Local marketing is important for HVAC companies. In today’s competitive world, reaching local customers is key to growing your business. With so many HVAC companies out there, standing out in your area is more important than ever.
More than just a seasonal service, HVAC companies now see year-round demand as consumers prioritize maintaining comfortable indoor environments, especially with extreme weather becoming more common.
But with this demand comes fierce competition. Without targeted local marketing, it’s easy for even the best HVAC companies to get lost in the shuffle. That’s why focusing on building a strong local and digital presence is so important in this industry.
What’s more, the first port of call people often have when they have a heating issue is Google. So, showing up in local searches is crucial. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to consider when you’re performing local SEO for your HVAC business.
My Experience with HVAC Companies
Over the last 10 years, I’ve helped HVAC companies across the country connect with their local communities and grow their businesses. Our strategies focus on boosting visibility in your area, whether that’s through search engine optimization (SEO), targeted ads, or social media campaigns.
We’ve seen success with our HVAC clients by crafting marketing plans that not only highlight their expertize but also ensure they’re easily found by the right customers anytime. From improving online reviews and search rankings to creating ad campaigns that focus on seasonal needs, we’ve helped our clients consistently bring in new leads and increase their revenue.
Throughout this article, I’ll be talking about general tips for the industry while showcasing specific examples from our client Cold Factors.
Understanding Your Local HVAC Market
To run a successful HVAC business, it’s important to know your local market well. This means understanding who your customers are, what they need, and what other HVAC companies in your area are offering.
Here’s how understanding your local market can help your HVAC business succeed:
Know Your Local Customers
Every community is different, and understanding who lives in your service area helps you market your HVAC services more effectively. For example, think about the age, income levels, and homeownership rates in your area:
- Age: Younger homeowners may be looking for energy-efficient systems, while older homeowners might care more about reliability and comfort.
- Income: Areas with higher incomes may be willing to invest in premium systems, while others may prefer budget-friendly options.
- Homeownership: Homeowners tend to invest more in long-term HVAC systems compared to renters, who may only need quick fixes.
By understanding these details, you can make smarter decisions about how to advertise your services and what types of systems or maintenance plans to promote.
Know the Local HVAC Needs
Like other home services businesses, your region’s climate and types of homes greatly impact the demand for HVAC services. For example:
- Warm climates will likely have more demand for air conditioning repairs, replacements, and routine maintenance.
- Cold climates might see more calls for heating system services.
- Older homes may need system upgrades, new ductwork, or other improvements.
Knowing the common HVAC issues in your area can help you focus your marketing efforts on the services that people are most likely to need.
As you can see in the image above, in our work with Cold Factor, we use this information to inform the messaging for that particular area, hitting home the importance of cooling systems in Texas.
Keep an Eye on Your Competitors
It’s always helpful to see what other HVAC companies in your area are offering. Are they focusing on repairs? Do they offer promotions or maintenance plans? By understanding what your competitors are doing, you can identify areas where you can do something different or better. For example, if most companies offer emergency repairs, you might stand out by providing energy-efficient upgrades or flexible financing.
It’s not just about their services, either: you need to see what they’re doing to get ahead in their marketing efforts. Has one of them doubled down on reviews, or have they obtained some local SEO services that have seen them jump up the rankings? It’s good to know what you’re up against.
Optimizing Google Business Profile
If you want your HVAC business to stand out locally, having a solid Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must. It’s one of the easiest ways to get in front of potential customers who are searching for HVAC services in your area. It’s also the quickest thing you can do to start on your local SEO.
Here’s how to get started and make sure your GBP profile is working hard for you:
1. Set Up and Verify Your GBP
First things first—if you haven’t already, go to Google Business Profile and set up a profile for your HVAC company.
It’s pretty straightforward, but one important step is verifying your business.
Google will send you a verification code, usually by mail, to confirm you’re the real deal. Once verified, your HVAC company will pop up in Google searches and on Google Maps when people in your area are looking for services.
