You search for a good marketing agency for your plumbing business and get a list of names that all sound the same. The way to tell them apart is to ask the right questions. Here are ten, with what a good answer sounds like and the red flags to watch for.
Why ask these questions before hiring an agency?
Most agencies sound the same on a first call. The difference shows when you ask about plumbing work specifically: the jobs you want, your service area, after-hours calls and whether leads become paid jobs. These ten questions, with what a good answer sounds like, help you compare agencies fairly. For the general questions every business should ask, see how to choose a digital marketing agency in Melbourne; for how we approach marketing for plumbing businesses, see our plumbing page.
1. Can you show me results for plumbing businesses like mine?
Proof from other plumbers is the fastest way to see whether an agency understands your trade. SoudCoh has 39 published case studies for plumbing businesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Newcastle.
A good answer: named plumbing case studies, ideally in a city like yours, showing what happened to enquiries and won jobs, with the dates and how each figure was measured.
Red flag: logos with no numbers, or results from a different industry.
2. Do you measure booked jobs, or just leads?
A lead isn't a paid job. For Elite Plumbing Group, nearly 1 in 3 Google Ads quote requests became a won job; for Aussie Plumbing, 1 in 5 enquiries did. You can only know numbers like these if the agency tracks enquiries through to the job.
A good answer: they connect enquiries to your job records and report won jobs and the value of that work, not only clicks and calls.
Red flag: reports that stop at impressions, clicks or “leads”.
3. Which plumbing jobs will you focus on first?
Not every job is worth the same. For State Choice Plumbing, hot water brought in 52% of won job value in the first nine weeks, from fewer than one in ten enquiries.
A good answer: they ask which jobs you want more of, which pay best and how much capacity your team has, then start there.
Red flag: the same package for every plumber, whatever the work.
4. Will each service get its own page and ad?
Someone with a burst hot water system wants to land on a hot water page, not a general list of services. For Alliance Plumbing, a campaign with an ad group for each job brought 2.1 times more Google Ads enquiries in its best full month than in its first. We explain why in what turns a plumbing search into a won job.
A good answer: separate ads and pages for jobs like blocked drains, hot water, gas and roof plumbing, each answering that problem.
Red flag: every ad sending people to your homepage.
A lead isn't a paid job. Ask every agency how they'll show you the difference.
5. How will you cover my service areas?
Customers search by place. In our own Search Console data, two in five non-brand searches named a place, and for State Choice Plumbing, searches that named a suburb or city were 3.6 times as likely to become a won job.
A good answer: they ask which suburbs you actually travel to and build pages and targeting around those areas.
Red flag: targeting a whole city or state because it shows bigger numbers.
6. What happens with after-hours and weekend enquiries?
Plumbing doesn't stop at 5pm. For Elite Plumbing Group, about 60% of won job value came from enquiries made on a Saturday or Sunday. For Aussie Plumbing, 49% of won jobs were won on the day of the enquiry or the day after, so speed matters too.
A good answer: they ask how your phones are answered after hours and set up forms, call routing and ad schedules to match.
Red flag: ads that run around the clock while nobody answers.
7. How will you track calls and forms?
Every business is different. At Aussie Plumbing, a Google Ads call was 1.5 times as likely as a web form to become a won job. At State Choice Plumbing, it was the other way round: a form was 3.4 times as likely as a call. Without tracking both, you're guessing.
A good answer: call tracking and form tracking, both connected to the ads, so you can see which brings in more paid work for your business.
Red flag: “we'll count the calls you tell us about”.
8. Who owns the Google Ads account, website and data?
This question saves the most trouble later. If you change agencies, you should keep your ad history, tracking and website.
A good answer: you do. The accounts are in your name, the agency has access, and you keep everything if you leave.
Red flag: the agency owns the ad account or the website and “hands it over” only on request, or not at all.
9. What are the contract terms?
Read the contract before you sign. Since 9 November 2023, businesses can't propose, use or rely on unfair terms in standard form contracts with small businesses (fewer than 100 staff or turnover under $10 million), as the ACCC explains. If a term looks one-sided, ask about it, and get advice if you need it.
A good answer: a clear notice period, any minimum term in writing, and exactly what the monthly fee includes.
Red flag: long lock-ins, automatic renewals you didn't notice, or terms only the agency can change.
10. How will you help my business show up in AI search?
More customers now ask an AI assistant which plumber to call. The same basics that win on Google help here; we explain how ChatGPT chooses which business to recommend.
A good answer: clear pages for each service and area, consistent business details everywhere, reviews and mentions on other trusted sites, and a monthly check of what tools like ChatGPT and Gemini say about you.
Red flag: a promise of a guaranteed spot in ChatGPT; there's no paid placement in its answers.
How does SoudCoh answer these questions?
We'd rather show you than tell you. Our plumbing case studies show the jobs, suburbs and won work behind every figure, and we report the same way to every client; see what a good agency should report every month. If you're looking for the best marketing agency for your plumbing business, start with a free marketing audit, ask us all ten questions, and compare our answers with anyone else's.
Common questions about hiring a plumbing marketing agency
How many marketing agencies should a plumber talk to?
Two or three is usually enough. Ask each one the same questions, in the same order, so you can compare the answers side by side.
Should a marketing agency guarantee results for my plumbing business?
No. Google itself says no one can guarantee a top ranking. An agency can tell you what it will do, how it will measure it and what similar plumbing businesses achieved, but not promise a number.
Is it better to hire an agency that specialises in trades?
Trade experience helps, because plumbing searches, emergency calls and job values work differently from other businesses. Judge it by plumbing case studies, not by the word specialist on a website.
Questions and answers
What is the most important question to ask a plumbing marketing agency?
Ask whether they measure booked jobs or only leads. An agency that connects enquiries to your job records can show you which ads and pages bring in paid work.
What are the red flags when hiring a marketing agency?
No plumbing proof, reports that stop at clicks, the agency owning your ad account or website, long lock-in contracts and guaranteed rankings or AI placements.