Post Summary
- Modern homeowners turn to Google to find an HVAC company near them
- Your website needs to be found on the first page of Google to increase qualified leads, booked jobs, and revenue
- We share the HVAC marketing strategies we’ve used to grow heating and cooling businesses across the United States
How to Build a Comprehensive HVAC Marketing Plan, Grow Qualified Leads, and Increase Booked Jobs & Revenue
Homeowner needs are changing—fast—and the heating and cooling companies that adapt their marketing strategy to meet their demands will be the ones that generate more phone calls, more leads, and more booked jobs.
In today’s digital age, your HVAC marketing plan needs to target homeowners throughout their customer journey, from the moment they start searching Google to turning them into lifetime customers, even after the job is complete.
Because you need to focus on running your business (and not executing these strategies yourself), the Blue Corona team did the hard work for you. In this guide, we’ll cover digital marketing strategies to include in a comprehensive HVAC marketing plan, including:
- Strategies to increase qualified leads and sales
- Marketing channels to differentiate your brand online
- Tips to reduce your marketing costs
HVAC Marketing Case Studies
- 300% increase in HVAC web leads
- $90K in HVAC revenue with a 32:1 ROI during the slowest month of the year
- 794% ROI on HVAC PPC
- Doubled HVAC revenue with a 1,117% ROI
- $16.36 cost per HVAC lead and an ROI of 9:1 with Google Local Services ads
Keep reading to see the HVAC marketing strategies that will get you results like the ones above, and contact us if you want an HVAC marketing partner to do it all for you.
The Modern HVAC Consumer’s Search Habits
Gone are the days you could solely rely on word of mouth to fill your call board with jobs, and so are the days where customers remain loyal to a company just for loyalty’s sake. Modern homeowners use Google to find an HVAC company near them.
Consider this:
- 97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else
- 55% of home service consumers run a search before scheduling an appointment
- 78% of Google searches visit the second page of search results
Summary: If your HVAC marketing plan doesn’t successfully position your company’s website on the first page of Google results, you’re losing calls, leads, and sales to your competitors—guaranteed.
1. Build & Better HVAC Website, the Foundation of Your Marketing Strategy
Not all HVAC websites are created equal, and as a result, not all of them will rank on the first page of Google or turn website visitors into leads.
However, there are several HVAC website design tips you can implement to increase rankings and convert more visitors into calls and booked jobs.
Pop quiz: Where should your company’s phone number be located on your homepage to get the most leads? Click here for the answer and more.
3 Website Design Tips for HVAC Companies
1. Build a Mobile-Friendly Website
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re well behind the times. Mobile-friendliness has been a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm since April 21, 2015, and up to 75% of all local searches are done from a mobile device.
More than half of your customers are accessing your website through their smartphone or tablet, which means your website needs to be designed with a “mobile-first” mindset.
Your customers shouldn’t have to hunt for information and they shouldn’t have to zoom in to see your text. Additionally, they should be able to easily contact you and use your mobile website seamlessly—almost effortlessly.
Your website may be responsive, but that doesn’t make it MADE for mobile. Your goal is for someone to walk away thinking, “Well, THAT was easy. I’m definitely using them again.”
So, since you created a responsive HVAC website a long time ago, the next step is to consider how well your mobile website works for users.
2. Make It Easy for Visitors to Contact You
Once a visitor lands on your website, your site should be designed to make it as easy as possible for them to contact you. We recommend:
- Phone number located in your website’s navigation area with a strong call-to-action
- Contact form prominently placed above-the-fold (on desktop)
- Website chat, for consumers looking to speak with a customer service rep ASAP
3. Incorporate Trust Builders Into Your HVAC Website
Trust builders are features of your website that build credibility with prospective buyers, showcasing your team’s services, value props, and company differentiators. These include:
- Real photos of your team – Consumers like familiar faces, and adding real photos of your team, service trucks, and office help build credibility.
- Customer reviews – Reviews can make or break your online reputation. Showcase customer reviews, video testimonials, and other great things customers have said about your company prominently on your website.
