Every HVAC contractor has to decide on their business model at some point. For example, do you want to be a tech or a boss? An HVAC technician is an honest way to make a living but being a boss affords you more lifetime earnings, a better lifestyle, and long-term financial security, with the right blueprint. In today’s HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast episode, Nolen and Jason discuss HVAC business Model 101: Be a Tech or Be a Boss. Choosing Your HVAC Business Model Living gig to gig adds stress to your business and prevents you from generating sustainable revenue. While you can still get by as an HVAC technician, your business value fails to increase over time. The intelligent choice is to build your HVAC business into a credible and prosperous brand. Job to Job Model The job-to-job model keeps your company in the gig economy, restricting sustainable income. OF course, you can still make a living with this model, but is it good? When competitors generate more consistent leads from their website, they will lower their cost per acquisition while you pay a premium to buy leads from 3rd parties. Boss Model The boss business model involves creating an HVAC company brand that generates leads from your branded online entities. For example, getting leads from your website with SEO will lower your cost per lead. Similarly, acquiring leads from your Google Business Profile will keep customers coming back next time they need an HVAC repair. How To Create an HVAC Company Brand If you choose boss mode as your HVAC business model, you have to create a brand. But how can an HVAC contractor create a brand in 2022? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Common misconceptions about brand building are that you need dozens of employees, trucks, and locations. You can have one or two additional employees and still create a brand. Why? Because branding is really about marketing and presentation. If you establish your presence on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, people will engage. You’ll no longer need to buy HVAC leads from 3rd party companies with a more prominent brand than you. Digital Marketing The first step is investing in HVAC marketing for your business. You want to appear at the top of local search results for HVAC-related queries. You’ll notice that companies like Yelp and HomeAdvisor usually rank #1 for these kinds of keywords. So you have to outrank them with your website. Reputation Management Even if you rank #1 on Google, people will still vet your company. Before contacting your business, they will look for reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Better Business Bureau. With this in mind, it’s critical to accumulate as many reviews as possible and respond to testimonials. It also helps to showcase your reviews on your website with API plugins. Personalization Nameless, faceless companies fail to establish memorable brands. For your HVAC company to enjoy success, you must personalize your marketing campaign. For example, post images of yourself, your team, and your trucks on your website homepage and Google Business Profile. Consumers will engage with brands they can match with a name and face. Help With Your HVAC Business Model If you need help with your HVAC business model in 2022, reach out to HVAC Webmasters. You can also consume our free podcasts from the HVAC Marketing Plan. Aside from our podcasts, YouTube videos, and free resources, we also provide valuable information in our website blog posts. You can learn a great deal about HVAC marketing on our platforms. The post HVAC Business Model 101: Be a Tech or Be a Boss (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Every HVAC contractor has to decide on their business model at some point. For example, do you want to be a tech or a boss? An HVAC technician is an honest way to make a living but being a boss affords you more lifetime earnings, a better lifestyle, and long-term financial security, with the right blueprint. In today’s HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast episode, Nolen and Jason discuss HVAC business Model 101: Be a Tech or Be a Boss. <h2>Choosing Your HVAC Business Model</h2> Living gig to gig adds stress to your business and prevents you from generating sustainable revenue. While you can still get by as an HVAC technician, your business value fails to increase over time. The intelligent choice is to build your HVAC business into a credible and prosperous brand. <h3>Job to Job Model</h3> The job-to-job model keeps your company in the gig economy, restricting sustainable income. OF course, you can still make a living with this model, but is it good? When competitors generate more consistent leads from their website, they will lower their cost per acquisition while you pay a premium to buy leads from 3rd parties. <h3>Boss Model</h3> The boss business model involves creating an <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-branding/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC company brand</a> that generates leads from your branded online entities. For example, getting leads from your website with SEO will lower your cost per lead. Similarly, acquiring leads from your Google Business Profile will keep customers coming back next time they need an HVAC repair. <h2>How To Create an HVAC Company Brand</h2> If you choose boss mode as your HVAC business model, you have to create a brand. But how can an HVAC contractor create a brand in 2022? It’s not as difficult as you might think. Common misconceptions about brand building are that you need dozens of employees, trucks, and locations. You can have one or two additional employees and still create a brand. Why? Because branding is really about marketing and presentation. If you establish your presence on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, people will engage. You’ll no longer need to buy HVAC leads from 3rd party companies with a more prominent brand than you. <h3>Digital Marketing</h3> The first step is investing in HVAC marketing for your business. You want to appear at the top of local search results for HVAC-related queries. You’ll notice that companies like Yelp and HomeAdvisor usually rank #1 for these kinds of keywords. So you have to outrank them with your website. <h3>Reputation Management</h3> Even if you rank #1 on Google, people will still vet your company. Before contacting your business, they will look for reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Better Business Bureau. With this in mind, it’s critical to accumulate as many reviews as possible and respond to testimonials. It also helps to showcase your reviews on your website with API plugins. <h3>Personalization</h3> Nameless, faceless companies fail to establish memorable brands. For your HVAC company to enjoy success, you must personalize your marketing campaign. For example, post images of yourself, your team, and your trucks on your website homepage and Google Business Profile. Consumers will engage with brands they can match with a name and face. <h2>Help With Your HVAC Business Model</h2> If you need help with your HVAC business model in 2022, reach out to HVAC Webmasters. You can also consume our free podcasts from the HVAC Marketing Plan. Aside from our <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hvac-marketing-plan/id1437828757" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIrAXntyfcDKLdO-M9Kx88A" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube videos</a>, and <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/resources/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">free resources</a>, we also provide valuable information in our <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/blog/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">website blog posts</a>. You can learn a great deal about HVAC marketing on our platforms. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/business-model-101-podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Business Model 101: Be a Tech or Be a Boss (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

HVAC Business Model 101: Be a Tech or Be a Boss (Podcast)

HVAC companies often read about experts who suggest what they should do to improve their online marketing. But how often do contractors hear about things they shouldn’t do? HVAC Webmasters discusses marketing tactics that hurt your company in today’s podcast episode. 1) GMB-Only Marketing Puzzle piece marketing is a bad idea regardless of which element on which it focuses. Unfortunately, in 2022, the most common misstep is only focusing on Google My Business. An online presence is like a puzzle, and your GMB listing is only one piece. It’s impossible to compete with companies that cover all their bases while only incorporating one marketing aspect. We understand your logic, though. Investing in GMB is generally a good idea. After all, ranking your listing is free and doesn’t require an agency or web designer to get going. However, you’ll quickly learn that only optimizing your GMB listing won’t get you to rank, even locally. The local algorithm is separate from the regular one, but it still looks at your website and web content when ranking your business listing. Companies that publish a website and attach it to their GMB listing will outrank you on Google Maps most of the time. This is because Google Maps pulls content from these websites to inform their relevance and prominence ranking factors. They even use certain web pages to include local justifications, enhancing a Google My Business listing. So the bottom line is simple, only doing GMB won’t get your HVAC company good results in 2022. 2) Blogging Blog posts were once the most popular marketing strategy for many local businesses. However, with more and more blogs getting published each day, search engines have experienced oversaturation in most industries. For example, how many HVAC companies can write 500-word blog posts about the most common air conditioning problems? As a result, Google’s new trend is to ignore these low-quality posts and focus on content users want. It’s not to say that Google won’t rank blog posts — they will as long as you are willing to write long-form posts that use statistical information and provide expert opinions from qualified sources. However, the truth is that most HVAC companies hire a content writer to regurgitate existing posts from other platforms. The days of ranking these types of posts on page one are gone, and the contractors must decide. Either dedicate your time to writing extremely in-depth posts or stop blogging altogether. If you choose to give up blogging for good, there are ways to produce other types of high-quality content. For example, you can create dynamic service pages that update with new content each time you perform a job in the field. A software solution like DataPins will automate such updates and insert schema markups on each of your service pages. When customers leave reviews for each job, these will show up on the page too. 3) Throwing Money at an Agency (Without Self-Branding) There was a time when throwing all your money at an SEO agency could get you customers without any additional work. Those days are over in 2022. Every high-ranking heating and cooling company expands brand awareness by performing day-to-day promotional tasks, for example, networking with other companies, keeping tabs on your social media accounts, and asking customers for reviews in person. It’s a tough pill to swallow for some contractors who believe marketers should promote your brand without any company input. However, the unfortunate truth is that Google is moving away from such a dynamic. For example, the EAT concept relies on expertise, trust, and authority to distinguish relevant websites from those consumers should NOT trust. You can only establish these qualities by showcasing your actual work and fundamental knowledge of your industry. Unfortunately, most agencies will take your money without asking these types of questions, even though they know it won’t produce results. If you are unwilling to commit to branding your own HVAC company in 2022, there’s no point in investing much money in an agency. Instead, you should probably go for a cheap SEO company that charges a meager monthly fee. Since your results won’t be outstanding, regardless, you can get what you pay for instead of blowing extra funds on false promises. The post HVAC Marketing Strategies That Do NOT Work in 2022 (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

HVAC companies often read about experts who suggest what they should do to improve their online marketing. But how often do contractors hear about things they shouldn’t do? HVAC Webmasters discusses marketing tactics that hurt your company in today’s podcast episode. <h2>1) GMB-Only Marketing</h2> Puzzle piece marketing is a bad idea regardless of which element on which it focuses. Unfortunately, in 2022, the most common misstep is only focusing on Google My Business. An online presence is like a puzzle, and your GMB listing is only one piece. It’s impossible to compete with companies that cover all their bases while only incorporating one marketing aspect. We understand your logic, though. Investing in GMB is generally a good idea. After all, ranking your listing is free and doesn’t require an agency or web designer to get going. However, you’ll quickly learn that only optimizing your GMB listing won’t get you to rank, even locally. The local algorithm is separate from the regular one, but it still looks at your website and web content when ranking your business listing. Companies that publish a website and attach it to their GMB listing will outrank you on Google Maps most of the time. This is because Google Maps pulls content from these websites to inform their relevance and prominence ranking factors. They even use certain web pages to include <a href="https://moz.com/blog/influence-local-justifications" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">local justifications</a>, enhancing a Google My Business listing. So the bottom line is simple, only doing GMB won’t get your HVAC company good results in 2022. <h2>2) Blogging</h2> Blog posts were once the most popular marketing strategy for many local businesses. However, with more and more blogs getting published each day, search engines have experienced oversaturation in most industries. For example, how many HVAC companies can write 500-word blog posts about the most common air conditioning problems? As a result, Google’s new trend is to ignore these low-quality posts and focus on content users want. It’s not to say that Google won’t rank blog posts — they will as long as you are willing to write long-form posts that use statistical information and provide expert opinions from qualified sources. However, the truth is that most HVAC companies hire a content writer to regurgitate existing posts from other platforms. The days of ranking these types of posts on page one are gone, and the contractors must decide. Either dedicate your time to writing extremely in-depth posts or stop blogging altogether. If you choose to give up blogging for good, there are ways to produce other types of high-quality content. For example, you can create dynamic service pages that update with new content each time you perform a job in the field. A software solution like DataPins will automate such updates and insert schema markups on each of your service pages. When customers leave reviews for each job, these will show up on the page too. <h2>3) Throwing Money at an Agency (Without Self-Branding)</h2> There was a time when throwing all your money at an SEO agency could get you customers without any additional work. Those days are over in 2022. Every high-ranking heating and cooling company expands brand awareness by performing day-to-day promotional tasks, for example, networking with other companies, keeping tabs on your social media accounts, and asking customers for reviews in person. It’s a tough pill to swallow for some contractors who believe marketers should promote your brand without any company input. However, the unfortunate truth is that Google is moving away from such a dynamic. For example, the EAT concept relies on expertise, trust, and authority to distinguish relevant websites from those consumers should NOT trust. You can only establish these qualities by showcasing your actual work and fundamental knowledge of your industry. Unfortunately, most agencies will take your money without asking these types of questions, even though they know it won’t produce results. If you are unwilling to commit to branding your own HVAC company in 2022, there’s no point in investing much money in an agency. Instead, you should probably go for a cheap SEO company that charges a meager monthly fee. Since your results won’t be outstanding, regardless, you can get what you pay for instead of blowing extra funds on false promises. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/marketing-stategies-that-dont-work/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Marketing Strategies That Do NOT Work in 2022 (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

HVAC Marketing Strategies That Do NOT Work in 2022 (Podcast)

