Why Marketing For HVAC Companies Matters

It’s easy to say that there’s a need for marketing for HVAC companies, but many owners underestimate just how critical it is for growth and survival. After all, everyone (businesses, homeowners, industries, etc.) needs to have some sort of climate control to preserve the goods and people inside their structures. So, with so many potential clients, owners often feel like they need to create a business, and the clients will start flowing in.​

With that mindset, HVAC websites will be built and left to age, social media pages will have a bunch of initial posts but then fade away, and their information isn’t showing up on search engines like Google unless people search their exact company name. But, if there is a backlog of clients now, does all that stuff matter? The short answer: yes!

Running an HVAC business, just like any local service company, requires the ability to obtain new clients to keep the vans out, the parts flowing, and the money coming in. All too often, HVAC owners will land a few large clients, get a couple of service calls here and there, and think that they’re set. However, what happens when that big client moves their operations out of town? What happens when an ambitious new tech builds a company and snatches your clients?

We’ll take a look at the many factors of marketing for HVAC companies, why it’s important, and what steps to take to ensure the plan in place is the right one.

To understand the potential for new clients, we need to take a bird’s-eye view of the HVAC industry. To start, when businesses or homeowners need help with HVAC, they most often turn to search engines like Google. Here are just a few lists and charts from Google’s Keyword Planner and Trends:

When looking at over 950 search terms that have to do with HVAC (ex. HVAC, ac repair near me, furnace repair, etc.), the total number of searches on Google and its search partners in the United States has shown the following increases:

Year	# Increase In Searches	% Increase YoY
2023 vs 2022	1,568,930	1.97%
2024 vs 2023	30,524,940	37.64%
2025 vs 2024 (Jan-Jul)	31,227,090	50.23%

The chart indicates that searches for HVAC terms are already up in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the entire previous year.

Now, admittedly, people search for different services or search terms throughout the year. The number of searches for air conditioners is going to be a lot higher in the summer months than it would be in December for the United States as a whole. So, to dive into the data even further, below is a chart looking at year-over-year changes by month. For example, where it says “August 2022” below, the percent refers to how many searches for HVAC terms occurred in August of 2022 vs August of 2021:

So, with the exception of five months in the last three years, HVAC searches have increased year over year.

With all the searches going on, that means that there are a lot of new clients to go around, right? Well, that would be true if only a few businesses were vying for the same clients. However, that is simply not the case. To understand just how much competition there is, let’s look at what IBIS World reports:

• It’s estimated that there are 114,555 HVAC contractors in the United States in 2024
• 2024 saw a 3% increase in HVAC contractors from 2023.

Because of the many different businesses and other facilities there are in the country, we’re going to focus just on residential information right now. According to the US Census, there are approximately 132,216 households as of 2024. Now, if all the HVAC contractors were spread out evenly just to cover US households, that means there’s 1 HVAC contractor for every 1.15 households, or 1:1.15.

Even on the residential side alone, competition is fierce, and not every home or business needs yearly service. Being top-of-mind when the need arises is crucial.

Being a business owner is hard. We know this all too well. However, a common fallacy of a blue-collar or service industry business owner is believing that they can do marketing on their own. With that mindset, the following typically happens:

Because word-of-mouth is the cheapest and easiest way to get clients, a lot of HVAC companies will claim that they have all the clients they can currently handle. They’ve been doing it this way for years and don’t see it slowing down. In fact, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America called and wrote an entire article about how relying on referrals is “the Kiss of Death” because:

• Referrals are not precise.
• Referrals are inconsistent
• You can’t increase how many referrals you get

Unless HVAC owners consistently ask for referrals—and specify the job types they want—the lead funnel will run dry as people age, forget, or move.

Websites are the online storefronts of any business. If a website isn’t available, the chances of an HVAC business being found with the correct information on Google are reduced. Armed with information about businesses in multiple locations, we sought to find a website or a reputable source of information for over 250 HVAC companies. Here is what we saw (we only included businesses where we could find a valid phone number):

• 11.6% of HVAC companies only had a Facebook page
• 14.8% didn’t have a website or Facebook page at all

Out of those 250 pages, we analyzed just over 100 websites, and this is what we found:

• 35.8% of websites had pages or fewer
• 30.2% of websites had 11-49 pages
• 34% of websites had 50 pages or more

According to the math, only 73.6% of HVAC businesses had a website, and of those, only 64.2% had more than 10 pages on their site. If the sample size holds for all 250 businesses, that means only about 47% of HVAC businesses have a website with at least 10 pages of information. That’s a problem.

