Why should you want to know the differences between Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO for plumbing businesses? Because when you are running a plumbing business, you constantly need new customers. But what’s the most effective way to get them?

Should you invest in Facebook Ads or focus on Local SEO for plumbing businesses through your Google Business Profile (GBP)? If you’re a plumber trying to choose between these two marketing strategies, you’re probably wondering where to spend your money for the best results.

In this article, we’ll compare both marketing strategies, the costs, and ultimately help you decide which option is better for your plumbing business. Check out a similar article I wrote related to this topic about Google Maps SEO vs. Social Media Marketing.

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The Reality Facebook Ads Marketing

Facebook Ads are a popular marketing choice for home service type businesses like plumbing or roofing. You can run an ads campaign, set your targeting to your local area, and start seeing clicks within hours.

With Facebook Ads, plumbers can take advantage of geofencing, which lets you narrow down your audience to a specific city or neighbourhood. It’s a popular marketing method because you can get eyeballs on your business fast but there’s a few down sides.

You’re showing ads to people who might not need plumbing services at the moment. A homeowner scrolling through their feed may see your ad for emergency plumbing, but if they’re not dealing with a leaky faucet or a broken pipe, they’re not going to call you.

In other words, Facebook Ads is a form of an outbound marketing strategy. Outbound marketing is when you’re pushing your message out to people who aren’t necessarily looking for plumbing services. Usually the best ROI marketing methods are inbound.

Facebook ads meta dashboard for your ads campaign when running ads for plumbing businesses

Facebook Ads also comes with ongoing ad spending. You have to keep paying to keep your ads running. The cost can depend on your location and the competitiveness of the plumbing industry in your area. You’ll probable spend roughly the same on running Google Maps ads.

On average, plumbing businesses may spend between $500 and $1,500 per month on Facebook Ads, and you’re not guaranteed quality leads but just clicks. But if you do manage to land a few quality leads like septic tank replacements then its worth it for sure.

The most important part of Facebook Ads is having a profitable ad campaign, if you can find a positive ROI after testing different Ads, then that’s amazing and I recommend you double down on it! But what if you can’t find a profitable ad?

How much money are you comfortable loosing by testing just to find out if it is even possible to run a profitable ad in your target area? Also, if you’re gonna do FB Ads, make sure to target a specific service, like emergency plumbing, to get more relevant leads.

Comparing facebook ads vs local seo for plumbing businesses example screenshot of fb ads for plumbers

Local SEO For Plumbing Businesses: Attracting Customers Who Need You

Now, let’s talk about local SEO for plumbing businesses. Which is an inbound marketing strategy, which means potential clients are coming to you. Instead of pushing your services on people who may not need them.

Local SEO helps you show up in front of customers who are actively searching for a plumber in their area. That’s the main difference when we compare Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO, we’re comparing inbound vs outbound marketing essentially.

Someone in your city types “emergency plumber near me” into Google, they’re likely to see three results at the top, known as the “local pack.” These are businesses with optimized Google Business Profiles, that’s where Local SEO for plumbers wins because of inbound marketing.

Local pack is essentially Google search extracting the top 3 results from Google Maps and displaying them on Google search. You can make your GBP listing be part of this local pack results if you target local keywords and with your optimized GBP and use GBP post updates regularly.

Unlike Facebook Ads, where you’re paying for every click, Local SEO for plumbing businesses gives you long term benefits. Yes, it takes some time to set up and optimize your GBP, but once you start ranking, you’ll continue to get leads without needing to pay for every click or view.

The investment is more about time than money, and the results are often more sustainable. Even after you stop paying for monthly Local SEO services for plumbers or even after you stop doing Local SEO yourself, you’ll still get inbound quality leads who actively look for your services.

Bonus Tip: Encourage satisfied customers to leave Google Maps reviews. The more you get reviews on Google Maps, the higher your chances of appearing in the top 3 Local Pack from Google Maps.

Google's local seo 3 pack for local seo for plumbing businesses screenshot example

Pros And Cons of Running Facebook Ads For Plumbing Businesses

Let’s break down the pros and cons of using Facebook Ads for plumbing businesses. This will be useful to help us better compare Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO. Here’s our comparison:

Pros of Running Facebook Ads For Plumbers:

Quick Results: You can launch a campaign and start seeing clicks within hours. Good outbound strategy for lead generation.

Precise Targeting: Facebook’s geofencing allows you to target specific areas, making sure your ad reaches homeowners in your service area.

Variety of Ad Formats: You can use images, videos, or carousel ads to showcase your plumbing services.

Example screenshot of how to run facebook ads for a plumbing business

Cons of Running Facebook Ads For Plumbers:

Not Everyone Needs a Plumber: Your ads are seen by people who may not be in immediate need of plumbing services. You’re spending money to show your ads to people who might not convert into paying clients.

Ongoing Costs: Facebook Ads require continuous investment. Once you stop paying, your visibility disappears. You’ll need a daily budget of around $20 to start testing, that’s around $600 monthly!

Unpredictable ROI: While Facebook Ads can generate leads, the results can vary. You may not get a return on your ad spend if the audience isn’t responsive. Local SEO is half the monthly budget (Around $300 monthly) and has a more likely return on investment.

Setting your facebook ads daily budget for plumbing businesses running ads

If you’re just starting out and need immediate visibility, Facebook Ads can help boost your brand quickly. But over time, the costs can outweigh the benefits, especially if your ads aren’t converting into real leads.