Getting hosed by HVAC marketing agencies has become commonplace in 2020. There are so many scam artists in the digital marketing industry who promise things like getting into the Local Map 3-Pack. Unfortunately, promises in SEO are often intentional lies from the marketer to the consumer (the HVAC contractor, in this case). Having spoken with thousands of HVAC companies about their marketing experiences, many of them want to understand one simple thing: how to NOT get screwed by marketing agencies. The HVAC Marketing Plan podcast has decided to tackle this subject in today’s episode, and we hope you learn from it and apply it next time. Don’t Let Them Ruin Your GMB One tactic used by hack agencies is to ruin your Google My Business listing by attaching a separate website to it. These agencies will promise you a ranking within the Local Map 3-Pack and gain control of your business listing. They distort your online credibility by putting up a new website that is cheaply built and unprofessional. Not only do they not help your GMB rank in the 3-pack, but they hurt your overall web presence. The map rankings are based on relevance, prominence, and proximity, and research shows that stronger websites with good links help the listing rank … not cheap websites. So if any HVAC marketing agency tries this, shut them down ASAP. Don’t Trust Bulk SEO Packages If we’ve learned one thing from our HVAC clients, it’s that bulk SEO packages are not to be trusted. An agency that handles PPC, social media, web design and SEO is going to be horrible at SEO nine times out of ten. There’s a good reason for this too. It’s because most of these agencies put SEO on the back burner. Their real money is made through PPC campaigns which can be easily manipulated. For example, many PPC campaigns encourage HVAC companies to spend money on terms that are irrelevant to their business. As the campaign costs pile up, the quality of your web presence decreases. All of this time ignoring SEO only hurts your brand’s long-term trajectory. So if you want SEO, get it from somewhere like HVAC Webmasters, where we actually care about your livelihood and not just screwing you out of money. Don’t Screw Yourself, Either Because of the frequency in which agencies overcharge consumers, there’s a tendency to go too far in the other direction. An example of this is HVAC companies who want to pay $99 dollars for digital marketing and SEO. That’s far too little to help you rank on any search engine or generate any kind of quality HVAC leads. To be fair to yourself and your commitment to business growth, you need to spend between $600-$1,000 per month. The only thing $99 dollars will get you is a glorified hosting fee which ends up as a waste of time and money. Instead, focus on affordable SEO services that actually produce tangible results. You want leads, you want business. The “Organic SEO” Takes Too Long Myth Another myth in the SEO industry is that organic SEO takes too long. It no longer takes a full year to optimize your website online. In fact, if you do everything right, you can be optimized in less than 6 months, and maybe even within 3 months. People use this antiquated idea to encourage you to drain your bank account on PPC and Facebook ads. While those things can work if they are properly executed, they are nowhere near the ROI of SEO. Of course, it only matters if HVAC companies take SEO seriously by investing in reputation management and making a real effort to get reviews. The other piece of this is branding which is something every HVAC contractor should be taking seriously in 2020 and in the foreseeable future. For more tips about HVAC Marketing check out our other podcast episodes for free.  The post How Not To Get Screwed By HVAC Marketing Agencies appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Getting hosed by HVAC marketing agencies has become commonplace in 2020. There are so many scam artists in the digital marketing industry who promise things like getting into the Local Map 3-Pack. Unfortunately, promises in SEO are often intentional lies from the marketer to the consumer (the HVAC contractor, in this case). Having spoken with thousands of HVAC companies about their marketing experiences, many of them want to understand one simple thing: how to NOT get screwed by marketing agencies. The HVAC Marketing Plan podcast has decided to tackle this subject in today’s episode, and we hope you learn from it and apply it next time. <h2>Don’t Let Them Ruin Your GMB</h2> One tactic used by hack agencies is to ruin your Google My Business listing by attaching a separate website to it. These agencies will promise you a ranking within the Local Map 3-Pack and gain control of your business listing. They distort your online credibility by putting up a new website that is cheaply built and unprofessional. Not only do they not help your GMB rank in the 3-pack, but they hurt your overall web presence. The map rankings are based on relevance, prominence, and proximity, and research shows that stronger websites with good links help the listing rank … not cheap websites. So if any HVAC marketing agency tries this, shut them down ASAP. <h2>Don’t Trust Bulk SEO Packages</h2> If we’ve learned one thing from our HVAC clients, it’s that bulk SEO packages are not to be trusted. An agency that handles PPC, social media, web design and SEO is going to be horrible at SEO nine times out of ten. There’s a good reason for this too. It’s because most of these agencies put SEO on the back burner. Their real money is made through PPC campaigns which can be easily manipulated. For example, many PPC campaigns encourage HVAC companies to spend money on terms that are irrelevant to their business. As the campaign costs pile up, the quality of your web presence decreases. All of this time ignoring SEO only hurts your brand’s long-term trajectory. So if you want SEO, get it from somewhere like <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>, where we actually care about your livelihood and not just screwing you out of money. <h2>Don’t Screw Yourself, Either</h2> Because of the frequency in which agencies overcharge consumers, there’s a tendency to go too far in the other direction. An example of this is HVAC companies who want to pay $99 dollars for digital marketing and SEO. That’s far too little to help you rank on any search engine or generate any kind of <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-leads/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">quality HVAC leads</a>. To be fair to yourself and your commitment to business growth, you need to spend between $600-$1,000 per month. The only thing $99 dollars will get you is a glorified hosting fee which ends up as a waste of time and money. Instead, focus on affordable SEO services that actually produce tangible results. You want leads, you want business. <h3>The “Organic SEO” Takes Too Long Myth</h3> Another myth in the SEO industry is that organic SEO takes too long. It no longer takes a full year to optimize your website online. In fact, if you do everything right, you can be optimized in less than 6 months, and maybe even within 3 months. People use this antiquated idea to encourage you to drain your bank account on PPC and Facebook ads. While those things can work if they are properly executed, they are nowhere near the ROI of SEO. Of course, it only matters if HVAC companies take SEO seriously by investing in reputation management and making a real effort to get reviews. The other piece of this is branding which is something every HVAC contractor should be taking seriously in 2020 and in the foreseeable future. For more tips about HVAC Marketing check out our<a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/category/podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> other podcast episodes</a> for free. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/how-not-to-get-screwed-by-marketing-agencies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Not To Get Screwed By HVAC Marketing Agencies</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

How Not To Get Screwed By HVAC Marketing Agencies

As an HVAC contractor, you probably depend a lot on word of mouth referrals and recommendations. But in a time when social distancing is a must and people are struggling to communicate, this can be a challenge for your business. Nonetheless, the current pandemic is an excellent opportunity to show your customers that your business is of value. One of the most effective ways to do that is to maintain a high level of customer service in these trying times. If you are able to give your customers great service and friendly interactions at this time, your business will reap the benefits both now and in the future. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot so to speak because many businesses aren’t focusing on customer service right now. Owners have their minds on other things. But if you can be the HVAC contractor that didn’t forget about delivering an awesome customer experience during COVID-19, you will have won a loyal customer. In today’s post, we will be talking about the importance of customer service during this time as well as giving you some customer service tips that apply specifically to the current crisis. Still, it is important to realize that all the following tips revolve around thinking about the customer. And thinking about your customer is a practice that will serve you well no matter what is happening in the world.  If at any time you would like to speak to an HVAC marketing expert, please feel free to contact us here at HVAC Webmasters. But for now, let’s discuss some customer service tips to remember. Communicate Clearly Communication is at a premium now that social distancing and quarantines are the norms. It is important that you let your customers know that you can still service all their HVAC needs, first and foremost. Secondly, it is crucial that you communicate with your clients how you intend to keep them safe even as you are in their homes or businesses working on their HVAC systems. You can accomplish both these feats simply by updating your social media pages and website. Outline the preventative measures you are taking against the spread of COVID-19.  You can also send an email newsletter to your clients, reminding them that you are still available to service them and that you will observe the recommended 6-foot distancing suggestion, wear protective face and hand coverings and limit face-to-face interactions to only what is absolutely necessary. You can also emphasize these points anytime a potential customer calls you and inquires about your services. Understand Your Unique Position As an HVAC contractor, even you may not be aware of the unique position you are in. But the fact is that HVAC services can actually help to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Running a home or commercial HVAC system can actually stymie the spread of the virus within a building.  This is a bit of information that you can leverage to help your customers. Again, you can use email newsletter campaigns or your social media pages to let people know that you can install filters for their heaters and air conditioners to help stop the proliferation of COVID-19. Let them know that they shouldn’t be afraid to run their HVAC systems and that you can help them if their systems have been hindered in any way. The HVAC trade is in a unique position compared to other trades in this sense so let your customers know that you are there for them to provide this essential service. Prioritize Safety Gear The precautions you are taking off the clock (face masks, gloves, etc.) should be the same precautions you take when you are on the job site. This is another important customer service tips to remember. It is important for safety first and foremost, but when your customers see that you actually value their health and safety, that will stand out to them.  Be sure that you and your technicians are equipped with masks and gloves at all times on the job. This is the best way to stay healthy when you have to interact with people and it makes customers feel more secure. And if they feel secure with you, they are more likely ot enlist your services in the future.  Expand Communications A lot of times, estimates are given in person because a customer wants you to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what is going on with their HVAC systems. But in-person interaction isn’t the only way to get on the same page as your customer. Now more than ever, it is important to familiarize yourself with and utilize video chat applications like Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp and others. By opening this channel of communication with your customers, you are telling them that you A) value their health and safety and B) are adapting to the crisis to meet their HVAC needs.  Plus, it is a great way for people to get that face-to-face rapport with you without risking infection of any kind. While it may not be perfect, this form of virtual communication will at least show your customers that you are doing your best to service their HVAC needs during a difficult time. Stay Positive Throughout all this confusion and uncertainty, it is important to stay positive and focused. The last thing a customer wants is a visibly stressed out and pessimistic person to come into their home or business and work on their HVAC system. They will not call you back again if you have a dour attitude. People need to be uplifted right now. They need positivity. So be the HVAC contractor that provides them that. It will help you too. With a bit of persistence and diligence with these and other customer service tips, your business will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. For more information, marketing help, and customer service tips, contact us here at HVAC Webmasters. Listen To The Audio Podcast Below The post Delivering Excellent Customer Service for HVAC During COVID-19 appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

As an HVAC contractor, you probably depend a lot on word of mouth referrals and recommendations. But in a time when social distancing is a must and people are struggling to communicate, this can be a challenge for your business. Nonetheless, the current pandemic is an excellent opportunity to show your customers that your business is of value. One of the most effective ways to do that is to maintain a high level of customer service in these trying times. If you are able to give your customers great service and friendly interactions at this time, your business will reap the benefits both now and in the future. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot so to speak because many businesses aren’t focusing on customer service right now. Owners have their minds on other things. But if you can be the HVAC contractor that didn’t forget about delivering an awesome customer experience during <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/how-hvac-pros-respond-to-covid-19/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>, you will have won a loyal customer. In today’s post, we will be talking about the importance of customer service during this time as well as giving you some customer service tips that apply specifically to the current crisis. Still, it is important to realize that all the following tips revolve around thinking about the customer. And thinking about your customer is a practice that will serve you well no matter what is happening in the world.  If at any time you would like to speak to an HVAC marketing expert, please feel free to contact us here at <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>. But for now, let’s discuss some customer service tips to remember. <h2>Communicate Clearly</h2> Communication is at a premium now that social distancing and quarantines are the norms. It is important that you let your customers know that you can still service all their HVAC needs, first and foremost. Secondly, it is crucial that you communicate with your clients how you intend to keep them safe even as you are in their homes or businesses working on their HVAC systems. You can accomplish both these feats simply by updating your social media pages and website. Outline the preventative measures you are taking against the spread of COVID-19.  You can also send an email newsletter to your clients, reminding them that you are still available to service them and that you will observe the recommended 6-foot distancing suggestion, wear protective face and hand coverings and limit face-to-face interactions to only what is absolutely necessary. You can also emphasize these points anytime a potential customer calls you and inquires about your services. <h2>Understand Your Unique Position</h2> As an HVAC contractor, even you may not be aware of the unique position you are in. But the fact is that HVAC services can actually <a href="https://chainstoreage.com/ashrae-keeping-air-conditioners-can-help-control-spread-covid-19" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">help to prevent</a> the spread of COVID-19. Running a home or commercial HVAC system can actually stymie the spread of the virus within a building.  This is a bit of information that you can leverage to help your customers. Again, you can use email newsletter campaigns or your social media pages to let people know that you can install filters for their heaters and air conditioners to help stop the proliferation of COVID-19. Let them know that they shouldn’t be afraid to run their HVAC systems and that you can help them if their systems have been hindered in any way. The HVAC trade is in a unique position compared to other trades in this sense so let your customers know that you are there for them to provide this essential service. <h2>Prioritize Safety Gear</h2> The precautions you are taking off the clock (face masks, gloves, etc.) should be the same precautions you take when you are on the job site. This is another important customer service tips to remember. It is important for safety first and foremost, but when your customers see that you actually value their health and safety, that will stand out to them.  Be sure that you and your technicians are equipped with masks and gloves at all times on the job. This is the best way to stay healthy when you have to interact with people and it makes customers feel more secure. And if they feel secure with you, they are more likely ot enlist your services in the future.  <h2>Expand Communications</h2> A lot of times, estimates are given in person because a customer wants you to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears what is going on with their HVAC systems. But in-person interaction isn’t the only way to get on the same page as your customer. Now more than ever, it is important to familiarize yourself with and utilize video chat applications like Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp and others. By opening this channel of communication with your customers, you are telling them that you A) value their health and safety and B) are adapting to the crisis to meet their HVAC needs.  Plus, it is a great way for people to get that face-to-face rapport with you without risking infection of any kind. While it may not be perfect, this form of virtual communication will at least show your customers that you are doing your best to service their HVAC needs during a difficult time. <h2>Stay Positive</h2> Throughout all this confusion and uncertainty, it is important to stay positive and focused. The last thing a customer wants is a visibly stressed out and pessimistic person to come into their home or business and work on their HVAC system. They will not call you back again if you have a dour attitude. People need to be uplifted right now. They need positivity. So be the HVAC contractor that provides them that. It will help you too. With a bit of persistence and diligence with these and other customer service tips, your business will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. For more information, marketing help, and customer service tips, contact us here at HVAC Webmasters. <h3>Listen To The Audio Podcast Below </h3> The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-customer-service-during-covid-19/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Delivering Excellent Customer Service for HVAC During COVID-19</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Delivering Excellent Customer Service for HVAC During COVID-19

