed.”
Prioritize Your Keyword List: By now you might have dozens of keywords. Rank them by importance: consider search volume, relevancy, and intent. For example, “plumber near me” (high volume, high intent) is a priority; “how to fix a dripping faucet” (medium volume, informational intent) is secondary – good for a blog but not as a main service page priority. Aim to have a core set of primary keywords for your main pages, and a secondary set for blog topics or later expansion.
Map Keywords to Pages: Decide which page on your website will target which keywords. Often it’s one main topic per page. E.g., your homepage might target “Plumber in New York City” and related general terms; a dedicated “Emergency Plumbing” page targets those urgent queries; a “Drain Cleaning” page targets clog-related terms, etc. If you find a high-value keyword that doesn’t fit any existing page, plan to create a new page or post for it.
Optimize Your Pages: Now edit or create the content. Use the keywords in the page title, headings, and naturally throughout the text. But write for humans first – keep that 8-year-old-friendly tone in mind. Explain things clearly and include calls to action where appropriate. For local SEO, make sure to mention NYC and the specific areas you serve on the page (e.g., list neighborhoods or boroughs, so Google knows you’re relevant locally). Add stats or trust signals we discussed (did you know showing a trust badge or a statistic can improve credibility? Yes – like citing that 80% of consumers search weekly for local businesses can even be something you mention in a blog to emphasize your point).
Address User Intent in Content: As you optimize, double-check that each page’s content style matches the intent. Service pages should be straightforward and conversion-oriented. Blog posts can be narrative and detailed. Always answer common questions (maybe add a small FAQ section on service pages for related queries like “Do you charge extra for nights?” etc., because answering those can both help SEO and reduce pre-call anxiety for customers).
Monitor and Adjust: After implementing, use Google Search Console to see what queries you start appearing for and which pages get clicks. It may take a little time (SEO is a gradual process, though local SEO can sometimes see improvements in weeks if done right). If you see queries you didn’t target coming in and they’re relevant, consider adding content to better serve them. If some important keywords aren’t performing, revisit those pages – maybe competitors are outdoing you in content depth or you need more internal/external links, etc.
Get Reviews and Citations: Parallel to on-page keyword work, remember that Google’s local results also factor in reviews and business listings. Encourage happy customers to leave Google reviews (keywords in reviews can actually help a bit, and a volume of positive reviews definitely helps your local ranking). Ensure your Google Business Profile is complete with correct categories (e.g., Plumber, Emergency Plumber, etc.) and that your business name, address, phone (NAP) is consistent across the web. These aren’t “keywords” in the traditional sense, but if someone searches your specific name or “best plumber [area]”, having those solid reviews and profiles will seal the deal.
Each of these steps moves you closer to a strong online presence that attracts the right customers. SEO isn’t a one-time task but an ongoing learning and refining process. Keep an eye on industry blogs (like Moz, HubSpot, Ahrefs) for SEO tips, but as we aimed to do here, always translate general advice to your situation (plumbing in NYC).
By making your content more useful and actionable than generic SEO advice out there, you’re not just appeasing algorithms – you’re genuinely helping people. And Google rewards that. So does word-of-mouth; someone who found your great drain tip article might share it on social media or nextdoor, saying “This plumber’s site had really helpful info,” which can bring even more visitors.
Finally, here’s a pep talk: Plumbers might think “I fix pipes, why do I need to worry about Google stuff?” But in a city where so many compete and so many residents rely on the internet, mastering keyword research and SEO is like having the brightest sign on the street. It directs people to your door.
You already have the skills to solve their plumbing problems – now make sure they can find you online to let you use those skills. Remember the stat: 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else. That means your online presence could be the first impression for nearly all your new customers. Let’s make that impression count.