online SEO marketing for heating and air companies

11 HVAC Marketing Strategies: Grow Your Business in 2019

Long gone are the days of the yellow pages, postcards,  or direct mail driving customers to your business.

Some contractors try to handle HVAC marketing in-house.

Marketing your HVAC business is more competitive than ever before.

One residential or home customer can be worth $5000, $10,000, or more. Commercial customers, the sky is the limit.

Do you want rankings like this? Keep reading.

sample seo rankings for an hvac client

 

A lack of digital marketing and online advertising experience leaves money on the table and lost opportunity in its wake. Visibility on search engines is crucial in today’s competitive environment.

Maybe you are thinking about buying ads on Google?

Well, check out these prices, PPC or PAY PER CLICK.

heating and cooling keywords from semrush for dallas market

HVAC Local Listing SEO keywords are not cheap with PPC on Google Adwords.

There’s no denying that search optimization is essential if you want to grow your business.

An experienced SEO Consultant can implement the right social media and online digital marketing strategy to help your HVAC business expand.

With that in mind, I compiled this list of TEN proven HVAC strategies.

Implemented correctly, they can help you attract new customers and generate HVAC leads.

 #1: Search Engine Optimization For Heating and Air Companies

The first strategy you need to know is getting your SEO right to rank high in the search results.

Local SEO is essential for HVAC marketing. You need to be found in your city listings.  It helps drive organic search traffic to your website. Organic traffic is “free traffic.”

Where do your customers go when they need a service or a contractor? Google.

local search on Google for HVAC advertising

Your prospects are looking for online reviews.

 

The thing to keep in mind with is that it is not a job for amateurs. In the old days, you could merely stuff your website with as many top HVAC keywords as possible. The traffic would follow because the algorithms were simple.

Today, search algorithms are sophisticated. In addition to targeting the right keywords, you must also leverage all other online opportunities to attract business to your site.

That means using strategies and implementing campaigns for local internet marketing. It also involves obtaining links from authority sites. Yes, links still matter in 2018.

Finally, you need to have a website with a well planned internal linking structure to best optimize your website.

#2: Mobile Advertising Marketing Tips

mobile phone local search

The next tactic is to target mobile users.

In other words, you need to make sure that your website is optimized for mobile customers.

This is a must. As of 2019, more people use mobile devices to seek out local businesses than use computers. The average is almost 70%.

The chances are good that potential customers for your business are among them.

Your best results will come from having a fully responsive website design.

That means that your site should adjust to fit the device being used to view it. Research shows that most users will abandon a website if it is not mobile-friendly. I call this, a high bounce rate, or leaving money on the table.

Finding a website design company to make your site responsive is a must.

It can help you attract leads and sales for your Heating and Air Conditioner business as most customers use mobile devices.

It is one of the best ways to turn your website into a successful advertising platform and increase your conversion rate.

SEO Expert Brad can assist with website design, and save you money.

Do not fall for the “industry specialists” that hang around tradeshows like vultures selling $10-30k templated website designs, garbage. 

95% of the small business websites I have consulted with for design projects have come in under $7500.

#3: Use Social Media Marketing

When it comes to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning digital marketing, social media is a must. 

Think of it as word of mouth in 2018.

strategy for air conditioning company growth by hvac marketing

Are you spending as much as Energy.gov claims? If so, you need to talk to me about your HVAC website.

Social media can take many forms. For example, you might:

  • Cross-post your blog and other content from your website on Facebook and Twitter
  • Use Instagram to introduce your staff and show photos of your work.
  • Create low-cost Facebook ad campaigns to promote exclusive deals and offers or for branding
  • Host a social media contest to attract new followers and increase sales
  • Use social media for content marketing promotion to potential customers.

Are you burning money trying to find prospects?

Social media should be a crucial part of your online marketing plan.

You can use it for heating and air lead generation, reputation management, and driving online reviews. A social media management expert can help you come up with a social media marketing strategy.

Used correctly, social media can help you attract new clients.

#4: Embrace Video Internet Marketing For Your Company

If you are not using video marketing for your business, you need to start. It is one of the most effective tools broaden your online presence and stand out.