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to start your own business in the heating and cooling industry. Congratulations! While there are miles ahead between you and a medium-sized company, good business sense will carry you through to the end. In our latest podcast, Nolen and Jason explain how frugal spending, do-it-yourself willpower, and cautious investments will make it so much easier to successfully launch your startup.  Table of Contents  How to Make a Clean StartTip #1: Stay FrugalEquipmentHiringDIYTip #2: Zealously Guard Customer CareTip #3: Invest in Support Services Key Takeaways for HVAC Professionals Don’t invest in extra tools before you’ve developed a client base!Keep your recurring expenses as low as possible in the beginning.As much as possible, do the call handling and scheduling yourself.Zealously protect your customer calls.Don’t skimp on essentials: tax work, insurance, legal, and marketing. How to Make a Clean Start We’re all about common sense at HVAC Webmasters. Yet over the years, we’ve seen so many heating and cooling startups enthusiastically speed out of the gate without an ounce of it. The signs are obvious:  Buying tools, trucks, and toys before securing steady leadsOverinvesting in staff without the necessary revenueHanding over customer calls to an untrained, rude family memberDenying the need for proper tax work, insurance, and marketing That last point is especially difficult to see, because we know just how much heartache and frustration HVAC techs endure because they didn’t bother to invest in support services. Frankly, we’re tired of seeing it happen. That’s why we want to provide a simple guide for getting started in your new HVAC business! Tip #1: Stay Frugal So many heating and cooling services end before they even begin. What’s the number one reason? Finances. Just as poor financial compatibility dooms a large percentage of marriages across the United States, dumb spending practices kills thousands of startups every year.  There are several areas HVAC startups struggle in, but let’s take a look at the top 3 ways you can give your finances a fighting chance! Equipment EARN BEFORE YOU BUY Unmerited optimism can sink a business faster than you can say “Where did our money go?” Many HVAC companies assume that homeowners will line up to use their services as soon as they incorporate, but that doesn’t happen. While it may feel tempting to buy extra tools at the start of your business, perform the following test first.  Ask yourself, “Can I continue working without these tools this month?” Unless you absolutely cannot do your job without that fancy tool, hold off on buying it. That goes for that fancy new truck or service van too! Homeowners don’t care about your choice of vehicle (in most cases). As long as you dress neatly and keep your vehicle clean, clients will respect your skills enough to hire you in the future.  Hiring HIRE OUT OF NECESSITY While it may be tempting to rent out an office space and feel it with spunky staff members, odds are your startup can function just fine without them. That may require you to occasionally pause during a service visit to take a call, but you’ll save tens of thousands of dollars by scheduling visits yourself.  When you hire someone, hire out of necessity. When you start getting more service requests than you can fulfill by yourself, hire another tech. When you’re too busy to provide quality phone service, hire a customer service professional and train them. As long as you can continue your current level of customer service, skip the new hires.  DIY D.I.Y. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE Do it yourself. That’s a phrase that excites just as much as it irritates. It’s also a practice that will easily save you thousands of dollars every month during your startup period. For one, it limits the number of people you have to hire to manage “the office” and scheduling. It also allows you to directly control the quality of your service. What activities qualify for DIY? Service schedulingPayroll and PTOInventory managementCalendar managementService visits Tip #2: Zealously Guard Customer Care When literally dozens of companies provide the exact same services you do, what sets your business apart from the rest? Customer care. As long as you continue to provide courteous and convenient service, your clients will return again and again over the years. If your clients encounter a rude technician or staff member however, they’ll bounce faster than a toddler on a trampoline! That’s why you need to do all you can to protect your customer experience.  We’ve witnessed to many businesses bleed sales because they didn’t realize a staff member’s rude behavior was chasing away clients.  From informational calls to final service visit, every aspect of your service should be imbued with friendliness and patience. Never Skimp Out on Tax Support, Including Payroll!Tip #3: Invest in Support Services When you first purchased your company phone, did customers automatically start calling your business? Of course not! You had to advertise your number and services first before people called. In the same way, you’ll have to invest in quality marketing service before HVAC leads start flowing into your business.  There are several services you can’t afford to skip out on. These include:  Professional search marketingTax assistanceLegal adviceInsuranceInvoice software Some of these services help produce and regulate the flow of income, while others protect you from company-killing accidents. Skipping out on these services goes beyond tempting fate; it’s just stupid. Countless HVAC companies have been destroyed by tax violations or legal woes, while others never get off the ground without marketing.  Find support services that work just as hard as you do, and you’ll never have to lose a night’s sleep (at least due to tax problems). As far as digital marketing services go, our team at HVAC Webmasters is here for all your marketing needs. We’ve helped hundreds of startups over the years, and we can’t wait to serve you too! Call (800) 353-3409 to learn more.  The post So You’re Starting An HVAC Company | The HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to start your own business in the heating and cooling industry. Congratulations! While there are miles ahead between you and a medium-sized company, good business sense will carry you through to the end. In our latest podcast, Nolen and Jason explain how frugal spending, do-it-yourself willpower, and cautious investments will make it so much easier to successfully launch your startup. Table of Contents <a href="#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <ul><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#How_to_Make_a_Clean_Start" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Make a Clean Start</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#Tip_1_Stay_Frugal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tip #1: Stay Frugal</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#Equipment" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Equipment</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#Hiring" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hiring</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#DIY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DIY</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#Tip_2_Zealously_Guard_Customer_Care" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tip #2: Zealously Guard Customer Care</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/#Tip_3_Invest_in_Support_Services" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tip #3: Invest in Support Services</a></li></ul></li></ul> Key Takeaways for HVAC Professionals <ul><li>Don’t invest in extra tools before you’ve developed a client base!</li><li>Keep your recurring expenses as low as possible in the beginning.</li><li>As much as possible, do the call handling and scheduling yourself.</li><li>Zealously protect your customer calls.</li><li>Don’t skimp on essentials: tax work, insurance, legal, and marketing.</li></ul> <h2>How to Make a Clean Start</h2> We’re all about common sense at HVAC Webmasters. Yet over the years, we’ve seen so many heating and cooling startups enthusiastically speed out of the gate without an ounce of it. The signs are obvious: <ul><li>Buying tools, trucks, and toys before securing steady leads</li><li>Overinvesting in staff without the necessary revenue</li><li>Handing over customer calls to an untrained, rude family member</li><li>Denying the need for proper tax work, insurance, and marketing</li></ul> That last point is especially difficult to see, because we know just how much heartache and frustration HVAC techs endure because they didn’t bother to invest in support services. Frankly, we’re tired of seeing it happen. That’s why we want to provide a simple guide for getting started in your new HVAC business! <h3>Tip #1: Stay Frugal</h3> So many heating and cooling services end before they even begin. What’s the number one reason? Finances. Just as poor financial compatibility dooms a large percentage of marriages across the United States, dumb spending practices kills thousands of startups every year. There are several areas HVAC startups struggle in, but let’s take a look at the top 3 ways you can give your finances a fighting chance! <h2>Equipment</h2> EARN BEFORE YOU BUY Unmerited optimism can sink a business faster than you can say “Where did our money go?” Many HVAC companies assume that homeowners will line up to use their services as soon as they incorporate, but that doesn’t happen. While it may feel tempting to buy extra tools at the start of your business, perform the following test first. Ask yourself, “Can I continue working without these tools this month?” Unless you absolutely cannot do your job without that fancy tool, hold off on buying it. That goes for that fancy new truck or service van too! Homeowners don’t care about your choice of vehicle (in most cases). As long as you dress neatly and keep your vehicle clean, clients will respect your skills enough to hire you in the future. <h2>Hiring</h2> HIRE OUT OF NECESSITY While it may be tempting to rent out an office space and feel it with spunky staff members, odds are your startup can function just fine without them. That may require you to occasionally pause during a service visit to take a call, but you’ll save tens of thousands of dollars by scheduling visits yourself. When you hire someone, hire out of necessity. When you start getting more service requests than you can fulfill by yourself, hire another tech. When you’re too busy to provide quality phone service, hire a customer service professional and train them. As long as you can continue your current level of customer service, skip the new hires. <h2>DIY</h2> D.I.Y. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE Do it yourself. That’s a phrase that excites just as much as it irritates. It’s also a practice that will easily save you thousands of dollars every month during your startup period. For one, it limits the number of people you have to hire to manage “the office” and scheduling. It also allows you to directly control the quality of your service. What activities qualify for DIY? <ul><li>Service scheduling</li><li>Payroll and PTO</li><li>Inventory management</li><li>Calendar management</li><li>Service visits</li></ul> <h3>Tip #2: Zealously Guard Customer Care</h3> When literally dozens of companies provide the exact same services you do, what sets your business apart from the rest? Customer care. As long as you continue to provide courteous and convenient service, your clients will return again and again over the years. If your clients encounter a rude technician or staff member however, they’ll bounce faster than a toddler on a trampoline! That’s why you need to do all you can to protect your customer experience. We’ve witnessed to many businesses bleed sales because they didn’t realize a staff member’s rude behavior was chasing away clients. From informational calls to final service visit, every aspect of your service should be imbued with friendliness and patience. Never Skimp Out on Tax Support, Including Payroll! <h3>Tip #3: Invest in Support Services</h3> When you first purchased your company phone, did customers automatically start calling your business? Of course not! You had to advertise your number and services first before people called. In the same way, you’ll have to invest in quality marketing service before <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-leads/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC leads</a> start flowing into your business. There are several services you can’t afford to skip out on. These include: <ul><li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/internet-marketing/sem/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Professional search marketing</a></li><li>Tax assistance</li><li>Legal advice</li><li>Insurance</li><li>Invoice software</li></ul> Some of these services help produce and regulate the flow of income, while others protect you from company-killing accidents. Skipping out on these services goes beyond tempting fate; it’s just stupid. Countless HVAC companies have been destroyed by tax violations or legal woes, while others never get off the ground without marketing. Find support services that work just as hard as you do, and you’ll never have to lose a night’s sleep (at least due to tax problems). As far as digital marketing services go, our team at HVAC Webmasters is here for all your marketing needs. We’ve helped hundreds of startups over the years, and we can’t wait to serve you too! Call <a>(800) 353-3409</a> to learn more. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/starting-an-hvac-company/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">So You’re Starting An HVAC Company | The HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

So You’re Starting An HVAC Company | The HVAC Marketing Plan Podcast

Does it feel like your digital marketing company is trying to get away with something shady? Perhaps your marketing expenses seem to steadily climb without generating consistent leads. Hundreds, if not thousands of heating and cooling professionals are going through the exact same story. The only question is:   How will your story end?   In today’s HVAC Webmasters podcast, Jason and Nolen share some red flags that could shed some light on your marketing company’s sketchy practices. If you spot any of these tactics, it might be time to start shopping for a new marketing agency. Look for these following signs…  SEO for HVAC Pros: Red Flags   Blackbox pricing covering up where your ad money goes Sudden bumps in results immediately after you call to complain No visible evidence that your website has changed 3rd party expense reporting not directly from Google    3 Signs You’re Getting Cheated  Marketing money is an amazing thing. On one hand, you can invest it into the perfectly tuned advertising campaign and earn a double return on your money! On the other hand, you can trust it to an enthusiastic management team, only to see it slowly disappear with little reward.  Sadly, the latter story is one we hear all the time from HVAC professionals around the country. Unless you have the time, energy, and experience needed to execute your own marketing plan however, you’ll probably have to find a dependable company to handle it for you. You may have already chosen a team, and find yourself wondering if they really have your interests at heart.  The easiest way to spot a shady firm is to look for these three red flags:   Blackbox pricing structure Inconsistent payoffs Lack of visible change in your website   Does Your Reporting Come Directly From Google, or a Source Recommended By Your Marketer?  Red Flag #1: Blackbox Pricing  Money is the ultimate test of character. You can tell a lot about a company by how willing they are to share their spending habits! In the same way, you can quickly get a feel for a marketing firm through their pricing structure.   If we could have our way, every digital marketing firm would have to bill month to month. That’s because monthly billing gives HVAC contractors the ability to examine results and judge whether their investment is paying off. It’s a challenging code to operate by (for a marketing business), but it motivates us to continually produce results!   Bundle Beware   Annual Bundle Deals  On the other side lies annual contracts. Annual billing (or even longer term contracts) takes away that flexibility from the client contractor and gives it to the marketing professional. Blackbox pricing further complicates the picture by preventing heating and cooling professions from seeing how their money is spent.   Say you purchase an annual service package with website design, SEO, GMB, and PPC. The company quickly puts up a basic website, PPC campaigns start up, and results start coming in. Can you actually tell how much of your package budget was spent on each segment? That brings us to our next concern: reporting.    Reporting   3rd Party Reporting  When you invest money in Google Ads, your reporting should only come from one source. Can you guess where? Google Ads. Handing the crucial task of reporting over to anyone besides Google, you’re asking for trouble.   Time and time again, we’ve heard of marketing firms (especially PPC-only companies) bumping click price above the actual cost, then pocketing the difference. That’s in addition to the money you’ve already paid them to manage your campaigns. If a client complains, the firm can easily manipulate the results.     Red Flag #2: Inconsistent Results  Have you ever called into your marketing firm and complained about lack of results, only to see a sudden uptick in leads? As consumers, we like to believe that our phone call is the driving force behind the change. It also makes it feel like we have a voice in the management of our investment.  In reality, it means that your marketing company had the power the entire time to affect those results, but didn’t until you called.  Inconsistent results in your lead generation can indicate shady practices in ad spending. If your leads started slowing down a couple months after your phone call, it’s very likely your PPC management team has reduced the amount of budget going into the campaigns. You could know this for certain, if you had access to the Google Ads account or the direct expense reports. But your marketer’s third party reporting company (if there is a third party at all) makes sure that you can’t know for certain.   Regular Blogging is Extremely Helpful For SEO. Does Your Marketing Team Provide It?  Red Flag #3: No Visible Change  Blackbox pricing, shady reporting, and inconsistent results are all frustrating practices. What’s even more alarming is a complete lack of action in non-PPC related activities. There’s a reason why bundled marketing packages show mixed, but ultimately short-term results.   Time and time again, budget for website optimization gets sacrificed so that more money goes to PPC, which means more money can get siphoned out.   If you’ve seen very little or no change in your website design over the past few months (assuming you’ve paid for it), ask why. There’s no reason why a marketing firm couldn’t produce some timely website progress unless they simply didn’t care about it. We’ve seen a business left struggling to survive because their marketing firm never took the time to complete and verify their Google My Business account. That’s something that anyone can do.  Moving Forward  At HVAC Webmasters, we know the frustration and anger that comes with getting ripped off by a shady marketing firm. That’s why we started our business in the first place, to provide dependable (results-driven) service that earns your investment every month. And yes, we bill month to month.  If you’d like to see the difference we can make for your HVAC company, give us a call at (800) 353-3409!  Other Resources From HVAC Webmasters  Related Articles and Podcasts– Streamlined SEO for HVAC Contractors: Tips and Traps (Article)– Should You Halt SEO During Slow Seasons? | Search Trends (Podcast)– You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Win at HVAC SEO (Podcast)  Helpful Services From Our Team– HVAC Website Design– HVAC Local Search Marketing– PPC Advertising for HVAC Companies The post True Client Stories: The $5000 Screw Job appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Does it feel like your digital marketing company is trying to get away with something shady? Perhaps your marketing expenses seem to steadily climb without generating consistent leads. Hundreds, if not thousands of heating and cooling professionals are going through the exact same story. The only question is: How will your story end? In today’s HVAC Webmasters podcast, Jason and Nolen share some red flags that could shed some light on your marketing company’s sketchy practices. If you spot any of these tactics, it might be time to start shopping for a new marketing agency. Look for these following signs… SEO for HVAC Pros: Red Flags <ul> <li>Blackbox pricing covering up where your ad money goes</li> <li>Sudden bumps in results immediately after you call to complain</li> <li>No visible evidence that your website has changed</li> <li>3rd party expense reporting not directly from Google</li> </ul> <h2>3 Signs You’re Getting Cheated</h2> Marketing money is an amazing thing. On one hand, you can invest it into the perfectly tuned advertising campaign and earn a double return on your money! On the other hand, you can trust it to an enthusiastic management team, only to see it slowly disappear with little reward. Sadly, the latter story is one we hear all the time from HVAC professionals around the country. Unless you have the time, energy, and experience needed to execute your own marketing plan however, you’ll probably have to find a dependable company to handle it for you. You may have already chosen a team, and find yourself wondering if they really have your interests at heart. The easiest way to spot a shady firm is to look for these three red flags: <ul> <li>Blackbox pricing structure</li> <li>Inconsistent payoffs</li> <li>Lack of visible change in your website</li> </ul> Does Your Reporting Come Directly From Google, or a Source Recommended By Your Marketer? <h2>Red Flag #1: Blackbox Pricing</h2> Money is the ultimate test of character. You can tell a lot about a company by how willing they are to share their spending habits! In the same way, you can quickly get a feel for a marketing firm through their pricing structure. If we could have our way, every digital marketing firm would have to bill month to month. That’s because monthly billing gives HVAC contractors the ability to examine results and judge whether their investment is paying off. It’s a challenging code to operate by (for a marketing business), but it motivates us to continually produce results! <h2>Bundle Beware</h2> <h3>Annual Bundle Deals</h3> On the other side lies annual contracts. Annual billing (or even longer term contracts) takes away that flexibility from the client contractor and gives it to the marketing professional. Blackbox pricing further complicates the picture by preventing heating and cooling professions from seeing how their money is spent. Say you purchase an annual service package with website design, SEO, GMB, and PPC. The company quickly puts up a basic website, PPC campaigns start up, and results start coming in. Can you actually tell how much of your package budget was spent on each segment? That brings us to our next concern: reporting. <h2>Reporting</h2> <h3>3rd Party Reporting</h3> When you invest money in Google Ads, your reporting should only come from one source. Can you guess where? Google Ads. Handing the crucial task of reporting over to anyone besides Google, you’re asking for trouble. Time and time again, we’ve heard of marketing firms (especially PPC-only companies) bumping click price above the actual cost, then pocketing the difference. That’s in addition to the money you’ve already paid them to manage your campaigns. If a client complains, the firm can easily manipulate the results. <h2>Red Flag #2: Inconsistent Results</h2> Have you ever called into your marketing firm and complained about lack of results, only to see a sudden uptick in leads? As consumers, we like to believe that our phone call is the driving force behind the change. It also makes it feel like we have a voice in the management of our investment. In reality, it means that your marketing company had the power the entire time to affect those results, but didn’t until you called. Inconsistent results in your lead generation can indicate shady practices in ad spending. If your leads started slowing down a couple months after your phone call, it’s very likely your PPC management team has reduced the amount of budget going into the campaigns. You could know this for certain, if you had access to the Google Ads account or the direct expense reports. But your marketer’s third party reporting company (if there is a third party at all) makes sure that you can’t know for certain. Regular Blogging is Extremely Helpful For SEO. Does Your Marketing Team Provide It? <h2>Red Flag #3: No Visible Change</h2> Blackbox pricing, shady reporting, and inconsistent results are all frustrating practices. What’s even more alarming is a complete lack of action in non-PPC related activities. There’s a reason why bundled marketing packages show mixed, but ultimately short-term results. Time and time again, budget for website optimization gets sacrificed so that more money goes to PPC, which means more money can get siphoned out. If you’ve seen very little or no change in your website design over the past few months (assuming you’ve paid for it), ask why. There’s no reason why a marketing firm couldn’t produce some timely website progress unless they simply didn’t care about it. We’ve seen a business left struggling to survive because their marketing firm never took the time to complete and verify their <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/internet-marketing/google-my-business-hvac/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google My Business</a> account. That’s something that anyone can do. <h3>Moving Forward</h3> At HVAC Webmasters, we know the frustration and anger that comes with getting ripped off by a shady marketing firm. That’s why we started our business in the first place, to provide dependable (results-driven) service that earns your investment every month. And yes, we bill month to month. If you’d like to see the difference we can make for your HVAC company, give us a call at <a>(800) 353-3409</a>! <h3>Other Resources From HVAC Webmasters</h3> Related Articles and Podcasts – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/streamlining-seo-for-hvac/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streamlined SEO for HVAC Contractors: Tips and Traps</a> (Article) – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/seo-during-slow-seasons-google-search-trends/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Should You Halt SEO During Slow Seasons? | Search Trends</a> (Podcast) – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/you-dont-need-to-be-perfect-for-hvac-seo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Win at HVAC SEO</a> (Podcast) Helpful Services From Our Team – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-website-design/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Website Design</a> – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/internet-marketing/hvac-local-search-marketing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Local Search Marketing</a> – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/ppc-advertising/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PPC Advertising for HVAC Companies</a> The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/the-5000-dollar-screw-job/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True Client Stories: The $5000 Screw Job</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

