Author Archives: HVAC Webmasters

Mar '21

Link Building Guide for HVAC Companies in 2024

It’s me, Nolen Walker, the founder and CEO of HVAC Webmasters, a digital marketing agency for heating and cooling professionals. During my 10+ years of first-hand experience working with HVACR businesses, link building is one of the most misunderstood components of a digital marketing campaign.

Business owners come to me confused about the link building process and how it impacts their search results. Unfortunately, there is a ton of misinformation on blogs and social media content regarding backlinks. In addition, Google’s algorithms and policies have evolved to combat link spam.

With so much to unpack, I’ve decided to write a link building guide for HVAC companies based on my 10+ years of first-hand experience launching and managing successful digital marketing campaigns for heating and cooling professionals throughout the United States.

What is Link Building for HVAC Companies?

Link building refers to processes designed to attract inbound links to your HVACR website through outreach, content marketing, and search engine visibility. The ultimate goal of link building is to rank higher on search results for topical keywords.

Impact of Links on HVAC Search Results

Backlinks influence search engine rankings because of website authority (sometimes called Domain Authority or Domain Rating). Of course, not all link building helps websites rank. In fact, black-hat link building tactics can penalize and ban your heating and cooling website from Google search results.

Understanding how to safely build white-hat links is key to succeeding online. Every link should provide helpful information to users.

Authority

Links build a website’s authority. If you’ve used link analysis tools like Moz, Majestic, or Ahrefs, you can observe metrics showcasing a website’s authority.

While each platform has its own metric (e.g., Domain Authority, Trust Flow, etc.), Google does not refer to any third-party metric. However, Google has its own private metrics that likely use similar calculation scores to determine a website’s authority.

Navigation

Links exist everywhere on the internet, including on your HVAC website. You will link out to external domains and interlink to internal pages on your website.

When users read through a page or article, they may need to refer to another page on the same website. Your job as the webmaster is to create seamless navigation that enhances user experience and validates your topical authority.

Rankings

Make no mistake: link building campaigns exist for ranking purposes. Without a significant end goal like search rankings, businesses would not focus their resources on link building.

While Google’s algorithm considers various other factors, inbound links remain one of the most pivotal ways to gauge a website’s relevance. Of course, white-hat link building requires an understanding of Google’s Quality Guidelines.

Traffic

While rankings are the top priority in a link-building campaign, referral traffic represents another important component. Links from major directory websites like Yelp, Angi’, and HomeAdvisor can lead users from that platform to your website.

Make sure you include your website URL in each directory listing. In addition to directory traffic, HVAC companies can also gain traffic from links on popular blogs.

Link Quality Factors for HVAC Websites

Though link quantity is a factor in building domain authority, generating random links will not help your website. In fact, Google reserves the right to penalize your website for such behavior.

As part of their algorithm updates through the years, Google has cracked down on link schemes, link spam, and any other variation of manipulative linking practices.

So, how does Google distinguish good links from spam links? Well, they use several indicators that help identify a link’s purpose. For example, a link from a gambling site to your HVAC company website clearly indicates manipulation.

While sketchy links may not get you banned (mostly because any competitor can maliciously build bad links to your website), they certainly won’t help you rank for industry keywords.

Anchor Text

Anchor text is the words or phrases within the linked part of the content. Search engines monitor anchor text for both relevance and possible spam.

Too many instances of the same anchor text indicate link manipulation and may cause a penalty. Conversely, a lack of relevant anchor text may prevent your website from ranking at all.

Referring Domain

Search engines can often gauge link quality based on the domain from which it comes. If you receive a backlink from a trusted local newspaper, you are far more likely to see tangible results than with a link from a low-level blog.

Link Relevance

Similarly, a link from a medical website will not transfer as much trust as that from an HVAC resource website. However, the domain itself is not the only relevant identifier.

Getting a link to a blog post about the best HVAC companies in your area is more relevant than getting a link from a blog post about a specific type of air conditioning unit.

Link Placement

Where the content editor places your link partially determines its quality. For example, a link placed in the footer or sidebar of the website holds less weight than one placed within the body content.

Links within body content indicate proper editorial placement and generally enhance user experience, while links in a sidebar or footer generally exist for less relevant purposes.

3rd Party Link Metrics for HVAC Websites

Since Google fails to publicize its link-grading metrics, we must rely on 3rd party platforms like Moz, Majestic, and Ahrefs to gauge a link’s quality. Although Google does not acknowledge such 3rd party metrics, they likely use a similar formula to determine their internal link metrics. Let’s take a look below:

Domain Authority

Moz’s Domain Authority is one of the most widely used link metrics in the SEO industry. It’s easy to measure since Moz offers the MozBar Chrome Extension to all Google Chrome users.

A DA between 20 and 30 is typically great for an HVAC company website. Of course, universally respected brands like Google and Facebook have DAs near or at 100.

Domain Rating

Like Moz’s Domain Authority, Ahrefs uses a Domain Rating metric. Domain Rating is often the most prestigious link metric for hardcore SEO agencies.

Like Moz, Ahrefs offers a free DR checker tool so that any website manager can check their score without paying.

Trust Flow

Majestic uses a Trust Flow metric (TF) to determine a domain’s trust. You can measure TF with a Majestic subscription or use their Free Backlink Checker to get a quick score.

Trust Flows are typically lower than Domain Authority and may be harder to increase using basic link-building tactics.

Types of HVAC Backlinks

Sometimes, website managers lose sight of distinctions between link types. For example, nofollow links transfer less equity than those referred to as dofollow links.

In contrast, internal links transfer more intersite authority than any external backlink. Understanding the different types of links can help you fully optimize your HVAC website

NoFollow Links

Nofollow links come from directory sites like Yelp or social media profiles like Facebook. Any link a user can build manually is considered nofollow.

The tag indicates that search engines should pass less equity from the link since they likely manually built it. While Google does not hold these links in the highest regard, they count as hints for ranking purposes.

DoFollow Links

In contrast, dofollow links pass the most equity from one site to another. Dofollow links refer to links built with editorial control.

For example, a popular HVAC blogger doesn’t have to link to a specific HVAC website within their blog post but instead chooses websites based on their content quality and authority. The best links you can receive are dofollow links with relevant anchor text.

Internal Links

Internal links are links built within your HVAC website. For example, your blog post about the best air conditioners may link to your air conditioner installation page. You’ll notice that pages that topically relate to one another should also naturally link to one another.

Internal links should primarily focus on user experience and help them navigate your website. Anchor text is equally as important on internal links since search engines regularly crawl your pages.

Earning Quality HVAC Links

HVAC companies may ask, how do you earn quality backlinks? The answer comes in the form of strategies that generate white-hat links. Remember the difference between acquiring and earning links since there is a clear distinction.

Companies that earn links have a decided advantage over businesses that rely strictly on relationships or even black hat tactics to obtain their links.

Create Linkable Assets

The best way to earn links is to create content worth linking. When bloggers or reporters write content online, they like to cite authoritative content that supports their premise.

One way to achieve such authority is to rank on search engines for data-driven keywords. For example, ranking for a phrase like How much do HVAC services cost will get you lots of natural white-hat links.

Share Content on Social Media

One of the best ways to earn links is to share your content on social media. You never know who may see your article on Facebook or LinkedIn or who may share it on their own account.

While the chances of going viral with HVAC content remain thin, getting your content in front of the right eye is how you earn quality backlinks.

Establish Your HVAC Company Brand

External websites feel most comfortable linking to established brands for several reasons. First, they don’t have to worry about your credibility since they recognize your brand from afar. Second, they can trust that users who leave their website to yours will have a favorable user experience.

With so many websites published daily, bloggers and other online writers want the convenience of a trusted brand when creating links.

Backlink Monitoring for HVAC Websites

Although backlinks help websites rank, they can also have the opposite effect. We discussed how black-hat link-building tactics can ban your HVAC website from Google.

Similarly, malicious negative SEO attacks are designed to accomplish the same result. For this reason, many websites monitor their backlink profile so they can submit a disavow file if and when they get spam links from external domains.

Excessive Anchor Text

One thing to monitor is your link’s anchor text. If you start seeing dozens of instances of the same anchor text, your links might harm your website.

It’s important to note that weird links will sometimes pick up your title tag and use that as the anchor text. You don’t need to worry about disavowing in these cases since those links have no malicious intent.

