The Complete Guide to PPC for HVAC Companies
As an HVAC contractor, you’re no stranger to the challenges of standing out in a crowded local market. Enter pay-per-click (PPC) advertising—an easy way to put your business in front of customers at the exact moment they’re ready to convert.
But where do you even begin with PPC as an HVAC contractor? Better yet, what does it take to drive a steady stream of new leads? Keep reading as we discuss everything you need to know.
Basic Overview of Pay-Per-Click HVAC Advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a powerful online marketing strategy that can be incredibly valuable for HVAC companies. PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click, which means you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad.
With PPC, you can target customers who are actively searching for HVAC services in your local area. This allows you to reach people who are already interested in what you have to offer, significantly increasing your chances of converting them into loyal customers.
How Does PPC Work?
The core of PPC advertising is bidding on relevant keywords related to your HVAC services. Whenever someone searches for those keywords, your ad will appear at the top of the search results, making it more likely for them to click on it and visit your website. You’ll be able to track important metrics like how many people clicked on your ads, how much you spent, and even which keywords are performing the best.
Understanding the Different Types of HVAC PPC Ads on Google
When it comes to PPC for HVAC companies, Google offers a wide array of ad formats, each with its own unique advantages. Let’s take a closer look at different options and discuss how they can elevate your HVAC marketing efforts:
Search Ads
Search ads are the classic text-based ads that you see at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). These ads resemble standard search result listings, with elements like the website name, page title, and meta description visible.
The key thing that sets search ads apart is that they are triggered by specific keyword searches. When someone searches for a term related to your HVAC services, your search ad can appear at the top of the results, giving you prime visibility.
What makes search ads so powerful is that you’re reaching people who are actively looking for what you offer. They’ve already expressed interest by typing in a relevant query, so they’re much more likely to click on your ad and become a potential customer.
The performance of your search ads is determined by a few key factors:
- Expected click-through rate: How likely people are to click on your ad.
- Relevance to search intent: How well your ad matches what the user is looking for.
- Landing page relevance: How relevant and useful your website is to the searcher.
By optimizing these elements, you can improve your Quality Score, which in turn allows you to get your ads placed higher in the search results for a lower cost-per-click (CPC) bid.
Search ads can be a highly cost-efficient way for HVAC companies to connect with motivated, in-market customers. By focusing on the right keywords and crafting compelling ad copy, you can drive valuable traffic to your website and generate more leads and sales.
Local Service Ads
Rather than the traditional text-based search ads, Local Service Ads feature a prominent business listing at the top of the Google search results. These ads include key information like the business name, location, ratings, and contact details.
What makes Local Service Ads so powerful is the verification process that businesses have to go through to qualify. There are a few different status badges that can appear on these ads:
- Google Screened: This green checkmark indicates the business has passed Google’s background and license checks.
- Google Guaranteed: The white checkmark in a green background shows the business has gone through an even more rigorous screening process and has a $2,000 guarantee of satisfactory service.
- License Verified by Google: A green checkmark that verifies the business’s professional licenses.
- Pre-Badge: Businesses that have started the screening process but haven’t completed it yet can still advertise without a badge.
These verification badges help build trust with potential customers, letting them know they’re working with a reputable, high-quality HVAC provider.
When users click on a Local Service Ad, they’re presented with the ability to call or message the business directly. This means you’re getting highly qualified, purchase-ready leads coming straight to you.
And, since factors like response rates and user ratings can impact ad placement, Local Service Ads provide an incentive for HVAC companies to deliver excellent customer service.
Display Ads
Unlike search ads that are triggered by specific keyword queries, display ads use visual elements like images, graphics, and video to catch the attention of users as they browse the internet.
These display ads can appear in a variety of formats, such as:
- Banner ads at the top or sides of web pages
- Inline ads woven into the content of articles and blog posts
- Pop-ups or interstitial ads that cover part of the screen
- Video ads that play before, during, or after online video content
The power of display advertising lies in its ability to reach users at multiple touchpoints throughout their digital journey. Even if someone doesn’t click on your ad, the repeated exposure can help build brand awareness and keep your HVAC company top-of-mind.
Google’s display network spans millions of websites, apps, and YouTube channels, giving HVAC advertisers a huge pool of potential customers to target. Google’s sophisticated targeting capabilities allow you to hone in on the specific demographics, interests, and behaviors of your ideal customers.