True Client Stories: The $5000 Screw Job

The world of search marketing shifts and sways all the time. Even seasoned professionals work hard to keep up to date on the latest Google algorithm updates and industry strategies. That’s why our team invests the time, money, and energy to attend key conferences around the country.   In our latest podcast, Nolen and Jason share some of the insights they accumulated from their latest conference adventures! If you’ve struggled to cultivate your online brand this year, be sure to listen in for some HVAC SEO tips.  Key Facts on SEO for HVAC Professionals   GMB plays a more active role now, allowing people to contact your business directly via messaging, phone, or Q&amp;A entries.  SSL Certificates, custom code base, and mobile-ready design should be considered basics, but not every company provides these attributes. Without a GMB account claimed and verified, it’s almost impossible to show up properly for local maps listings.     New Light on GMB  One of the most noticeable trends discussed these days is the rising prominence of GMB and the Knowledge Graph. Google My Business (GMB) is a free listing service that allows companies to show up in local searches. Businesses simply need to claim their free listing, provide their basic operational information, and verify their address with Google.   Once the account is active, Google generates a Knowledge Graph with contact information, hours of operation, and uploaded photos for your company.    Notice the buttons in the middle of the screenshot above. These enable streamlined communication with potential customers around the area. Not only can they easily call your business (even from the road), they can also request quotes via the messaging system. GMB creates high-value prospects without ever needing to send to your website.   Optimization for GMB  As the capabilities grow for your Google My Business account, so does the responsibility of ensuring your listing stays accurate and up to date. We’ve seen too many businesses lose valuable leads over the years because of discrepancies in their GMB listings. In fact, we witnessed one outside company (a roofing contractor) lose over $2 million revenue in a single year because of a suspended listing.   It’s more important than ever to keep your account optimized. How can your business accomplish this?   Listing Settings   Initial Listing Setup   Make sure you’ve gone through the official verification process.  Use the same address (including abbreviations) for all other listings. Update your GMB when you start offering new services. Use your home address only if you don’t have an official office. Answer as many GMB questions about your operations as possible.   Ongoing Activities   Ongoing Activities Good for HVAC SEO   Answer prospect questions in the Q&amp;A section. Create a short GMB post every week with new content or promotions. Add team photos, interior views, exteriors shots, and job site pics. Continue asking for reviews!   Big No-Nos   Bad SEO for HVAC Professionals   Don’t try to mess with other HVAC company websites! Do not create fake locations to try to expand your service area. Do not offer any sort of incentives or discounts for client reviews.  Do not get rid of your website domain (barring legal reasons). Do not leave your GMB vacant after verifying it.     Keyword Strategy &amp; HVAC SEO  Back in the day keyword optimization simply involved using a particular phrase three times for every 100 words. Unfortunately, this strategy created gobbity-gook messes that no one enjoyed reading. Nowadays, the Google Search algorithm does a much better job comprehending the meaning behind everyday speech. This allows the search giant to reward high quality content with the best rankings.  Keyword strategy plays a foundational role in SEO for HVAC company websites, but it also continues to slowly shift every year.   SEO conferences continue to speak what we already instinctively know: keyword diversity and natural writing produce the strongest results. That means incorporating synonyms and other phrases related to your primary keywords as your produce new content. Whether you’re re-writing a service page for the fifth time, or you’re constructing the latest guide for maintaining a home AC unit, keyword diversity makes for better reading and ranking.  These Related Search Terms Add More Keyword Listings for Your Website. If you aren’t sure which phrases best match keyword, try searching it in Google and looking at the blue phrases at the very bottom of the page. You can also try out helpful keyword tools, such as Answer the Public.   Looking for Stronger Search Results?  At HVAC Webmasters, we specialize in creating search-optimized websites for higher rankings and better leads. If you’ve been stuck with expensive lead channels or simply aren’t seeing the local search results you want, our team is here to help! Call (800) 353-3409 and get a free consultation for your HVAC SEO. The post HVAC SEO Conference 2020 (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

The world of search marketing shifts and sways all the time. Even seasoned professionals work hard to keep up to date on the latest Google algorithm updates and industry strategies. That’s why our team invests the time, money, and energy to attend key conferences around the country. In our latest podcast, Nolen and Jason share some of the insights they accumulated from their latest conference adventures! If you’ve struggled to cultivate your online brand this year, be sure to listen in for some <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-seo-tips/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC SEO tips</a>. Key Facts on SEO for HVAC Professionals <ul> <li>GMB plays a more active role now, allowing people to contact your business directly via messaging, phone, or Q&amp;A entries. </li> <li>SSL Certificates, custom code base, and mobile-ready design should be considered basics, but not every company provides these attributes.</li> <li>Without a GMB account claimed and verified, it’s almost impossible to show up properly for local maps listings. </li> </ul> <h2>New Light on GMB</h2> One of the most noticeable trends discussed these days is the rising prominence of GMB and the Knowledge Graph. Google My Business (GMB) is a free listing service that allows companies to show up in local searches. Businesses simply need to claim their free listing, provide their basic operational information, and verify their address with Google. Once the account is active, Google generates a Knowledge Graph with contact information, hours of operation, and uploaded photos for your company. Notice the buttons in the middle of the screenshot above. These enable streamlined communication with potential customers around the area. Not only can they easily call your business (even from the road), they can also request quotes via the messaging system. GMB creates high-value prospects without ever needing to send to your website. <h3>Optimization for GMB</h3> As the capabilities grow for your Google My Business account, so does the responsibility of ensuring your listing stays accurate and up to date. We’ve seen too many businesses lose valuable leads over the years because of discrepancies in their GMB listings. In fact, we witnessed one outside company (a roofing contractor) lose over $2 million revenue in a single year because of a suspended listing. It’s more important than ever to keep your account optimized. How can your business accomplish this? <h2>Listing Settings</h2> <h3>Initial Listing Setup</h3> <ul> <li>Make sure you’ve gone through the official verification process. </li> <li>Use the same address (including abbreviations) for all other listings.</li> <li>Update your GMB when you start offering new services.</li> <li>Use your home address only if you don’t have an official office.</li> <li>Answer as many GMB questions about your operations as possible.</li> </ul> <h2>Ongoing Activities</h2> <h3>Ongoing Activities Good for HVAC SEO</h3> <ul> <li>Answer prospect questions in the Q&amp;A section.</li> <li>Create a short GMB post every week with new content or promotions.</li> <li>Add team photos, interior views, exteriors shots, and job site pics.</li> <li>Continue asking for reviews!</li> </ul> <h2>Big No-Nos</h2> <h3>Bad SEO for HVAC Professionals</h3> <ul> <li>Don’t try to mess with other <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/how-to-be-a-better-copycat-in-website-seo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC company websites</a>!</li> <li>Do not create fake locations to try to expand your service area.</li> <li>Do not offer any sort of incentives or discounts for client reviews. </li> <li>Do not get rid of your website domain (barring legal reasons).</li> <li>Do not leave your GMB vacant after verifying it.</li> </ul> <h2>Keyword Strategy &amp; HVAC SEO</h2> Back in the day keyword optimization simply involved using a particular phrase three times for every 100 words. Unfortunately, this strategy created gobbity-gook messes that no one enjoyed reading. Nowadays, the Google Search algorithm does a much better job comprehending the meaning behind everyday speech. This allows the search giant to reward high quality content with the best rankings. <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/keyword-strategy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keyword strategy</a> plays a foundational role in SEO for HVAC company websites, but it also continues to slowly shift every year. SEO conferences continue to speak what we already instinctively know: keyword diversity and natural writing produce the strongest results. That means incorporating synonyms and other phrases related to your primary keywords as your produce new content. Whether you’re re-writing a service page for the fifth time, or you’re constructing the latest guide for maintaining a home AC unit, keyword diversity makes for better reading and ranking. These Related Search Terms Add More Keyword Listings for Your Website. If you aren’t sure which phrases best match keyword, try searching it in Google and looking at the blue phrases at the very bottom of the page. You can also try out helpful keyword tools, such as <a href="https://answerthepublic.com/prlgma/reports/new" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Answer the Public</a>. <h3>Looking for Stronger Search Results?</h3> At HVAC Webmasters, we specialize in creating search-optimized websites for higher rankings and better leads. If you’ve been stuck with expensive lead channels or simply aren’t seeing the local search results you want, our team is here to help! Call <a>(800) 353-3409</a> and get a free consultation for your HVAC SEO. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-seo-conference-2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC SEO Conference 2020 (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

HVAC SEO Conference 2020 (Podcast)