Shady Domains

Look for links from shady gambling, medical, or drug industry domains. These kinds of links can cause immediate red flags and are often used by spammers in negative SEO attacks.

You can also check each site’s spam score using Moz’s MozBar Chrome Extension. Spam scores above 50 typically indicate a problem, although Google does not acknowledge Moz’s spam score internally.

Moving Forward With Link Building

Most SEO agencies will lure HVAC companies into buying links or creating “link bait” to attract backlinks from various websites. Based on my 10+ years working with HVAC companies, I advise them to focus on relevant, local partnerships, like the Chamber of Commerce or their nearby Little League baseball team.

These links, which I sometimes call “Community Links,” are the most powerful for small businesses. Google can use these types of backlinks to assess your authority within the context of your city and your industry.

While I wish I could give everything away for free, rest assured that my agency, HVAC Webmasters, has mastered the link earning process for heating and cooling professionals. If you want to discuss my services in detail, please contact me by filling out a form.

Mar '21

The Essential Local SEO Guide for HVAC Contractors

Over my 10+ years crafting and executing Local SEO campaigns for professional HVAC companies much has changed, from algorithm updates to consumer search behavior.

One thing that has remained constant is the value of appearing on search results for local queries like hvac company near me.

I’m Nolen Walker, the founder and CEO of HVAC Webmasters. Based on my 10+ years of experience as an SEO agency owner, I’ve written the ultimate guide to Local SEO for HVAC companies.

Local SEO’s Impact on HVAC Companies

Local SEO for HVAC is the practice of optimizing your HVAC business for local searches on Google and other search engines.

Specifically, the practice targets Google Map 3-Pack rankings with your Google Business Profile and regionally-targeted landing pages for traditional organic results.

Local SEO encompasses various SEO practices, including NAP citations, Google Business Profile, and local website landing pages for HVAC companies.

Why HVAC Companies Need Local SEO

Local SEO is tremendously important, given how potential clients typically search for your heating and air services (by location). Over the past decade, my agency, HVAC Webmasters, has worked with thousands of contractors, producing favorable local SERP results.

Check out some of my agency’s case studies to learn more.

Not only should your organic on-page and social media content include a focus on local keywords that rank well for geographic factors, but there are additional elements to local SEO that you can employ to help search engines like Google recognize where you are.

This is what ensures you’re prominently displayed in SERPs. Some of the local SEO elements that a strong internet marketing plan will include:

Citation Management

Google Business Profile management

Embedded Google Maps on Contact Page

NAP Consistency

Review Management

Schema Markup

You don’t have to know how to execute these variables yourself to have a successful HVAC website.

However, you need to leverage experts in local SEO (like us) who can dial in all the pieces of the puzzle to make your site look strong and logical when Google retrieves location-specific results for users.

MOZ listed these (and several other factors) when considering local search ranking results, and it’s worthwhile to consider that some elements weigh more heavily than others when moving the dial on your SERP position.

Google Map 3-Packs appear at the top of SERPs for most local queries like hvac contractor near me, ac repair services near me, and various other phrases.

Local SEO Ranking Factors for HVAC

Once HVAC companies understand the importance of ranking locally, they naturally wonder how to influence rankings.

Google Maps and Google Search rankings are based on separate algorithms, so each will require unique solutions. That said, some aspects of each algorithm carry over to the other one.

Below, I will outline local SEO ranking factors based on first-hand experience with hundreds of HVAC companies. Mastering each factor gives your company the best chance to rank on both Google Search and Google Maps.

Though Google’s algorithm continuously evolves, it is important to establish a baseline of best practices for consistent growth in your industry.

Google My Business

Claiming and optimizing your GMB listing is critical to local SEO. You can claim your business here and start ranking on the Local Map 3-Pack. Of course, optimized listings perform far better than empty ones.

You should ensure accurate contact information, upload unique photos, and provide answers to the FAQ. You should also enter your website URL in the appropriate GMB field.

Google My Business, now known as Google Business Profile, serves as your local SEO foundation. Without a listing, ranking becomes implausible. Sometimes, HVAC companies have more than one listing, so you should merge the two listings.

Furthermore, it would be best if you decided whether to list your address publically since most HVAC businesses are quality as service area businesses (SAB). Your GBP listing will also serve as a central hub for your Google Reviews, which we will discuss below.

You can share your review link, email signature, and other promotional content in your marketing materials. Google Business Profile reviews have the greatest influence over Google Maps rankings and increase GBP conversions.

Google Reviews

Generating Google Reviews is critical to HVAC companies’ local SEO success. Google makes it easy to share your review form by providing you with a shortlink, which you can then share with customers.

Still, HVAC companies often forget to stay on top of the review generation process. Investing in a local SEO tool like DataPins solves the problem for good.

DataPins sends automated review requests to customers after finishing jobs. When customers leave Google Reviews, your company gains more credibility and converts more prospects.

In addition to requesting reviews, DataPins also empowers contractors to perform jobsite check-ins.

If you provide enough service, customers may eventually leave negative reviews. A few negative reviews won’t hurt your business, but responding to each review makes sense.

If they decide to return and use your company, try to remedy their problems and ensure great service. Remember that prospects are watching how you react to every review.

DataPins

The DataPins tool does more than just increase review request conversions. The app also helps HVAC companies rank for more keywords on Google Maps and the Google Map 3-Pack.

One of the most significant ranking factors on Google’s Map 3-Pack is the content on the associated website.

Each Google Business Profile contains a field where the business can enter its website URL. When that website features DataPins, it powers the entire Google Business Profile.

The Map 3-Pack algorithm can now detect the various services you offer (via DataPins captions) and the areas where you performed the jobs.

3rd party studies have confirmed that nearly 50% of all search queries are undetectable, with a large portion of those being long-tail keywords.

For example, a string of words like american standard air conditioner repair service in hershey pennsylvania is not something you can find on keyword research tools. Still, it represents the type of query that drives visitors to your Google Business Profile.

NAP Citations

The terms “NAP” and “Citations” are often used interchangeably, but the best way to understand them as critical elements for local SEO is to look at what they represent: Name, Address, and Phone (N.A.P.).

It’s a no-brainer that potential customers searching for local HVAC businesses via Google will want easily accessible contact information.

Especially if the issue is emergent—such as a broken furnace in the middle of winter—a viewer needs to be able to find your phone number in seconds to schedule a repair!

NAP data is important for user experience, demonstrates to Google that your site is well-developed and useful, and explicitly communicates contact information.

This makes you a great fit for searches that invoke your stated service area (determined via location keywords or the address listed), which means Google and other search engines will give your site higher rankings to meet the need.

NAP is important for your primary HVAC website SEO—including on-page content, a thoughtfully designed Contact Page, structured data usage—and your secondary websites.

Think of social media business pages, Google Business Profiles, directory listing pages, etc., which are the citations for your HVAC business.

All of these potential entry points are opportunities to provide a great user experience by ensuring NAP is consistent, the pages are optimized, and you’ve managed citations across the web.

This establishes authority and reliability regarding your overall web presence, giving your local SEO game a huge boost.

Local SEO Content

Organic content has a significant, long-term impact on your ability to rank well for local SEO. For Localized Organic Ranking Factors, the on-page signals count for 26% of your ranking score.

What does this mean? It’s (hopefully) no surprise at this point that you need high-quality copywriting on your website.

You can’t put a single paragraph on a webpage about HVAC services and expect that to inform your potential customers in any meaningful way, nor will it reward you with a top spot on the search engine results page.

I will go ahead and beat this point to the ground: Google wants what your site visitors want.

When potential customers click through to your website from the results page or a citation page, they expect to find relevant info. There is no value if you have generic or lackluster content or minimal content volume.

You’re not adding anything worth reviewing; thus, you aren’t considered an optimal candidate for Google to serve up in the rankings.

We know that quality content is necessary for HVAC businesses, but incorporating location keywords into the content will impact local SEO.

It’s one thing to kick butt for the keyword search “best heating company,” but if the user follows suit with typical behavior, they’re going to tack on their city name or zip code to get more tailored results.

In fact, Google often prompts adding “near me” or even the user’s city (based on location services). You will not seem relevant if you haven’t optimized your service area (or areas).

Utilizing strong H1 tags with the city name alongside high-performing search keywords will help your site make leaps in bounds.

Domain Authority

Another factor to consider is Domain Authority. In a nutshell, MOZ’s metric, domain authority, is a 1-100 ranking that can help gauge the strength of your site relative to other trusted domains via links.