2. Optimize GBP for Your HVAC Services
Now that your profile is up, it’s time to fine-tune it so customers can find you easily. Here’s how:
- Use Keywords: Think about what customers are typing into Google when they need HVAC help. Are they searching for “air conditioning repair” or “heating installation”? Make sure you use these keywords in your business description and services section to show up for the right searches.
- Define Your Service Areas: Be clear about where you work. List all the areas you serve so that people in those neighborhoods can find you when they’re searching for local HVAC services.
- Pick the Right Categories: Choose categories that match the services you offer, like “HVAC contractor” or “air conditioning repair service.” This helps Google connect you with people who need exactly what you do.
You can see how we’ve done this for Cold Factor’s GBP:
3. Keep Your NAP Consistent
This might sound simple, but keeping your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistent across the internet is super important. You want the info on your GBP profile to match exactly with what’s on your website, social media, and other places like Yelp or Angi. Why? If Google sees different addresses or phone numbers floating around, it can get confused, and your rankings might drop. Plus, customers need to be able to reach you without any confusion!
A simple way to do this is to enlist the help of a citation building service to save you time and hassle.
4. Get and Manage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can make or break a business and are especially important for local services like HVAC. Encourage your happy customers to leave a review on your GBP page—maybe send them a link or a quick follow-up message after a job. Reviews help build trust with new customers who are checking you out for the first time.
And don’t forget to respond to reviews! Whether they’re glowing or not-so-great, replying to reviews shows that you care about your customers.
By optimizing your GBP profile, you make it easier for local customers to find your HVAC services, trust your business, and choose you over the competition.
Local SEO Strategies for HVAC Companies
Google Business Profile is just one part of the local SEO puzzle, though. Focusing on other areas of local SEO is a smart move, too. Local SEO helps ensure your business shows up when people in your area search for heating or cooling services.
Target Local HVAC-related Keywords
The first step in local SEO is targeting the right keywords. You want to include HVAC-related terms combined with the cities or areas you serve in your website content. For example, instead of just writing “AC repair services,” say “AC repair in [Your City].” Be specific! Whether you offer air conditioning repair, heating services, or maintenance, make sure you’re using location-based keywords where appropriate.
For example, if you serve multiple areas, make sure to mention each one: “We provide AC repairs in [City 1], [City 2], and [City 3].“
If you only target one area, this could be across your website, but if you have several service areas or specific locations, you can create dedicated pages for those, too.
Create Location and Service Area-specific Pages
If your HVAC business serves multiple towns or neighborhoods, create a separate landing page for each location. These pages should focus on the specific HVAC services you offer in each area and, of course, use local keywords. Not only does this help with SEO, but it also lets your customers know that you’re familiar with their area and ready to serve them.
For example, you might have pages like “Furnace Repair in [City A]” and “HVAC Installation in [City B].” Each page can highlight the services specific to that location and the unique needs of the area, like hot summers or cold winters.
You can see how we do this for Cold Factor with specific ‘areas we serve’ pages.
Optimize Meta Descriptions and Titles
Your meta titles and descriptions are what potential customers see in Google search results, so it’s important to include local terms here too. This not only helps with SEO but also makes it clear that you’re a local business ready to help people in your community. Use phrases like “Air Conditioning Repair in [Your City]” in your page titles and meta descriptions to attract more clicks from people in your area.
For instance, instead of “Expert HVAC Services,” try something like “Reliable HVAC Services in [Your City] | Heating & AC Repair.”
This can help improve your click-through rate, but it’s unlikely to improve your rankings specifically. Standing out in the results is important, though, as ranking alone isn’t always enough to guarantee a click.
Building Relationships with the Local Community
At Risely, we want our HVAC clients to get more involved in their community. Which is why we help them build relationships with local nonprofit organizations. Getting involved locally can increase your brand’s visibility and create lasting relationships that drive new business.
Sponsoring local events, sports teams, or community programs is an effective way to increase your brand’s presence. Whether it’s sponsoring a youth soccer team or getting involved with a local charity, showing your support for the community helps build goodwill and trust. People are more likely to choose a company that actively supports the community they live in.