While display ads may not have the same direct response rate as search ads, they can still be highly effective at driving valuable actions like website visits, lead form submissions, and phone calls. And by using eye-catching visuals and clear calls-to-action, you can maximize the impact of your display advertising campaigns.
Retargeting Ads
Retargeting, also known as “Google Remarketing,” is a PPC strategy that allows HVAC companies to reconnect with potential customers who have already shown interest in your services.
Here’s how it works:
- Someone visits your HVAC company’s website.
- A small piece of code (called a cookie) is placed on their browser, which adds them to a remarketing list.
- As that person browses the internet and visits other websites that are part of the Google Ads network, they will start seeing your retargeted ads.
Retargeting ads are incredibly powerful because they allow you to stay top-of-mind with people who have already expressed interest in your HVAC business. Even if they didn’t convert on their initial visit, retargeting gives you another chance to get them to take action. Here’s a few ways you can do that:
- Customize your retargeting ads to reach people on different devices, mobile apps, geographic locations, and more.
- Create separate remarketing lists and ad campaigns to focus on either first-time visitors or past customers.
- Better understand where someone is in the customer journey, and use targeted ads tailored, compelling messaging.
Example: let’s say a homeowner searches “HVAC maintenance near me” and visits your website, but doesn’t convert. With retargeting, you could serve them an ad reminding them of your maintenance services and offering a special discount, enticing them to come back and schedule an appointment.
Video Ads
As you might have guessed by the name, these ads appear on videos. YouTube, which is owned by Google, is the primary platform for these ads, which come in six different formats:
- Skippable In-Stream Ads: These ads play before, during, or after YouTube videos. They have no maximum length, and viewers can choose to skip the ad after the first 5 seconds.
- Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads: Similar to skippable in-stream, but these ads have a 20-second maximum length and cannot be skipped.
- In-Feed Ads: These video ads are featured in the YouTube homepage, search results, and up-next video recommendations, blending in with the organic content.
- Bumper Ads: 6-second non-skippable ads that play at the beginning of a YouTube video.
- Outstream Ads: Video ads that can run on websites and apps outside of YouTube, similar to display advertising.
- Masthead Ads: The top-tier YouTube video ad format, these appear at the very top of the YouTube homepage feed.
No matter which format you choose, video ads allow HVAC companies to deliver engaging, visual content that captures attention and builds brand awareness. By targeting the right audience segments and optimizing your video creative, you can drive valuable actions like website visits, lead form submissions, and phone calls.
Choosing the Right Google Ads Format
| Type | Location | Best for | Pricing |
| Search Ads | Throughout Google Search results | Promoting web pages related to HVAC keywords | $$$ |
| Local Service Ads | Google Maps and SERPs | Advertising geographically-specific products or services to localized leads | $$$ |
| Display Ads | Seen on webpages, apps, and other Google properties within their Display network | Building awareness to new markets across content formats | $$ |
| Video Ads | Before, during, and after videos, in search feeds, and on the YouTube home feed. | Promoting video content or reaching highly engaged users with dynamic video ads | $ |
| Retargeting Ads | Text, images or video ads seen on websites, apps, and properties in the google network. Note: Similar to display ads but retargets customers who’ve already visited your site before. | Remarketing to prospects no matter how far along they’ve gotten in the sales cycle. | $ |
From Search to Sale: Generate New Leads with a Well-rounded Strategy
Getting started with PPC is all about taking a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. Here’s a tried-and-true strategy to capture demand, stand out from the competition, and convert more customers.
Use Search Ads to Capture Demand
Search ads allow you to place your HVAC services in front of potential customers at the exact moment they’re searching for the solutions you offer. By bidding on highly relevant keywords like “HVAC repair near me” or “furnace installation”, your ads will appear at the top of the search results, maximizing your chances of generating a lead.
The key to success with search ads is thorough keyword research, compelling ad copy, and a conversion-focused user experience (UX) on your website. By continuously monitoring performance, adjusting bids, and refining your targeting, you can optimize your search campaigns to capture more of the demand in your local market.
Claim Your Spot with Local Service Ads
In addition to traditional search ads, every HVAC company should be using Google’s Local Service Ads.
This ad format allows you to showcase your business directly in the search results, with a prominent listing that includes your company name, ratings, contact info, and a “Google Guaranteed” badge.
