Digital Marketing 101 For HVAC Companies

There’s nothing quite like the cool comfort of cranking the A/C on a hot summer day. Or turning up the heat to stay warm and toasty in the winter. You know that as well as anyone!

But what you might not know is how to connect with homeowners and businesses to meet their HVAC needs. 

The approach you need to take to market a service-area business is different then say, an e-commerce retailer. 

In this article, we’ll introduce you to the basic concepts and strategies of HVAC digital marketing. You’ll also learn how to apply those strategies to the industry’s pain points, seasonality, and the typical HVAC customer journey.

HVAC SEO: Your Ticket To Getting Found Online

SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to getting your HVAC website to rank higher in search engines. 

There are a number of technical optimizations you can make which we won’t get into here. If you’re unfamiliar with SEO these optimizations are best left to an SEO professional. 

What you can easily implement in your HVAC SEO strategy relates to local SEO and content marketing. So let’s take a look at those.

Local SEO For HVAC

Local SEO is how people find you when they google “HVAC specialist near me.” So let’s talk about local SEO. You want to leverage Google to connect with customers in your service area. 

If you haven’t already, you’ll want to create a Google Business Profile. For local HVAC businesses, being listed in Google Maps is just as, if not more important, than your website. Google prioritizes profiles with the most positive ratings and reviews. Keep that in mind for when your technicians deliver a stellar job. 

When your customers are staying cool with their newly serviced A/C unit is a great time to ask them to leave a review for you on Google. 

HVAC Content Marketing

One of the foundations of digital marketing for HVAC companies is creating content. It helps drive organic traffic to your site.You’re reading our content right now. Google wants to serve its users with valuable information that answers all their HVAC questions. If your website has that content you’ll be one step closer to having users book an appointment with you.

What kind of content should you create? 

Well, a good place to start is thinking of your own customers:

What kind of HVAC-related questions do they ask you? 

What tips and advice could you give them that they would find valuable?

The answers to those questions are great places to start creating content. 

Your current customers are already asking you those questions. But your future customers are asking Google. When you publish valuable content that answers their HVAC questions, you increase the chances of them finding you through Google and other search engines.  

Here are some examples of articles you could write and publish on your website to rank higher in search engine results: 

• What To Look For In A New AC Unit
• 5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your HVAC System
• Understanding HVAC Systems: Which One is Right for Your Home?
• Seasonal HVAC Checklist: What You Need to Do Before the Hot/Cold Weather Hits

HVAC Web Design

Your website is what attracts and converts leads for your HVAC business. Does it do that?

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Trust is huge in the HVAC industry and your website should build credibility. Opt for a professional design and make sure to prominently display any HVAC certifications or specializations your company has. 
• User experience is very important. When new users visit your website it should be easy to navigate your pages, read reviews, schedule an appointment, and find your company contact information.
• Consumers value upfront and transparent pricing for HVAC services. Do your website visitors have access to that information without having to contact you? 
• Use lead capture and contact forms to convert some of your website visitors into leads.

Make sure your website works as hard as you do! Contact us today and we can optimize it for you.

Getting HVAC Leads Now With PPC

SEO is a mid- to long-term strategy. If you need to book more HVAC appointments now, paid ads, or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, are essentially a shortcut to the top of Google’s results page.

Look at these results for “AC repair” on Google:

These companies have paid to be the first thing users in the New York area see when they Google “AC repair.” 

With PPC, you can easily control your budget and the keywords you want to target. This makes it a cost-effective strategy to instantly increase your visibility online and generate leads. 

Related: Your Top PPC Questions Answered

Nurture HVAC Leads With Email Marketing

Sending your customers and leads regular emails is a relatively cheap way to maintain regular communication with them. It can help you encourage repeat business, especially service calls, from your current customers, and help convince potential customers to book with you.

But before you can send out emails, you’ll need to build an email list. 

You probably already have the email addresses of your current customers, so it’s just a matter of asking their permission to email them. 

For potential customers, you can create gated content to capture their email addresses. 

Gated content is downloadable content that you offer website visitors in exchange for their email address – think ebooks, guides, and checklists.

Here are some examples of gated content you could create:

• A Guide To Winter HVAC Maintenance
• Ultimate HVAC Maintenance Checklist for Year-Round Comfort
• HVAC Troubleshooting Handbook: Quick Fixes Before You Call A Pro
• The Complete Guide to Lowering Your Energy Bills: HVAC Tips & Tricks

Once you’ve built an email list, or if you already have one, create email marketing campaigns to share educational content and promote offers and discounts. 

You can also create automated email workflows to follow up with customers, send maintenance reminders, ask for feedback and reviews, and schedule appointments. 

Applying HVAC Digital Marketing

Now that you’ve learned the basics of digital marketing, let’s talk about how you can apply them. 

We’ll talk about how to address common industry challenges, how to apply digital marketing throughout the HVAC customer journey, as well as overcoming seasonality.

HVAC Challenges

Let’s start by looking at common pain points HVAC companies face and some tips to address them with digital marketing:

Limited Online Presence

If you have a weak online presence your flow of inbound leads will follow suit. People search for businesses online and if they can’t find you there, they won’t even know you exist. 

