Google Ads for HVAC Companies

Last Updated on: 18th December 2024, 05:43 pm

When the temperatures soar in the summer or plummet in the winter, HVAC companies like yours become lifelines for comfort. And next time someone searches for “AC repair near me” or “emergency heating services,” your business should be the one they find. 

That’s why, in this guide, I’ll show you how successful HVAC companies use Google Ads to attract local customers, generate leads, and maximise ROI. 

Let’s get right into it!

Structure Your Campaign and Ad Groups Correctly

Without a clear structure, your ads might show to irrelevant audiences and your budget could be wasted on mismatched clicks. That means lower chances of capturing high-quality leads – and we don’t want that! 

Speaking of structure, let’s start from the foundation:

• Campaigns are your high-level buckets built to organise your ads by overarching themes or goals. (For an HVAC business, you might have campaigns for “Heating services” and “Cooling services.”)
  • Campaign settings include your budget, bidding strategy, and location targeting.
• Ad groups are subcategories within your campaigns. They help you target specific keywords or services. (For example, within the “Heating services” campaign, you might have ad groups for “Boiler repair” and “Boiler installation.”)
  • Each ad group has its own keywords and ad copy to match the right intent and expectations.

Search Network vs. Display Network (and when to choose each)

Google’s Search Network (GSN) is a collection of platforms where your ads can appear, including Google’s own search engine and its search partners (websites and apps). 

When you advertise on the Search Network, your ad shows up alongside search results when someone types in terms that match your keywords. This is ideal for targeting leads actively searching for solutions like yours.

On the other hand, the Display Network (GDN) is great for building brand awareness with visually engaging banners and images. 

It’s not as conversion-driven since users aren’t necessarily looking for HVAC services when they see your ad. But it’s powerful for seasonal promotions or keeping your brand in front of customers who may need you later on.

Reach the Right Local Customers with Geo-Targeting

If you’re running ads across your entire country but only service a few cities, that’s a big waste of your money. Geo-targeting helps your ads reach the closest customers where and when they need you most.

You can use location settings in Google Ads to define your service areas by city, zip code, or radius. For example, if you’re based in London and only service a 50-mile radius, your campaigns should target that specific area: 

• In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon. 
• From there, open the Campaigns dropdown and choose the campaign you want to adjust.
• Click Settings, then expand the Locations section in the settings menu.

Now, when it comes to excluding locations, you have two options:

1. Use the search bar to type in the area you want to exclude (e.g., downtown Bristol), then click Exclude.
2. For more precise targeting, click Advanced Search, search for the location to exclude, and hit Exclude again.

Then, all you have to do is click Save. You’ll see the excluded locations listed under the “Excluded Locations” heading.

Use Your Keyword Strategy to Target Local Intent When Using Google Ads for HVAC Companies

Local keywords are the kernel of Google Ads for HVAC companies, where the nearest service providers catch the worm. 

Terms containing “(your city)”, “near me,” and “emergency” are the winners. 

But there’s another piece to the puzzle: deciding how closely your keywords should match search queries. Google Ads gives you control through keyword match types:

• Broad Match is the most flexible option. Your ad will appear for searches related to your keyword, even if the exact terms aren’t there. While this can help you discover new, relevant keywords, in a high-CPC industry like HVAC, it might also attract some lower-quality leads. 
• Phrase Match targets searches that include your keyword in the correct order. It’s a good middle ground between reach and relevance, giving you some flexibility while keeping things a bit more targeted. It’s perfect for capturing those slightly broader searches without completely abandoning control.
• Exact Match is your tightest option. Ads will only show for searches that exactly match your keyword. While it limits your reach,  the traffic you’re getting is highly relevant. If you’re dealing with higher CPCs and a limited budget, this should be your choice. 

Rely on Campaign Data to Segment Your Audience for HVAC Google Ads

Some HVAC customers are homeowners needing routine maintenance, while others are businesses seeking commercial-grade climate control. There’s a big difference there – one that should be addressed through smart segmentation. 

Start by, of course, knowing your audience. Pull insights from your past campaigns, CRM, or Google Analytics. What’s the data telling you? 

Perhaps residential inquiries skyrocket during winter as homeowners scramble for boiler repairs, while commercial clients ramp up during the spring for pre-summer maintenance. 

Once you’ve pinpointed the right segments, go to the Campaigns section, then the campaign where you want to define your audience segments. 