Do you find your business shackled to the same sort of non-productive marketing firm every couple of years? Time and time again, we hear stories of heating and cooling professionals regretting their relationships with shady sales-oriented marketers. Despite this, HVAC technicians continue to fall for the same old tricks.   Let’s try to put a stop to that today! Jason and Nolen discuss the story of an HVAC professional who never seems to escape from lousy marketing deals. Listen in for helpful lessons on finding a capable online team!   Key Lessons to Learn for HVAC Professionals   Marketing teams that hard-sell results tend to provide none.  Accountable pricing and billing make for stronger marketing results. It’s rarely a good idea to sign on for annual or year plus contracts.    Something’s Shady  We’re back with another “Bob” for this story. Bob finds himself with a very well-to-do HVAC company. However, he’s continually unsatisfied with his marketing firm’s results. As he shops around, he contacts a familiar page 1 company: our team at HVAC Webmasters.   As Nolen answers, he quickly recognizes Bob. He’s already talked with him three times before!  A Familiar HVAC Marketing Ride  It turns out, Bob had called the Webmasters multiple times before, only to turn to a firm with a more flashy sales routine. We’re fine with contractors partnering with other firms, of course. Bob however, was finding himself in the exact same situation: unsatisfied with his current results.   Clearly, his criteria for choosing the right firm to handle his HVAC company marketing clearly wasn’t working. Bob isn’t alone either! Shady Companies Hide Cost Per Click Markups by Managing Google Ads Billing For You. How to Spot a Sham  Thankfully, there a plenty of red flags that can help you spot a marketing sham when so many others buy it hook, line, and sinker. Many firms resort to the same old tactics to extract a profit without putting in the effort to grow their clients’ businesses. Here’s a few ways they do it:  Ways to Spot a Shady Marketing Company   They’re quick to bundle everything together in one package, one price. They push hard for annual contracts with upfront payments. The company salesforce is larger than the rest of the business.  All your interactions begin and end with a sales specialist or relationship manager.  You hear buzzwords in every other sentence, and you rarely understand them. The company guarantees precise levels of traffic or leads.    Look closely at your next marketing company prospect. Examine how they talk, how they price, and how they bundle.    They Speak in Weird Buzzwords  Sales professionals tend to speak in a buzzword-heavy, high-energy routine that’s quick to promise results. You might hear phrases like “social fortress” that sound flashy, but never get fully explained. Most digital marketing salesmen have just enough knowledge to sound like they know what they’re talking about.   The most dependable professionals can easily explain their services, in clear terms.   They Promise Specific Search Numbers  Have you ever spoken with a marketing professional who promised an exact return on your investment? While some marketing fields can use predictive fields to determine an estimated ROI, no one controls Google Search. That means that even the smartest, most-experience industry professionals cannot deliver an exact number of website visitors, click-throughs, or sales.   The next time some guarantees a set volume of traffic to your website, courteously shake their hand, thank them for their time, and walk out the door. They aren’t worth the time or money.    They Only Offer Annual Package Deals  While it’s probably too much to claim that every annual marketing package is a bad deal, almost every annual marketing package is a bad deal! We hear time and time again how contractors sign up for an annual contract, get results for a few months, and never hear from their marketing management again for the rest of the year. You can bet they’ll be ready to talk you into another year, but results seem to come up short every time.   The most dependable companies price month to month, and they offer clear pricing guidelines so you know what you’re paying for.   Finding Great Results  Don’t let your heating and cooling business get sucked into a long-term marketing bust. Keep these red flags in mind as you move forward, and you can avoid those painful experiences that so many HVAC businesses suffer each year. Everything changes when you find the right marketing firm for your team!  At HVAC Webmasters, we have the experience, reputation, and results to earn your business. We skip the annual contracts in favor of month-to-month pricing, so you can rest assured we’re working hard to grow your company and online brand. Through custom web design, local SEO strategy, and crisp reputation management, we’ve managed to help hundreds of businesses find the online success they crave!  To learn more about our services, talk with one of our experts at (800) 353-3409. The post True Client Stories: Almost Great HVAC Marketing appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Do you find your business shackled to the same sort of non-productive marketing firm every couple of years? Time and time again, we hear stories of heating and cooling professionals regretting their relationships with shady sales-oriented marketers. Despite this, HVAC technicians continue to fall for the same old tricks. Let’s try to put a stop to that today! Jason and Nolen discuss the story of an HVAC professional who never seems to escape from lousy marketing deals. Listen in for helpful lessons on finding a capable online team! Key Lessons to Learn for HVAC Professionals <ul> <li>Marketing teams that hard-sell results tend to provide none. </li> <li>Accountable pricing and billing make for stronger marketing results.</li> <li>It’s rarely a good idea to sign on for annual or year plus contracts.</li> </ul> <h2>Something’s Shady</h2> We’re back with another “Bob” for this story. Bob finds himself with a very well-to-do HVAC company. However, he’s continually unsatisfied with his marketing firm’s results. As he shops around, he contacts a familiar page 1 company: our team at HVAC Webmasters. As Nolen answers, he quickly recognizes Bob. He’s already talked with him three times before! <h3>A Familiar HVAC Marketing Ride</h3> It turns out, Bob had called the Webmasters multiple times before, only to turn to a firm with a more flashy sales routine. We’re fine with contractors partnering with other firms, of course. Bob however, was finding himself in the exact same situation: unsatisfied with his current results. Clearly, his criteria for choosing the right firm to handle his HVAC company marketing clearly wasn’t working. Bob isn’t alone either! Shady Companies Hide Cost Per Click Markups by Managing Google Ads Billing For You. <h2>How to Spot a Sham</h2> Thankfully, there a plenty of red flags that can help you spot a marketing sham when so many others buy it hook, line, and sinker. Many firms resort to the same old tactics to extract a profit without putting in the effort to grow their clients’ businesses. Here’s a few ways they do it: Ways to Spot a Shady Marketing Company <ul> <li>They’re quick to bundle everything together in one package, one price.</li> <li>They push hard for annual contracts with upfront payments.</li> <li>The company salesforce is larger than the rest of the business. </li> <li>All your interactions begin and end with a sales specialist or relationship manager. </li> <li>You hear buzzwords in every other sentence, and you rarely understand them.</li> <li>The company guarantees precise levels of traffic or leads. </li> </ul> Look closely at your next marketing company prospect. Examine how they talk, how they price, and how they bundle. <h3>They Speak in Weird Buzzwords</h3> Sales professionals tend to speak in a buzzword-heavy, high-energy routine that’s quick to promise results. You might hear phrases like “social fortress” that sound flashy, but never get fully explained. Most digital marketing salesmen have just enough knowledge to sound like they know what they’re talking about. The most dependable professionals can easily explain their services, in clear terms. <h3>They Promise Specific Search Numbers</h3> Have you ever spoken with a marketing professional who promised an exact return on your investment? While some marketing fields can use predictive fields to determine an estimated ROI, no one controls Google Search. That means that even the smartest, most-experience industry professionals cannot deliver an exact number of website visitors, click-throughs, or sales. The next time some guarantees a set volume of traffic to your website, courteously shake their hand, thank them for their time, and walk out the door. They aren’t worth the time or money. <h3>They Only Offer Annual Package Deals</h3> While it’s probably too much to claim that every annual marketing package is a bad deal, almost every annual marketing package is a bad deal! We hear time and time again how contractors sign up for an annual contract, get results for a few months, and never hear from their marketing management again for the rest of the year. You can bet they’ll be ready to talk you into another year, but results seem to come up short every time. The most dependable companies price month to month, and they offer clear pricing guidelines so you know what you’re paying for. <h2>Finding Great Results</h2> Don’t let your heating and cooling business get sucked into a long-term marketing bust. Keep these red flags in mind as you move forward, and you can avoid those painful experiences that so many HVAC businesses suffer each year. Everything changes when you find the right marketing firm for your team! At HVAC Webmasters, we have the experience, reputation, and results to earn your business. We skip the annual contracts in favor of month-to-month pricing, so you can rest assured we’re working hard to grow your company and online brand. Through custom web design, <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/internet-marketing/hvac-local-search-marketing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">local SEO</a> strategy, and crisp reputation management, we’ve managed to help hundreds of businesses find the online success they crave! To learn more about our services, talk with one of our experts at <a>(800) 353-3409</a>. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/almost-great-hvac-marketing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True Client Stories: Almost Great HVAC Marketing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

True Client Stories: Almost Great HVAC Marketing

Franchises off some alluring benefits to HVAC professionals just starting off, but not all brands are created equal. Is joining on truly the best move for your business, or could you earn better growth through other means?   Jason and Nolen reveal a true tale of a heating and cooling contractor thrust into this difficult choice. Be sure to listen in if you’ve considered joining a franchise.  Helpful Lessons for HVAC Professionals   The main value of franchise marketing is brand recognition. Franchise marketing doesn’t work if your community isn’t familiar with the brand your company operates under.  Always check to see if the franchise already ranks well organically!    Joining a Franchise  Starting an heating and cooling company is tough work! Raising it off the ground into a developed brand is an even more difficult task, with many professionals never overcoming the challenge. That’s what makes joining a franchise such an enticing solution for HVAC professionals.   By taking on the name and guidance of a parent brand, they gain access to certain marketing perks that could help them earn more leads.    Franchising Benefits   Joining a Franchise: The Pros  Brand recognition is huge when it comes to online marketing. When people search your brand directly in Google, their odds of converting into customers jumps way up over keyword searches. Many fresh-faced contractors are particularly keen to win that recognition when they sign up as a franchisee.   In addition to this brand access, many franchises offer specialized marketing tools for connecting with potential leads. These may include email templates, physical collateral (like pamphlets), and other digital marketing resources. This makes it easier for technicians who have little to no experience with advertising online.    The Costs of Franchising   Joining a Franchise: The Cons  First, franchise brands take a percentage of your income. That money typically doesn’t come out after taxes either; it comes from your gross profits. This means tens of thousands of dollars withdrawn every year. You’ll feel the loss during seasons of aggressive growth, and you’ll definitely notice it during slow seasons.   Parent brands also exercise significant control over their franchisees. This could mean your company is obligated to only work with certain marketing agencies, or that you have to pay fees for help from the parent brand. It might seem like a lot of money, but it could add up over time.     Franchising Decision Time  The guiding principle and goal behind franchising is to strengthen the overarching brand while providing better sales for the ground level contractors. In theory, an HVAC professional who becomes a franchisee should earn more money than they did before because people are comfortable with the brand. This natural raises a crucial question:  What if no one is familiar with the franchise brand?  If no one in your community recognizes the brand you’ve associated your services with, then they have no built up trust with that name. Even worse, that means that the brand has little-to-no organic presence in local search. If homeowners and commercial clients can’t even find your website, then how are they going to hire your services?   Adding to this concern is the fact that many franchises tightly control who you can use for your online marketing services. If they have a preferred (mandatory) partnership with an ineffective marketing agency, that could leave you stuck with mediocre results for the long-term. Now, all these concerns may be for naught if your franchising company is a household name, but then you’d also be paying more for the franchise rights each year.  Google Prefers to List Local Businesses, So Franchises Often Rely on Expensive Ads.  Is Joining a Franchise Worth It?  If you can secure a relationship with a widely known brand at a decent profit percentage, joining a franchise may be worth it. If the company that you’re considering doesn’t have brand recognition (in your area) or strong local rankings, then there’s no reason to join them. You could do better on your own with an optimized website, consistent reviews, and citations! Google prefers showing local businesses anyway, meaning you have a great chance of winning quality search ranks.  Looking to Grow Organically?  If you want to grow your own business and keep your profits, then local search optimization is the way to go. Our team at HVAC Webmasters would love to support your business with optimized web design, professional writing, and powerful reputation management. We’ve helped countless professionals earn page 1 rankings and dominate local search!   To learn more about online marketing, or to consult with an expert and see if joining a franchise is right for you, call us at (800) 353-3409.  Other Resources from HVAC Webmasters  Articles and Podcasts for Further Study– Understanding Your HVAC Brand Online (Podcast)– You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Win at HVAC SEO (Podcast)– The Untold Dangers of Website Templates (Article)  Related HVAC Web Services– HVAC Brand Development– HVAC Company Reviews– Content Marketing for HVAC Companies The post True Client Stories: I Failed Online So I’m Joining a Franchise… appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Franchises off some alluring benefits to HVAC professionals just starting off, but not all brands are created equal. Is joining on truly the best move for your business, or could you earn better growth through other means? Jason and Nolen reveal a true tale of a heating and cooling contractor thrust into this difficult choice. Be sure to listen in if you’ve considered joining a franchise. Helpful Lessons for HVAC Professionals <ul> <li>The main value of franchise marketing is brand recognition.</li> <li>Franchise marketing doesn’t work if your community isn’t familiar with the brand your company operates under. </li> <li>Always check to see if the franchise already <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/keyword-strategy/rank-first-google-hvac/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ranks well</a> organically!</li> </ul> <h2>Joining a Franchise</h2> Starting an heating and cooling company is tough work! Raising it off the ground into a developed brand is an even more difficult task, with many professionals never overcoming the challenge. That’s what makes joining a franchise such an enticing solution for HVAC professionals. By taking on the name and guidance of a parent brand, they gain access to certain marketing perks that could help them earn more leads. <h2>Franchising Benefits</h2> <h3>Joining a Franchise: The Pros</h3> Brand recognition is huge when it comes to <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/eat-sleep-market/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online marketing</a>. When people search your brand directly in Google, their odds of converting into customers jumps way up over keyword searches. Many fresh-faced contractors are particularly keen to win that recognition when they sign up as a franchisee. In addition to this brand access, many franchises offer specialized marketing tools for connecting with potential leads. These may include email templates, physical collateral (like pamphlets), and other digital marketing resources. This makes it easier for technicians who have little to no experience with advertising online. <h2>The Costs of Franchising</h2> <h3>Joining a Franchise: The Cons</h3> First, franchise brands take a percentage of your income. That money typically doesn’t come out after taxes either; it comes from your gross profits. This means tens of thousands of dollars withdrawn every year. You’ll feel the loss during seasons of aggressive growth, and you’ll definitely notice it during slow seasons. Parent brands also exercise significant control over their franchisees. This could mean your company is obligated to only work with certain marketing agencies, or that you have to pay fees for help from the parent brand. It might seem like a lot of money, but it could add up over time. <h2>Franchising Decision Time</h2> The guiding principle and goal behind franchising is to strengthen the overarching brand while providing better sales for the ground level contractors. In theory, an HVAC professional who becomes a franchisee should earn more money than they did before because people are comfortable with the brand. This natural raises a crucial question: What if no one is familiar with the franchise brand? If no one in your community recognizes the brand you’ve associated your services with, then they have no built up trust with that name. Even worse, that means that the brand has little-to-no organic presence in local search. If homeowners and commercial clients can’t even find your website, then how are they going to hire your services? Adding to this concern is the fact that many franchises tightly control who you can use for your online marketing services. If they have a preferred (mandatory) partnership with an ineffective marketing agency, that could leave you stuck with mediocre results for the long-term. Now, all these concerns may be for naught if your franchising company is a household name, but then you’d also be paying more for the franchise rights each year. Google Prefers to List Local Businesses, So Franchises Often Rely on Expensive Ads. <h3>Is Joining a Franchise Worth It?</h3> If you can secure a relationship with a widely known brand at a decent profit percentage, joining a franchise may be worth it. If the company that you’re considering doesn’t have brand recognition (in your area) or strong local rankings, then there’s no reason to join them. You could do better on your own with an optimized website, consistent reviews, and citations! Google prefers showing local businesses anyway, meaning you have a great chance of winning quality search ranks. <h2>Looking to Grow Organically?</h2> If you want to grow your own business and keep your profits, then local search optimization is the way to go. Our team at HVAC Webmasters would love to support your business with optimized web design, professional writing, and powerful reputation management. We’ve helped countless professionals earn page 1 rankings and dominate local search! To learn more about online marketing, or to consult with an expert and see if joining a franchise is right for you, call us at <a>(800) 353-3409</a>. <h3>Other Resources from HVAC Webmasters</h3> Articles and Podcasts for Further Study – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-online-branding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Understanding Your HVAC Brand Online</a> (Podcast) – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/you-dont-need-to-be-perfect-for-hvac-seo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Win at HVAC SEO</a> (Podcast) – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/dangers-of-website-templates/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Untold Dangers of Website Templates</a> (Article) Related HVAC Web Services – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/content-marketing/hvac-brand-development/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Brand Development</a> – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/reviews-reputation-management/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Company Reviews</a> – <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/content-marketing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Content Marketing for HVAC Companies</a> The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/joining-a-franchise/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">True Client Stories: I Failed Online So I’m Joining a Franchise…</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