- Service areas – List the cities and towns you work in, or showcase a map on your website to let website visitors know you’ll work in their neighborhood.
- Value propositions – Upfront pricing? 24/7 emergency service? Lifetime warranties? Whatever makes your HVAC company stand out from the competition, make it known.
- Payment methods and financing options – Do you accept all major credit cards? Offer financing programs? Let your website visitors know ahead of time so there are no surprises once their appointment is complete.
Learn more about Blue Corona’s website design services.
Website Development
In today’s digital age, it’s not enough to just have a website. Today, customers want a seamless experience when visiting your site. A seamless experience often relies on your website’s code and structure—the “HTML geek speak” hidden behind its beautiful design.
- Fast – Yes, website speed impacts your bottom line, especially speed on mobile devices. On average, HVAC website visitors don’t wait longer than 3 seconds for your site to load.
- Secure – Website security has been an issue for a while. Security is a search engine ranking factor, and not only that, but it’s also a trust factor. This means your site is HTTPS, not just HTTP.
- Streamlined for Google – Google’s Page Experience update and inclusion of Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor mean your website not only needs to load quickly for users but not have a lot of sudden visual layout movements when users browse your site.
Dive deeper into this topic by catching up on the following blogs:
2. Claim a Top Spot in Google Results with Local Services Ads
If you’re looking for HVAC marketing ideas, look no further than Google Local Services ads. They are available nationwide for heating and air conditioning businesses and are the first thing that pops up when someone searches for HVAC services.
Take a look at the image below of a modern Google search result page for the keyword HVAC contractor washington dc:
First come Google’s new Local Services ads platform, then PPC ads, then the local pack, and way down at the bottom are the organic search results.
What this means for you is that it’s getting harder and harder to show up in organic search results for geographically related searches.
In order to counter it, you need to be investing in Google Local Services ads for HVAC contractors and PPC ads (they show up at the very top for the search results page).
Here’s how it works:
- You apply for a Google Guarantee badge through the Local Services platform
- You provide Local Services with copies of your business licenses, insurance coverage, and list of employees to be background check and vetted by Google
- Once approved, your ads are eligible to show at the top of Google’s search results when someone searches for HVAC services in your activated area
- The searcher then calls you, and you are only charged per qualified lead
Learn more about Local Services ads for HVAC companies.
3. Get HVAC Leads Quickly with Pay Per Click (PPC) Ads
There is a waiting period to get your Google Guarantee badge, so if you want to get leads quickly, pay per click ads—specifically paid search ads—must be included in your HVAC marketing strategy.
Learn more about Blue Corona’s PPC services for HVAC companies.
What Is PPC? Whare Are Paid Search Ads?
When using paid search ads, you pay to list advertisements throughout the internet search engines and platforms. Paid search marketing is oftentimes referred to as PPC (which stands for pay per click). PPC is the most common form of paid search marketing for HVAC companies there is.
The term “PPC” is self-explanatory. Every time your ad is clicked on, you pay the network that is showing your ad. Basically, you are buying visits to your website instead of having them visit you through organic rankings generated by SEO.
Is PPC Worth It for HVAC Companies?
Yes. For our clients using PPC as an HVAC marketing strategy, we’ve seen anywhere from a 794% ROI up to a 1,214% ROI.
Like we saw above, you need to do everything you can to get on that prime first page. Many people think PPC doesn’t work for small businesses, but that simply isn’t the case. The real question isn’t whether PPC works, it’s whether it makes sense for your HVAC company. In order to determine whether PPC advertising (or any other marketing strategy) is worth it, you have to know your numbers.
First and foremost, you should know how much you’re willing to pay for each HVAC lead you receive.
Do People Actually Click on Paid Ads?
If companies weren’t seeing positive ROI, they wouldn’t be running ads. And pretty much every major brand runs PPC ads with Google. Paid ads are effective for getting clicks to HVAC websites, but we understand that marketing strategies and budgets are not one-size-fits-all.
Click here for a more in-depth discussion about paid advertising.
4. Search Engine Optimization, the HVAC Marketing Gift that Keeps on Giving
Tired of paying Google to appear at the top of search results? Enter SEO into your HVAC marketing plan.
