Last updated on January 11th, 2026 at 07:58 pm
You know that feeling when you’re running a local business and you just know you should be getting more customers online, but you’re not quite sure how to make it happen? That’s exactly where J&J Plumbing Services was when they came to us.
They’re already great at what they do, from fixing burst pipes and installing hot water systems, to all essential plumbing work. But when people in Canberra were frantically Googling “emergency plumber near me,” J&J Plumbing wasn’t showing up. Meanwhile, their competitors were.
So the challenge was to make their online presence capture high-intent customers.
In just 90 days, our integrated strategy generated 156 phone calls and 125 total conversions from a specific, targeted ad spend.
A snapshot of the powerful results from J&J Plumbing Services Google Ads campaign. In just 90 days, the campaign drove 156 phone calls and 125 total conversions while maintaining an efficient average Cost Per Click (CPC) of just $6.96.
This wasn’t about one magic trick. It was a comprehensive plan that combined technical SEO, strategic content, local optimisation, and paid advertising. Here is the exact breakdown of what we did, why we did it, and the results it produced.
The Problem Was Simple (But Frustrating)
Imagine being really good at your job but invisible to the people who need you most. That was J&J Plumbing’s reality. When someone’s hot water system failed at 7 PM on a Tuesday night, they’d search Google, see a list of plumbers, and call the ones that looked trustworthy and showed up first. J&J wasn’t on that list.
Their website existed, sure, but it wasn’t doing the heavy lifting it should have been. It wasn’t showing up in searches, it wasn’t building trust, and it definitely wasn’t ringing the phone.
They needed visibility, credibility, and most importantly, a steady stream of qualified leads: people who actually needed a plumber and were ready to book.
Our Approach: Building a Complete System
Online marketing isn’t a magic trick. You can’t just “do some Google ads” or “write a few blog posts” and call it a day. Instead, what works is building a complete system where everything works together.
Think of it like building a house. You need a solid foundation, strong walls, a good roof, and proper utilities. Miss one piece and the whole thing doesn’t work right.
We approached J&J Plumbing Services’ digital presence with this exact thinking.
Phase 1: Foundational Audit & Strategy
Firstly, our team conducted a full technical SEO audit of the J&J Plumbing website. This audit identified and flagged all the backend errors, like slow page speed, broken links, or indexing issues that were holding them back in Google’s rankings.
At the same time, we performed deep keyword and competitor research. We identified 30 primary, high-value keywords, plus another 40-50 related terms. Then, we ran a gap analysis to see which keywords their competitors were ranking for that J&J was not. These are clear opportunities for us to target.
An Ahrefs graph shows the dramatic growth in J&J Plumbing’s organic traffic. You can see the traffic was minimal before our partnership, then skyrocketed almost immediately after we started working together.
Finally, we set up and configured all our tracking systems. This included Google Analytics, heatmap tracking to see how users actually use the site, and our SEO Live Action Dashboard. This ensures that from day one, every action we took was measurable.
Phase 2: On-Site Authority & Content Overhaul
With the technical plan in place, we focused on the website’s content. Your website is your 24/7 salesperson, and J&J’s needed to be more effective.
Upon auditing the original website, we found its underlying structure was deeply flawed and not built to be optimised. Fixing the existing ‘mess’ would have cost more time and money than starting fresh.
We moved forward with a full rebuild, designing the new site with an SEO-first methodology. The impact was immediate because as soon as the new site launched, J&J’s keyword rankings began to climb rapidly.
Another key asset we immediately highlighted was J&J’s membership in the ACT Master Plumbers Association. For a homeowner, that’s a huge deal. It’s not just a logo; it’s an instant signal of trust and professionalism. This feature on their website give customers that extra layer of confidence right from the first click.
We rewrote the website copy for all main service pages. We moved away from generic marketing-speak and focused on professional, client-friendly, and trustworthy language. The new content was built to answer customer questions directly and clearly explain how J&J solved their specific plumbing problems.
We also created genuinely helpful content, from detailed guides and comparison articles to educational pieces that positioned J&J as the go-to experts. For example, we wrote guides on different drain-clearing methods and created city-specific content about common plumbing issues in Canberra. This content was designed to match exactly what people were searching for and to actually help them.
We also executed a dedicated internal linking project. This simple but powerful task helps Google understand which pages on the website are the most important, distributing link equity and improving site navigation. We optimised every single page for its target keywords and implemented schema markup, which helps Google understand the content better and can lead to richer search results.
