Plumbing & Heating
CyberEngine™ Advertising and SEO
This client is a well-established plumbing and heating company serving both residential and commercial customers across the greater Chicago area. With six full-time service crews and a flexible workforce, they handle emergency plumbing calls, heating system installations, boiler repairs, and large-scale commercial maintenance work. They’ve built a reputation for prompt, reliable service and technical expertise in one of the country’s most competitive metro markets.
Despite consistently high customer satisfaction, their digital presence didn’t reflect the caliber of their service. They relied heavily on repeat business and offline referrals but had not invested in building a powerful online lead generation system. In the era of mobile-first search behavior, their lack of visibility in Google Ads (paid listings at the top of search results) and Google Maps (location-based business listings) left them missing out on high-intent leads—especially for urgent residential jobs.
Their leadership was ready to change that. They came to us with a clear vision: stabilize lead flow year-round, dominate local search rankings, and improve their online reputation. They weren’t just looking for more leads—they wanted higher-quality opportunities, increased operational efficiency, and a polished digital presence that reflected the professionalism of their brand.
The company’s most pressing issue was seasonal inconsistency in demand. Winters were overloaded with heating emergencies, frozen pipes, and urgent boiler repairs. But by late spring, the phones would go quiet. Shoulder seasons like April and September saw unpredictable dips in volume. This made staffing and scheduling inefficient, reducing crew utilization and profit margins. The company needed a system to generate leads (potential new customers) consistently throughout the year.
In addition, they were being outperformed in local search. Competitors with weaker service were outranking them on Google Maps and Local Services Ads (LSA)—a special Google ad format where customers can call or book directly from the search results. Their Maps listing had outdated data and too few positive reviews. Their LSA profile wasn’t fully optimized (missing trust signals like fast response times and fresh reviews), which pushed them down in search results.
Their Google Ads campaigns were underperforming. These ads were not properly segmented (not separated by service type or area), so they attracted the wrong kind of clicks. They also had high cost-per-click (CPC), meaning they were paying too much every time someone clicked their ad.
They also lacked a system for review management (getting, tracking, and responding to customer reviews). Happy clients weren’t being asked to leave reviews, and older negative reviews remained unaddressed. Without automation or alerts, they missed the chance to build trust online. That meant fewer clicks and lower conversion, even when their service was better than the competition.
We began with a digital audit—a full analysis of their current setup across ads, search rankings, Maps, LSA, and reviews. We found outdated listings, low-performing ads, and no automation in place. Fixing this foundation would be key to scalable growth.
Our first priority was rebuilding their Google Ads account using CyberEngine™ Advertising—our proprietary ad system tailored for local service businesses. We created separate ad groups for each type of job (e.g., emergency plumbing, boiler installs, commercial maintenance) and targeted by ZIP code. Each ad had a custom landing page (a web page designed to convert the visitor into a lead) that matched the search. We also added ad extensions (extra links, call buttons, etc.) to improve visibility. These changes lowered their CPC (cost per click) and increased their conversion rate (percentage of visitors who become leads).
Next, we overhauled their Local Services Ads (LSA). We updated licensing info, insurance docs, service areas, and added review links to boost trust. We also connected real-time notifications so their team could respond quickly—one of Google’s key ranking factors for LSA. Within weeks, they showed up in the top 3 LSA slots for most of their services.
For local SEO (search engine optimization for local visibility), we built location-specific service pages and fixed inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) listings across 50+ directories. We added schema markup (code that helps Google understand what a page is about) and improved mobile loading speeds. We published helpful blog content tied to Chicago weather and seasonal tips—helping them rank higher for niche searches like “how to prep heating for Chicago winter.”
We implemented a review automation system. After each job, customers received a text or email asking them to leave a review. If unhappy, the feedback was routed to the office for follow-up instead of going public. We also trained staff to request reviews during job wrap-ups and gave them review response templates to maintain a consistent, professional tone.
Every month, we held a performance review meeting using a dashboard showing all key metrics—like cost per lead, number of leads, review growth, and search rankings. Based on data, we adjusted bids, changed copy, or shifted focus to better-performing ZIP codes. This ongoing optimization kept results improving month after month.
In one year, we generated 2,591 leads from Google Ads, LSA, and Google Maps—all directly tied to our marketing work. Using the client’s own conversion metrics—a 42% close rate and $900 revenue per job—this resulted in an estimated $979,398 in revenue from marketing-qualified leads alone.
Monthly leads jumped from an average of 60 to over 200. In peak months like December and January, they hit 230+ leads. Even slower periods like April and August exceeded 140. This flattened their seasonal dips and allowed them to plan confidently—knowing they’d have consistent work coming in.
Review volume rose by 85%, and their average rating improved from 4.3 to 4.7. As a result, they ranked higher on both Google Maps and LSA—leading to more visibility and trust. These reviews acted as social proof, influencing customers to choose them over competitors.
Best of all, the business shifted from reactively chasing low-margin jobs to choosing higher-value work. With a consistent funnel in place, they now prioritize boiler installs, service contracts, and commercial projects—growing on their own terms while maintaining operational quality.
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