The Basics of SEO as an HVAC Marketing Strategy
When homeowners need HVAC services, 97% of them go online to find a contractor, and 93% of them start their online experience with a search engine. And when it comes to search engines, if you’re not on the first page of results you may as well not even be there at all.
While there are more than 200 actual search ranking signals, here’s what you should focus on if you want your company to show up on the first page of Google:
- Webpage content quality
- Webpage content length
- Website security(HTTPS vs. HTTP)
- Website mobile-friendliness
- Schema markup
- Page speed
- Social signals
- Quality backlinks
- Optimized images
- Domain age
- User experience
Each page of content on your site gives you an opportunity to rank for a specific set of relevant keywords, so the more content you have, the more likely you are to rank. If you’re looking to improve your HVAC SEO and rank higher in search results, try these 10 ways to improve rankings for contractors.
5. Improve Your Local SEO as Part of Your HVAC Marketing Plan
With the shrinking of the organic results and the rise of the local pack, local SEO is more important than ever for HVAC companies. Why? Because you want homeowners near you to find your business when they need your services.
If you want to get to the top of Google’s local listings or any other map listings, you need to do the following:
- Optimize your Google My Business page – The information you make public on Google My Business powers your local listing. Optimizing your Google My Business page (add photos, selecting your primary and secondary business categories, adding NAP information, etc.) will generate higher local search rankings.
- Fine-tune your website structure – By making sure your site has an XML map, title tags, meta descriptions, and other site structure essentials, you make it easier for your site to be crawled. In turn, this will result in improved rankings and an easier time of getting into the local pack.
- Associate your website with local directories – When these sites update online business listings, you want to make sure your own site’s information is correct and you’re in good standing with users. Local searchers love using directories to find services near them, so be sure to use them to your advantage.
- Make sure you’re in proximity to the searcher – Local means local. The closer you are to the search, the higher chance you have of appearing in the local pack.
- Have consistent business information across social media profiles – Yes, your social media profiles help local SEO, as long as they’re regularly updated and have the correct information. This includes having a consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP)
There are a ton of ways to improve your local SEO so you’re more visible to users in your service area, but let’s start with three of the easiest ways that you can boost your HVAC company’s local SEO right now.
6. Master HVAC Content Marketing with a Lead-Generating Blog
You need to build out your website’s content to try and capture more of those search rankings. Keep in mind that Google ranks web pages, not whole websites—so as part of maximizing your online real estate, you need to have pages for all your lines of business and more specific pages related to those services (i.e., emergency HVAC repair, duct cleaning, furnace inspections, air conditioning installation, etc.).
But eventually, you’ll run out of services to write pages about. So what do you do?
Blogs are perfect for bringing in qualified traffic for specific services. For example, a blog called “Do I Need a New Air Conditioner” fits perfectly into an HVAC marketing plan, targeting people on the fence about getting a replacement unit.
We explain more in-depth here.
7. Fill Out Your HVAC Marketing Plan with Social Media Marketing
Social Media Tips for HVAC Contractors
HVAC social media marketing is undeniably a great way to engage with your current customers, promote your services, and increase your visibility to potential customers.
But if you’re new to social media marketing, it can be tough to know where to start. So be sure to check out this detailed list of tips for marketing your HVAC business on social media.
Does your HVAC company need a Facebook page?
Before you answer, consider the fact that your target market is already on Facebook. Why wouldn’t your business leverage Facebook as an HVAC marketing strategy? Read this post to learn how HVAC Facebook advertising can help get you qualified leads, create loyal customers, and increase your company’s search visibility.
Here’s the thing, though—if you want your Facebook strategy to a lead generator as part of your HVAC marketing strategy, you need to put money behind it with Facebook ads.
If you already use PPC ads, you might be thinking “Why do I need to do Facebook ads, too?”
The short answer is that the audiences for these two types of ads are different, and to maximize your online real estate, you should use both tools (if you can afford it).
There are several types of Facebook ads you can run depending on whether you’re looking for more website clicks, “likes” on your Facebook page, or engagement on a particular post.