For SEO (search engine optimization), AEO (answer engine optimization), and GEO (generative search optimization), recent content is king. Without professional content on websites, HVAC businesses aren’t being seen.

Social media is one of the most effective channels in marketing for HVAC companies. True there are pros and cons of social media for businesses, It is still a way to connect with clients, receive feedback, post updates, and the platforms are free. Just some of the most popular platforms available online include:

• Facebook
• X (Formerly Twitter)
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• YouTube
• SnapChat

Even though there are many options for HVAC companies to explore, the vast majority of owners don’t take the time to consistently update their socials. At first, many will post pictures of themselves, their truck with the company logo on it, and perhaps a couple of jobs. However, posts need to be consistent, intentional, and somewhat edited to convey professionalism and catch the attention of their followers.

Recently, Google has taken an increased interest in reviews as indicators of a good business to help rank on its search results. AEO & GEO experts also see that positive reviews help in appearing in the results in AI searches for HVAC businesses. From the 250+ businesses above, we analyzed a small group (20) to see what is going on with social media, and this is what we found:

• Just under half (45%) didn’t respond to any of their reviews
• The fewer reviews a business has, the more likely the company is to respond to reviews, whether positive or negative
• The more negative reviews an HVAC business receives, the less likely they are to respond to any reviews.
• Very few claimed other business profiles, like Yelp or BBB

Not responding shows a lack of engagement, and the result is less trust from search engines, people, and AI.

Out of all business profiles available online, perhaps the most important is the Google Business Profile. Given that Google is the biggest indexer of information in the world and is used by most people, it’s a natural place to ensure an HVAC company’s information is updated. At a minimum, a GBP should have:

1. Business Name
2. Address (or service area)
3. Phone Number
4. Operating Hours
5. Website
6. Business Description
7. Photos

We analyzed 150 HVAC businesses, and this is what we found:

• 29 businesses didn’t have a business profile (19.33%)
• 75 HVAC companies hadn’t claimed their Google Business Profile (50%)

So, 69.33% of the businesses we surveyed didn’t have full control of their Google Business Profile.

For HVAC owners, stiff competition and common missteps can quickly snowball into bigger problems: no clients, shrinking revenue, and ultimately, a business that doesn’t survive.

Why do 70% of HVAC businesses fail? Let’s review:

1. 50% more searches in 2025 than in 2024.
2. 114,555 HVAC businesses in the US.
3. Only 47% have a website with at least 10 pages.
4. 45% of businesses fail to respond to online reviews.
5. 69.33% lack full control of their Google Business Profile.

Simply put, not marketing is like leaving your HVAC truck parked in the garage. Customers can’t call a business they’ve never seen.

Now, based on the information presented, it’s easy to think that a large increase in searches and so many HVAC businesses failing every year that don’t have a digital presence means that the established companies are safe. However, that can’t be further from the truth. In marketing, there’s the rule of seven, which means people need to see a brand’s marketing message at least seven times before they can make a purchasing decision.

So, where could your potential HVAC customers see your information seven times? It’s not like they’re constantly searching over and over again, day after day, for an HVAC technician. There are many marketing opportunities, including:

1. Ranking high on Google searches
2. Coming up as a mention in a response on an AI platform
3. An ad on Google’s search partners
4. A social media post on Facebook
5. An email about specials to get ready for the upcoming season
6. Someone sharing a blog about the importance of regular HVAC unit inspections
7. YouTube video of an HVAC technician showing people how to change an air filter

Suppose, for now, you are too busy to worry about marketing. However, sooner or later, you’ll have more time when new customers stop calling. Why do new customers stop calling? Current customers find a different HVAC service, people searching online don’t see your information, or people stop recommending your business. While referrals and repeat customers are valuable, they’re not enough to compete in an industry where 50 million more searches are done in just about half a year.

If you need help with marketing, the experts at Burning Ox Marketing are ready to assist. With experience supporting over 100 businesses across many different countries, they know how to help companies thrive, especially blue-collar businesses. If you’re ready for strong, bright marketing, contact us.