SEO + GEO AI for plumbers: capture emergencies before competitors
Per our internal monitoring (OMNIRK, 60-tradesperson panel, Q1 2026), 70% of plumbing searches start with 'plumber + city' and end in Google's local pack or directly on ChatGPT. If you're neither in the top 3 Maps nor cited by AI, you don't exist.
1. Bulletproof Google Business Profile
GBP = 60% of plumber traffic. Main category 'Plumber', 8 secondary categories, geo-tagged photos weekly, 30+ reviews with industry keywords. Bare minimum to enter the Local Pack.
2. Dedicated 'plumber + city' pages
One page per served city. H1 'Plumber [City] 24/7', indicative pricing, service area, LocalBusiness schema + areaServed. This drives Google rankings and feeds ChatGPT.
3. Emergency content citable by AI
ChatGPT and Perplexity cite tradespeople who answer concrete questions: 'what to do in a night leak', '2026 drain unblocking price'. H2 = question, 40-60 word answer with average price and lead time.
4. Schema.org Plumber + Service
schema.org/Plumber type + Service per offering (repair, install, maintenance) with areaServed and priceRange. Lets Gemini and Copilot categorize you correctly.
5. Structured reviews = E-E-A-T proof
Google reviews with photos and technical descriptions get re-read by LLMs. Ask clients to mention the service ('Saunier Duval water heater repair'). Gold for AI.
6. Local llms.txt
A llms.txt with your service area, offerings, certifications and 5 numeric facts (years of experience, yearly jobs, average response time) doubles your chances of being cited by AI for 'best plumber [city]'.
FAQ
- How long to rank locally?
- For a plumber in a mid-size city: 6 to 10 weeks with optimized GBP + 5 city pages + 20 fresh reviews. For Paris/Lyon: 3 to 6 months minimum.
- Does ChatGPT really cite plumbers?
- Yes, especially via ChatGPT Search and Perplexity. 'Emergency plumber [city]' returns 3-5 local sources. Being listed = 5 to 15 qualified calls/month.
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