Click here to learn more about Facebook ads for HVAC contractors.
Want to spread brand awareness and create loyal fans of your HVAC business? Great idea! Instagram is a surprisingly effective way to build your brand. In this post, we’ll show you nine effective, proven strategies for leveraging the platform.
8. Establish a Presence on Nextdoor
Stay Top of Mind In Your Highest Grossing Service Areas with Nextdoor Ads & Local Deals
If you haven’t heard of Nextdoor or aren’t active on the platform, you’re missing out. Nextdoor is a social media app for defined neighborhoods in the U.S., and it’s where homeowners get a pulse on what’s going on in their neighborhood.
It can also help grow your business—90% of American neighborhoods are using to get recommendations and find local service providers.
It’s also one of the best places to get referrals, build trust in your company, and increase brand awareness. The best part? Now local companies are able to advertise on Nextdoor.
Use Nextdoor Local Deals to Generate Leads within 10 Miles of Your Business
The most comprehensive HVAC marketing strategies combine Nextdoor advertising with Nextdoor Local Deals.
What Is Nextdoor Local Deals?
Nextdoor Local Deals are special offers, discounts, and promotions local businesses can post on the Nextdoor app for residents of specific neighborhoods within a 10-mile radius of your company’s location.
They’re the perfect opportunity to drum up more business and increase your brand exposure in your most desired neighborhoods. Consider promoting your current promotions
How Much Does Nextdoor Local Deals Cost?
Like any form of internet advertising, Nextdoor Local Deals cost money.
However, they are much more affordable than PPC ads and Local Services ads.
Nextdoor Local Deals can cost as little as $3.00, but the average cost of an offer is right around $75.
Visit our blog on Nextdoor Local Deals to learn how to create a promotion for your company.
9. Opt-In to Email Marketing for HVAC Companies
Looking for a great way to keep in touch with your customers and inform them about special promotions? HVAC email marketing is a great way to generate leads and sales from your existing customer base:
- 90% of email gets delivered to the intended recipient’s inbox, whereas only 2% of your Facebook fans see your posts in their News Feed.
- 61% of consumers enjoy receiving promotional emails weekly, and 28% would like emails to come even more frequently
- You are 6x more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign than you are from a tweet
There’s also this: one of our HVAC clients made $17,000 in new sales from ONE email newsletter send in the slowest month of the year! You can see the case study here »
Get eight email marketing tips that you can apply to your HVAC company here.
How to Stand Out In an Email Inbox
Even when you know the basics of HVAC email marketing and you’ve sent out a few messages to your contact list, it can be tough to get people to open your emails. Click here for a few simple tips that will help your next email newsletter stand out from the crowd.
10. Generate More Online Reviews In Your HVAC Marketing Strategy
How to Get Google Reviews for Your HVAC Company
Reviews are important—period. About 95% of consumers read online business reviews, and 85% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. You can’t just get a few good reviews and call it quits, however—85% of consumers don’t trust reviews more than three months old.
Not only could low review ratings (or a total lack of reviews) steer potential customers away from your website, but higher review ratings may also help you get in the “local pack” on Google results pages. Read this post for guidelines on how to get more Google reviews for your HVAC company.
Dive deeper into this topic by catching up on the following blogs:
11. Make the Most of Video: YouTube
You, better than anyone, know just how many homeowners don’t know how to change their HVAC filter. What do modern consumers do when they need to do something but don’t know how?
They head to YouTube—86% of U.S. viewers say they regularly turn to YouTube to learn something new. YouTube is also the world’s second-largest search engine. Not only is video becoming the majority of the population’s preferred way to consume information, but it also increases conversion rates up to 80% when you put videos on your web pages. The key is in creating the right kind of videos and distributing them on platforms your target audience uses (social media, your website, email, etc.).
Before you hit record, here are a few things to consider in your video marketing strategy:
- Limit videos to two minutes or less to increase the likelihood of viewership
- Place videos on popular service pages
- Incorporate videos on blogs
- Upload videos to both your website and your YouTube channel
- Don’t forget about video on social media
12. Double-Down on Video with Over-the-Top (OTT) Advertising
What Is OTT Advertising?