This means outgoing links to reputable organizations (such as unions, trade organizations, libraries, etc.) and incoming links that establish your content as traffic-worthy.

This doesn’t mean you should engage in shady linkback tactics. Instead, it reinforces an organic SEO strategy that acknowledges good content, providing value for the internet and those who use it, as the lynchpin of an effective internet marketing campaign.

Receiving links to your website from nearby organizations can bolster your local reputation and cultivate relationships.

User Experience

User experience always counts. If your site’s bounce rate is high—which means that viewers aren’t spending much time on pages—Google interprets that as less-than-engaging (perhaps due to superficial content or slow page loading) and will penalize sites that don’t seem to grab users.

On the other hand, mobile websites with a strong response via clicks to call will be perceived as helpful and relevant.

Content and information must be good, accessible, and accurate. However, you must also ensure that all typical user experience elements are intact.

This includes:

Engaging Design

Intuitive Site Navigation

Obvious “Call to Action” Buttons

Optimized Image Size For Device

Prompt Page Loading

A strong website UX contributes to local rankings, just like SEO in general. Click-to-call buttons are especially helpful to local consumers.

Local Keyword Optimization

Local keyword optimization is not unlike traditional SEO but focuses on local terms and phrases. Company websites will still want to follow standard optimization protocol, as the best practices remain valid when crafting a local keyword strategy.

My agency, HVAC Webmasters, is a leader in online marketing for heating and cooling companies. I’ve worked with contractors in this industry for decades and know what it takes to market effectively to their core audience.

Local keyword optimization consists of the following:

Body Content: Distribution of local terms throughout the body text

Meta Descriptions: Inclusion of local phrases within web page meta descriptions

Title / Header Tags: Placement of local keywords within title and header tags

URL Slugs: Disposal of local terms within URL slugs

Optimizing for local terms using the WordPress content management system is straightforward and intuitive.

With WordPress, website managers can easily manage title and header tags, body content, and URL slugs. Internal linking is another tactic that emphasizes HVAC keywords.

Link to your most important pages from other internal pages, and use the anchor text for the keyword. Of course, ensure that your terms make sense to the reader and never engage in spammy keyword placement.

Keyword research for local SEO can yield lower search volumes with lower difficulties. Remember that many local queries don’t register volume on research tools but still drive traffic to your website and GBP.

E-E-A-T

Experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness are characteristics that Google looks for in local HVAC websites.

These principles are becoming increasingly important because of the new search generative experience and the emergence of AI-driven content technology.

HVAC websites can demonstrate E-E-A-T in various ways, including an informative About Us page, an embedded review slider featuring verified feedback from Google My Business, Yelp, and other trusted sources, and showcases of recent jobs (like pins and check-ins from DataPins).

Check out each letter of the acronym below:

Experience: Demonstrate hands-on experience with HVAC services

Expertise: Convey expert status related to the HVAC industry

Authoritativeness: Earn endorsements (links, mentions, etc.) from other credible sources

Trustworthiness: Accumulate and showcase customer feedback, primarily through reviews

E-E-A-T considers more than just your website because it looks at its relationship to other digital entities like your Google My Business profile or your Facebook Business page. As a result, it’s important to invest in a comprehensive branding strategy for your digital presence.

Making The Most of Local SEO for HVAC Companies

Local SEO is crucial to your online presence as an HVAC company. Most of your target consumers will search queries like ac repair near me and view the results within the Local Map 3-Pack. As a result, it’s vital that your listing appears within the pack.

The techniques above, including citations, GMB optimization, review generation, and DataPins, are each essential to ensuring local map rankings.

Beware of misinformation regarding local search optimization for HVAC contractors. Ensure your sources have experience and expertise.

For example, I’ve provided digital marketing services to heating and cooling companies for over a decade at my agency, HVAC Webmasters.

My entire process is dedicated to helping you rank for local terms on Google and other search engines.

Mar '21

The (2024) HVAC Google Maps Guide (for Higher Rankings)

I’m Nolen Walker, the founder and CEO of HVAC Webmasters, and one of my agency’s primary services is Google Maps optimization. I’ve helped thousands of heating and cooling professionals rank on Google Maps and the Google Map 3-Pack over the past 10+ years.

Over that timeframe, I’ve learned a lot, and Google’s algorithm has also evolved. Still, optimizing Google Maps remains an essential component of an HVAC company’s digital marketing campaign.

My guide aims to educate HVAC professionals on the importance of Google Maps and provide strategies and techniques to maximize its impact on your digital marketing campaign in 2024. My insights are based on first-hand experiences working directly with local HVAC companies across the United States.

Table of Contents

How Google Maps Helps HVAC Companies Get Customers

Google Maps is a web mapping service from Google that provides aerial viewpoints, satellite images, and interactive views of locations, streets, and neighborhoods in real-time.

Its importance to HVAC contractors stems from its connection to the world’s most popular search engine, Google, which ranks local businesses in its Local Map 3-Pack for relevant search queries.

Because HVAC companies are service area businesses (SABs), storefront traffic or driving directions don’t apply. However, appearing within Google search results for queries like “AC repair near me” is critical to lead generation.

Getting Listed on Google Maps

The first step is to claim your Google Business Profile (GMB) listing so it is eligible to appear on Google Maps. Once you’ve verified your business address, you can appear on search results within Google Maps and the Map 3-Pack.

Organic Web Traffic From Google Maps

Over 80% of HVAC companies’ website clicks are from local searches, many of which originate from Google’s Local Map 3-Pack. Google delivers three Google Maps results for local search queries based on their criteria and the searcher’s location.

Screenshot of Google Maps 3-Pack Featuring HVAC Companies

Google Maps Ranking Factors

Google Maps rankings are based on three clear criteria: distance, relevance, and prominence. Your business must master each to show up for various keyword terms within your service area.

Let’s take a closer look at each factor:

Distance

The distance of your verified address to the searcher’s location is a local ranking factor. Business owners can’t directly influence distance aside from moving their location (in real life) and re-verifying their profile.

Relevance

Relevance measures how closely your business listing relates to the searcher’s query. For example, if someone searches for an HVAC contractor in Miami, FL, a listing with both “HVAC” and “Miami” in its official brand name can be expected to rank well on the Map 3-Pack.

Prominence

Google uses signals from external sources (like credible links and brand mentions) to determine a business’s prominence. One signal is reviews; the more reviews your Google listing has, the more prominent your business becomes.

Google Maps Optimization for HVAC Businesses

While some Google Maps ranking factors are outside of your control as a business owner, there are steps you can take to optimize your business listing for increased Google Maps visibility.

Below, I will outline my recommended Google Maps optimization strategies for HVAC professionals.

Screenshot of Google Maps Search Results Within Maps Interface

Business Address

Your business address directly impacts proximity to the searcher’s location. HVAC companies can hide their address by checking the box for a service area business (SAB). Since most HVAC companies don’t have a storefront business, the SAB options may be appropriate.

In either case, your address must be legitimate. You cannot utilize a virtual address or share space for your GMB listing. Google may suspend your listing, which will entirely eliminate you from search results. You can apply for reinstatement but must prove that your business truly exists at its listed location.

If your business is not generating any leads through Google Maps, you might consider moving to a different office location. You’ll want to target a location near the center of your primary city or perhaps move to another nearby city with a larger population.

Website URL

The most undervalued aspect of Google Maps rankings is your connected website URL. Google scans your connected website for information and keywords while also considering its domain authority. Optimizing your business website can directly impact Google Maps rankings.

I invested millions into creating a software tool called DataPins for my HVAC clients to insert digital branded signaling, such as E-E-A-T and schema markup, onto their websites. My clients’ success using DataPins is incredible.

Because the pins created through the DataPins app mention services like AC coil repair or Lennox gas furnace repair, Google Maps can scan these various terms and phrases, providing a better context for ranking the associated business listing.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews are another direct ranking factor on Google Maps. While there is no shortcut to getting legitimate reviews, I included an automated review request feature within my DataPins tool so HVAC companies can send SMS and email requests to customers after completing a service.

Avoid any instinct you may have to purchase fake reviews or ask friends and family members to leave fraudulent reviews, as this can result in a suspension that will wipe your listing off the map entirely. You should also be cautious when responding to negative reviews and remain professional.