Bonus Tip: If you decide to start running Facebook Ads, make sure to track your results closely. Adjust your targeting and ad copy regularly to improve your ROI and CTR to save money.

Pros And Cons of GBP Local SEO For Plumbing And Handyman Businesses

When you compare GBP Local SEO for Plumbing businesses to Facebook Ads. You’ll notice that GBP Local SEO has a much more sustainable and cost effective inbound lead generation strategy for the long run. Here’s the pros and cons comparison:

Pros of Optimizing Local SEO For Plumbing:

Targeted Traffic: People who find you through local search are actively looking for plumbing services. Which means when we compare Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO they’re more likely to turn into paying customers.

Cost-Effective: Once your Google Business Profile is optimized and ranking, you don’t need to keep paying for traffic or monthly local SEO services. You can get consistent leads without spending money on ads.

Long-Term Results: The effects of Local SEO are long lasting. Even if you stop working on your profile for a while, you’ll continue to benefit from the work you’ve already done.

How to set up google maps ads for a local construction business

Cons of Optimizing Local SEO For Plumbing:

Takes Time: Unlike Facebook Ads, Local SEO doesn’t deliver instant results. It can take a few months to see your business climb the rankings. You may need to hire Local SEO experts for around 6 months of work.

Ongoing Maintenance: You’ll need to keep your Google Business Profile updated with new photos, posts, and reviews to maintain your ranking. That’s why many business keep post GBP updates themselves or they higher professional SEO services to keep doing so to maintain their rank.

Using GBP Local SEO for Plumbers in an example when comparing Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO

For plumbing businesses, GBP Local SEO is the smart choice if you’re looking for a steady stream of local customers who are ready to hire you. The investment in Local SEO (around $300 to $1,000 a month) is far less than what you would spend on continuous Facebook Ads.

Bonus Tip: Make sure your website has imbedded Google Maps in your contact or about page on your website. Also, try to use local plumbing-related keywords on your service pages to boost your Local SEO.

Cost Comparison: Facebook Ads vs. Local SEO for Plumbing Businesses

When choosing between Facebook Ads and Local SEO for plumbing businesses, cost is a major factor. Facebook Ads might seem attractive because they offer quick results, but they require a constant investment.

The Costs of Running Facebook Ads:

$500 to $1,500 per month, depending on the competitiveness of your area. Usually I’d recommend setting your Ad spend to $20 daily since some clicks (CPC) may cost over $10 in competitive areas.

The Costs of Optimizing For GBP Local SEO:

$300 to $1,000 per month for Local SEO services, but you can stop paying after a few months once your profile is optimized and still reap the benefits. Best part is you can learn all about GBP Local SEO yourself and do it for free. Check out our articles about Local SEO here.

Vortex Ranker's blog resources section to learn more about how to do GBP Local SEO For Free with out extensive guides and articles

Long-term traffic without the need for continuous ad spending is a major benefit when going with Local SEO for plumbers which is cheaper in the long run when compared to Facebook Ads.

Check out our pricing page if you’re curious about how much we charge at Vortex Ranker for our complete GBP Local SEO monthly packages with a lot of value for home service businesses by clicking here.

GMB SEO marketing costs and pricing for local seo strategy

Facebook Ads vs. GBP Local SEO: Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing

The key difference between Facebook Ads and GBP Local SEO for plumbing businesses is the type of marketing they represent. Facebook Ads are outbound marketing where you’re reaching out to leads who may not be directly looking for your services.

GBP Local SEO, on the other hand, is inbound marketing. You’re showing up in front of people who are actively looking for plumbing services and they are coming to you.

Inbound marketing is always more efficient because the customer is already in the mindset of needing your service. When someone finds your business through a local search, they’re far more likely to hire you than someone who sees a Facebook Ad while scrolling through their feed.

This is the biggest reason why GBP Local SEO for plumbers outperforms Facebook Ads in terms of lead quality and conversion rates.

FAQ For Facebook Ads vs. Local SEO

Q1: Is Local SEO cheaper than Facebook Ads for plumbing?

A: Yes, Local SEO for plumbing is less costly since it can be done for free or will cost around $300 monthly. Compare this to the minimum rcommended starting budget of Facebook ads at $500+ monthly.

Q2: How long until I see results from Facebook Ads?

A: Usually traffic towards your business should be noticed within a few hours of launching your Facebook ad campaign. And in terms of that traffic converting into paying customers, that depends on many factors.

Q3: Is Facebook Ads or Email Marketing Better?

A: Check out this article about Email Marketing here. Basically unless you are in e-commerce or you have an online business, then Facebook Ads would be more effective and give you a better ROI in the long run.

Q4: Do I need to keep paying for Local SEO forever?

A: No, once your profile is well optimized and you’re ranking in local search results. if you scale back your energy or spending into local SEO, you’ll still get consistent traffic for a many months or even years depending on your local competition.

Q5: What’s the best way to start with Local SEO for plumbing businesses?

A: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile, focus on getting reviews, and check that your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all directories.

Looking For Help With Your Local SEO?

If you are still in need of any assistance or help with growing your plumbing business organically by generating leads using Local SEO. Then I highly recommend you book a free consultation with the writer of this article, Ramzy, CEO & Founder of Vortex Ranker by clicking here.