Cultivating a strong online presence requires a few different things. 

First is a well-designed website that implements best SEO practices. Second, is creating a Google Business Profile.

For local businesses, being listed in Google Maps is just as, if not more important than your website. Finally, content marketing will have a big impact here.

Stiff Local Competition

When demand is booming in the summer and winter, you’re not the only one vying for business. Just google “HVAC near me” to see how many local businesses are listed on Google Business. 

Appearing on the top of the list on Google Business is an easy way to stand out from your competition. 

But how do you get there?

Reviews, ratings, and local SEO. You can also distinguish yourself by specializing in specific niches, for example commercial, new constructions, or remodels. 

Earning Trust

Trust and quality service are paramount in the HVAC industry. If people don’t trust you, they won’t call you. 

Here are a few different ways you can build trust:

Web Design: First and foremost, your website needs to be well designed and user friendly. To build even more trust make sure to include testimonials, professional photos of your work,and FAQ section.

Reviews: Kindly ask satisfied customers to leave you positive reviews on Google and/or other local directories. Social proof goes a long way in the HVAC industry.

Content: Publishing content on HVAC-related topics like HVAC systems, maintenance tips, and energy efficiency to show customers that you’re an expert in the area. 

HVAC Customer Journey

The most relevant aspects of digital marketing will depend on which stage of the customer journey your audience is in. That will depend on whether they need emergency service NOW or are looking down the road at a new system. With a cohesive strategy you can guide your potential customers from finding you online to booking with you. 

Awareness 

Customers typically start with their search for an HVAC provider with a Google search or by asking friends and family for recommendations. 

This is where top-of-funnel marketing comes into play. 

Focus your digital marketing efforts on local SEO and content marketing to drive traffic to your site during this stage. If your budget allows, PPC can also help you capture leads by targeting the right keywords with the right messaging. 

Consideration

Once customers have narrowed down their search they’ll be taking a closer look at your reviews, ratings, and website. 

The higher your rating and the more reviews you have on Google Business and local directory websites, the better. 

In terms of web design, make sure your website builds trust and facilitates communication. Customers should be able to have their questions answered quickly, and be able to easily contact you should they have more specific questions. 

Decision

Here again, your website is what makes all the difference. User experience is key. 

There should be clear descriptions of your services and it should only take visitors a few clicks to book an HVAC appointment. 

Retention

Email marketing is the easiest way to drive repeat business from your customers.

As we’ve already mentioned, you can create email marketing campaigns to share educational content to stay top of mind when customers need HVAC maintenance. 

An email newsletter is also a great way to keep your customers in the loop with seasonal promotions or special limited-time offers. 

HVAC Emergency Service

In the case of HVAC emergencies, your customer journey will be much shorter. 

Customers won’t perform nearly as much research and, more often than not, will simply book the top ranked business on Google. Local SEO and tons of positive reviews and ratings are essential.

PPC campaigns targeting emergency-related keywords are also a viable way to capture emergency service business.

Navigating Seasonal Demand

In the height of summer people need their AC, and in the dead of winter they need their heating. 

But what about spring and fall? 

How do you stay in people’s minds when they don’t need your services?

During periods of mild weather your phone inevitably rings a lot less. Ideally, you’d have a steady stream of business year round, but you have to be realistic.  

You need to find ways to maintain a reasonable amount of business throughout the year and maximize periods of heightened demand. Be proactive with your seasonal marketing efforts and time campaigns to coincide with the changing weather.

You can offer off-season promotions and discounts on pre-season system checkups. Make sure to announce any special campaigns on all your marketing channels. 

Use content and email to keep customers and leads engaged. 

Publish content that prepares customers for the upcoming season and provides valuable maintenance tips. Share that content via email along with any other content that could be relevant to your email audience.

Regularly publishing content and sending emails can be demanding for smaller companies. Contact us today for a free consultation to see how we can help you maximize your seasonal demand.

Case Study: Jacobs Heating & Air Conditioning

When Jacobs came to us to scale their HVAC business through organic and paid traffic, we knew that building a new website was the top priority. 

We did a number of things to optimize their website, such as crafting a new look and feel, adding a new scheduling form and 30 pages of content, and developing a custom theme with content blocks capable of housing the increase in new content.

Once their new website was ready, we implemented paid media and organic traffic strategies. Our paid media strategists tested and optimized high-converting landing pages, while our SEO strategists pivoted to blog development to grow traffic. 

And the results speak for themselves:

• Website traffic increased by 373% with a 719% Increase in service requests;
• There were 300,000 more blog visitors with a 2,225% increase in blog conversions;
• Paid media increased phone calls by 170% with a 189% increase in conversions.

Book More Appointments With HVAC Marketing

You now know the basics of HVAC digital marketing to book more appointments and drive business in your off season. Hopefully you already have some ideas of strategies you can implement in your own business.

If you need help growing your reach in your city, Intuitive Digital can help! With decades of combined experience and a team of SEO, paid, and web professionals, we can grow your HVAC company.

Give us a call at (503) 206-4988 or send us a message!