Some customers will inevitably leave less than 5-star reviews. An aggregate rating between 4.5 and 4.9 is ideal since some customers may become suspicious of a perfect 5-star rating. If you get a bad review, respond professionally and offer to remedy the situation.

NAP Citations

Citations on directories like Angi, BBB, and Yelp can help establish the prominence of your Google Business Profile. The search engine can increase prominence by gathering consistent information (name, address, and phone number) about an HVAC company from multiple trusted sources.

You can manually “claim” or manage that listing on any citation page, ensuring your business’s information is correctly listed. You can also pay a third-party service to claim and optimize NAP citations on your behalf.

In addition to name, address, and phone number (NAP), you can generally include other data with these citations, such as your website URL, boosting your SEO.

Google Posts

Publishing Google Posts further optimizes your listing and can also increase conversion rates. Have a summer special? Create a Google Post. Running a local contest? Create another Google Post.

Think of Google Posts as social media for your Google Business profile. While they don’t directly impact rankings, they can affect engagement.

If you are unsure how to create a Google Post, follow this guide. You’ll find the process simple and something you can do within minutes. You can even attach a call now button or sign-up button to get immediate conversions.

Ranking Outside Your Main Service Area

HVAC contractors often ask me about ranking in cities outside of their main service area. For example, a company with an address in Frisco might ask about ranking in Dallas. Unfortunately, Google Maps always prioritizes businesses with a physical location close to the searcher’s location.

Their criteria are based on storefront businesses where customers must walk or drive to the exact location to use services or purchase goods. This doesn’t help service area businesses like HVAC companies, who travel to people’s homes to perform services.

There are occasional exceptions in which the competition is so low in a specific area that Google Maps will show a business in a nearby city. However, this will only happen in a city with a very small population.

I advise HVAC companies to utilize my DataPins software to send as many location signals as possible to Google. While you still won’t rank in all your service areas on Google Maps, you can appear in traditional organic results for queries, including various city names.

Next Steps for Google Maps Optimization

I hope my Google Maps optimization guide provided education and context on how you can leverage it to generate leads for your company. Most of the steps outlined in my guide are ones you can perform manually or delegate to a staff member.

HVAC companies looking to increase their Google Maps lead generation significantly might be ready to invest in professional services. My agency, HVAC Webmasters, has over 10+ years of experience optimizing HVAC listings for Google Maps. You can contact me today to discuss my process in detail.

Mar '21

The (Remarketing/Retargeting Ads) Guide for HVAC Companies

I’m Nolen Walker, the founder and CEO of HVAC Webmasters, a digital marketing agency for heating and cooling professionals. Over my 10+ years of first-hand experience, I’ve found that HVAC retargeting ads are more affordable and effective than traditional paid advertisements.

Consumers who’ve previously interacted with your brand are more likely to convert than “cold” users. Retargeting ads effectively complement your customer acquisition efforts and help your potential customer move down the sales funnel.

I’ve written a guide on Retargeting and Remarketing for HVAC Companies better to understand the great potential of this underutilized advertising strategy.

What Are Retargeting Ads?

Retargeting or remarketing ads are display advertisements shown to internet users who have previously demonstrated interest in your HVAC service. Their previous interest is most frequently tracked through browser cookies in the form of website visits and user engagement.

Retargeting Ad Examples

Let’s take a simple example. You are online shopping for an anniversary gift for your wife. You are looking at some diamond necklaces, and you visit a few sites. After looking at five different sites and being unable to decide, you decide to call off the search for the day.

The next day, you resume your search and notice that you see ads from websites you visited searching for an anniversary gift. In this hypothetical situation, you were made the target of a retargeting ad.

A retargeting ad uses cookies or pixel identification to track web browsers who have visited your website but did not make a transaction or fill out any information form. Then, it shows them ads for your website on other platforms as they browse the internet – even as they browse away from your website.

Source: https://www.doverphilahvac.com/

Retargeting Benefits for HVAC Companies

Retargeting ads are beneficial for two major reasons:

Effective: Studies have shown that conversion rates rise when a customer has interacted with your brand but not made a purchase and sees your ad as a retargeting strategy.

Affordable: The cost per conversion on retargeted users is considerably lower than traditional ads

Furthermore, retargeting ads get higher click-through rates than typical display ads because they are displayed to people who have actually shown interest in your service.

Long-Term Impact of Retargeting Ads

Retargeting ads play a vital role in your sales funnel. Not everyone who visits your website will be ready to purchase your HVAC services. Not everyone visits a website for the same reasons. Some people are indeed ready to buy immediately. These are what are known as prime leads.

In the HVAC industry, a prime lead maybe someone who visits your company’s website and needs emergency HVAC service. In other words, they are on your website for the specific purpose of paying for your services.

Others are conducting research. They may need an HVAC service soon, but the work isn’t urgent. These people are likely to visit your website, see what services you offer, find out which areas you service, find out whether or not you offer free estimates, and may even jot down your number.

Retargeting ads are essential to keeping your business and brand at the forefront of potential customers’ minds. As they browse the web away from your website, they will see an ad for your company and remember that you are an option for their HVAC needs.

How to Create Effective Retargeting Ads

Creating effective retargeting ads boils down to the ad creative and the ad targeting. See more below.

Here are some of the most effective methods of ad retargeting:

Creative: The copy and visuals for retargeting ads should speak to consumers who’ve previously interacted with your business

Search Intent: You can actually make it so that your ad displays to certain people who have done specific online searches. This method uses keyword tracking. In other words, you might target someone who has recently done an online search for “air conditioning replacement.”

Email: If you have had email correspondence with a potential customer but didn’t make a sale, you can target these specific people with ads reminding them of your services.

To retarget ads to people who have visited your site, you can craft your ad based on the specific pages they browsed. For example, you tracked a potential customer who visited your page on air duct cleaning.

You can target that person specifically for that service. In this case, creating an ad that promotes a special discount you may be offering on duct cleaning may be most effective. Limited-time offers are typically effective in these situations.

In fact, with retargeting ads in general, it’s important to make an offer that will entice the potential customer back to your site. Limited-time offers may help spur them to action. Free service add-ons related to their visited service page may also be helpful.

Create Unique Landing Pages

Consider where your potential customers go once they click on your retargeting ad. Hint: It shouldn’t be on your homepage. Instead, remarketing must correspond with the specific message of the ad, which should lead back to the page that they visited on your site in the first place.

Crafting service-specific landing pages is just as crucial to creating enticing retargeting ads. When a person clicks on an ad, it should take them to a place where they can learn more about the service they’re interested in.

Choosing a Retargeting Platform

You should advertise on four major platforms: Facebook, Google, YouTube, and Instagram. Google is essential because you get space on the actual Google search results when advertising with them. Google also partners with many websites where your ad can be displayed.

Facebook is also notorious for remarketing campaigns because of its pixel technology. You can run Facebook Ads campaigns exclusively for users who’ve visited your HVAC company’s website.

Retargeting Services for HVAC Companies

Retargeting ads (sometimes referred to as remarketing) require a lot of thought and planning. So, if you need expert help crafting and setting up your HVAC retargeting ads on the most prominent platforms, my agency can help.

My team at HVAC Webmasters offers ad services, digital marketing, and SEO services. I know what it takes to drive more traffic to your site and convert more leads for your business.

Feb '21

The HVAC Social Media Management/Marketing Guide

Table of Contents

What is Social Media Management for HVAC?

Social media management oversees social platforms or apps that allow users to create and distribute content and partake in social networking. For HVAC companies, social media refers to business profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, along with shared content on the profile’s timeline.

Do HVAC Contractors Need Social Media Marketing?

By now, everyone should know how powerful social media marketing is and how much impact it can make on your business. A well-crafted social media marketing campaign takes time and careful planning. It’s as much a thought process as it is a process of action.

Social Media Platforms for HVAC Companies

You’ve probably heard of the most popular social media platforms from friends or family members, and you may even be an active member yourself.

However, these platforms play a different role when promoting your business online than when it comes to personal use. Understanding which platforms are worth your time can save you resources and allow you to focus on the areas that can help your business thrive.

Let’s look at some primary social networks for HVAC:

Facebook

Facebook remains the world’s #1 social media platform, with 2.9 billion monthly active users. HVAC companies can create a Facebook Business Page to reach potential customers.

Obviously, the update encouraged businesses to invest in Facebook Ads to reach their target audience since organic posts no longer worked.