True Client Stories: I Failed Online So I’m Joining a Franchise…

In 2021, Branding for HVAC companies isn’t the same as it was two decades ago. When it comes to creating exposure for your HVAC business, nothing fights more challenging for your company than your online brand. If you want to earn more clients (who doesn’t?), you’ll need to understand Google’s local search process and how people find your brand.  On today’s podcast, Jason and Nolen dive into some of the general strategies behind online branding. Be sure to listen in if your business has struggled to make headway in local search ranking! Keep an ear open for these essential tips too.  Tips for HVAC Professionals:   Even Google needs help separating your business from others. The search engine uses E-A-T to gauge your brand suitability. Traditional advertising sees increasingly low ROIs. Many companies see zero brand visibility without a GMB listing. Google (currently) sees your website’s age as your company age.    The Makeup of Your HVAC Brand  What is an “online brand” for an HVAC company?   The Domain Name (or .com) The Google My Business Listing All Company Reviews Blogging and Other Content Updates Branded / Direct Searches Citations Google Map Postings Social Media Accounts / Activity   Google examines all of these signals to determine the value (or suitability) of your online brand. Keep in mind; the search engine has thousands of similar business listings to sort through and hundreds of millions of related pages on top of those! So even the catchiest brand name can get lost in the overwhelming number of industry competitors.  Let’s break down these branding facets into three different categories: Identity, Ability, and Activity.   Establishing Online Brand Identity  Your Target Branding Tools   GMB Listing Domain Name Citations Social Media (Accounts)   Despite popular opinion to the contrary, Google is not an all-knowing force of the industry. The search engine’s understanding is limited to the information that users provide. Google can’t produce data from anything.  So if you think that Google knows about your 3rd generation plumbing company and overwhelming client satisfaction rate, you might be dead wrong.  A Star Brand is Born Google My Business Makes it Easier to Earn Traffic! Most (if not all) company online brands begin with listings and citations. Physical location, company age, operating hours, industry type, service area, and other data paint an essential portrait of your business. You’ll want to provide this data to as many established citation companies as possible.  When it comes to local search, the ideal place to kick off your brand is Google My Business (GMB).   GMB listings are essential for appearing in local search results, but they also provide helpful interaction capabilities with potential clients via the Knowledge Graph tool. According to consumer research, 56% of search users who interact with your GMB listing use it to visit your website. Additionally, 24% use them to call your business directly (Statista).  Grab Those Citations  Of course, sharing your company information with citation sources like Yelp, Facebook, BBB, and Manta will further establish the identity of your online brand. They also facilitate the review process, a crucial part of establishing your services. We’ll talk more about this later.  For now, make sure that the information you provide across your sources is consistent. Even the way you abbreviate your physical address matters! If your HVAC business has the opportunity, you might also want to list it in relevant industry publications.  Stand Out With Your Domain  Another essential branding tool in your question for local search traffic is your domain name. What a make-or-break decision! While many companies mistake targeting generic keywords and city/state combinations, this tactic only makes your brand harder for Google to distinguish.  The best domain names combine HVAC terminology with something quirky or memorable. For instance, real-world company Main Street Heating &amp; Cooling realized their domain name needed to be a little more distinct than their usual title. So they chose mainstreetcomfort.com, a domain name that Google can easily distinguish from other industry competitors.  On a side note, make sure you register your domain under your business’ name, not the hosting company’s, to avoid potential problems when your registration approaches expiration.  Proving Online Brand Ability  Your Target Branding Tools:   Website Content Customer Reviews Citations   Just about anyone can set up a website and claim to provide AC repairs. Thousands of professionals boast in their “best AC repairs” and “affordable furnace maintenance”, but Google only shows a handful in front page local results. So how does the search engine decide who gets picked?  E-A-T: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness  In its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Google has expressly stated that it looks for these qualities as it judges content. These brand values, however, can be evaluated even beyond the actual business website and service pages.  Reviews Build Credibility for Your Business and Confirm Your Service Offerings. Reviews Build Credibility for Your Business and Confirm Your Service Offerings. Matching Claims With Results  To prove your online brand’s trustworthiness, Google needs to match up the claims of your website (such as what services you provide) with the testimonies of relevant sources. One of the most powerful channels of information in the evaluation process is your client reviews. Not only do they speak to the general quality of your services, but they also verify that your company does what you say it does.  Having multiple citations enables reviews from a variety of sources. If you continue to ask for reviews after finished jobs, that means numerous sources will be confirming your brand’s abilities! As your team gains more experience and your website ages, Google will reward this proven ability with higher rankings in local search.  Engaging in Brand Activity  Your Target Branding Tools   Blogging Customer Reviews Direct Searches Content Updates Social Media (Posting)   Online branding is an ongoing process. While Coca-Cola and other multi-billion dollar brands can sit back and rest on their laurels, HVAC professionals have to fight to maintain their top position. Since Google doesn’t have real-world eyes watching as company’s open and close their business, the search engine relies on online branding activity to infer these details. Your Blog Can Be a Powerful Tool for Branding, if You Use it Right! Managing Content &amp; Reviews  When a site goes live, Google crawlers make their way through the pages to analyze the content. So Crawling is how Google creates an initial picture of what your business does. Later on, these same crawlers revisit the site, on the hunt for new content. The process goes on and on over the years.  If the bots repeatedly find no new content, Google might believe your business has closed down. That’s why so many HVAC companies who enjoyed top rankings find themselves on the back pages of local search.  So what online brand activity can your business use to stay up-to-date?  Content Marketing &amp; Refurbishing  Blogging is the go-to tool for many HVAC businesses. Not only does it provide proof of continued activity, but it’s also the perfect way to earn featured listings and other high-traffic search results. Of course, Facebook Posts and Instagram posts also help, especially with original visual content.  Older content can spring back to life too. For example, some of your business’s most valuable assets are your service pages and handy guides. Take time every year to assess this valuable content and refurbish them for fresh value. You can even take advantage of this cyclical editing to amp up your keyword strategy!  Building a Review Bank  As we like to say, reviews are one of the purest forms of digital currency. Not only do they pay huge dividends with Google’s perception of your online brand, but they also encourage other consumers to try out your HVAC company! Most companies partly understand the value of customer feedback, but few make the necessary effort to collect it.  If you only take one lesson away from this discussion, let it be this: never stop asking for reviews! Train your team to ask for them immediately after repairs. Follow up with clients after installations and explain how important their feedback is to your business’ growth. You’ll be amazed just how much your online brand will climb the local search rankings.  Start Building Your Brand  Ready to start crafting a brand that lasts? Our team at HVAC Webmasters would love to help! Not only do our clients enjoy impressive rankings in local search, but they also earn higher quality leads. With years of experience in the industry, you can expect powerful results from our team of seasoned content writers, SEO specialists, website designers, and editors. The post Understanding Your HVAC Brand Online (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

In 2021, <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-branding/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Branding for HVAC companies</a> isn’t the same as it was two decades ago. When it comes to creating exposure for your HVAC business, nothing fights more challenging for your company than your online brand. If you want to earn more clients (who doesn’t?), you’ll need to understand Google’s local search process and how people find your brand. On today’s podcast, Jason and Nolen dive into some of the general strategies behind online branding. Be sure to listen in if your business has struggled to make headway in local search ranking! Keep an ear open for these essential tips too. Tips for HVAC Professionals: <ul> <li>Even Google needs help separating your business from others.</li> <li>The search engine uses E-A-T to gauge your brand suitability.</li> <li>Traditional advertising sees increasingly low ROIs.</li> <li>Many companies see zero brand visibility without a GMB listing.</li> <li>Google (currently) sees your website’s age as your company age.</li> </ul> <h2>The Makeup of Your HVAC Brand</h2> What is an “online brand” for an HVAC company? <ul> <li>The Domain Name (or .com)</li> <li>The Google My Business Listing</li> <li>All Company Reviews</li> <li>Blogging and Other Content Updates</li> <li>Branded / Direct Searches</li> <li>Citations</li> <li>Google Map Postings</li> <li>Social Media Accounts / Activity</li> </ul> Google examines all of these signals to determine the value (or suitability) of your online brand. Keep in mind; the search engine has thousands of similar business listings to sort through and hundreds of millions of related pages on top of those! So even the catchiest brand name can get lost in the overwhelming number of industry competitors. Let’s break down these branding facets into three different categories: Identity, Ability, and Activity. <h2>Establishing Online Brand Identity</h2> Your Target Branding Tools <ul> <li>GMB Listing</li> <li>Domain Name</li> <li>Citations</li> <li>Social Media (Accounts)</li> </ul> Despite popular opinion to the contrary, Google is not an all-knowing force of the industry. The search engine’s understanding is limited to the information that users provide. Google can’t produce data from anything. So if you think that Google knows about your 3rd generation plumbing company and overwhelming client satisfaction rate, you might be dead wrong. <h3>A Star Brand is Born</h3> Google My Business Makes it Easier to Earn Traffic! Most (if not all) company online brands begin with listings and citations. Physical location, company age, operating hours, industry type, service area, and other data paint an essential portrait of your business. You’ll want to provide this data to as many established citation companies as possible. When it comes to local search, the ideal place to kick off your brand is <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/google-my-business/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Google My Business</a> (GMB).  GMB listings are essential for appearing in local search results, but they also provide helpful interaction capabilities with potential clients via the Knowledge Graph tool. According to consumer research, 56% of search users who interact with your GMB listing use it to visit your website. Additionally, 24% use them to call your business directly (<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041427/customer-actions-per-gmb-listing/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Statista</a>). <h3>Grab Those Citations</h3> Of course, sharing your company information with citation sources like Yelp, Facebook, BBB, and Manta will further establish the identity of your online brand. They also facilitate the review process, a crucial part of establishing your services. We’ll talk more about this later. For now, make sure that the information you provide across your sources is consistent. Even the way you abbreviate your physical address matters! If your HVAC business has the opportunity, you might also want to list it in relevant industry publications. <h3>Stand Out With Your Domain</h3> Another essential branding tool in your question for local search traffic is your domain name. What a make-or-break decision! While many companies mistake targeting generic keywords and city/state combinations, this tactic only makes your brand harder for Google to distinguish. The best domain names combine HVAC terminology with something quirky or memorable. For instance, real-world company Main Street Heating &amp; Cooling realized their domain name needed to be a little more distinct than their usual title. So they chose <a href="http://mainstreetcomfort.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mainstreetcomfort.com</a>, a domain name that Google can easily distinguish from other industry competitors. On a side note, make sure you register your domain under your business’ name, not the hosting company’s, to avoid potential problems when your registration approaches expiration. <h2>Proving Online Brand Ability</h2> Your Target Branding Tools: <ul> <li>Website Content</li> <li>Customer Reviews</li> <li>Citations</li> </ul> Just about anyone can set up a website and claim to provide AC repairs. Thousands of professionals boast in their “best AC repairs” and “affordable furnace maintenance”, but Google only shows a handful in front page local results. So how does the search engine decide who gets picked? E-A-T: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness In its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Google has expressly stated that it looks for these qualities as it judges content. These brand values, however, can be evaluated even beyond the actual business website and service pages. Reviews Build Credibility for Your Business and Confirm Your Service Offerings. Reviews Build Credibility for Your Business and Confirm Your Service Offerings. <h3>Matching Claims With Results</h3> To prove your online brand’s trustworthiness, Google needs to match up the claims of your website (such as what services you provide) with the testimonies of relevant sources. One of the most powerful channels of information in the evaluation process is your <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/reviews-reputation-management/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">client reviews</a>. Not only do they speak to the general quality of your services, but they also verify that your company does what you say it does. Having multiple citations enables reviews from a variety of sources. If you continue to ask for reviews after finished jobs, that means numerous sources will be confirming your brand’s abilities! As your team gains more experience and your website ages, Google will reward this proven ability with higher rankings in local search. <h2>Engaging in Brand Activity</h2> Your Target Branding Tools <ul> <li>Blogging</li> <li>Customer Reviews</li> <li>Direct Searches</li> <li>Content Updates</li> <li>Social Media (Posting)</li> </ul> Online branding is an ongoing process. While Coca-Cola and other multi-billion dollar brands can sit back and rest on their laurels, HVAC professionals have to fight to maintain their top position. Since Google doesn’t have real-world eyes watching as company’s open and close their business, the search engine relies on online branding activity to infer these details. Your Blog Can Be a Powerful Tool for Branding, if You Use it Right! <h3>Managing Content &amp; Reviews</h3> When a site goes live, Google crawlers make their way through the pages to analyze the content. So Crawling is how Google creates an initial picture of what your business does. Later on, these same crawlers revisit the site, on the hunt for new content. The process goes on and on over the years. If the bots repeatedly find no new content, Google might believe your business has closed down. That’s why so many HVAC companies who enjoyed top rankings find themselves on the back pages of local search. So what online brand activity can your business use to stay up-to-date? <h3>Content Marketing &amp; Refurbishing</h3> Blogging is the go-to tool for many HVAC businesses. Not only does it provide proof of continued activity, but it’s also the perfect way to earn featured listings and other high-traffic search results. Of course, Facebook Posts and Instagram posts also help, especially with original visual content. Older content can spring back to life too. For example, some of your business’s most valuable assets are your service pages and handy guides. Take time every year to assess this valuable content and refurbish them for fresh value. You can even take advantage of this cyclical editing to amp up your keyword strategy! <h3>Building a Review Bank</h3> As we like to say, reviews are one of the purest forms of digital currency. Not only do they pay huge dividends with Google’s perception of your online brand, but they also encourage other consumers to try out your HVAC company! Most companies partly understand the value of customer feedback, but few make the necessary effort to collect it. If you only take one lesson away from this discussion, let it be this: never stop asking for reviews! Train your team to ask for them immediately after repairs. Follow up with clients after installations and explain how important their feedback is to your business’ growth. You’ll be amazed just how much your online brand will climb the local search rankings. <h2>Start Building Your Brand</h2> Ready to start crafting a brand that lasts? Our team at <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> would love to help! Not only do our clients enjoy impressive rankings in local search, but they also earn higher quality leads. With years of experience in the industry, you can expect powerful results from our team of seasoned content writers, SEO specialists, website designers, and editors. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-online-branding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Understanding Your HVAC Brand Online (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Understanding Your HVAC Brand Online (Podcast)

Podcast Series Discussing Marketing for HVAC Companies, Especially Digital Marketing &amp; SEO

