Your phone isn’t ringing like it should. You’ve got the skills, the experience, and the happy customers—but somehow, your competitors keep outranking you. Worse? Some of them aren’t even that great at plumbing.
You’ve built a website, created a Google Business Profile, and maybe even dabbled in Facebook ads—but the leads just aren’t flowing. Sound painfully familiar?
Here’s the cold, hard truth: homeowners with clogged drains and leaky pipes are searching for services like yours right now, but they’re finding your competitors instead. Why? Because those competitors are ranking for the right plumbing keywords—the ones that actually turn into real calls, bookings, and revenue.
That’s exactly what you’ll get today: 144 carefully researched plumbing keywords, including 91 low-competition opportunities that represent your fastest path to ranking success.
Using professional SEO tools (SEMRush & Ahrefs), I’ve analyzed over 7,000 plumbing-related keywords, with a combined search volume exceeding 2.5 million monthly searches.
After crunching the numbers and filtering out the noise, I’ve distilled this massive dataset into 135 high-potential keywords across 14 strategic categories.
Why These Plumber Keywords Matter (And Why You’re Missing Out)
After 20 years in SEO consulting, I’ve watched countless plumbing businesses waste thousands of dollars targeting vanity keywords that drive zero revenue. The problem isn’t a lack of effort—it’s a lack of strategy.
Most plumbers focus solely on ranking for “plumber + city name” and call it a day. While those terms are important, they represent just a tiny fraction of your potential market. In reality, homeowners search for specific problems:
- “toilet won’t stop running”
- “water heater leaking”
- “sewer smell in the basement”
These problem-specific keywords convert 2-3x better than generic terms because they attract homeowners ready to hire. Let’s break down the categories and keywords that will turn your website into a lead-generating machine.
1. General Plumbing
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
plumber | 165,000 | High |
plumbing company | 18,100 | Moderate |
plumbing services | 18,100 | Moderate |
plumbing service | 9,900 | Moderate |
plumbing companies | 12,100 | Moderate |
plumber services | 12,100 | Moderate |
plumber service | 6,600 | Moderate |
2. Emergency Plumbing
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
emergency plumber | 33,100 | Easy |
emergency plumbing | 14,800 | Easy |
24 hour plumber | 8,100 | Easy |
24 hour plumbing | 5,400 | Easy |
plumbing emergency | 4,400 | Moderate |
emergency plumbing services | 3,600 | Easy |
24/7 plumber | 2,400 | Easy |
24 hours plumbing | 2,400 | Easy |
24/7 plumbing | 1,600 | Easy |
same day plumbing | 1,000 | Moderate |
📍 IMPORTANT
This comprehensive plumbing keyword data delivers powerful search insights into what homeowners are actively looking for. However, it’s essential to customize this information to your specific plumbing business reality. Generic keyword lists can’t account for your:
🔹 Your Current Rankings – Your starting point matters tremendously. Whether you’re a new plumbing operation with no online presence, have modest rankings for a few terms, or already dominate certain searches will dictate your keyword strategy. Startups need a fundamentally different approach than established plumbing companies with existing organic traffic.
🔹 Marketing Bandwidth – Your available budget, team capabilities, content creation resources, and capacity for link building directly impact which keywords you can realistically target and your timeline for ranking success. A one-truck operation needs different targets than a plumbing company with dedicated marketing staff.
🔹 Technical Specializations – Your specific expertise should shape keyword prioritization. Are you primarily focused on residential service calls, commercial installations, remodeling projects, or specialized services like backflow certification? Each specialty demands unique keyword strategies aligned with your technical strengths.
🔹 Service Profitability – Your service menu influences keyword selection, but only you know which services generate your highest margins. Whether it’s water heater installations, sewer line replacements, or maintenance contracts, your understanding of profit margins should guide which keywords receive priority attention.
🔹 Local Competitor Landscape – Understanding who you’re competing against in search results—national franchises, established local plumbers, or aggressive new market entrants—significantly influences feasible keyword difficulty levels and content strategy requirements.
Every plumbing business operates within unique market conditions, with specific service capabilities and competitive pressures that demand tailored keyword targeting.
While these 144 keywords provide a robust foundation for your plumbing SEO strategy, achieving meaningful rankings that generate qualified leads requires a customized approach that aligns with your specific business model and local market dynamics.