As an HVAC company, Facebook Ads are an option, but organically posting is less valuable. Still, updating your business information, uploading recent photos, and keeping your timeline current enough to look professional is important.

Instagram

Instagram nears 2 billion active monthly users and has emerged as one of the top social media platforms in the world. Owned by Facebook, Instagram is also part of the Facebook Ads network, so Ads managers can run their ads on Facebook and Instagram simultaneously.

In addition, businesses can take advantage of Instagram’s visual nature by posting video stories and images. While Instagram differs slightly from other platforms, publishing a blog post is impossible; for example, it is a unique medium to keep consumers up-to-date on your company’s progress.

Instagram Reels have emerged as another great marketing opportunity. They present short videos (similar to TikTok and YouTube Shorts) to users. HVAC companies can take advantage of this by clipping out long-form videos from podcasts or shooting short skits that may connect with future customers.

With nearly 900 million users, LinkedIn is the most professional social network on the web. While Facebook and others host personal profiles, LinkedIn hosts business profiles for prospective job seekers and employers.

As an HVAC company, you are the employer, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it only for hiring people.

There’s inherent value in publishing a LinkedIn Business Page, whether you plan to run job ads or not. You can curate content on LinkedIn and connect with other industry professionals. You might even find some interesting insights on your timeline.

YouTube

The popular video platform now has over 2 billion active users, making it a must-have for HVAC companies. Every HVAC business can create a YouTube channel simply by logging into their Gmail account.

While you might be hesitant to post video content on the platform, it is a great way to reach prospective customers. Twenty years ago, you’d have had to pay for a local TV spot to promote your business through a commercial.

With YouTube, you can reach people organically by adding the proper tags to your video description. You can also invest in YouTube ads to reach people while they watch other popular videos about your topics.

HVACR Social Media Campaigns

For any marketing or ad campaign, you must take the necessary time to think about who your audience is and what you are trying to say to them. These two considerations should always be the inception of your social media marketing (or genesis) campaign.

So, for example, as an HVAC contractor, let’s say you want to make people in your local area aware of your business and the type of services you offer. Right off the bat, you will target certain people in a geographical region.

Secondly, you will probably want to speak directly to homeowners. That further narrows your audience down in general from people in their early to mid-’30s to people in their 60s or 70s (the average age range of homeowners).

Now, you have a general customer profile: customers between 30 and 60 in your area. You must figure out how to reach these people through social media. Now, what will you say when you reach them?

Your goal is to make them aware of your business and your services. However, the message you send should differ depending on the age range. For instance, your social media posts for new homeowners in their 30s should differ from those targeting established homeowners in their 50s and 60s.

New homeowners will be less experienced in handling HVAC problems and will likely not have a go-to HVAC company to call when a problem arises.

For this younger group of homeowners, your HVAC social media campaign should focus more on knowledge-based content, such as infographics, tutorials, and the like.

For older homeowners who probably already have an HVAC guy they have hired before, your social media marketing campaign should be more promotional – how your services can help more than others.

Choosing Your Social Media Marketing Platform

The next consideration is which social media platforms to post on. But this one is pretty easy because you should be present on all of them at the end of the day. Still, you may want to focus on some more than others.

Roughly 32% of all Instagram users are between 25 and 34, right about when people buy their first homes. So, Instagram would be a great platform to emphasize your HVAC social media marketing campaign and gain new customers.

Facebook is also still popular, and you should also have an account for your business there. However, Facebook usage among people in the same age range is waning. Only about 25% of all Facebook users are in the 25-34 age range.

Again, it would help if you were on all social media platforms, but your strategy should differ depending on which one you create content for.

Creating Content

Now we get to the tricky part: How do you create engaging content for your HVAC company? But before we can tackle that question, we have to rewind a little bit. What is the goal of your HVAC social media marketing campaign?

Yes, it should be to make people aware of your business and gain new customers. But as far as the social media platforms themselves, what’s the end game? It may seem trite, but you are going for likes and shares.

You want people to interact with your company through social media. Social media interaction takes the form of likes and people sharing your content with others.

You have to create content that people will want to share. To do this, it may be helpful to see what some of your competitors are doing. While you never want to plagiarize someone else’s content, it may help you get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s start with Instagram. Instagram stories should be a major target for your HVAC social media marketing campaign. Instagram stories are viewed by 500 million people every single day. Instagram stories are pictures or videos that can include text and are only live for 24 hours.

Your Instagram stories can be about a recently completed job or maybe the recorded testimonial of one of your satisfied customers. You could also introduce your crew and share some interesting facts or anecdotes about them in your Instagram stories.

While it’s always a good idea to stay on brand, it never hurts to post something genuinely funny on an Instagram story. Remember, the point is getting people to like and share your content. Sometimes, the best way to go about that won’t have anything to do with HVAC.

But in many cases, it will. This is why we should also talk about Facebook posts. Static Facebook posts (non-video and live video posts) can be very informative. Think about the HVAC problems/questions that many of your customers have had over the years.

Then, turn those questions (along with answers to them) into helpful Facebook posts. Remember to keep your posts as short as possible. The optimal Facebook post length is between 40 and 80 characters. So keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

Video content should be part of your HVAC social media marketing strategy for platforms like TikTok and YouTube. YouTube allows you to get more in-depth information about your knowledge. Consider posting simple HVAC how-to’s.

For TikTok, consider video posts that show your followers what their central air unit should look and sound like when it’s running optimally.

Publishing Posts

Once you have enough content to share, it may help you utilize a social media planning tool. A social media planning tool will make scheduling HVAC social media posts easier, as well as creating captions, uploading your content, and distributing it to various platforms.

HubSpot, Sprout Social, and Hootsuite are all examples of social media planning tools. These tools allow you to track post stats and see how many people interacted with a certain post. This is very helpful for marketing campaign auditing as you will see what strategies are working and which ones aren’t.

It’s also important to figure out how often you should post. Social media marketing is another tricky aspect because every business is different. If you post too much, you could risk inundating your audience. If you post too infrequently, your audience will forget about you.

But generally, you should only post with quality content to share. If you’ve got a great creative team behind you or you naturally come upon genuinely funny, interesting, helpful, insightful, or informative content, great! Post that stuff as often as it comes up.

But if you don’t, please don’t force it. Some social media marketers make this mistake a lot. Posting once a week or once a month is fine, and infrequent posting is better than flooding your users’ feeds with dross.

Running Social Media Ads

Several social media platforms use an algorithm to discourage organic content from appearing on users’ timelines. For example, your HVAC company won’t reach many people with simple Facebook posts.

Reaching more people through Facebook Advertising is the way to go. The same is true of Instagram Advertising and, to a lesser extent, YouTube Advertising. You can still appear on YouTube without buying ad space, but it’s something to remember.

Despite limited exposure to “free social media posts,” having a profile remains critical. Profiles serve as citations like Yelp or Angi’. However, remember that various forms of advertising create the most exposure.

Consider boosting your Facebook Post so that more users view the content. After all, impressions translate to conversions with the proper marketing strategy. Make sure to monitor your ad spend budget by setting a daily and lifetime limit.

Don’t Forget the Basics

Remember to stay on-brand with all your posts. How do you stay on brand with a hilarious video of your cat sleeping on your head? Just make sure your company name/logo is present on the post. Your company name/logo should be on all your posts.

A link to your website should also be present on all Facebook posts, YouTube video posts, and Instagram posts as well. Make sure your company name/logo is consistent on all posts. This not only looks professional but will leave more of a more lasting impression on your followers.

Using social media ads is also a great way to increase brand awareness. But remember to do your research. Keyword research can help you form your ads and make them more effective. Also, consider your most popular services or ones you want to promote when creating ads.

Social Media Marketing Services for HVAC

Here at HVAC Webmasters, we specialize in HVAC social media marketing. We can help create content, manage ads, and much more. Talk to us today, and let us help you devise an effective HVAC social media marketing campaign.

Feb '21

The Ultimate Google My Business Guide for HVAC Companies

I’m Nolen Walker, and I’ve been helping HVAC companies set up their Google My Business listings for over ten years. In fact, I’ve been doing this since the listings were called “Google Places.”

Key Takeaway

While GMB setup, verification, and optimization components have evolved over the past decade, the benefits of a GMB listing for HVAC companies have remained consistent.

Leads from Google Maps and Google Map 3-Pack remain among the most coveted and profitable in the entire industry.