If you’re more of a hands-on person, you could even consider helping out with your van in the community. It would get you known as someone who wants to help and get your van all over the place.
All of this helps get your name out there and have people remember your business when they need HVAC services.
Running Localized Paid Advertising Campaigns
If you’re looking to boost your HVAC business and bring in more local customers, running paid advertising campaigns is a smart way to get your name out there. Paid campaigns let you target the people in your area who are most likely to need your services, whether they’re searching online or browsing social media. Here’s how to make the most of localized paid advertising:
Geo-targeted PPC Campaigns
One of the most effective ways to use paid ads is through geo-targeted Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Geo-targeting allows you to show your ads only to people in your specific service area. That way, your budget is focused on reaching local customers who are actively searching for HVAC services.
For example, if you offer AC repair or heating installation in a particular city or neighborhood, you can set up your ads to only appear to users in those areas. This helps ensure that your ads are seen by the right audience—people who are nearby and need your services.
For local searches, these ads are called Local Service Ads. You can see an example of the ones we’ve set up for our client below. For these ads you need a Google Business Profile.
Leveraging Retargeting Ads
Retargeting ads are a powerful tool that allows you to reach people who have already visited your website or Google Business Profile. Maybe someone checked out your HVAC services but didn’t book an appointment right away? Retargeting ads keep your business front and center, showing reminders to potential customers as they continue to browse the web or social media.
For example, if someone visits your website to look at furnace repair options but leaves without making a decision, retargeting ads can show them a promotion for furnace tune-ups when they’re on Facebook or Google later. It’s an effective nudge that can turn interest into action.
Leveraging Social Media to Grow Your HVAC Business
Social media is a powerful tool that HVAC companies can use to connect with local customers, build brand awareness, and generate leads. Here are some tips on how to leverage social media for local engagement:
Share HVAC Tips and Promotions
One of the easiest ways to engage your local audience is by sharing helpful HVAC tips and advice. Posting content that offers value, such as how to maintain your air conditioning system in the summer or quick fixes for a faulty heater, will position your company as an expert in the field.
In addition to tips, share promotions and seasonal offers to attract customers. For example, post about discounts on winter heater tune-ups or summer AC servicing. These posts encourage followers to book your services and share deals with friends and family.
Interact with Local Customers and Businesses
Take the time to interact with your followers by responding to their comments, answering questions, and engaging in local conversations. If someone comments on one of your posts with a question about their HVAC system, offer a helpful response. These small interactions can build trust and make people more likely to choose your business when they need HVAC help.
Tracking and Measuring Local Marketing Success
Set Up Local Analytics and Use Call-tracking Software
Use tools like Google Analytics to track important data like phone calls and website visits. There’s a dedicated tool in GBP too, known as Google Business Profile Performance. This helps you see how potential customers are finding and interacting with your business online.
Call-tracking software like CallRail allows you to monitor the calls coming in from your local marketing campaigns. By assigning unique phone numbers to different ads or landing pages, you can track which campaigns are most effective at driving calls and, ultimately, new business.
Review Local SEO Rankings Regularly
Your local SEO rankings are a key indicator of how visible your HVAC business is in your area. Use local rank tracking tools like BrightLocal’s Local Search Grid to check your rankings for important keywords like “AC repair in [City]” or “heating services near me.” Regularly review these rankings and adjust your marketing strategies as needed to stay competitive and improve your visibility in local searches.
Regular SEO rank trackers won’t cut it when you’re tracking these sorts of searches.
By tracking your marketing efforts and making data-driven decisions, you can continually refine your strategy to attract more local customers and grow your HVAC business.
Last Thoughts
Local marketing is essential for HVAC companies looking to stand out and grow in a competitive market. By implementing strategies like optimizing your Google Business Profile, focusing on local SEO, engaging with your community, and running targeted ads, you can attract more local customers and boost your business.
If you’re an HVAC business owner, now is the time to start using these strategies to stay ahead in your local market.