Done-For-You Plumbing Keyword Research
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Every term your target prospects search
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3. Residential Plumbing
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
residential plumbing | 2,400 | Moderate |
residential plumbing services | 1,300 | Moderate |
does home insurance cover plumbing | 1,300 | Moderate |
double sink plumbing | 880 | Easy |
residential plumber | 720 | Easy |
home plumbing | 590 | High |
4. Commercial Plumbing
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
commercial plumbing | 18,100 | Moderate |
commercial plumber | 6,600 | Moderate |
commercial plumbing contractors | 720 | Easy |
business plumbing | 590 | Easy |
industrial plumbing | 590 | Easy |
commercial plumbing companies | 480 | Easy |
commercial plumbing service | 480 | Easy |
commercial plumbing repair | 260 | Easy |
commercial plumbing contractor | 210 | Easy |
5. Plumbing Repairs
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
plumbing repair | 12,100 | Moderate |
plumbing leak repair | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumbing and repairs | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumbing repair services | 1,000 | Moderate |
6. Drain Problems
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
clogged drain | 33,100 | Easy |
drain cleaning | 8,100 | Moderate |
drain flies | 6,600 | Easy |
hair clog drain | 5,400 | Easy |
standing water in shower | 4,400 | Easy |
slow draining sink | 2,900 | Easy |
drain backing up | 2,400 | Easy |
drain pipe leaking | 1,900 | Easy |
7. Toilet Issues
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
clogged toilet | 27,100 | Easy |
toilet repair | 14,800 | Easy |
toilet leaking | 6,600 | Easy |
toilet won’t flush | 5,400 | Easy |
toilet running | 4,400 | Easy |
toilet keeps running | 2,400 | Easy |
8. Sewer
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
sewer backup | 8,100 | Easy |
sewer cleanout | 8,100 | Easy |
sewer cleaning | 6,600 | Moderate |
sewer smell in house | 5,400 | Easy |
sewer gas smell | 4,400 | Easy |
sewer pipe repair | 3,600 | Moderate |
sewer line replacement | 2,900 | Moderate |
sewer line blockage | 1,900 | Easy |
sewer drain clogged | 1,600 | Easy |
sewer rodding | 1,600 | Easy |
sewer scope | 1,600 | Easy |
sewer line repair cost | 1,300 | Easy |
sewer camera inspection | 1,300 | Easy |
sewer backup in basement | 1,000 | Easy |
9. Hot Water
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
water heater installation | 18,100 | Moderate |
water heater replacement | 12,100 | Moderate |
no hot water | 6,600 | Easy |
hot water not working | 5,400 | Easy |
water heater leaking | 4,400 | Easy |
water heater maintenance | 2,900 | Easy |
hot water not hot enough | 1,000 | Easy |
10. Leak-Related Problems
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
water leak | 22,200 | Moderate |
pipe leak | 14,800 | Moderate |
leaking pipe | 9,900 | Easy |
water leak detection | 8,100 | Moderate |
pipe leak repair | 6,600 | Easy |
leaky faucet | 5,400 | Easy |
water leak under house | 3,600 | Easy |
leaking toilet base | 2,900 | Easy |
water leak in wall | 2,400 | Easy |
leak under sink | 1,900 | Easy |
water pipe burst | 1,600 | Easy |
hidden water leak | 1,300 | Easy |
ceiling water leak | 1,000 | Easy |
leak detection service | 1,000 | Moderate |
water leak emergency | 880 | Easy |
11. Pipe Issues
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
frozen pipes | 14,800 | Easy |
burst pipe | 9,900 | Easy |
pipe insulation | 6,600 | Easy |
noisy pipes | 5,400 | Easy |
pipe corrosion | 4,400 | Easy |
water pipe replacement | 3,600 | Moderate |
copper pipe repair | 2,900 | Easy |
water hammer pipes | 1,900 | Easy |
pex pipe repair | 1,600 | Easy |
water pipe making noise | 1,300 | Easy |
rattling pipes | 1,000 | Easy |
12. Septic Tank
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
septic tank pumping | 14,800 | Moderate |
septic tank maintenance | 6,600 | Easy |
septic tank problems | 5,400 | Easy |
septic smell in house | 4,400 | Easy |
septic tank backing up | 3,600 | Easy |
septic system repair | 2,900 | Easy |
septic tank full | 2,400 | Easy |
septic tank failure | 1,900 | Easy |
septic leach field | 1,600 | Easy |
septic alarm going off | 1,300 | Easy |
septic tank inspection | 1,000 | Moderate |
septic tank replacement cost | 880 | Moderate |
13. Water Pressure
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
low water pressure | 33,100 | Easy |