With this in mind, I’ve developed an ultimate guide to Google My Business for HVAC companies based on my 10+ years of first-hand experience working directly with local heating and cooling companies throughout the United States.

What is Google My Business for HVAC?

Google My Business or Google Business Profile is a free profile and tool for HVAC companies to showcase their business on Google Search and Google Maps.

Business owners must verify their business (via postcard or video) to edit information and manage the profile. Once verified, a GMB listing showcases your company’s business name, phone number, hours of operation, and other info.

Why HVAC Companies Use Google My Business

Over a billion people currently use Google products and services like Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Business Profile. For better or worse, Google is mammoth.

Whether you are watching YouTube or performing a simple search to help you decide on dinner tonight, your life is being affected by Google. As an HVAC contractor, you can leverage the unfathomably huge audience that Google boasts of for the success of your business.

My guide outlines how your Google My Business listing can gain you more customers and increase brand awareness, as well as how you can utilize it to the maximum effect.

Google My Business Components

Google My Business listings are essential to a broader digital marketing campaign for HVAC companies. Effective SEO and reputation management campaigns are only possible for companies with a GMB listing.

The three main benefits of GMB are:

Local 3-Pack

Google’s Local 3-Pack is at the top of 93% of local Google searches. Without a GMB listing, your HVAC business can never appear in these results. This is a massive missed opportunity as most Google users click on the top 3 search results and rarely click on lower results.

Reputation Management

GMB usually accounts for the consumer’s first interaction with business reviews. Your aggregate rating is prominently displayed on your listing when users search for your company name or find you in a general search for HVAC companies or services. As a result, generating consistent Google reviews is essential.

Key Insights

When you set up your GMB profile, you will see how people find your business, what keywords they use, and even what kinds of people are looking at it. Google data can give you invaluable insight into who you should target in subsequent marketing and ad campaigns.

Creating a GMB Listing

Setting up your Google My Business listing starts here. You enter your business’s name and fill out the information requested during the setup process.

Watch the following video for step-by-step instructions

Address Verification

You may not have a central office or location as an HVAC contractor. You may operate out of your home. Still, your business must have a physical address for it to be verified, so you may have to use your home address.

If you don’t want your address listed on your GMB profile, follow these steps

Step 1: Log in, click on the “Info” tab, and look for your address listing.

Step 2: A pencil icon should be next to your address—click it to open the editing menu.

Step 3: Towards the bottom of the menu, you will see an option for “Clear Address.” Click it.

Step 4: Click “Apply.”

Your address should not be hidden on your public GMB listing.

Adding Multiple Locations

If you have multiple offices serving different areas, you can manage them all from a central GMB account.

Step 1: Head to the “Location Groups” tab.

Step 2: Click the “Add Location” option to add a single location or import locations.

Step 3: If you have more than one place to add, choose import location and receive a template to fill out with all of your business location information.

Step 4: if you want a single spot, click “Add single location” and fill out the fields.

Business Claims

If you find a claimed business matching your company info, you have already created an account, or someone else has.

If someone previously claimed your business, Google will give you a hint for their email address. If this doesn’t help, you’ll need to choose the option for “Request Access.”

You will then provide business and contact info to help verify that you are the business owner. Google will then contact the person who claimed the company and get back to you within a week.

Check with other team members about existing Google My Business listings that may be attached to their Gmail addresses.

Getting the Most from GMB

Now that your HVAC Google My Business listing is set up, it’s time to optimize it for maximum customer response. Here is a list of essential optimizations you should make for your GMB profile:

Q & A’s

GMB allows you to populate your GMB listing with Q&As about your business. When your profile goes live, filling out some essential Q&As about your business is a good idea. Think about the most common questions you have heard from customers in the past and add them to your profile.

Pro Tip: Customers can also provide answers about your business, so review any contributions for accuracy

Add Photos

Adding high-quality, relevant photos to your GMB listing can increase website clicks by 1,065%. These numbers reveal a direct correlation between GMB photos and search performance. Remember that the images you add should be relevant to your business and your services.

They could be photos of you and your crew, your service vehicles, and on-site work. Ensure the images are high-definition and not blurry.

Add Service Locations

As an HVAC contractor, you will likely service more than one city or area. You must list these service areas on your GMB listing.

Here’s a simple tutorial on recording multiple service areas on your Google My Business listing. Make sure to list all the places you service to show up on more local intent searches.

Consistent NAP

NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. Google doesn’t like inconsistent NAP information and will omit listings for the same business if their NAP info differs from one site to another. It may seem mundane, but it’s a mistake many people make.

You must ensure that your business name, phone number, and address are listed and spelled the same way across all platforms. That means your official website, your GMB listing, and any review websites you may be listed on (and you should be listed on all of them, by the way).

Service Listing

Being thorough with your service listing will also help you appear in more searches. Make sure to add every HVAC service you offer on your GMB listing. Remember to update your service list if you have recently added new services to your repertoire.

Maximizing Google My Business for HVAC Companies

Google My Business is essential to every HVAC marketing strategy. Claiming and verifying your listing is free and something you can do yourself without a professional agency.

However, there may come a time when you want to increase your GMB visibility. I invite you to contact me personally to discuss my experience maximizing Google My Business success for HVAC companies. I will discuss how my DataPins software can influence your listing during our conversation.

Meanwhile, my guide outlines the various steps you can take to get your listing up and running. From verifying your listing to adding unique images and FAQs, GMB optimization can pay dividends for your business.

Feb '21

How to Measure HVAC KPI (Key Performance Indicators)

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What is HVAC KPI?

An HVAC KPI or Key Performance Indicator is a measurable value or metric demonstrating an HVAC company’s progress toward essential business objectives. KPIs help business owners track their company’s trajectory over a defined period.

KPIs for HVAC Companies

It’s a new year and a unique opportunity to assess your HVAC company and identify areas for improvement. For many business owners, that means examining HVAC KPIs. For clarity purposes, KPI stands for key performance indicators.

Key performance indicators help businesses track progress and identify areas for improvement, which can ultimately lead to a more profitable company.

KPIs are the factors of your business that don’t lie. They will tell you how your business performs and how much you are netting when all is said and done.

Remember that every business is different and that yours may have specialized key performance indicators depending on various factors. Some critical questions include: how much you spend on advertising, your workforce, and the types of services you offer.

The following list is an excellent general guide for HVAC companies.

Basic Income

Basic income is the first HVAC KPI you have to measure. Sales revenue is the amount of money you earn from service and product sales. Basic income does not include taxes, customer acquisition costs, or other deductions.

Your number should give you a good idea of whether you have any slow seasons or service spikes. This knowledge is good to have in general because it will help you anticipate when your customers will need service and when you can lower/raise service prices.

Finding this primary income number should be relatively straightforward if you keep a good record of all your invoices. Just add up the amount you made on each invoice for last year, and boom, you have your sales revenue number.

Basic Profit Margin

Your basic profit margin, or gross margin, is what you make after deducting the service cost. To find your basic profit margin, follow this formula: basic income – the cost of providing service / basic income. The figure you come to is how much profit you make before tax.

If the number you arrive at is low, then some changes must be made. Try taking stock of your supply use. Remember only to calculate supply costs when using supplies on the job instead of calculating the bulk price when all your supplies come in.

You can also think about where you might be able to upsell some of your products or services. Smart bathroom fixtures are a growing trend, so now is the best time to get experienced with them so you can include them in your services.

Variable and Fixed Costs

You deduct both fixed and variable business costs from your basic income (Number one on our list). Fixed business costs should include a set monthly cost, like rent, insurance, and marketing.

Additionally, HVAC contractors’ variable prices usually include supply orders, fuel for service vehicles, and employee salaries.

The general rule of thumb is that you should keep your variable and fixed business costs under 30% of your total basic income.

You may save money monthly by closely tracking supplies, looking at service routes and areas, and calculating your marketing and advertising ROI.

Advertising and Marketing

You need to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth from any investment in advertising and marketing. Your customer acquisition cost should not exceed what your average customer spends on your services.

If it is, consider curbing your efforts towards customer retention rather than recent customer acquisition. You may also want to shift towards local organic SEO.

HVAC Marketing KPIs

Business KPIs are essential for contractors, but marketing KPIs help you focus on your promotional strategy. Most successful HVAC companies understand how their marketing works and how they can improve it each year.

