HVAC leads are everywhere, but 99.9% are distributed to a select group of companies and 3rd-party lead sellers throughout the United States.
Nearly 5 million people search for HVAC and related queries monthly, but heating and cooling contractors pay $300-$400 to buy leads from an intermediary.
This scenario highlights a significant problem within the heating and cooling industry.
When I started my digital marketing agency, HVAC Webmasters, in 2013, I found that some of my clients could generate leads for as little as $5 per lead.
The difference was that I helped them build their own online brand rather than relying on 3rd parties.
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve further enhanced this process using a series of data-driven lead generation methods.
Below, I’ll outline 12 effective ways to eliminate the middleman and generate exclusive HVAC leads in 2024.
1) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is one method you’re probably tired of hearing about.
The irony is that, when done properly, it’s still the best way to get exclusive HVAC leads.
Unfortunately, most SEO companies provide low-quality services.
They don’t understand the nuances of the algorithm with concepts like E-E-A-T and digital branded signaling.
My agency, HVAC Webmasters, developed a software tool called DataPins so that heating and cooling companies can rank for thousands of queries in their local service areas.
Using DataPins, this Mesquite, TX-based company ranks in its closest major city (Dallas) for legitimate keywords:
Most companies don’t realize that over half of Google clicks come from hidden and long-tail terms.
They are phrases like goodman ac repair pembroke pines, fl.
Ahrefs and SEMrush won’t detect search volume for these terms, but users still search for them.
They also search for variations of this phrase that add and subtract stop words like “in” and “for.”
The subtle nuances of SEO are boring and overwhelming, which is why most digital marketing agencies ignore them.
But I’m telling you right now that your competitors who are consistently bringing in new customers know about these intricacies.
You don’t have to dive into every technical crevice of search engine optimization; you have to be willing to listen to advice on how to leverage the best methods to acquire leads.
2) Reviews and Reputation Management
When companies that perform worse services outrank you on Google, it’s not because Google dislikes you.
Instead, it’s because Google doesn’t know you’re a good company.
Why not? Because you don’t have enough online reviews to boost your reputation.
The light bulb moment occurs once you realize customer reviews (especially on Google Business Profile) directly generate exclusive HVAC leads.
- 10+ Google Reviews: Foundation
- 20+ Google Reviews: Credible
- 50+ Google Reviews: Significant
- 100+ Google Reviews: Expert
- 200+ Google Reviews: Authority
- 500+ Google Reviews: Trustworthy
- 1,000+ Google Reviews: Powerhouse
So, how do you go about getting more reviews?
It starts with investing in reputation management software that automates review results through SMS and email.
Various tools can accomplish this for your company, including DataPins and GatherUp.
While technology is the basis for increasing review frequency, it works best when combined with a personal touch.
Ensure each technician asks the customer for a review upon job completion.
When you combine personal and digital requests, you 40x your review responses.
Using a plugin to share customer reviews directly on your website can further enhance your lead acquisition process.
As website visitors see other customers who’ve experienced your services, they convert at a higher rate.
The more you see your results, the better you’ll understand how these methods feed off one another.
3) Google Ads (PPC)
So many AC companies are skeptical of SEO because it takes too long.
While the industry cliche that “SEO takes six months” is inaccurate, it can take several months to see consistent results.
During this period, it’s worthwhile to invest in Google Ads, often known as Pay Per Click.
Too many contractors rely on PPC for long-term lead generation when its best function is supplementing your SEO presence in the short term.
Be careful who you hire to run your Google Ads campaign. They may lock you into long-term agreements or use shady tactics like black-box billing.
The lightbulb PPC moment occurs when you realize it supplements your other channels.
Your ROI skyrockets when you can strategically turn Google Ads on and off throughout the year.
A broader digital marketing campaign maximizes the results of paid advertising
Consider a scenario where you pay for clicks for “ac repair near me.”
What does the user see after clicking on your ad?
Is it a landing page that incorporates video content and customer reviews?
Or is it a generic text page that fails to demonstrate your company’s experience?
The former will make your PPC campaign a lead generation tool, while the latter will render it a waste of time and money
4) Referral Programs and Networking
Referral programs are simple; you incentivize customers to tell friends and family about your company and its services.