Getting set up with Local Service Ads requires going through Google’s verification process, which includes validating your licensing, insurance, and customer satisfaction. But once you’re approved, these ads can be an incredibly powerful way to stand out from the competition and connect with geographically-targeted, purchase-ready leads.
Re-pitch with Retargeting Ads
The final piece of a well-rounded PPC strategy for HVAC companies is retargeting. Also known as remarketing, this tactic allows you to reconnect with users who have already visited your website but may not have converted on their initial visit.
Retargeting ads, whether in the form of text, video, or display, give you the opportunity to reengage these potential customers with tailored messaging. For those who are further along in the sales funnel, you could highlight special offers or promotions. For those who are still in the research phase, you might use more educational content to nurture them.
By incorporating retargeting into your PPC mix, you can stay top-of-mind, overcome objections, and guide more of your website visitors towards becoming paying customers.
Benefits of Running Paid Ads: 3 Ways They Boost Your HVAC Marketing Efforts
1. Drive Immediate Results
One of the biggest advantages of running PPC ads for your HVAC business is the ability to start generating leads and driving results almost immediately. Unlike other marketing tactics that can take months to build momentum, a well-executed PPC campaign can start producing real-time results within days or even hours.
Of course, it does take some time to fully optimize your PPC strategy and achieve the best possible returns. But after the initial ramp-up period of a few months, you’ll have valuable data to refine your ad targeting, bids, and creative. This allows you to continually improve the performance of your PPC campaigns and reach a larger audience with precision.
2. Low-Cost Lead Generation
PPC advertising provides HVAC companies with complete control over their marketing budgets. You set the maximum cost-per-click (CPC) you’re willing to pay, and you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad.
This ensures your advertising dollars are being spent on reaching potential customers who have expressed interest in your services.
Additionally, the ability to closely monitor the performance of your PPC keywords and ads allows you to make informed optimizations over time. You can identify which ad elements and targeting strategies are driving the best returns, and allocate more budget to the high-performing areas.
3. Gain New Customer Insights
Running PPC ads gives HVAC companies the opportunity to reach a wide audience and gather detailed, actionable insights about their potential customers.
By analyzing factors like ad engagement, demographics, and user behavior, you can gain a deeper understanding of who your target customers are and what motivates them. With the insights learned from PPC, HVAC companies can make more informed choices about their service offerings, pricing, messaging, and overall marketing approach.
In short, this data-driven customer intelligence informs not just your PPC strategy, but your broader marketing and business decisions as well
Tips for HVAC Companies Getting Started with PPC
- Set a Clear Goal: The first step in launching a successful PPC campaign for your HVAC business is to establish a clear, measurable goal. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate more leads, boost website traffic, or drive more sales? Understanding your primary objective will help you choose the right strategy and Ad format to focus on.
- Choose a Platform: Once you’ve defined your goal, pick the PPC platform that will best help you achieve it. For example, if your goal is lead generation, then Search and Local Service Ads should be your top priority. If it’s brand awareness, then start with display ads.
- Set a Budget: Research average PPC costs for the keywords you want to use. For HVAC companies in a major-metropolitan area, it’s common to spend upwards of $5,000/month. Just remember: you only pay when someone clicks on your ad—start with a modest budget and then scale up as you see ROI.
- Build Your Campaign: Capture the attention of your target audience. Make sure your on-page copy is compelling enough to convert clicks into leads. Then, set up your PPC campaign parameters (like location, audience demographics, device targeting, and more.)
- Measure Results: Monitor key metrics like impressions, click-through rate, conversion rate, cost-per-acquisition, and quality score. Use these insights to refine your campaigns, optimize bids, and improve margins.
Take the Guesswork out of HVAC Advertising
Look, we get it. Navigating the world of PPC advertising can be a struggle—especially for HVAC contractors who are already juggling a million other priorities. But the truth is, pay-per-click is a key piece of your online marketing efforts.
Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone.
At Timmermann Group, we’ve helped HVAC companies just like yours unlock the full potential of PPC advertising for 20+ years. Thanks to our agile approach, we know exactly what it takes for your ads to reach the right people, at the right time, for the right price.
Let us take the guesswork out of campaign management. Start a conversation today and learn how we create a customized advertising plan that captures that initial demand, ignites genuine interest, and guides potential customers straight to your doorstep.