The team at HVAC Webmasters specializes in digital marketing for heating and cooling contractors. Over our decade-plus in the industry, here’s what we’ve found to be the top KPIs for HVACR businesses.

Cost Per Click

Typically, consumers think of cost-per-click (CPC) related to PPC advertising. CPC is indeed one of the best PPC metrics. However, keep in mind that organic SEO provides a much lower cost-per-click.

You can track organic CPC by dividing your monthly retainer by your monthly organic clicks.

Percentage Traffic Increase

Google Analytics represents a valuable tool for HVAC KPIs. You can track your HVACR website on Analytics and watch your monthly traffic grow.

Your monthly traffic growth lets you know how well your website is performing. Depending on your starting point, you should expect early gains near the 150 percentile.

Branded Searches

One of the most underrated KPIs for HVAC marketing is branded searches. You can measure branded searches using Google Search Console, SEMRush, or MOZ. Google provides the most reliable data and can also outline the impressions and clicks for those branded searches.

A branded search is any search query that implies the user is searching directly for your brand name. It might be something like JimBob’s HVAC Services or JimBob’s AC Services San Antonio. Any combination counts.

Cost Per Lead / Call

Another metric some HVAC companies like to track is the cost per lead or phone call. In most cases, a phone call and a lead are the same thing. You can set up Google Tag Manager to track phone number clicks on your mobile website.

Similarly, you can use call tracking software to monitor the number of calls coming from your website or marketing efforts. Calls should increase along with traffic; any call drop can indicate a problem.

HVAC Webmasters Helps With KPI

Here at HVAC Webmasters, we are all about helping you beef up your bottom line. We do our part with lean, effective marketing strategies, especially for HVAC contractors. Talk to us today and get the most from your HVAC advertising and digital marketing investment.

Feb '21

The Ultimate HVAC Branding Guide (w/New Examples)

As the founder of my digital marketing agency, HVAC Webmasters, I focus on helping heating and cooling companies build a brand. While branding is not the sole factor in a successful digital marketing campaign, it is one of its most essential.

When HVAC business owners come to me looking to expand their online presence, I stress the importance of branding and branded signaling. The precise meaning of “HVAC branding” is not always clear, which is why I’ve written this comprehensive guide.

Below, I will outline the meaning of branding for HVAC companies and the purpose of building one.

Table of Contents

HVAC Branding Explained

HVAC branding is the promotion of a specific heating and cooling company through advertising, marketing, and presentation. A company’s brand may include its logo, website, marketing materials, and other distinguishable items.

Building a Brand for Your HVAC Company

A brand consists of both tangible and intangible qualities. For instance, your company’s logo, slogan, and mission statement are part of its brand. However, intangible things like how a customer feels when looking at your logo are also part of your brand.

Furthermore, digital signals are a massive component of your brand. For example, Google and other search engines ascribe trust and authority to brands largely based on their digital signaling.

You must check all these boxes simultaneously to achieve brand recognition and build a sustainable HVAC business.

Branding Basics

The basic and tangible qualities of your brand include:

Business Name

Logo

Color Scheme

Slogan

Mission Statement

Advanced Branding

The more advanced and less tangible brand components include:

Voice

Values

Identity

Promise

Positioning

Digital Brand Signals

Digital brand signals include:

Google Business Profile

Website / Domain

E-E-A-T (Social Proof)

Reviews and Reputation

Schema Markup

HVAC Branding Tips

1) Develop a Logo

When creating a logo, try to be as original as possible. Ideally, you want an image that conveys your message in some way as well. If you offer fast service, start thinking about images that represent speed. If you emphasize fair prices, think about images that conjure up honesty in people’s minds.

Next, start thinking about the text and color of your logo. Many HVAC contractors want to come across as professional, so stay away from silly text fonts with many curved lines (no comic sans). And it may be tempting to stick with red and blue as your primary colors.

Try to be as original as possible. The last thing you want is for your customers to confuse your logo with some other HVAC companies. And if you aren’t an artist yourself or don’t have one in your family, don’t worry. Hiring a freelance graphic designer isn’t that expensive.

2) Brainstorm a Slogan

Your company slogan should convey the message you want to send to your customers. Remember that your slogan should conjure up qualities that set your business apart.

Although a great slogan is not enough to make a bad company look good, a bad slogan is definitely enough to make a good company look bad.

Sometimes, the best slogans are the ones that skip all the gimmicks and cheesy rhymes and state clearly and concisely (catchy always helps, too) what your HVAC company is all about.

3) Seek Branding Opportunities

Once you have your logo and slogan, it’s time to look for branding opportunities. Printing up some swag with your logo and tagline is an excellent place to start. Koozies are cheap and practical, so think about getting a couple hundred of them made up with your company logo and colors.

Your company website should prominently display your logo, slogan, and company colors. The same goes for your social media pages, directory listings, citation sources, and other marketing materials.

4) Invest in a Business Website

Your business website is the central hub for your company’s digital brand. Since companies list their info on Yelp, Facebook, Google, and elsewhere, each platform holds a spot for your website URL. The goal is to create a branded website that showcases your logo, slogan, and color scheme.

Investing in custom website design is essential since template websites dilute your brand’s potency. Every subtle representation of your company influences branding. Think about consumer psychology; in their minds, a cheap website equates to a frugal company. Do you want that to be your reputation?

Aside from the presentation, websites also help you get more business. Branding is about outreach because how valuable is something that nobody sees? Of course, the goal is to implement HVAC SEO on your website and start ranking for high-volume keywords along with your brand name.

5) Utilize Reputation Management Software

Startup business owners often ask me questions about building a reputation. My answer is that you have to start somewhere. After claiming your Google Business Profile, you can request a review from your recent customers.

My software tool, DataPins, includes reputation management features, including automated review requests through SMS and email. Consistently utilizing the DataPins tool can increase review frequency by up to a 200% increase.

Enhancing your reputation through online reviews can impact your brand’s recognition and credibility. In other words, awareness and conversion increase simultaneously, resulting in more leads, sales, and customers.

Yes, building your reputation will also lead to a few negative reviews, but they won’t be enough to derail your overall momentum. The important thing is to respond to these reviews personally and professionally.

6) Benefit From Truck Wraps

Truck wraps turn your everyday vehicle into a branding asset. When you invest in a color-themed truck wrap that includes your name, logo, and NAP info, you start reaching customers on your commute.

Think about the impact of billboards on branding, and then consider how your truck serves as a mobile billboard for everyone you come across.

Truck wraps work even when parked. You get 24/7 exposure for your brand and an outstanding ROI in most cases. Studies show that truck wraps deliver one of the cheapest market exposure costs.

Upstart HVAC companies should jump at the chance to brand their heating and cooling company’s work vehicle.

Brand Development from HVAC Webmasters

Business owners can lay the foundation of a strong brand without the help of an outside agency. However, there comes a time when companies want to expand and maximize their reach. My agency, HVAC Webmasters, offers brand development services for HVAC companies like yours.

If you require consultation about your brand and digital signaling, please contact me to discuss how branding can contribute to your HVAC company’s success.

Feb '21

HVAC Call To Action (CTA) Guide for 2024 (w/Examples)

Table of Contents

What is a Call to Action for HVAC?

For HVAC companies, a CTA is an online device that prompts or encourages users to take action. The most common HVAC calls to action are phone number links or push-to-call buttons. A website visitor who clicks a phone number link converts from traffic to lead instantaneously.

HVAC CTA Tips for 2024

Strong CTAs are clear and concise. Users respond to urgent calls and don’t have time to read through a bunch of filler.

Getting right to the point encourages user action while discouraging overthinking. Remember, in 2024; consumers won’t tolerate BS. The goal is to direct them to buy your HVAC services on the spot.

Tip #1: Invoke Enthusiasm

Some words inspire users to take action, while others bore them into inaction. Understanding language is key to crafting the perfect CTA for your heating and cooling website or advertisement.

For example, “save 60% on your first service” inspires consumers immediately. Conversely, “get in touch with our sales rep” only leaves them wanting more.

Tip #2: Create Urgency

Prospects often will wait to make a final decision so that they can compare your prices to competitors and seek out 3rd party opinions.

Of course, creating an excellent online reputation can make those actions lead right back to your website. But creating urgency with your CTA ensures they’ll never leave in the first place.

For example, putting a time limit on your special offer encourages them to take immediate action.

