Technical SEO Audit & Fixes: 

Our first priority was to resolve the foundational technical issues preventing the website from being crawled and indexed effectively by Google. The audit revealed several critical issues: 

• Site speed optimisation: Load times were between 3 to 4 seconds, well above the acceptable threshold. We reduced this to under 2 seconds through image compression, code minification, and caching improvements. 

• Mobile responsiveness: The website had layout and usability issues on mobile devices. Given that the majority of local plumbing searches are performed on mobile, this was a high-priority fix. 

• Indexing issues: Several pages were either not indexed or incorrectly configured in Google Search Console. We resolved crawl errors, submitted the sitemap, and ensured all key pages were indexed correctly. 

• XML sitemap and robots.txt optimisation: These files were configured to ensure Google could efficiently discover and crawl all pages without wasting crawl budget. 

Keyword Research & Targeting Strategy: 

We used a combination of tools such as Ahrefs and Google Analytics to conduct thorough keyword research focused on specific service areas and service types. The research identified three core keyword buckets: 

• Local keywords (city-based): High-intent searches combining a service with a location, such as “Emergency Plumber in Staines” or “Boiler Repair in Slough.” 

• Emergency plumbing intent keywords: Time-sensitive searches from customers who need immediate help, high conversion potential. 

• Transactional terms: Keywords indicating purchase or booking intent, such as “boiler installation cost” and “new boiler replacement near me.” 

On-Page Optimisation:  

With target keywords defined, we systematically updated every key page on the website: 

• Meta titles and descriptions: Rewritten to include primary location keywords and compelling calls-to-action to improve click-through rates from search results. 

• H1/H2 heading structure: Restructured to clearly signal page relevance to both users and search engines. 

• Internal linking: Added contextual internal links between service pages and location pages to distribute link equity and improve crawlability. 

• Service pages: Each core service page was optimised with location-specific keyword variations, expanded content, and clear service descriptions. 

Content Strategy & Implementation:  

A significant portion of the website’s underperformance was due to thin, non-targeted content and to get this fixed, we developed and published a content plan covering both informational blog content and service-focused landing pages: 

• Blog posts (5-10 articles): All articles published were insightful and cut-cleat to the topic which included “Common plumbing issues and how to fix them,” and “Emergency plumbing tips”, all optimized for long-tail keywords. 

• New and expanded service pages: We also created dedicated pages or expanded for boiler repair, leak fixing, and drain cleaning, each targeting specific local search queries.