It doesn’t take a marketing genius to know that SEO and social media are essential for just about every type of business. Even still, the power of basic digital marketing can be lost on some, especially companies that have always found a way to get by on word-of-mouth referrals and a dash of traditional advertising. 

The trouble with that approach is that it can be unpredictable. Leads and sales can ebb and flow from one quarter to the next. While building out your SEO and social channels isn’t foolproof, some simple measures can help your brand tap into a broader audience, attract more leads, and establish your HVAC authority.

Even if your company isn’t focused on growth, SEO and social media can help stabilize the feast-and-famine cycle many HVAC dealers and contractors go through.

Leveraging local SEO 

Twenty years ago, it was enough to be in the Yellow Pages. That’s because when someone needed a new furnace or air conditioner, that was where they went to look for help first. Those days are long gone. Now, consumers use Google to find help, usually searching for something like “furnace installation in Vancouver” or “HVAC repair companies in Calgary.” 

This is called local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)—increasing your odds of appearing in relevant search results for people searching for your HVAC services in your area. Here are a few tips to start boosting your local SEO game. 

1. Create a Google Business Profile 

Google Business Profiles are free to create, and once you’ve set yours up, your company will stand out more in search results and on Google Maps. Through your business profile, you can get extra info on how you show up in search results, such as your hours of operation, location, website links, photos and more. 

2. Make sure your website is mobile-optimized

Roughly 60% of global website traffic now comes from smartphones. Despite this, many websites are still best viewed on a desktop computer. When you view a site like this on a mobile device, it’s more than just a bad user experience; it can hurt the site’s SEO ranking as Google rewards mobile-optimized websites. 

Building a mobile-optimized site requires some technical know-how or partnership with a web developer, but Moz has a handy checklist to get you up to speed on the basics. 

3. Target local keywords 

Keyword targeting can get incredibly complicated and tactical. At a basic level, though, you can ensure your website contains a handful of relevant keywords and phrases. 

Focus on combining your services with your local or area of service, and include these keywords in page titles and headers. For example: 

• furnace repairs in Red Deer, Alberta 
• heat pump installation in Thunder Bay, Ontario 
• air conditioning companies in Brandon, Manitoba 

Leveraging social media 

Social media is an essential tool for all businesses today. It may not always be easy to draw a straight line between your social media efforts and bringing new customers in the door, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an impact. 

Regularly updated social media profiles not only help boost the SEO of your website they also give prospective customers a window into your company. 

Here are a few tips to focus your social media efforts. 

1. Keep it simple: Focus on Facebook and Instagram 

There are a lot of social media platforms vying for people’s attention these days, but Facebook and Instagram are still at the top of the pile for the sheer number of active users they have. Additionally, they also offer brands robust ways to reach more people through paid advertising and boosted content. 

2. Be personal and transparent 

As an HVAC company, your social channels are a great place to showcase projects, share promos, and market your services. But if that’s all you’re doing, you won’t attract much of an audience or generate much engagement. Instead, don’t be afraid to show the human side of your business. Respond to all reviews and feedback—good and bad—with professionalism and humility. 

3. Use resources from manufacturers and suppliers 

If you’re a smaller company without a marketing team, you might want to take advantage of manufacturer programs that offer a range of business development perks. For example, the ECCO Residential Dealer Program offers members marketing support that can be used to grow their social media channels. 

Building your digital presence 

SEO and social media marketing each have their distinct advantages that are beneficial for HVAC pros. Combined, they create the foundation of an essential digital strategy that can help HVAC businesses reach the right local customers. 

What’s more, efforts in one typically magnify results in the other. For instance, a landing page shared on social can improve your web traffic, which can, in turn, incrementally improve SEO and result in more organic traffic finding your social media content.