A Google Search Experience

Are you a plumber in Hobart looking to increase your business via digital marketing? A quick review of the home page of Google would indicate that with a little bit of website structure and some digital marketing basics any plumber should be able to make it onto the home page of Google.

If you want to hide a dead body put it on page 2 of Google

The following information is based on the search term “Plumbers Hobart

The Google 3 pack

On the image below circled in red is the Google Local Three Pack. The Google Local Three Pack is typically fed from a free Google product, the Google My Business listing. Always ensure you have claimed your Google My Business listing because claiming the listing provides your business with numerous online marketing opportunities, including the ability to respond to reviews.

The factor with the largest impact in the Google Local Three Pack is location. Location/address gives the three businesses listed in the three pack a massive advantage in the race to get the phone to ring. In this case, the three-pack comprises:

  1. Hotco Plumbing
  2. Express Plumbing
  3. Shepperd Bros

Ironically both Hotco and Shepperd Bros are yet to claim their Google listings at the time of publication of this blog. This would indicate that there is a great opportunity for a business such as Petterd’s Plumbing to leap into the Google Local Three Pack with just a little work to their existing website and Google My Business listing.

Google Reviews for Plumbers in Hobart

Don’t underestimate how powerful Google reviews are becoming. Express Plumbing has 5 reviews for a rating of 4 stars out of 5 and this would indicate that they should be getting the lion’s share of calls from the three pack as neither Hotco nor Shepperd Bros have any reviews. Express Plumbing’s reviews are having an impact on its prominence in Google rankings.

By virtue of their physical location it will be difficult for businesses such as Rosetta Plumbing in Glenorchy, Professional Plumbing in Derwent Park and Southern Plumbing in Mornington to rank in the three pack for searches of “plumbers Hobart” because they are not in Hobart, and Google knows they’re not in Hobart.

In summary, for the Google Local Three Pack, Express Plumbing in North Hobart is the stand out winner by virtue of having claimed its Google My Business Listing, by being based in Hobart and having gathered positive reviews.

Organic Listings

Organic listings are where your website shows up free of charge in the search results below the three pack.

In the organic listings on the screen grab Express Plumbing again comes out on top in position number three. Ironically Yellow Pages are in position one and two but in my experience very few people open Yellow pages online. Searchers typically bypass the directory listings and click on the organic website listings, such as Express Plumbing.

  • Express Plumbing 3
  • Rosetta Plumbing 4
  • Howrah Plumbing 5
  • Southern Plumbing 6
  • Country Wide Plumbing 7
  • Overeem Gas and Plumbing 8
  • Jim’s Plumbing 10

Getting a website to rank organically is typically not an easy exercise, however an examination of the website structure and content of sites currently ranking on the home page of Google in Hobart suggests it should not be difficult to climb rungs on the Google results for the search term “plumbers Hobart”. The only caveat is that the improved results would take a little time and patience.

Express Plumbing is the clear winner in the organic listings and would be enjoying the new business its Google results attract. Consumers now place enormous trust in Google search results and a top-five finish on the home page of Google in organic listings should be what any trade business strives for.

Google is constantly adjusting its rankings so getting a top-five result isn’t straightforward. You need talk to a website developer such as GOOP Digital to make it happen.

Paid Search or Pay Per Click (PPC)

The last section highlighted in this image is paid advertising. Businesses don’t pay to appear in the paid listings – until somebody clicks on their advertisement. The system is a little like Yellow Pages offering to run your ad for free and you only having to pay when the phone rings. Any wonder Yellow Pages is on its knees!

A quick search of paid advertisers would indicate the following plumbers are currently utilising PPC on Google:

  • Jackson and Cooper Plumbing
  • Pipeworx Plumbing
  • Overeem
  • 20th Century Plumbing
  • Beel Plumbing

Overeem is the only one of these businesses currently on the home page of Google’s organic search results, even though they are down the bottom in position 8.

From GOOP Digital’s perspective it’s crucial to get your organic listing working before doing any paid advertising. Why spend money each month with Google when you can simply get your organic listings to perform. There’s no charge from Google to be on the home page in organic listings!

Overall review

Many plumbers in Hobart have websites, which is a great thing. However when you buy a drill, you don’t actually need a drill, what you actually need is a hole. A website is similar. You don’t need a website, what you need is clients/customers. To attract clients your website needs to rank on Google and needs to convince users to take the desired action you want, which is to pick up the phone and ring you for the products and or services you offer in the locations you service.

On this basis as a plumber in Hobart

  1. Have you claimed your Google Business listing? Ask us how we can help at no charge
  2. Check where you website ranks in Google by behaving like a consumer and doing a simple search for “plumbers Hobart” in Google. A result in the top five on page one of Google should be your minimal goal.
  3. When talking to web designers ensure they can demonstrate ongoing continued success in getting their clients to rank in Google. Putting up a website is easy (my children can do it) getting a website to rank on Google is a very different story.

Quick Google Summary

The following results are effective 02 January 2018 for the search term “plumbers Hobart”

Google Local Three Pack

  1. Hotco Plumbing (http://www.hotcoplumbing.com.au)
  2. Express Plumbing (https://express-plumbing.com.au)
  3. Shepperd Bros (http://shepperdbros.com.au)

Organic listings in Google for search of “plumbers Hobart”

  • Express Plumbing 3
  • Rosetta Plumbing 4
  • Howrah Plumbing 5
  • Southern Plumbing 6
  • Country Wide Plumbing 7
  • Overeem Gas and Plumbing 8
  • Jim’s Plumbing 10

Pay Per Click Advertising results for “plumbers Hobart”

  • Jackson and Cooper Plumbing
  • Pipeworx Plumbing
  • Overeem
  • 20th Century plumbing
  • Beel Plumbing

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