water pressure regulator | 18,100 | Easy |
increase water pressure | 9,900 | Easy |
water pressure booster pump | 6,600 | Easy |
water pressure problems | 5,400 | Easy |
water pressure gauge | 4,400 | Easy |
high water pressure | 3,600 | Easy |
low water pressure shower | 2,900 | Easy |
low water pressure in house | 2,400 | Easy |
water pressure tank | 1,900 | Easy |
water pressure too high | 1,600 | Easy |
faucet low water pressure | 1,300 | Easy |
well water pressure problems | 1,000 | Easy |
water pressure dropping | 880 | Easy |
water pressure fluctuating | 720 | Easy |
14. City-Specific Plumbing Keywords
Keyword | Monthly Search Volume | Competition |
plumber austin | 2,900 | Moderate |
plumber phoenix az | 2,900 | Moderate |
plumber houston | 2,400 | Moderate |
plumber san diego | 2,400 | Moderate |
plumber seattle | 2,400 | Moderate |
plumber denver | 1,900 | Moderate |
plumber dallas | 1,900 | Moderate |
plumber san antonio | 1,900 | Moderate |
plumber chicago | 1,900 | High |
plumber tucson | 1,600 | Moderate |
plumber las vegas | 1,600 | Moderate |
plumber atlanta | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumber los angeles | 1,300 | High |
plumber miami | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumber portland | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumber sacramento | 1,300 | Moderate |
plumbing houston | 1,300 | High |
dallas plumbing | 1,000 | Moderate |
denver plumbing | 1,000 | Moderate |
kansas city plumbing | 1,000 | Moderate |
Skip the Costly Trial-and-Error Approach
Get personalized keyword research for your plumbing business to drive targeted traffic and leads.
Unlimited Keywords
All keywords across the entire customer buying lifecycle
Custom Strategy
SEO roadmap built on your keyword rankings & revenue potential
Save Time & Money
120+ hrs. and $300+/mo on DIY keyword research saved
Prioritized Action Plan
Prioritized list of pages and target keywords
Includes: Video Walkthrough + Step-by-Step PDF Guide
Starting at
$99
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Final Thoughts
This deep dive into 7,000+ plumbing keywords with over 2.5 million monthly searches equips you with a powerful foundation, but it’s merely scratching the surface. The search landscape for plumbing businesses is remarkably complex, with distinct patterns that shift based on service offerings, local competition, and seasonal factors.
What this keyword data unmistakably reveals:
Emergency situations drive urgent searches. The high volume for terms like “emergency plumber” (33,100 monthly searches) and “24 hour plumber” (8,100 searches) highlights the massive opportunity in crisis response services. These searches convert at dramatically higher rates than informational queries.
Problem-specific keywords outperform generic service terms. Homeowners don’t search for “professional plumbing services”—they search for “toilet won’t stop running” (2,400 monthly searches) and “water heater leaking” (4,400 searches). These problem-focused keywords represent customers ready to hire.
Local intent dominates the highest-volume searches. The sheer volume of city, state, and town specific searches demonstrates that proximity remains the primary decision factor for most homeowners seeking plumbing help.
Low-competition opportunities exist in every category. With 91 easy-competition keywords identified across multiple problem categories, immediate ranking potential exists for virtually every plumbing business, regardless of size or marketing budget.
But here’s what 20 years in SEO has taught me: every plumbing market has its own fingerprint. The keywords that drive growth for a commercial plumbing specialist in Phoenix will differ dramatically from those that work for a residential service provider in suburban Michigan.
Your local competition landscape, housing stock age, weather patterns, and even water quality create a unique set of plumbing challenges—and therefore unique search patterns—in your service area. The most successful plumbers I’ve worked with don’t just adopt generic keyword strategies; they dig deeper to understand the specific pain points in their markets.
Ready to dominate local search and turn clicks into customers?
Order your custom keyword research package today for a data-driven strategy tailored to your plumbing business. I’ll analyze your market, services, and competition to uncover high-converting keywords that drive real leads—not just traffic.
Stop guessing. Start ranking. Let’s build your keyword advantage now.