How familiar does this sound?
While managing your HVAC business, you have dedicated both time and money towards your local search engine optimization strategy. Occasionally, you may feel that your efforts are effective, but there are also times when you sense that something is amiss without knowing the solution to rectify the issue.
Alternatively, you might have come to the conclusion that you are too occupied with maintaining your customers’ HVAC units. Consequently, you have enlisted the services of a proficient SEO company to enhance your online presence. However, you might still be encountering inconsistent outcomes; thus, it is plausible that you have contemplated these two inquiries:
- What is that agency doing for me? Really?
- What value, exactly, am I getting for my retainer? Really?
We have designed this guide to assist you in understanding the key components of a successful local SEO campaign aimed at generating genuine traffic and generating leads for your HVAC company.
If there are a few unfamiliar techniques in this guide, it may be necessary to engage the services of a professional local SEO agency. In case you already have one, it might be necessary to terminate their services and instead hire an agency that can deliver the desired outcomes for expanding your business.
Google My Business (GMB)
In order to establish a sturdy base for your local search campaign, it is necessary to have a comprehensive and precise GMB listing alongside your website. This is not an option between the two (website or GMB), as the GMB details will be visible in Google searches and maps. In essence, the process involves the following steps:
- Creating or claiming your GMB listing
- Verifying the listing.
- Optimizing it.
To meet the basic requirements, it is essential to verify the accuracy of your name, address, and phone number (NAP). Additionally, provide supplementary details to facilitate customers in using your HVAC company, which includes specifying the accepted forms of payment, operating hours, and contact options for emergency services.
When selecting your business category, it is necessary to choose a primary category and have the option to include up to 5 secondary categories. It is important to prioritize the most relevant category as your primary one. For HVAC companies, it is highly likely that the ideal choice would be an HVAC Contractor.
Online Directory Citations
There are two important reasons for being included in online directories. Firstly, individuals seeking HVAC services often prefer to find a local company and may consult directories for this purpose. Secondly, having reputable references improves local SEO rankings and enhances overall online presence.
To ensure effective HVAC SEO campaigns, it is crucial to consistently add business listings to reputable online directories. It is important to emphasize the gradual process, as an excessive number of listings appearing simultaneously could negatively impact your rankings.
To discover additional opportunities, give some thought to these inquiries: Which professional organizations are you a part of? Is it possible for you to have a listing on their websites?
Ensure that you conduct a Google search to determine which directories and websites presently include a listing of your company. Then, double-check their accuracy, particularly in terms of NAP consistency.
If you come across any mistakes, reach out to the directories and request them to correct the listings. It is incredibly important for SEO as Google cross-checks the NAP details and compares them with your GMB listing. Inconsistencies could lead Google to modify your GMB NAP, and this lack of consistency might result in a loss of trust with Google. Consequently, your online presence may be diminished.
Keyword Research
Reviewing your keyword research and updating your strategy is always beneficial, especially considering that keyword reviews are conducted annually by certain companies. The frequency of your review depends on the effectiveness of the current keywords for your business and their evolution in line with the HVAC industry.
What questions should you be asking yourself?
- When is the last time you refreshed your keyword strategy as part of your local SEO campaign?
- Are you certain that you’re using the best, most relevant keywords on your site?
- Is the traffic still good on your chosen keywords?
- Has the amount of competition changed since you initially conduct your keyword research?
When conducting keyword research, it is advisable to utilize professional tools, some of which provide free trial periods to help you determine the most suitable option prior to subscribing. There are several choices available.
- Ahrefs
- Google Keyword Planner
- KWFinder
- SEMrush
- SpyFu
- Wordtracker
You also have the option to delegate your keyword research to a professional HVAC digital marketing agency.
Keywords are included as part of your strategy.
- are geo-targeted
- have commercial or transactional intent
- have educational intent
- have research intent
Technical SEO Analysis
In this article, our main emphasis will be on three fundamental components of technical SEO.