Next, go to Audiences, keywords and content section, and then Audiences. 

Choose your audience segments to add to a campaign or ad group by clicking on + New segment in the Search tab. Google gives you several audience targeting options like Affinity Audiences, In-Market Audiences, and Detailed Demographics. 

You can narrow your audience further by using the Custom Audiences tool to target people based on specific keywords, URLs, or apps they’ve interacted with, including competitor website URLs or relevant forums they might visit.

Similar to excluding irrelevant regions, you can exclude certain audiences to avoid wasted clicks. For example, you can choose to exclude renters if your services cater primarily to homeowners.

Budgeting and Bidding to Maximise Your ROI in Google Ads for HVAC

Your budget is the maximum amount you’re willing to spend daily. 

As I often tell my clients, Google recommends a starting daily budget of $10–$50 for beginners, depending on your comfort level. 

But as an HVAC business owner, it’s crucial to start small, test thoroughly, and let Google Ads’ learning phase provide insights into your audience. As you see results, you can scale up or down to match your campaign performance.

Bidding is the amount you’re willing to pay per click (CPC) or action (CPA). 

Given that HVAC services tend to be highly local and service-specific, using CPC allows you to control the cost of driving targeted traffic to your site, especially if you have strong, localised keywords. 

This works particularly well in the early stages of your campaign when you’re testing different keywords and building up search volume.

Once you’ve gathered enough conversion data (e.g., how much each lead is worth to you), transition to Cost Per Acquisition bidding to allow Google to optimise and get more leads at a price you’re comfortable with. 

For example, if a customer typically brings in $1,000 in revenue, and you’re comfortable paying $200 for that conversion, you can set that target and let Google optimise for you.

Craft Headlines and Ad Copy That Drive Clicks

For headlines, you can use up to 15 variations in Responsive Search Ads (RSA). This gives you room to highlight offers (“$0 diagnostic fee!”), urgency (“Same-day HVAC repair”), and benefits (“Energy-efficient AC units installed fast!”).

Expand on headlines with details about services and calls to action. Here’s an example:

If you’re struggling with the heat and your AC is overdue for repair, this ad would get your attention. 

Notice how it uses the call extension (we’ll talk a bit about ad extensions in a moment) to make the experience (and subsequent conversion) as easy as possible. 

And that’s not all! Suppose someone decides to check the landing page for credibility before making a call – just in case. Their LP’s message matches the ad’s message, mentioning all the same value propositions:

• Same-day service
• Beating the heat
• Once again providing a phone number 

Leverage Ad Assets for Better Visibility

Ad assets, previously called ad extensions, increase your ad’s real estate and make it easier for potential customers to take action.

Here’s another example. This one uses the sitelink asset in case prospects want to learn more about services and the company in general. 

That said, here’s something I tell my clients all the time: be careful with automatically created assets!

Left unchecked, auto-generated assets might include copy that’s too generic, miss key value propositions, and send mixed signals, among other things. If you decide to use them, triple-check auto-generated headlines and descriptions to make them reflect your unique selling points and align with your goals.

Don’t Skip Conversion Tracking

If you don’t track key actions like calls, form submissions or bookings, you won’t know if it’s Google Ads delivering the results or which particular approaches drive the conversions.

I talk about how to use Google Ads’ conversion tracking tool or integrate with Google Analytics in my ultimate guide to setting up Conversion Tracking in Google Ads.

Final Tips to Reach HVAC Success with Google Ads

• Improve your Quality Score. This measures how relevant your ad copy, keywords, and landing page are to the user’s search intent. A higher QS can lower your CPC and improve ad placements. You want both!
• Optimise your landing pages. If your ad promises “24/7 emergency service,” your landing page should reflect that. When your ad and landing page align, users are more likely to convert, as there’s no disconnect to derail their journey.
• Consider retargeting campaigns. Many prospects don’t convert on their first visit, particularly enterprise ones. Retargeting keeps your business top of mind, reminding leads to reach out, whether for fixing a broken boiler or planning for summer AC maintenance.
• Too much to handle? Don’t give up on Google Ads! If you’re short on time or expertise, a Google Ads Expert can make sure your campaigns are running at peak performance. 

And speaking of success, grab your copy of my time-tested, best-selling book, Rapid Google Ads Success. You’ll be heating up the right audience in no time!