Contrary to popular belief, a video does not have to be expensive. Today, video production costs are low thanks to technological advances. Many top-rated companies use video to:

  • Demonstrate the details of the cooling, heating, and air systems they sell
  • Provide tips for maintaining units or provide a resource
  • Attract new customers with video strategies
  • Include video in your blog posts
  • Post video on social media
local three pack

Local SEO results for HVAC companies and contractors.

Posting videos on YouTube can also give your HVAC SEO marketing a boost.

YouTube is owned by Google. That means you should make videos part of your core marketing plan.

YouTube has excellent features, including tags, display advertising, on-screen call to action buttons, and automatic transcripts. They can be useful in improving your search standing. Did you know Youtube is the worlds second largest search engine?

Keep in mind that 80% of customers say they would rather watch an explainer video about a product than read an article.

Video marketing should play a key role in your company success.

#5: Retargeting and Other Ads For Your Market and Demographics

keyboard with blue keys

A clear HVAC marketing plan that includes social media is essential.

The first step to developing a targeting tactic is doing a competition analysis of your home area.

You need to figure out what your competitors are doing and discover the top HVAC  advertising keywords with BUYER INTENT.  Then, you or your marketing company can use the information you gather for marketing. 

Coming up with the appropriate targeting method can be tricky and requires experience.

A search engine optimization professional can evaluate your analytics.

The information they gather will help create a targeting plan to grow sales

The goal is to deliver the best possible return on your investment using social target ads.

retarget customers with the facebook pixel

You can use the pixel to display Facebook ads to people who have visited your site or retarget them.

Retargeting can help convert them into paying prospects.

Is your HVAC advertising company using retargeting pixels? One essential strategy to keep in mind is the Facebook pixel.

It is a small piece of code that you insert on your website for tracking.

#6: Improve Your Marketing Results with a Well-Designed Website

The design of your site can have a significant impact on your marketing results.

You probably know that your page loading speed is essential. If it takes more than three seconds for your site to load, most people will navigate away.

Your site’s design plays a role too.

You should have a mobile-responsive design. Mobile designs are readily available. Using them ensures that your site will look great on any device, from a smartphone to a desktop computer.

Other elements of site design that can impact your marketing success are:

  • Easy and Simple Navigation. Your site should have an easy-to-find menu with clear contact information front and center. People expect to find the menu at the top or left-hand side of a page and a phone number at the top center.  Make sure people can easily find what they need.
  • Whitespace. Sites with short paragraphs are easier to read than dense blocks of text. Breaking up text with images and headlines helps.
  • Internal links. Building a system of internal links gives your site structure. When you link to related pages, you simplify navigation and improve the user experience.  If you reference another page, link to it. Your users will thank you. The longer a potential client stays on your website, the more significant chance they consider your services.
  • Multiple calls to action. When you create a landing page, make sure people know what to do. If you want them to subscribe to your email list, put the call to action above the fold. Then put an additional link on the sidebar or at the bottom of the page.

A quick review of your site’s design can work wonders.

The easier it is to use your site, the more likely it is that visitors will become clients.

#7: Set Up a Referral Program

Your HVAC marketing campaign might need a boost. One way to provide it is to set up a referral program.

Referral programs work. People are four times as likely to buy something if they get a referral from a friend.

References are a form of social proof. They help remove buyer objections and build trust.

setting up a referral program for your business

 

Many companies provide incentives to get their referral programs going.

You might consider:

  • Score clients on how likely they are to make referrals. A happy customer who left a glowing review would get a higher score than one who complained.
  • Choose an incentive to offer customers who make referrals.
  • Specify the criteria to be used for the incentive. The referral itself might not get a reward. But, if the referred person uses your services, then it would kick in.
  • Have a system in place to track referrals. Make sure to ask new customers if someone referred them.

Referrals from current and past clients can help you grow your HVAC business.

You may also decide to team up with other businesses to get referrals. For example, a local builder might send business your way. You can reciprocate, and you can both benefit from the exchange.