Phase 3: Dominating Local Search
For a local plumbing business, ranking nationally is not the top priority. Our goal was to win the local search.
Our first step in this phase was a full setup and optimisation of J&J Plumbing Service’s Google Business Profile (GBP). This is the single most important asset for any local business. We made sure that every section was filled out, photos were added, and all information was accurate.
We also submitted J&J’s business information to 50 trusted local directories. This might sound boring, but it’s hugely important. When Google sees your business listed consistently across many reputable sites, it trusts you more and ranks you higher in local searches.
We also implemented Local Maps SEO strategies and used Geometric Local Search Grid reporting to track their visibility improvements across different parts of Canberra.
Phase 4: Off-Site Authority
For this phase, we initiated an ongoing backlinking campaign targeting 20+ new, high-quality backlinks to build J&J’s domain authority.
A clear picture of our authority-building strategy in action. This graph shows the significant increase in J&J’s backlink profile after we began our digital PR and citation-building campaigns.
This wasn’t just about directory links. We secured featured articles in reputable local publications like Canberra Weekly. These articles highlighted J&J’s expertise and included natural backlinks to their website, which drives both authority and direct referral traffic.
We also developed professional branded collateral, like presentation folders and welcome letters, to help J&J build trust with commercial and residential partners, which encourages word-of-mouth and valuable partnership links.
Phase 5: Maximising J&J’s Reach
SEO is a long-term investment, but J&J needed leads right away. This is where our strategic paid advertising (PPC) comes in.
We launched and managed targeted Google Ads campaigns focused on high-intent, “need-it-now” keywords. We focused on terms like “emergency plumber Canberra” and “hot water repairs Canberra”, searches made by people who need a plumber today.
A key to a profitable campaign is active management. We constantly optimised the campaigns by adding negative keywords. This filters out irrelevant searches (like “plumbing jobs” or “DIY plumbing supplies”) and ensures that J&J’s ad budget is only used to attract actual, qualified customers.
The Results: A 90-Day Performance Snapshot
So, what did this integrated strategy achieve in the first 90 days? The data shows clear, measurable growth across the board.
From the Google Ads alone, J&J got 156 phone calls and 125 total conversions. To put that in perspective, nearly 1 in every 10 people who clicked on their ad ended up calling them. That’s exceptionally good for a local plumbing business.
A screenshot of our keyword strategy for J&J Plumbing Services. This list shows some of the high-value terms we targeted, along with their Google ranking positions, demonstrating our success in capturing top spots.
The long-term strategy was working too. The website attracted 823 visitors from organic search, or people finding them naturally on Google. They landed in the top 10 results for key terms like “gas fitting Canberra,” and we saw many of their other important keywords jump up 4 to 18 positions in the rankings.
Overall, website performance was also strong. The site had 8,414 total visits during this period, with a healthy mix of people coming from ads, organic search, and directly typing in their website. This shows growing brand recognition.
A snapshot of J&J’s overall website performance: The site attracted 8,414 user sessions, which resulted in 35,168 tracked events, highlighting a significant increase in user engagement.
Key Takeaways
This project’s success came down to four key principles that any local service business can learn from.
An Integrated Strategy Wins. This is the most important takeaway. We combined PPC (for immediate leads) with SEO (for long-term authority). This created a self-reinforcing ecosystem. The paid ads built brand awareness, which fuelled the organic and direct traffic. You can’t just do one or the other.
Trust is a Conversion Tool. The website content overhaul and the digital PR articles in local publications were not just for Google. They were for humans. They built real-world authority and trust, making J&J a more credible and appealing choice for a customer.
Local SEO is Non-Negotiable. For a local service business, a focused effort on the Google Business Profile and building citations is essential. This work directly translates to improved visibility on local maps, which is where many high-intent customers make their choice.
Data-Driven Decisions are Crucial. We didn’t “set it and forget it.” We used our SEO dashboard and monthly reports to continuously monitor performance. This allowed us to make agile optimisations, like adding negative keywords to the ad campaigns, which maximised J&J’s return on investment.
Want to get the same results for your business?
The first thing we did with J&J Plumbing Services was sit down and really understand their business. We learned about all the different plumbing problems they solve for folks in their area.
Once we got that, we rolled up our sleeves. And honestly, the results came fast. In just 90 days, we took their online presence to a whole new level. In plain English, that means more local people started finding them on Google instead of their competitors. This led to a serious boost in leads and new customers.
Want to know how Otto Media can help your business? Reach out and book a free discovery call!