What is OTT advertising, you ask? OTT is an acronym for over-the-top. It’s the delivery of TV and movie content to anyone who has access to the internet by going “over the top” of broadcast television.
In simple terms, OTT is long-form video and TV content watched anytime, anywhere, on any device, on any streaming service or TV network app.
What Are the Benefits of OTT Advertising for HVAC Companies?
HVAC companies have a very specific customer. The most profitable:
- Live in specific service areas
- Earn over a specific household income
- Live in homes (usually) older than 10 years of age
Each HVAC company has a slightly different ICP (ideal customer profile), however, the list above is a good start.
Via OTT advertising for HVAC companies, you can select from thousands of audience parameters, building a network of highly-qualified prospects who need HVAC services, including:
- Zip codes
- Age of home (and building type, if necessary)
- Average household income
Lift Your Brand with OTT Advertising
OTT advertising not only is proven to generate thousands (if not millions) of qualified impressions from homeowners in your service area, it also creates Brand Lift.
Brand Lift is a measurement of how visible your company and website is across all of your digital marketing campaigns, not just OTT. This means OTT results in more homeowners searching for your company online instead of your competitors’—who wouldn’t want that?
OTT Advertising Results: HVAC Company in Pennsylvania
Comparing a six-month period of running OTT ads to the prior six months (without OTT advertising included in their HVAC marketing plan), this Pennsylvania HVAC company generated:
- 156% increase in direct website traffic
- 54% qualified lead increase
- 93% increase in Brand Lift
13. Use Customer Service as an HVAC Marketing Strategy
Great Customer Services Is a Great HVAC Marketing Strategy
Too many companies treat customer service as an afterthought, and they’re making a terrible mistake. The #1 most effective long-term growth strategy any HVAC company can employ isn’t content marketing or SEO, it’s top-notch customer service. Learn how to make the most of it here.
How to Show Your Customers Love
The first step to evaluating your customer service strategy is to find out how well it’s working in the first place.
And if your customer service representatives (CSRs) aren’t doing a great job, all you need to do is add a little extra training into your HVAC marketing strategy.
Handling Price Shoppers as an HVAC Company
Have you ever been in the office and overheard your CSRs’ calls, only to realize that many of the conversations revolve around the price of an air conditioner installation or furnace repair?
If you’ve felt disheartened as these price shoppers waste your CSRs’ time and don’t convert into paying customers, we’re here to encourage you to take heart—price shoppers don’t have to be frustrating time wasters. If your CSRs have the skills to properly handle them, you can turn these leads into customers.
Dive deeper into this topic by catching up on the following blogs:
14. Live Chat: Communicate with Customers How they Want
In case you missed it earlier, 41% of consumers expect live chat on your desktop website, while 50% expect live chat on your mobile website.
If website chat services (like Blue Corona Chat) are missing from your HVAC marketing plan today, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Customers receive near-instant responses to their questions within 3 seconds of messaging you.
Website chat services leverage artificial intelligence to chat with your website visitors without diverting your CSRs from the phones. Or, give your CSRs the choice to takeover automated chats and engage with customers one-to-one.
Not only that, website chat services have proven to increase website conversion rates by 2%, on average. What this means is that adding website chat to your site can increase your volume of inbound customer leads by 2% over what they are today, without lifting a finger.
Need Help Executing Your HVAC Marketing Plan?
Now you know what you need to do to better market your HVAC business this year, but a plan is nothing without implementation.
Learn the basics of digital marketing strategy execution here.
We know that that you wrack your brain trying to come up with HVAC business ideas, and marketing can be complicated and frustrating at times—especially when you’re trying to focus on the day-to-day duties of running a business. If the above sounds daunting, I have a suggestion. Make sure you’re not making one of these awful HVAC digital marketing mistakes.
If you are, you know you need help. If you’re still feeling a little lost with regard to HVAC internet marketing, or you just don’t have time to handle everything yourself, we’re here to help.
Contact us online for more info about our HVAC marketing services.