If you set up a referral system, make sure to teach customers how to refer people to you. You do not need to dictate what they say. However, it is a good idea to give them guidelines for the referral.

#8: Educate Your Customers

Building authority helps attract business. You probably know that, but what are you doing about it?

Authority keeps your current customers satisfied. It also increases the chances that they will tell their friends about your HVAC company.

How can you make education part of your HVAC marketing strategy?

Here are some examples:

  1. Add a blog to your website. Use it to share helpful information about relevant issues. Then, you can share the posts you write on social media.
  2. Find articles and content created by others and share them with your clients. Linking out to relevant content is helpful to site visitors. It is an excellent tactic to use on your social media pages, too. Make sure to share your thoughts when you post it.
  3. Do live Q & As using Facebook Live. Heating and air customers often have questions. Why not be the one to answer them? You might source questions from your followers in advance. Or, you can ask people to leave questions in the comment section.

These are just a few ideas.

When you share your expertise with your customers, they remember it. They will think of you as generous and knowledgeable.

As a result, they will want to use your services in the future and recommend you to others.

#9: Use Seasonality to Your Advantage

Your business is open year-round, but seasonality plays a role.

People are more likely to look for AC solutions in the hot summer months.

The same is true of heating or furnace services in the winter.

Think about it, by adjusting your heating and cooling keywords for the right season can drive more traffic.

the four seasons can impact your targeting

 

You must use seasonality in your marketing.

And, it can work both ways. For example, your AC business might fall off in the winter. To attract new customers, you might run a special to encourage people to install AC before the heat hits.

You can also use the seasons to inspire content for your site and social media pages.

A blog post about how to save money on winter heat might do well in January. In July, people will respond to information about how to keep the house cool during the day.

#10: Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

example of google my business listing in search results

Using Google My Business is a must for HVAC companies. A properly optimized listing can help customers find you.

Here are the steps to take to optimize your listing.

  1. Choose the categories that best suit your business. Don’t overdo it. Select only those categories and subcategories that accurately describe what you do. My rule of thumb is to choose 2 or 3.
  2. Upload images to round out your profile. You can add:
    1. A profile picture that well represents your business.
    2. Your company logo.
    3. An interesting cover photo. Make sure the image you chose has a 16:9 aspect ratio.
    4. Add additional images of the inside and outside of your business. The goal is to exhibit your professionalism and show you are a real, credible business.
    5. Any photos you add should be original, bright, and compelling. They should be in either JPG or PNG format. Also, they should have a minimum size of 720 by 720 pixels.
  3. Link to your website. You will probably want to link to your homepage. 
  4. Establish your service area. Your service area is based on the registered address with Google. If you make the area too large, you will likely see diminishing returns. I start my clients at 15-20 miles and optimize accordingly.
  5. Add other relevant information such as hours as appropriate.

Taking these steps ensures that customers can find you on Google. Be thorough. Optimizing your GMB listing can have a significant impact on your local marketing success.

#11 Bonus HVAC marketing ideas & strategies:

  • Drive online reviews, online reviews are a direct ranking factor. Keep customers happy also builds customer retention.
  • PPC / pay per click / PPC ads/ paid ads are not the answer; the prices are inflated.
  • Email marketing is alive and well. Capture emails.
  • Track your google analytics and know your data.
  • Direct mail is all but dead for generating new customers.
  • Call tracking is a simple way to track leads.
  • Use Google My Business Posts to stand out.
  • Customer service is critical to generating online reviews as an HVAC contractor.
  • Content marketing helps to build your brand and is great for SEO.

Is Your HVAC Company Ready For an Internet Marketing Campaign?

These HVAC marketing strategies represent the best ways to start marketing your company online.

As a business owner of a heating and cooling company, you are probably not an advertising expert at attracting customers.

The good news is you do not have to be. I am, and my pricing is focused on ROI or return on investment.

To learn how I can help fine-tune your sales, contact marketing expert Bradley Shaw today.

I am more than happy to run a free online marketing audit.

Do you think you are going to outrank your six competitors that are using professional online SEO and advertising services without an expert?