Almost every business begins with little to no funds for marketing. As a result, even experienced companies can experience a dry season. However, a few steps could make all the difference in the coming years instead of battening down the hatches and doing nothing.  Today, Jason and Nolen discuss how to start up your HVAC marketing plan even if you don’t have lots of funds. They’ll focus primarily on growing your search presence, which gradually creates a steady influx of HVAC leads for your business. So if you’re operating on a tight budget, be sure to listen in.  HVAC Marketing Tips for Professionals:   Always begin by setting up your Google My Business account. Buy a cheap template site to start developing your online presence. Start asking for client reviews, and never stop! Register your domain as close to your name as possible. Avoid generics.    Low Budget Marketing  Let’s not waste time. There’s an ideal way to do online search marketing, but sometimes a tight budget prevents people from choosing the best. That’s life. Thankfully, you don’t have to sit on your hands and hope that business will pick up enough to start getting online clients one day!  The following HVAC marketing plan focuses on free and extremely low-cost solutions that will build a foundation for your brand. We need to be extremely clear: you (probably) will not notice tremendous results from the start. However, your business will be in a much better place six months from now if you faithfully follow this process.  Here we go.  Step #1: Get Listed in GMB  Google My Business (GMB) offers free listings to help your business get started in local search. These listings are essential if you want any organic leads. According to a recent publication by Search Engine Journal and extensive research by Merkle, “Organic search produced 23% of all site visits in Q2 2019.” However, without registering your company with GMB, your company is unlikely to earn any leads from Google.  Steps for Registering Your GMB Account   1. Go to google.com/business/ and get started. 2. Submit your company name, location, and industry information. 3. Set your service radius from your business address (or home). 4. Submit your contact information. 5. Choose a method to confirm your listing with Google, then confirm.    Step #2: Build a Cheap Website  There’s a couple of sweet spots for getting the biggest bang for your marketing budget (or lack thereof) when it comes to website design. On the low end of the spectrum, we’ve found that it’s usually better for startups to begin with a free template design or something dirt cheap. There’s no illusion of fanciness or complicated optimization.  Many HVAC companies start experiencing problems when they move beyond the $100 threshold. Of course, you’d expect somewhat higher results and capabilities from a $300 website, but most companies who offer those design packages use a cheap template anyway. So you might as well save the money and invest it in another part of your business.   Source: ThemeForest  Step #3: Register Your Domain  Your domain name (the address or URL) is one of the most crucial branding assets your company will ever claim. Of course, you must protect it at all costs, but most businesses don’t even know how to pick a compelling name. There are a few basic rules to follow when it comes to selecting and claiming your domain.  Aim for a very memorable and non-generic domain name!  Generic names are harder to rank for in search. Business listings with ultra-generic names (dallasheatingandcooling.com, for instance) may not even show up in search. People should remember your name and laugh, then for them not to remember your name at all!  On an equally important note, make sure that you own the domain name, not a hosting company. You don’t want any complications with your host trying to sell the domain to another business. Believe us; it’s happened too many times!  Reviews Can Make or Break Your Reputation. So always Ask Happy Customers for Feedback!   Step #4: Ask for Reviews  Reviews are a form of online currency, but they’re so much more. Client feedback is a testament to your team’s capabilities and your customer service. Unfortunately, most people forget to provide reviews unless they’ve had an awful experience.   That’s why you and your team must consistently ask your clients for reviews. Don’t wait either! Ask immediately after concluding services. At the very latest, you might wish to wait a couple of days (say after an installation) to follow up and ask for reviews. Asking in person creates goodwill with the existing client and trust with prospective consumers.  Google prefers reviews to come from various resources, so try to spread out the feedback between Google, Facebook, and other citations. By routinely asking happy clients for reviews, you’ll easily drown out any different sort of negative complaints from that odd customer.   Step #5: Review Your Progress  Once you gained some ground in local search, leads should start to come in at a much faster rate. That steady stream of business to your website means you’ll have better funds for future marketing ideas! You can even take some time to upgrade your website and strengthen your brand.  When that day comes, we hope you’ll partner with the HVAC Webmasters.  The post HVAC Marketing On The Cheap (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Almost every business begins with little to no funds for marketing. As a result, even experienced companies can experience a dry season. However, a few steps could make all the difference in the coming years instead of battening down the hatches and doing nothing. Today, Jason and Nolen discuss how to start up your <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-marketing/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC marketing</a> plan even if you don’t have lots of funds. They’ll focus primarily on growing your search presence, which gradually creates a steady influx of HVAC leads for your business. So if you’re operating on a tight budget, be sure to listen in. HVAC Marketing Tips for Professionals: <ul> <li>Always begin by setting up your Google My Business account.</li> <li>Buy a cheap template site to start developing your online presence.</li> <li>Start asking for client reviews, and never stop!</li> <li>Register your domain as close to your name as possible. Avoid generics.</li> </ul> <h2>Low Budget Marketing</h2> Let’s not waste time. There’s an ideal way to do online search marketing, but sometimes a tight budget prevents people from choosing the best. That’s life. Thankfully, you don’t have to sit on your hands and hope that business will pick up enough to start getting online clients one day! The following HVAC marketing plan focuses on free and extremely low-cost solutions that will build a foundation for your brand. We need to be extremely clear: you (probably) will not notice tremendous results from the start. However, your business will be in a much better place six months from now if you faithfully follow this process. Here we go. <h2>Step #1: Get Listed in GMB</h2> Google My Business (GMB) offers free listings to help your business get started in local search. These listings are essential if you want any organic leads. According to a recent publication by <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-is-delivering-less-organic-search-traffic-than-last-year/318109/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Search Engine Journal</a> and extensive research by Merkle, “Organic search produced 23% of all site visits in Q2 2019.” However, without registering your company with GMB, your company is unlikely to earn any leads from Google. Steps for Registering Your GMB Account <ol> <li>1. Go to <a href="https://www.google.com/business/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">google.com/business/</a> and get started.</li> <li>2. Submit your company name, location, and industry information.</li> <li>3. Set your service radius from your business address (or home).</li> <li>4. Submit your contact information.</li> <li>5. Choose a method to confirm your listing with Google, then confirm.</li> </ol> <h2>Step #2: Build a Cheap Website</h2> There’s a couple of sweet spots for getting the biggest bang for your marketing budget (or lack thereof) when it comes to website design. On the low end of the spectrum, we’ve found that it’s usually better for startups to begin with a free template design or something dirt cheap. There’s no illusion of fanciness or complicated optimization. Many HVAC companies start experiencing problems when they move beyond the $100 threshold. Of course, you’d expect somewhat higher results and capabilities from a $300 website, but most companies who offer those design packages use a cheap template anyway. So you might as well save the money and invest it in another part of your business. Source: ThemeForest <h2>Step #3: Register Your Domain</h2> Your domain name (the address or URL) is one of the most crucial branding assets your company will ever claim. Of course, you must protect it at all costs, but most businesses don’t even know how to pick a compelling name. There are a few basic rules to follow when it comes to selecting and claiming your domain. Aim for a very memorable and non-generic domain name! Generic names are harder to rank for in search. Business listings with ultra-generic names (<a href="http://dallasheatingandcooling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dallasheatingandcooling.com</a>, for instance) may not even show up in search. People should remember your name and laugh, then for them not to remember your name at all! On an equally important note, make sure that you own the domain name, not a hosting company. You don’t want any complications with your host trying to sell the domain to another business. Believe us; it’s happened too many times! Reviews Can Make or Break Your Reputation. So always Ask Happy Customers for Feedback! <h2>Step #4: Ask for Reviews</h2> Reviews are a form of online currency, but they’re so much more. Client feedback is a testament to your team’s capabilities and your customer service. Unfortunately, most people forget to provide reviews unless they’ve had an awful experience.  That’s why you and your team must consistently ask your clients for reviews. Don’t wait either! Ask immediately after concluding services. At the very latest, you might wish to wait a couple of days (say after an installation) to follow up and ask for reviews. Asking in person creates goodwill with the existing client and trust with prospective consumers. Google prefers reviews to come from various resources, so try to spread out the feedback between Google, Facebook, and other citations. By routinely asking happy clients for reviews, you’ll easily drown out any different sort of negative complaints from that odd customer. <h2>Step #5: Review Your Progress</h2> Once you gained some ground in local search, leads should start to come in at a much faster rate. That steady stream of business to your website means you’ll have better funds for future marketing ideas! You can even take some time to upgrade your website and strengthen your brand. When that day comes, we hope you’ll partner with the <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.  The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-marketing-on-the-cheap/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Marketing On The Cheap (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

HVAC Marketing On The Cheap (Podcast)

One of the most alarming of all the Google search trends we observe at HVAC Webmasters is seasonal drop-offs. In other words, HVAC companies are dropping off of the front page. Of course, ranking changes happen, but many heating and cooling professionals inflict this problem on themselves.  “Should I halt my HVAC SEO efforts during the slow seasons?”   On today’s podcast, HVAC Webmasters answers this fundamental question and why you should rarely abandon search engine optimization altogether. Be sure to listen in if your company ever struggles to earn sustained lead generation.  Key Points to Hold Onto:   Google doesn’t recognize the seasonal shifts for HVAC businesses. Seasonal PPC campaign changes are okay, but neglecting SEO isn’t. Continued efforts during slow seasons could net you better rankings!    Fighting The Urge to Drop Off  Google search trends show it, and HVAC professionals know it: the heating and cooling industry naturally booms during the hot and cold seasons. That’s why so many businesses strip down to a skeleton crew in the spring and fall. Since business starts to lag during these months, many companies think online marketing can follow suit.  PPC campaigns and social media work can handle the downtime. However, organic SEO is another story. Extended periods of inactivity typically result in severe rank drops. When the slow period ends and the busy season roars back to life, your website will face an uphill battle to recoup the traffic losses.  Compelling Reasons to Maintain SEO Ranking  When marketing stops, ranking power gradually drops too. However, instead of stopping there, let’s explore some key Google search trends that provide more compelling reasons to continue your organic SEO efforts during the slow seasons.   Competition   When the Competition Takes a Break…  The fabled Tortoise and Hare story teach the dangers of untimely breaks. But, on the flip side of that story, we learn that it’s a beautiful opportunity to gain some ground when the competition takes some time off! Google search trends teach us that many HVAC professionals take some time off from marketing during the spring and fall seasons.  That’s the perfect time to rank up in local search!  Continue writing your keyword-rich blog articles. Take some time to update and enhance your service pages for a more substantial user experience. Keep collecting reviews! As competition naturally starts to fall in local search rankings and your brand starts to climb, you’ll be in prime position for the next busy season!   Continued Need   HVAC SEO Still Earns Leads  While volume may start to drop as part of the seasonal Google search trends, consumers still need their heating and cooling services! Nowhere is this more true than in Texas and other warm climates, where high temperatures naturally extend far into the fall. But, unfortunately, homeowners and businesses continue to experience part failures, even if it’s on a smaller scale.  With fewer competitors actively courting these consumers, that’s more revenue for your business to pursue. But, of course, these clients contribute to your reviews, too, sharpening your image for the upcoming busy months.  Even in the spring and fall, consumers continue to research replacement options for their furnaces and air conditioning units. So if you start planting seeds during the off-season, there’s a good chance you’ll earn some precious replacement leads in the future. That’s one more reason to make sure your page content is top-notch, answer key consumer questions, and providing tips into the search process.   Branding   Establishing Your Brand  For up-and-coming HVAC companies, branding can make or break your business’ future. As other contractors take a break, that’s the perfect time to get noticed and spread the word about your brand. Continue to optimize your website for local search, even when more prominent brands are taking a break.  If Google search trends are anything to go by, the search engine rewards businesses that release new content and update old resources. As a result, you could earn significant exposure for your HVAC company brand and some lifelong clients in the process. That’s more than enough reason to persevere during the off-seasons.    Want Some Marketing Advice?  When industry norms say it’s time to break from marketing, Google search trends tell a different story. With a qualified organic SEO plan, social media campaigning, and (maybe) some seasonal PPC ads, you could earn some fantastic leads even in a slow season. Make your brand advance through the ranks while competitors start to fade.  Our team at HVAC Webmasters would love to support your marketing plan! Our web design, local search, and PPC advertising services enable our clients to capture front-page rankings and remarkable lead generation. If you’ve been looking for a marketing team to partner with, see why many heating and cooling professionals choose our seasoned team. The post Should You Halt SEO During Slow HVAC Seasons? appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

One of the most alarming of all the Google search trends we observe at <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> is seasonal drop-offs. In other words, HVAC companies are dropping off of the front page. Of course, ranking changes happen, but many heating and cooling professionals inflict this problem on themselves. “Should I halt my HVAC SEO efforts during the slow seasons?”  On today’s podcast, HVAC Webmasters answers this fundamental question and why you should rarely abandon search engine optimization altogether. Be sure to listen in if your company ever struggles to earn sustained lead generation. Key Points to Hold Onto: <ul> <li>Google doesn’t recognize the seasonal shifts for HVAC businesses.</li> <li>Seasonal PPC campaign changes are okay, but neglecting SEO isn’t.</li> <li>Continued efforts during slow seasons could net you better rankings!</li> </ul> <h2>Fighting The Urge to Drop Off</h2> Google search trends show it, and HVAC professionals know it: the heating and cooling industry naturally booms during the hot and cold seasons. That’s why so many businesses strip down to a skeleton crew in the spring and fall. Since business starts to lag during these months, many companies think online marketing can follow suit. PPC campaigns and social media work can handle the downtime. However, organic SEO is another story. Extended periods of inactivity typically result in severe rank drops. When the slow period ends and the busy season roars back to life, your website will face an uphill battle to recoup the traffic losses. <h3>Compelling Reasons to Maintain SEO Ranking</h3> When marketing stops, ranking power gradually drops too. However, instead of stopping there, let’s explore some key Google search trends that provide more compelling reasons to continue your organic SEO efforts during the slow seasons. <h2>Competition</h2> <h3>When the Competition Takes a Break…</h3> The fabled Tortoise and Hare story teach the dangers of untimely breaks. But, on the flip side of that story, we learn that it’s a beautiful opportunity to gain some ground when the competition takes some time off! Google search trends teach us that many HVAC professionals take some time off from marketing during the spring and fall seasons. That’s the perfect time to rank up in local search! Continue writing your keyword-rich blog articles. Take some time to update and enhance your service pages for a more substantial user experience. Keep collecting reviews! As competition naturally starts to fall in local search rankings and your brand starts to climb, you’ll be in prime position for the next busy season! <h2>Continued Need</h2> <h3>HVAC SEO Still Earns Leads</h3> While volume may start to drop as part of the seasonal Google search trends, consumers still need their heating and cooling services! Nowhere is this more true than in Texas and other warm climates, where high temperatures naturally extend far into the fall. But, unfortunately, homeowners and businesses continue to experience part failures, even if it’s on a smaller scale. With fewer competitors actively courting these consumers, that’s more revenue for your business to pursue. But, of course, these clients contribute to your reviews, too, sharpening your image for the upcoming busy months. Even in the spring and fall, consumers continue to research replacement options for their furnaces and air conditioning units. So if you start planting seeds during the off-season, there’s a good chance you’ll earn some precious replacement leads in the future. That’s one more reason to make sure your page content is top-notch, answer key consumer questions, and providing tips into the search process. <h2>Branding</h2> <h3>Establishing Your Brand</h3> For up-and-coming HVAC companies, branding can make or break your business’ future. As other contractors take a break, that’s the perfect time to get noticed and spread the word about your brand. Continue to optimize your website for local search, even when more prominent brands are taking a break. If Google search trends are anything to go by, the search engine rewards businesses that release new content and update old resources. As a result, you could earn significant exposure for your <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-branding/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC company brand</a> and some lifelong clients in the process. That’s more than enough reason to persevere during the off-seasons. <h2>Want Some Marketing Advice?</h2> When industry norms say it’s time to break from marketing, Google search trends tell a different story. With a qualified organic SEO plan, social media campaigning, and (maybe) some <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/seasonal-ppc/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">seasonal PPC ads</a>, you could earn some fantastic leads even in a slow season. Make your brand advance through the ranks while competitors start to fade. Our team at HVAC Webmasters would love to support your marketing plan! Our web design, local search, and PPC advertising services enable our clients to capture front-page rankings and remarkable lead generation. If you’ve been looking for a marketing team to partner with, see why many heating and cooling professionals choose our seasoned team. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/seo-during-slow-seasons-google-search-trends/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Should You Halt SEO During Slow HVAC Seasons?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Should You Halt SEO During Slow HVAC Seasons?