Incentives can include:
- Limited-time Discount
- Lifetime Discount
- Tiered Discounts (Based on # of Referrals)
- Gift Cards
- Smart Home Upgrade
- VIP Membership
- Exclusive Product Access
- Sports Tickets
Referrals are one of the most old-school lead-gen techniques because they have worked in previous eras.
Word of mouth was the lifeblood of many HVAC companies long before the digital marketing age.
Today, referral programs are integrated into digital marketing campaigns, which helps them spread even faster.
While modern technology will streamline referrals in 2024, its essence is grounded in traditional marketing.
Ultimately, consumers trust friends and family more than reviews, making referrals a lead generation goldmine.
The caveat with referrals, of course, is that your services must live up to the hype.
Ensure your technicians maintain a high service standard. Otherwise, it can undermine your entire program.
5) Social Media Marketing
Much like online reviews, a strong social media presence contributes to your lead generation.
Every HVAC company should have a Facebook and Instagram account at a minimum.
It’s 100% free to create Facebook and Instagram business accounts through the Meta platform.
However, you must take it further if you want to funnel the leads.
Here are my two pro steps:
- Create a YouTube channel
- Start a Podcast
These are the two most untapped social media marketing techniques for HVAC lead generation.
YouTube content is more popular than ever, especially YouTube Shorts
I recommend publishing 2-3 YouTube Shorts per week on your channel.
HVAC podcasts are rare, but they absolutely help generate leads.
Starting a podcast requires a hosting account and an RSS feed.
From there, you can submit your podcast to major platforms like Apple and Spotify.
You can reach out to employees, business associates, and industry experts as podcast guests.
The goal is not always to directly acquire new customers from your podcast.
Instead, you are building a strong brand that will influence other channels and attract new clients
6) Email Marketing
Email marketing produces a 40:1 ROI, meaning you earn $40 for every $1 spent.
With that being said, email marketing also FAILS for many HVAC companies.
The main reason for failure is a lack of segmentation and personalization.
I recommend using an email marketing tool like Aweber to build and segment your subscribers.
When you segment your subscribers by interests, service types, locations, and other variables, open rates increase by 82%.
7) Website UX
Hearing that you “need an HVAC website” is boring advice.
Every company knows they need a website, but not all understand what kind of website generates leads.
Websites with specific UX (user experience) principles consistently generate exclusive HVAC leads.
These are the principles:
- Red Calls to Action: CTAs that are the color red convert 10x more
- Site Speed: Sites that load in less than a second cover 10x more
- Mobile Navigation: Sites that are easy to navigate on smartphones convert 20x more
- Original Images: Unique images convert 30x better than stock photos
Once you realize that only certain types of HVAC websites convert, you begin to make the proper connection between your website and lead generation.
Hiring a cheap website designer is not always the best strategy, as they may throw something together that fails to convert.
The same can be true of using website templates and themes that don’t attract conversions.
Although website design is not rocket science, there are proven techniques that drive conversions.
Contacting a reputable web designer with experience in the heating and cooling industry is a good place to start.
By fostering a positive user experience, you invest not just in your website but in your brand.
8) Delete Blog Posts
Most HVAC lead generation articles preach blogging and content marketing as a viable methods to gain customers.
Unfortunately, this advice will cost you leads instead of gaining them.
Deleting blog posts from your website is a real method to get more HVAC leads.
Google’s Helpful Content Update and March 2024 Content Update targets websites that create content for search engines, not people.
The HVAC marketing industry is one of the worst offenders of this type of content, primarily in the form of blog posts.
NOBODY wants to read “3 ways to tell if your AC is broken.”
Here’s how you can tell how much Google dislikes your blog posts.
Navigate to your Google Search Console dashboard.
Click on Pages.
Next, it will show you how many of your pages are not indexed.
You can scroll down to “Why Pages Aren’t Indexed” and click on Crawled – currently not indexed.
Here, you will see a list of all the pages Google found but chose not to index.
For many sites, this list is full of blog posts.
Export the list to your computer and open up Microsoft Excel or import it to Google Sheets.
Now, delete each of these posts from your website one by one.
