When people search Google for things like … 

• Best HVAC company near me
• HVAC company in [city]
• AC installation in [city]
• AC repair in [city]
• And more

… you want your business to rank at the top of the search engine results page. 

But how do you out-rank your local competitors for these keywords? By implementing data-backed SEO strategies for HVAC companies.

In this guide, we will break down the ins and outs of industry-specific SEO and share strategies to help increase your local exposure, leads, and phone calls from Google.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s set of techniques designed to organically increase your ranking performance for valuable keywords on Google.

The higher you rank in the SERPs (search engine results pages), the more user clicks you are likely to receive, which could result in new leads.

For example, here is some data that shows the organic click-through rate by positions on Google:

• Position #1: 31.73%
• Position #2: 24.71%
• Position #3:18.66%
• Position #4: 13.60%
• Position #5: 9.51%
• Position #6:6.23%
• Position: #7: 4.15%
• Position #8: 3.12%
• Position #9: 2.97%
• Position #10: 3.09%

Where do you want your website to rank? Position one or position ten?

Most businesses agree: number one is where you want to be. 

You can’t improve your ranking performance overnight. SEO is a long-term strategy that can provide consistent results. Typically, a successful SEO campaign takes three to six months to achieve noticeable results.

What Is Local SEO?

As a local HVAC company, local SEO strategies will provide the best results for your business in terms of increasing local leads and phone calls.

Local SEO strategies focus on increasing your ranking performance on Google for localized keywords like: 

• HVAC company near me
• HVAC company in [city]
• Best [city] HVAC companies
• And more

Local SEO can involve the following strategies:

• Optimizing your Google Business Profile
• Optimizing your website for industry and service-specific keywords your target audience is searching for
• Increasing the quality, frequency, and consistency of reviews on your Google Business Profile
• And more

Keep reading to learn how to implement these local SEO strategies.

What Is the Goal of Local SEO for HVAC Companies?

The goal is simple — to organically increase local exposure, leads, and phone calls from Google.

Let’s break down this process.

When Your Target Audience Searches for Keywords Like ‘HVAC Company Near Me,’ Here’s What Shows Up

Think about how you search for local services in your area. You likely pull out your smartphone and type something into Google like “[service] near me.” Your potential customers are doing the same thing.

When you type “HVAC company near me” into Google, here is an example of what shows up:

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This is the Google Local Pack. 

Many refer to this section of Google as “beachfront real estate for SEO.” This is because 50% of people typing in localized search queries into Google will click on one of the businesses featured here. 

Bottom line: Ranking in the Google Local Pack for localized search queries related to your industry is highly valuable.

How to Rank in Google Local Pack

So, how do you rank in the Google Local Pack? Here are a few strategies to implement to improve your ranking performance.

Create a Free Google Business Profile

To rank in the Google Local Pack, you must have a Google Business Profile. This is essentially a free listing tool that allows you to show up on Google platforms such as Google Maps and the Google Local Pack.

A Google Business Profile features important information on your business, such as:

• Your address or service area
• Your hours of operation
• Services you offer
• Google reviews from past customers

Here’s an example of what a Google Business Profile looks like on Google:

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Creating your free Google Business Profile is step #1. To rank in the Google Local Pack, you’ll need to optimize your profile using best practices. Let’s go over some tips that Google suggests in detail.

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Be as Descriptive as Possible

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Google prioritizes user experience above all else. For this reason, it’s critical to provide as much detailed, comprehensive information as possible.

Some areas to focus on providing comprehensive information include:

• Maximize the character limit for your business description. Include information like how long your HVAC business has been operating, your team’s experience, and anything that sets your company apart from other local competition.
• Add as many relevant categories, services areas, and services offered.
• Add as many photos and video content of your business as possible.
• Add relevant attributes. Are appointments required? Is your business woman-owned? Do you offer online quotes?

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Add Service Areas

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Google will allow you to add up to 20 service areas to your Google Business profile. You’ll want to add as many relevant service areas as possible. Just make sure that you are willing to travel to a specific area to provide services before adding it to your profile.

Adding multiple service areas to your Google Business profile not only lets your potential customers know which areas you service but it also allows you the opportunity to rank for localized search queries for multiple cities/locations.

For example, let’s say you are an HVAC company in the Florida Panhandle. You want to rank for localized search queries for Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Navarre, FL. To do this, you must add each city as a service area on your Google Business Profile.

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Add Services/Categories

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It’s vital to include any categories and services relevant to your business. 

Google provides a specific category for businesses to choose from based on relevancy. 

As an HVAC company, your primary category is pretty straightforward — HVAC contractor. Based on the services you offer, there may be other secondary categories you can also include on your profile. 

When it comes to including services on your Google Business Profile, you’ll want to add every service your business provides. 

