Plumbers win jobs on Google Maps. See how your profile stacks up.
Free check of your Google Business Profile, with no login and no credit card. See what to fix first in under a minute, compared to the plumbers actually ranking near you.
What top-ranked plumbers actually look like
We looked at 365 plumbing profiles in 12 U.S. cities on Google Maps (November 2026) to see what the plumbers near the top have in common. Here is what stood out.
71
reviews
The typical top-10 plumber has about 71 Google reviews, and 44% have 100 or more.
73%
rated 4.8 or higher
A strong rating is expected near the top, so review volume is where plumbers separate themselves.
36
photos
The typical top-10 plumber shows about 36 photos, so customers can see real work before they call.
Typical review count by position on Google Maps
What matters most for a plumber's profile
Reviews matter most
Plumbers showed the strongest link between review count and ranking higher of any trade we studied. The top 3 plumbers typically have about 263 reviews. Ask every happy customer right after the job.
A strong rating
More than 7 in 10 top plumbers are rated 4.8 or higher. Replying to reviews, good and bad, shows customers you are responsive before they ever call.
Photos you are proud of
In our data, photo count had only a weak link to rank on its own, but photos help a customer trust you before they call. Show finished installs, your crew and your trucks.
Keep the basics accurate
Correct hours, phone number and service area help the right customers reach you. Beacon checks these every week so nothing quietly goes out of date.
Local SEO for plumbers starts with your Google profile
When someone searches for a plumber on Google Maps, your Google Business Profile is what they see, often before they ever reach your website. A big part of local SEO for plumbers is making that profile as strong as the plumbers ranking around you. Your website and other listings matter too; this page is about the profile because it is the part Beacon checks every week.
In our data, the clearest difference was reviews: the top 3 plumbers had a median of about 263, compared with about 23 for plumbers ranked 11 to 20.
How Beacon helps plumbers
Know where you show up
Every week we check where your profile ranks on Google Maps for the searches customers use, and tell you if it moves.
Compared to real plumbers nearby
We compare your reviews, rating and photos to the plumbers actually ranking around you. If we cannot find enough of them nearby, we say so and use general targets instead.
See what is changing
See actual calls, website visits and direction requests from Google, plus a short, ranked list of what to fix first.
Questions plumbers ask
How many Google reviews should a plumber have?
There is no magic number. In our November 2026 look at 365 plumbing profiles, the typical top-10 plumber on Google Maps had about 71 reviews, and the top 3 typically had about 263. A good goal is to match the plumbers ranking near you. Beacon compares your count to theirs.
Do photos help plumbers rank higher on Google Maps?
In our data, photo count had only a weak link to rank. Photos still matter for trust: customers want to see real work, crews and finished jobs before they call.
What category should a plumber choose on Google?
"Plumber" was the main category for 95% of the top-10 plumbing listings in our data. Across all the trades we studied, extra categories did not go with better rankings, so pick the most accurate main category and add others only for work you really do.
Is the Beacon check really free?
Yes. Enter your business name and city to see your score and what to fix first, with no login and no credit card. The weekly report, rank tracking and dashboard come with a Beacon subscription.
See where your plumbing profile stands
It takes under a minute, and you will know exactly what to fix first.
See my free score →Beacon for other trades
About these numbers: Google Maps results for "plumber" at 22 search points across 12 U.S. metro areas, November 2026 (365 listings with complete data). Rankings depend on where the searcher is, so your own results may differ. These figures describe what top profiles look like; they do not prove that any one change will raise your ranking.