As Google recrawls your website, they will find a higher percentage of quality pages, helping your leads
9) Digital Branded Signaling
Relying on one platform for leads is a mistake, whether it’s Google, Facebook, or a lead seller.
The theory of digital branded signaling is a cutting-edge way to generate exclusive HVAC leads in 2024.
Digital branded signaling is a holistic effort to generate brand “signals” across the web.
You’ll need a cohesive marketing campaign demonstrating your real HVAC jobs.
In addition, you must ensure that your brand presents consistency from your logo to your business address and everything in between.
Share photos of recent HVAC projects on your website, social platforms, and business listings.
As your brand builds broad credibility (across multiple platforms), it increases the potency of each.
Essentially, the sum of all your signaling is greater than its parts.
HVAC companies who’ve successfully established branded digital signaling 40x leads within 6 months.
10) Incorporate QR Codes
Have you ever dined at a local restaurant and noticed a QR code on the table or coaster?
This form of modern digital marketing is used in other industries but rarely HVAC.
That makes it an untapped opportunity for your company to increase its HVAC leads.
Add QR codes to all of your marketing materials, including:
- Business Cards
- Flyers
- Truck Wraps
- Email Signatures
- Brochures
QR codes should serve as a lead generation funnel for HVAC companies.
For example, when a prospect scans your QR code after seeing your truck wrap, they are brought to your website landing page to book a service.
You can utilize a free QR code generator, like this one from Adobe, to create your own code.
Leveraging this digital method will help your company stand out from competitors.
11) Specialize Within the HVAC Industry
Newer HVAC companies in large markets tend to get stuck in the gig economy, living lead to lead and job to job.
Competing for HVAC installation and air conditioning repair services is difficult for a brand-new company.
That’s why niching down and specializing in a sub-category within the HVAC industry can help you generate leads quickly.
Examples of specialty HVAC categories include:
- Commercial HVAC Systems
- Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems
- Smart Home Integration
- Ductless Mini-Split Systems
- Radiant Heating Systems
- HVAC System Retrofits
- Green and Sustainable HVAC Solutions
- HVAC System Design and Consultation
- Dehumidification Systems
- Wine Cellar Cooling Systems
- HVAC for Historic Homes
- High-Efficiency HVAC Systems
- Emergency HVAC Services
- Custom HVAC Fabrication
- Pool Dehumidification Systems
- Ventilation Systems for Industrial Kitchens
- Zoning HVAC Systems
You might wonder how niching down brings in new prospects.
It creates a two-pronged reaction.
First, search engines favor HVAC websites with topical authority.
In other words, if you specialize in commercial HVAC systems and create pages supporting them, Google will assign more credibility to your company for this sub-category.
Secondly, customers convert at a higher rate when especially seeking your niche service.
For example, a commercial restaurant requiring HVAC repair is likelier to choose your service than a general HVAC company offering commercial services.
Download the HVAC Specialty Categories for Lead Generation
12) Integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is a trending topic across all industries, including HVAC.
But did you know that AI can help you generate HVAC leads?
From funnel creation and optimization to customer relationship management, the powers of AI can directly influence lead acquisition.
Some of the ways HVAC companies can integrate artificial intelligence into lead generation include:
- AI Chatbots
- Predictive Analytics
- Dynamic Pricing Models
- Automated Follow-Ups
Seeing how an on-site chatbot can funnel a prospect into a scheduled sales meeting will open your eyes.
Furthermore, AI can help predict the prospect’s behavior, optimizing their sales presentation for increased conversion rates.
Integrating AI into your lead generation process can make a significant difference in 2024.
Not only can AI increase your leads, but it can increase their conversion rates, resulting in more sales.
Final Thoughts on HVAC Leads
When I founded HVAC Webmasters in 2013, I never dreamed that the wealth of HVAC leads available would be distributed to the top 1% of all HVAC companies.
Unfortunately, social media disinformation and a lack of clear education around this subject have led to a select few controlling the lead cycle.
After reading this article, I hope that will change and that more HVACR companies will implement a proven system to generate exclusive HVAC leads.
While I crafted this page with actionable insights, I understand that applying these concepts can initially feel overwhelming.
If you want a personal plan for integrating each step of your lead generation process, call me at (800) 353-3409 to maximize your HVAC leads in 2024.