- site organization and navigation
- internal linking
- page speed
Ensuring your website is user-friendly and allows easy navigation to access HVAC services is of utmost importance. Additionally, as an effective SEO tactic that is unfortunately underutilized by many businesses, place your services listing on the leftmost side of the navigation bar, while organizing individual services in a sub-navigation menu.
How does this strategy work? By positioning the services on the left side, you will effectively signal authority to Google, benefiting your local SEO efforts and ultimately boosting your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
SEO Keyword List
Our services revolve around buyer intent keywords, which are terms that have a higher likelihood of resulting in sales conversions. Unlike other marketing services that require clients to “pick keywords,” we take a different approach. Why? Because this method is ineffective. To achieve a high ranking on Google, it is insufficient to simply choose keywords. Instead, you need to create a comprehensive website with multiple pages that effectively market all of your services. For instance, your homepage could focus on a local keyword such as HVAC contractor in (City), while your AC repair page could target AC repair in (City). We do not limit your website to a specific number of keywords. Our focus is on utilizing every possible opportunity that will benefit your business.
HVAC companies have failed to adapt to Google’s changing standards, resulting in missed opportunities for generating leads, as Google now prioritizes informative and educational content over content solely aimed at improving search rankings.
SEO for HVAC Contractors
The first step in developing your search engine optimization strategy is to plan it. To effectively optimize SEO for HVAC contractors, it is crucial to begin with keyword research and URL mapping. Initially, HVAC Webmasters identifies target keywords and organizes them into distinct categories. Subsequently, each category is mapped to a distinct URL. Our research team then conducts in-depth analysis using keyword tools such as MOZ, SEMRush, and UberSuggest to assess the volume and competition associated with each keyword.
Conducting research is crucial in identifying the appropriate keywords for your HVAC company’s online targeting. While search volume provides an estimate of monthly clicks for a keyword, it can be deceiving if not considered in context. It is essential for your HVAC website to align with the intentions of your target audience. For instance, HVAC contractors in Dallas, TX, should focus on attracting individuals within the DFW Metroplex, making a keyword like Dallas AC Repair highly valuable in this scenario. Conversely, the keyphrase DIY AC Repair is irrelevant. These subtleties play a vital role in achieving a successful HVAC SEO campaign.
- Industry Keywords The heating and cooling industry has thousands of keyword opportunities. There are so many specific HVAC services and an endless pool of consumers looking to find them. As you might imagine, keyword volume can fluctuate based on the season. The term “ac repair” is more popular in summer, while “heating repair” gets more traction during winter. Keyword research tools have become comprehensive in recent years and provide metrics like difficulty, competition, and local demand to help craft your ideal HVAC SEO strategy.
- Local Keywords As a local contractor, your website and Google Business Profile should target local terms. Most of your customers search Google through their mobile device, and their current location determines the Maps results. As a result, you should include local terms within your target keyword. When combining local keywords with industry keywords, you’re creating long-tail keywords. These typically have less volume than national terms but also meet user intent more specifically.
- Secondary Keywords Building topical authority within a larger category can be helpful to the overall health of a website. If you offer specific HVAC services like coolant and leak repair, the volume will be lower, but the opportunity is higher. Furthermore, you can build topical relevance by creating pages about related topics. For instance, electric furnace repair is a subcategory of heating, and Google can crawl both pages and associate them one with another.
- URL Hierarchy / Structure Parent pages exist on the top level of a domain. For example, yourwebsite.com/services would be a parent page. Child pages are on a lower domain level (which can drill down several levels). An example of a child page would be yourwebsite.com/services/ac-repair. A clear and logical URL structure is part of the SEO strategy and is based on keyword research and relevance.
- Website Images Publishing high-quality photos on your company website helps SEO. Pictures of your employees, facilities, and equipment, have the most impact. These images are easier than ever to create, with most smartphones now having cameras and the ability to send pictures to others. Most small businesses incorporate images with their social media pages, which should also extend to your website. Images should be pre-approved as part of your Local SEO strategy.
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