For example, services you may offer include: 

• AC repair 
• AC installation
• Thermostat installation
• Electric furnace repair
• Duct sealing
• And more

How do you increase your chances of ranking in the Google Local Pack for keywords like the following?

• AC repair in [city]
• AC installation in [city]
• Thermostat installation in [city]
• Etc

It’s simple! Just Include these services on your Profile and provide a detailed description of each service listing.

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Make Sure Your Name, Address, and Phone Number Are Consistent With Your Website

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Google wants to know that it is sending users to a legit business website. They want proof that you are who you say you are.

How do you establish this proof? 

Two words: NAP consistency. 

NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. These three components should be consistent across the web, including:

• Your website
• Your Google Business Profile; and
• Third-party review sites like Yelp or Angi’s

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Get Frequent, Consistent Google Reviews — And Respond to Them

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In December 2021, Google released a Core Update that places a stronger emphasis on the quality, consistency, and frequency of Google Reviews when it comes to which profiles should rank in the Google Local Pack.

Why is it important to get Google reviews? Think of it this way: 

You’re looking for a local HVAC company to repair your AC unit. You type in “HVAC company near me” into Google and three businesses appear in the Google Local Pack. 

Business #1 has 58 reviews with an average rating of 4.8

Business #2 has 45 reviews with an average rating of 5.0

Business #3 has 36 reviews with an average rating of 5.0

Which business would you click on first? Probably business #2!

When customers are happy with your services, ask them to leave a review on your Google Business Profile. You can even create flyers or postcards with a QR code that takes users to your Google Review page to help encourage customers to take 1-2 minutes to leave you a review.

4 Tips on How to Rank in the Search Engine Results Pages

Now that we’ve discussed how to increase your ranking performance in the Google Local Pack, let’s talk about how to rank in the SERPs, where the other 50% of users are clicking on page results.

#1: Create Location Pages to Target Location-Based Keywords for Each of Your Service Areas

To rank for multiple location-based keywords, it’s a good idea to create comprehensive location pages for each city that you provide services to. 

Dedicating and optimizing an entire webpage for one service area allows you to provide as much comprehensive information as possible and infuse keywords your target audience is searching for on Google into your copy.

Here is some important information to include on your location pages:

• Location-specific information. This includes information such as the types of services you offer in this specific area and frequently asked questions.
• Information that builds trust. Share any local reward and recognition you may have received and feature Google reviews from past local clients.
• Information that encourages action: This includes adding calls to action. This typically involves encouraging a user to submit a form, book an appointment on a calendar, call your business phone number, and more.

#2: Create Service Pages to Ensure Google (and Users) Know What You Do

Remember, users are also typing in location-based queries around specific services. 

For the same reason, you need to optimize your Google Business Profile to include comprehensive information on your services, it’s also a good idea to create service pages on your website.

Include information like:

• Pricing 
• Frequently asked questions about the service
• Service-specific reviews
• And more

#3 Optimize Your Website With Technical SEO

It’s easy to get into the weeds with technical SEO. For this reason, it’s not a bad idea to hire an SEO agency to help you implement technical SEO best practices, which can include:

• Making sure your website is secured with an SSL certificate
• Making sure your site is mobile friendly
• Improving your website’s page speed
• Making sure your site has proper site architecture
• Creating a sitemap

#4: Create a Blog Content Strategy That Drives Traffic

Your potential customers are also likely searching for long-tail queries, like:

• How much does it cost to install an AC unit? 
• Why do you need duct sealing services?
• Why is my AC unit leaking water?
• And more

How do you rank locally for long-tail search queries like these? By creating comprehensive, engaging blog content. 

A killer blog content strategy can help you achieve three things:

1. Improve ranking performance for keywords your local target audience is searching for on Google, which could potentially lead to conversions.
2. Increase organic traffic to your website.
3. Increase your site authority. 

#3 is very important. Site authority is basically a metric of how trustworthy and valuable Google views your website. The higher your site authority is, the easier it is to rank for local keywords in the SERPs and the Google Local Pack.

A large component of increasing your site authority is to gain backlinks, which refers to other websites linking to your content on their site.

Creating high-quality, high-performing content is the most effective way to gain quality backlinks.

Best SEO Keywords for HVAC Companies — Here Are Likely Some of Your Most Important Keywords to Target

How do you know that you’re targeting keywords that your target audience is searching for on Google? Through keyword research. 

Using a keyword research tool, you can analyze which keywords relevant to your industry have a high search volume and low keyword difficulty (which indicates how difficult it is to outrank other competitors for a given keyword).

The search volume and keyword difficulty for location-specific keywords can vary from location to location. However, long tail keywords that would be used to create blog content strategy typically has the same value on a national scale. 

Here are some question-based keywords you can leverage to create high-quality, comprehensive blog content.

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