Solved: Scaling Local Plumbing Service with Qualified Leads

Hi there,

Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on this, sounds like you're asking all the right questions. Scaling a local service business like plumbing through paid channels is definitely achievable, but you're spot on that getting qualified calls that turn into actual booked jobs is the key, not just traffic or form fills.

First thing's first, your focus on Google Local Service Ads and paid Search is absolutely correct for a plumber. When someone's toilet is overflowing or their boiler packs up, they are searching Google right then and there for an immediate solution. LSA puts you right at the top with a trusted badge, and Search captures people using specific keywords. Social media channels like Facebook or Instagram are less likely to capture that high-intent, urgent need traffic for plumbing services compared to someone actively searching Google. It's about meeting the customer where they are when they need you most, and for emergency or routine plumbing work, that's usually Google.

Getting the right tracking in place...

You mentioned needing clear reporting on Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) for *actual booked work*, which is a critical distinction. Most agencies and ad platforms default to reporting on Cost Per Lead (CPL) or Cost Per Call because that's the easiest metric to track directly within the ad system. A lead form submission or a phone call initiated from an ad are simple conversions to count.

The challenge, and where many agencies fall short, is connecting that initial ad interaction (click, call, form fill) all the way through to a completed, booked job in your system. This requires a much deeper level of tracking and typically involves integrating the ad platform data with your internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system or whatever booking software you use. For example, when we work with clients who need this level of tracking, it's not just a case of dropping a standard tracking code on the website. We need to look at how leads are processed internally, how they get assigned, when they convert to a job, and then find a way to feed that information back to the ad platform, often via a CRM integration or offline conversion tracking uploads.

It's not impossible, but it's more complex than basic lead tracking and requires a good understanding of both the ad platforms and your business's internal workflow. When you're speaking to agencies, this is definitely something you need to press them on – ask them *exactly* how they propose to track booked jobs and report CPA on that metric, not just leads. If they gloss over this or just talk about CPL, they might not have the technical capability or the willingness to do the extra work needed.

Understanding costs and what affects them...

You're right, everyone promises leads, but the cost per lead (or even better, per booked job) varies hugely. Based on our experience running campaigns for local services, the cost is really dependent on a few factors:

-> Your location and how competitive the market is. If there are lots of plumbers bidding on the same keywords in your area, costs will be higher.

-> How you define and track a 'lead'. Is it just a call, or only a call over a certain length? Is it a form fill? The stricter your definition, the higher the CPL might appear, but the higher the quality should be.

-> Your website and sales process. Even if ads drive calls or form fills, if your website doesn't build trust or make it easy to understand your services, or if your team isn't converting those leads into booked jobs effectively, your effective CPA for *booked work* will be high. This relates to the 'improving your funnel' concept we see with SaaS clients – even with great ads, a poor landing page or internal process kills conversion rates.

We're running a campaign for an HVAC company at the moment, which is quite similar to plumbing in terms of urgency and local search, and they are seeing costs around $60 per lead in a pretty competitive market. On the other hand, we've worked with childcare services campaigns that saw CPLs closer to $10 per signup, and a home cleaning client that got costs of £5 per lead. So, expect a range, and be prepared that the cost per booked job will naturally be higher than the cost per initial lead.

Campaign setup and optimisation thoughts...

For your Google Search campaigns, you absolutely want to focus on high-intent keywords that people use when they need a plumber *now*. Think "emergency plumber near me", "boiler repair [your town/area]", "leaky pipe fix", etc. Also, consider location-based keywords like "plumber in [your neighbourhood]". Use negative keywords aggressively to filter out irrelevant searches (e.g., "plumbing supplies", "plumbing courses").

Optimising for phone calls is crucial. Ensure you have call extensions enabled on your Search ads so people can ring you directly from the search results page. Make sure your business hours are set correctly in Google Ads so ads only run when you're actually available to answer the phone, or you'll waste money on missed calls. If you can't answer during certain hours, consider using a callback widget on your site or sending calls to an answering service.

For LSA, it's slightly different as it's more profile-based, but still location and service dependent. Ensure your LSA profile is fully completed, you have reviews coming in, and your service areas are accurately defined. LSA is often pay-per-call or pay-per-lead depending on how they've set it up, and Google screens the professionals, which adds a layer of trust for the customer.

It's also important to consider what happens *after* the click or the call. Does your website landing page for Search ads clearly state your services, show your service area, provide social proof (reviews, testimonials), and have a clear call to action (call now, fill form)? A weak landing page will convert fewer visitors into leads, increasing your effective cost per lead and per booked job, even if the ad clicks are cheap. We often use a copywriter for landing pages, especially for B2B SaaS or complex service offerings, to make sure the messaging is really persuasive.

Bringing it together - Actionable Steps

Based on what you're looking for, here's an overview of what I'd recommend focusing on:

Implementing the tracking for booked jobs is likely the biggest hurdle, as it involves integration and ongoing data management. Without it, you're effectively flying blind on your true return on ad spend for generating *revenue*, not just leads. An agency that can help you set this up properly will be far more valuable in the long run.

Why expert help might be worthwhile...

You're clearly thinking about the right things by focusing on booked jobs and CPA, not just traffic. However, setting up sophisticated tracking like this, optimising campaigns daily in a competative local market, and continually testing keywords and ad copy takes significant time and expertise. Getting the most out of Google Ads, particularly the tracking setup you require, involves a lot of nuances that can make a huge difference to performance. It's often why businesses looking to scale aggressively decide to partner with specialists who have experience navigating these specific challenges for service businesses and setting up that crucial end-to-end tracking.

It sounds like you've got a solid business foundation, and getting the paid advertising right could really help you hit your scaling goals. If you'd like to talk through your specific setup and challenges in more detail, we're happy to offer a free consultation to explore what might work best for you and how we approach tracking these sorts of results.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh