Water heater work blends emergency dispatch and high-ticket replacement — different scripts, same need for speed and trust. This guide is water heater-specific; see Plumber Lead Gen for general plumbing.
At a Glance
- Job types: No hot water (urgent) · tank replacement · tankless upgrade
- Top channels: LSA → GBP + reviews → Search (tankless/replace) → follow-up on quotes
- Typical replacement ticket: $1,200–$3,500+ installed
- Sales cycle: Same day (emergency) · 3–7 days (planned replace)
- Trust: License, permit language, install photos on GBP and landing pages
GBP Services to List
- Water heater repair
- Water heater installation / replacement
- Tankless water heater installation (if offered)
- Emergency water heater service
Photos: new install in utility closet, uniformed tech, truck, before/after (tank vs tankless with permission).
Q&A seeds: “Do you pull permits?” · “Same-day replacement?” · “Tankless vs tank cost range” — Templates trade Q&A.
Channel Ranking
1. LSA — “No hot water” and emergency plumber overlap. Qualify equipment age on first call.
2. GBP + reviews — Replacement buyers read reviews for trust. Target 3–5 new reviews/week in Reviews playbook.
3. Google Search — Dedicated pages: water heater replacement [city], tankless water heater [city]. Google Ads · Website basics.
4. Follow-up — Quotes over $1,500 need day-2 and day-5 touches. Lead Follow-Up Playbook.
First-Call Qualifiers
- No hot water now vs planning upgrade?
- Tank vs tankless interest?
- Gas or electric? Approximate age?
- Two-time booking ask for diagnostic or replace slot
Written quote same day on in-person estimates — On-Site Close.
Landing Page Must-Haves
- H1: service + city (“Water Heater Replacement in [City]”)
- License, insurance, permit mention
- 3+ real install photos
- Financing line if applicable
- One-tap call on mobile
Metrics to Watch
| Metric | Notes |
|---|---|
| LSA CPL | $30–$60 common |
| Quote-to-book (replace) | 25–40% with follow-up |
| Average ticket | Track tank vs tankless separately |
| Response time | <5 min on no-hot-water LSA |
Quick Win
Create or fix one water heater replacement [city] page (or GBP-heavy post if no site) with a real install photo and license line. Schedule day-2 follow-up template in CRM for any quote sent this week.
Next Steps
- Plumber Lead Gen — full trade playbook
- Drain Cleaning Lead Gen — emergency drain volume
- Case Study: Plumber 3x
- Lead-to-Close System
- ROI calculators — model replacement profit
- Lead Gen Scorecard