Tip #3: Make CTAs Responsive

Some users may access your HVAC website through their smartphones or tablets. And some still will use their desktop computer or laptop.

A compelling CTA must appear ideally on each device type, and responsive design makes it happen.

Losing even one of those devices can reduce your conversions enough to blow your revenue significantly.

Tip #4: Enhance CTAs with Social Proof

Most users won’t click on a CTA without some social proof. It helps to use statistics or numbers to prove your company’s worth.

For example, showing that 99% of clients become repeat customers fosters credibility.

You can also use pricing comparisons showing that your services save customers an average of 35 dollars per job.

Tip #5: Click to Call Functionality

Smartphones represent the top device for potential clients.

Creating a linked CTA that connects the user to your phone line is one way to streamline the sales process.

For example, a giant button in your website’s header, reading: Call Now, can connect from their phone to your phone in just seconds. Yes, technology can do some pretty amazing things.

Call To Action Examples

HVAC companies can publish a wide range of CTA types. For example, you might prefer that customers email you or submit a contact form.

Other contractors may want direct phone calls to their office line. Either way, you can craft your call to action to fit your company’s needs and preferences.

Let’s look at some HVAC call-to-action examples to create inspiration for your next venture.

Phone Number Link

The phone number link is straight to the point. Typically a phone link gets accompanied by a line of text, which creates either trust or urgency.

The linked number is self-explanatory for users and frequently leads to increased call volume for local HVACR companies.

Request a Quote

Requesting a quote is an ideal CTA for contractors who prefer the form submission. You can get some basic information about your prospects before speaking with them over the phone.

This way, you have more knowledge and can provide them with a personalized sales pitch, almost certainly to convert them.

Encouraging prospects to request a quote gets them invested in your company early on in the conversion process, making it more likely they will become a customer.

Request a Call

Like the request for a quote, requesting a call allows users to leave their phone number for a later callback.

Some heating and cooling companies prefer to schedule the best call times instead of taking calls 24/7.

Depending on staff size, the request for a call CTA could be highly beneficial and increase company efficiency.

A prospect’s phone number is the most valuable contact information you can get in the lead generation process. When customers submit their phone numbers, they are far more likely to invest.

Contact Us

The Contact Us form is the most traditional call to action. Of course, its effectiveness often depends on the rest of your website.

Is your homepage telling a story? Does it encourage trust and authority for future clients? If both of those things ring true, then the Contact Us form works wonders.

However, keep in mind that the Contact Us form becomes relatively useless without a strong homepage.

Some prospects are not ready to call your company on the spot. Providing traditional contact forms encourages customers to take action before they are ready to call.

Review Us

Not all calls to action must encourage direct contact. Sometimes, you need CTAs for existing clients to perform other actions. An excellent example of this is the Review Us call to action.

Generating Google reviews is vital to your reputation and can help increase conversion rates across the web.

Placing a review CTA on your website’s homepage encourages good things for your authority.

“Review Us” buttons are easy ways to generate actions from existing customers.

Savings / Discounts

Consumers often associate action with money. If they can save money, they are more willing to take action.

Savings or discount-style CTAs are effective in encouraging swift action from future clients.

You can design a variety of savings CTAs as long as each of them shows customers how they’ll save money by using your service.

Showcasing savings and discounts creates an urgency for potential customers who may choose to act faster.

Working With HVAC Webmasters

Installing CTAs on your website requires web design experience and other technical skills. HVAC Webmasters can help your company project the best version of itself to future clients.

We’ve worked with hundreds of HVAC contractors in assisting them in generating high-quality HVAC leads over the past decade.

Some of our services include:

DataPins: We include a reputation management tool that enhances social proof for stronger CTAs.

Responsive Design: We ensure your CTAs show up effectively across all devices.

Website Redesign: We take existing websites and improve user experience and visual appeal

Click-To-Call: We implement click-to-call functionality for phone number links

HVAC companies can’t do everything on their own. Partnering with an industry-specific marketing agency like HVAC Webmasters can empower you to focus on performing the best services.

We help you get more customers through your website, organic search, and reputation management.

We even help you automate the local SEO process through Jobsite check-ins and user-generated content for your specific web pages.

Feb '21

The (Essential) HVAC Video Marketing Guide for AC Companies

Throughout my decade-plus run as owner of HVAC Webmasters, I’ve seen massive changes in digital marketing. However, no change has had a more significant impact than the emergence of video marketing and its impact on HVAC companies’ online success.

My agency, HVAC Webmasters, is known for its SEO services, which help companies rank on organic search results and generate more leads. However, in 2024, converting those organic visitors requires an investment in video marketing.

Key Takeaway

A comprehensive video marketing strategy for HVAC companies includes creating a YouTube channel, uploading original content, and embedding videos onto your company website.

Table of Contents

Video Marketing’s Influence on HVAC Companies

Over 90% of consumers want more video content from brands. By fulfilling their prospects’ needs for video content, HVAC companies can increase brand recognition, generate leads, and grow their business in 2024.

The Video Marketing Process

Video consumption is up on every major platform, from Google to Instagram. It’s no secret that YouTube is one of the most prolific marketing channels for any small business owner, including an HVAC professional.

The challenge for HVAC companies is creating a process to take advantage of the increased demand for video content. Video drives engagement, action, and trust, which are three pillars of a sustainable promotional strategy for business owners.

Leveraging your HVAC knowledge, business, and personality with video is a clear opportunity. Learning about the best platforms, content types, and editing techniques is the key to maximizing your returns with video marketing.

Defining Your Video Marketing Goals

One reason business owners neglect video marketing is the overwhelming responsibility that seems to come with such a commitment. The best way to overcome this mental hurdle is to write down your video marketing goals.

Check out some of the prompts below:

What’s the Goal? – Do you want to attract new customers? Do you want to solidify your current customer base? Do you want to promote a new service? Are you trying to break into a new market? These are all questions that should guide you as you craft your content.

Who do you Want to Reach? – As an HVAC contractor, you may want to target younger millennials who have just bought their first home. You may also want to target stable-income older homeowners who can afford higher-end HVAC services.

Can you solve a problem? – Start thinking about some common HVAC problems that homeowners face. From there, you can create a quick and concise method for showing people how to solve that problem – whether it be a script, storyboard, or just some images.

Publishing Video Content on Your HVAC Website

An optimized HVAC website helps you rank on Google search results. However, once visitors reach your website, it’s your job to convert them into customers. One way to help achieve that goal is by publishing video content directly on your business website.

The best way to publish on-site video content is through a YouTube embed. WordPress’s block editor easily integrates with YouTube, allowing content editors to paste the YouTube URL within the block, which will embed the corresponding video on that page.

You can publish specific videos for service and landing pages to help convert visitors looking for a particular HVAC repair or installation type. Similarly, you can compose location-specific video content that you can include on your local landing pages (i.e., city pages).

Pro Tip: On-page videos can increase dwell time, engagement, and conversions for your HVAC website

Sharing Video Content on Social Media

HVAC companies should also post video content on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. With over 1 billion users, TikTok is a relatively untapped marketing channel within the HVAC industry. Additionally, including video within a social post can increase its viewership by 48%.

For your reference, focus on the following social media platforms for video shares:

YouTube

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

Tips for Creating Video Content

Most consumers prefer video content that is under 60 seconds. Most even say they won’t continue watching any promotional video for over 2 minutes. As attention spans have grown shorter in the past decade, video content for HVAC companies should meet these new expectations.

Check out some tips for creating video marketing content

Brand Your Content: Always brand your videos with a watermark and title screen to ensure their impressions are attributed directly to your business

Use The 10 Second Rule: Catch the viewer’s attention within the first 10 seconds

Improve Your Editing Process: Use a free video editor like OpenShot to edit your raw footage into a marketable piece of content

Create Engaging Titles: While there is a fine line between clickbait and enticement, you want to ensure users are encouraged to click on the video

Rank With How-To Videos: The fastest way to rank on Google search through with video content is to create a How-to series

Partnering With HVAC Webmasters for Video Marketing

As the owner of HVAC Webmasters, I understand that some business owners don’t have the time or desire to implement a comprehensive video marketing strategy. Others are willing to learn but require a more personalized consultation for how to best incorporate videos into their marketing strategy.

My agency, HVAC Webmasters, can help you devise a strategy that works for your business, keeping your specific goals and local market in mind. My tea create a fantastic marketing campaign for your business, so contact me today.