If there’s anything we’ve seen in the year 2019, it’s more of the same from sleazy HVAC SEO companies. We hear all sorts of stories and tales from contractors across the US, but a handful of common tactics seem to pop up pretty consistently. So first, tune in as Jason and Nolen of HVAC Webmasters discuss digital marketing red flags to avoid in 2020. Then, be sure to listen in if you’re looking to expand your HVAC business next year.  Valuable Tips to Look Out For:   $300 a month can’t support sustained work on a website. Stick with month-to-month pricing! Long-term, flat fee contracts often backfire if your digital marketer isn’t motivated to perform. SEO for HVAC should produce results within two to three months.    Tricks from SEO Companies  It’s a sad truth of our industry. The handful of well-intentioned, productive services often fall beneath the waves of sophisticated money grabbers. Experienced sales pros learn to sway businesses with high-reaching claims and confusing jargon. So many people get burned every year by shady SEO companies that many HVAC contractors swear off online marketing altogether.  We don’t want that to happen for your business! After all, online marketing provides many valuable opportunities to connect with lifelong customers.  So let’s ensure that the sad tale of all these hardworking professionals is not your story in 2020. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most common tricks used by SEO companies to trick contractors. Learn these trends, then use the knowledge to weed out candidates for your HVAC marketing team.  Trick #1: The $300 Pricetag  Somewhere in the last decade, the $300 online marketing price tag rose into popularity. It because so commonplace that our team receives questions about it all the time. “These other HVAC SEO companies offer a $300 monthly package. Why don’t the Webmasters do the same?”  $300 (or less) pricing doesn’t fund your SEO needs.  For such a small sum, digital marketers can’t afford to provide a comprehensive or sustained effort towards your website, let alone PPC campaigns and citations. Results continue to shrink as that price edges towards the $99 threshold. How many experienced web designers do you think can produce a front-page ranking site for less than $100? Zero.   Why the Low Price?  “That doesn’t make sense.” you might say. After all, why would a business advertise its services at such a low price if it can’t produce results at that rate? But, first, it’s easy for a company to buy a cheap (or even free) WordPress template and lightly customize it for a client. Second, they only have to accomplish enough work to convince the client that results are on the way.  $300 packages may coax a business into purchasing other services. However, the low price point covers a single “specialized” marketing service. Listen for fancy buzzwords that sound convincing but don’t provide results.  Red Flag Phrases from Cheap SEO Companies:   “For only $300/month, I can provide website development, social media, citations, PPC, reviews, blogging…” “We utilize a brand new marketing technique called…” “It takes a full year to produce results in SEO. We’ll get there!” “I have a (cousin, nephew, etc.) who’s good at website design!”   Before moving on, here’s a challenge. Try to find an HVAC contractor paying $300 or less for SEO service who’s happy with their results. How many can you find that have stayed with their cheap SEO companies for more than a year? While a handful of low-dollar solutions provide additional functionality for already successful HVAC websites, few offer the expertise necessary to get a new online marketing program off the ground. How Many SEO Companies Show Exactly How They’re Doing in Organic Search? Trick #2: The 12 Month Contract  Ask our company founder Nolen what he thinks about 12-month marketing contracts, and you’ll quickly see how strongly he advises against them! That’s because long-term service contracts that lock in a business without a guarantee of results lack accountability. With no responsibility, disaster isn’t far behind.  Year-long contracts are a favorite of larger SEO companies, especially those with an established sales force. The promise of a lower average monthly cost (or a simple lack of monthly pricing) draws in many HVAC contractors. After all, established digital marketing agencies must be trustworthy. Right? Sadly, dishonest tactics seem to be the norm even among giants.  Red Flag Phrases to Watch Out For:   “Sorry, but SEO does take six months or longer to produce results.” “I’ll try to connect you with the website development team, but they may be too busy to answer right now.” “We’ll earn you page one rank for five keywords you choose!” “That’s going to include a website change fee. Is that okay?” “This design change may seem small, but it’s very hard.” “We don’t use clicks for our measurements. We use impressions.“   Long-term contracts allow SEO companies to slow their efforts and conserve budget spend. When leads start to diminish and clients complain, they can claim that SEO takes time or create a brief surge of growth with PPC campaigns. These companies also try to discourage client requests and changes by claiming updates are too hard or expensive to achieve. As long as customers continue to trickle in, most HVAC contractors continue to pay for lackluster results. Marketing Firms Often Earn More Money With PPC Campaigns Than SEO. Trick #3: The Bundle Shuffle  The bundle trick is one of the worst offenders in digital marketing because it preys on the fears of HVAC contractors. SEO companies often approach businesses with a PPC/SEO bundle offer. Bundles seem like a more convenient solution to most professionals, so they buy into the package deal. The bundle often comes with third-party reporting to provide an air of accountability. But this arrangement rarely involves anything of the sort, especially with mandatory long-term contracts.  Here’s what typically happens.   First, results start to trickle in from the PPC campaigns. Paid search typically offers fast results, so the leads are relatively simple to acquire. However, SEO companies tend to mark up the cost per click (CPC) of keywords. That markup gets hidden in the reports, but some research in Google Ads can reveal the actual CPC.  Over time, it usually becomes clear that the marketing agency isn’t showing results in organic search. While some quasi-SEO companies provide a measure of website development (mostly simple templates) and citation work with their bundle, many intentionally work as little as possible towards organic search. There’s an excellent reason for that.  Most PPC firms don’t want your website to succeed organically.  If an HVAC company website takes off and starts earning cheaper (but high quality) leads, that company will naturally lower its ad spend. Those advertisements are how many digital marketers make their money. PPC campaigns also represent a reasonably low-time investment. Those CPC markups start to disappear when PPC fades away, so why would a digital marketing PPC-focused company try to cut down on their revenue? Real SEO Companies Make it Easier to Earn Cheap Leads for Your Business! Even when these companies continue to provide poor results, many HVAC contractors stick with their existing firm because they’re scared to quit PPC. Countless PPC and SEO companies can run these ads, but few can manage an effective organic strategy. So don’t be afraid to shop around for a better marketing team.  Avoiding the Bundle Shuffle  With bundle pricing, your digital marketing company can make it look like they’re spending money (and time) to progress your organic SEO when they haven’t. For example, in a recent chat with a home contractor, Nolen found a PPC-oriented firm that hadn’t even completed their client’s Google My Business profile. That’s a primary, mandatory task for ranking in local search, and they hadn’t even touched the listing!  You can dodge the “Bundle Shuffle” in two easy steps. First, make sure your PPC campaigns are always priced separately from your organic efforts. Next, make sure your credit card for the PPC campaigns is set up directly through Google Ads, not your marketing company! While they can charge you a managing fee, this prevents your digital marketer from marking up the cost per click.  Avoid These Bundle Red Flags   “We provide PPC reporting through a third-party report, not Google.” “You shouldn’t spend very much on SEO. PPC offers a better return.” “We’re working on your website, but these things take time.” “If you search your company name, it comes up in paid search.”   By the way, this last red flag is a familiar trick PPC companies use to show proof of activity. Company names are very cheap to buy in PPC. Who else would be competing for your company name?  Worried About Your Company?  If you think your marketing firm may be trying to trick you, we’d love to help. There are a handful of honest, productive SEO companies in the industry. For example, our highly rated team at HVAC Webmasters supports hundreds of businesses across the United States, earning them front-page rankings, better traffic, and higher quality leads. The post The Dirty Secrets of SEO Companies Revealed (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

If there’s anything we’ve seen in the year 2019, it’s more of the same from sleazy HVAC SEO companies. We hear all sorts of stories and tales from contractors across the US, but a handful of common tactics seem to pop up pretty consistently. So first, tune in as Jason and Nolen of <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> discuss digital marketing red flags to avoid in 2020. Then, be sure to listen in if you’re looking to expand your HVAC business next year. Valuable Tips to Look Out For: <ul> <li>$300 a month can’t support sustained work on a website.</li> <li>Stick with month-to-month pricing! Long-term, flat fee contracts often backfire if your digital marketer isn’t motivated to perform.</li> <li>SEO for HVAC should produce results within two to three months.</li> </ul> <h2>Tricks from SEO Companies</h2> It’s a sad truth of our industry. The handful of well-intentioned, productive services often fall beneath the waves of sophisticated money grabbers. Experienced sales pros learn to sway businesses with high-reaching claims and confusing jargon. So many people get burned every year by shady SEO companies that many HVAC contractors swear off online marketing altogether. We don’t want that to happen for your business! After all, online marketing provides many valuable opportunities to connect with lifelong customers. So let’s ensure that the sad tale of all these hardworking professionals is not your story in 2020. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most common tricks used by SEO companies to trick contractors. Learn these trends, then use the knowledge to weed out candidates for your HVAC marketing team. <h2>Trick #1: The $300 Pricetag</h2> Somewhere in the last decade, the $300 online marketing price tag rose into popularity. It because so commonplace that our team receives questions about it all the time. “These other HVAC SEO companies offer a $300 monthly package. Why don’t the Webmasters do the same?” $300 (or less) pricing doesn’t fund your SEO needs. For such a small sum, digital marketers can’t afford to provide a comprehensive or sustained effort towards your website, let alone PPC campaigns and citations. Results continue to shrink as that price edges towards the $99 threshold. How many experienced web designers do you think can produce a front-page ranking site for less than $100? Zero. <h3>Why the Low Price?</h3> “That doesn’t make sense.” you might say. After all, why would a business advertise its services at such a low price if it can’t produce results at that rate? But, first, it’s easy for a company to buy a cheap (or even free) WordPress template and lightly customize it for a client. Second, they only have to accomplish enough work to convince the client that results are on the way. $300 packages may coax a business into purchasing other services. However, the low price point covers a single “specialized” marketing service. Listen for fancy buzzwords that sound convincing but don’t provide results. Red Flag Phrases from Cheap SEO Companies: <ul> <li>“For only $300/month, I can provide website development, social media, citations, PPC, reviews, blogging…”</li> <li>“We utilize a brand new marketing technique called…”</li> <li>“It takes a full year to produce results in SEO. We’ll get there!”</li> <li>“I have a (cousin, nephew, etc.) who’s good at website design!”</li> </ul> Before moving on, here’s a challenge. Try to find an HVAC contractor paying $300 or less for SEO service who’s happy with their results. How many can you find that have stayed with their cheap SEO companies for more than a year? While a handful of low-dollar solutions provide additional functionality for already <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-websites/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">successful HVAC websites</a>, few offer the expertise necessary to get a new online marketing program off the ground. How Many SEO Companies Show Exactly How They’re Doing in Organic Search? <h2>Trick #2: The 12 Month Contract</h2> Ask our company founder Nolen what he thinks about 12-month marketing contracts, and you’ll quickly see how strongly he advises against them! That’s because long-term service contracts that lock in a business without a guarantee of results lack accountability. With no responsibility, disaster isn’t far behind. Year-long contracts are a favorite of larger SEO companies, especially those with an established sales force. The promise of a lower average monthly cost (or a simple lack of monthly pricing) draws in many HVAC contractors. After all, established digital marketing agencies must be trustworthy. Right? Sadly, dishonest tactics seem to be the norm even among giants. Red Flag Phrases to Watch Out For: <ul> <li>“Sorry, but SEO does take six months or longer to produce results.”</li> <li>“I’ll try to connect you with the website development team, but they may be too busy to answer right now.”</li> <li>“We’ll earn you page one rank for five keywords you choose!”</li> <li>“That’s going to include a website change fee. Is that okay?”</li> <li>“This design change may seem small, but it’s very hard.”</li> <li>“We don’t use clicks for our measurements. We use impressions.“</li> </ul> Long-term contracts allow SEO companies to slow their efforts and conserve budget spend. When leads start to diminish and clients complain, they can claim that SEO takes time or create a brief surge of growth with PPC campaigns. These companies also try to discourage client requests and changes by claiming updates are too hard or expensive to achieve. As long as customers continue to trickle in, most HVAC contractors continue to pay for lackluster results. Marketing Firms Often Earn More Money With PPC Campaigns Than SEO. <h2>Trick #3: The Bundle Shuffle</h2> The bundle trick is one of the worst offenders in digital marketing because it preys on the fears of HVAC contractors. SEO companies often approach businesses with a PPC/SEO bundle offer. Bundles seem like a more convenient solution to most professionals, so they buy into the package deal. The bundle often comes with third-party reporting to provide an air of accountability. But this arrangement rarely involves anything of the sort, especially with mandatory long-term contracts. Here’s what typically happens.  First, results start to trickle in from the <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/ppc-advertising/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">PPC campaigns</a>. Paid search typically offers fast results, so the leads are relatively simple to acquire. However, SEO companies tend to mark up the cost per click (CPC) of keywords. That markup gets hidden in the reports, but some research in Google Ads can reveal the actual CPC. Over time, it usually becomes clear that the marketing agency isn’t showing results in organic search. While some quasi-SEO companies provide a measure of website development (mostly simple templates) and citation work with their bundle, many intentionally work as little as possible towards organic search. There’s an excellent reason for that. Most PPC firms don’t want your website to succeed organically. If an HVAC company website takes off and starts earning cheaper (but high quality) leads, that company will naturally lower its ad spend. Those advertisements are how many digital marketers make their money. PPC campaigns also represent a reasonably low-time investment. Those CPC markups start to disappear when PPC fades away, so why would a digital marketing PPC-focused company try to cut down on their revenue? Real SEO Companies Make it Easier to Earn Cheap Leads for Your Business! Even when these companies continue to provide poor results, many HVAC contractors stick with their existing firm because they’re scared to quit PPC. Countless PPC and SEO companies can run these ads, but few can manage an effective organic strategy. So don’t be afraid to shop around for a better marketing team. <h3>Avoiding the Bundle Shuffle</h3> With bundle pricing, your digital marketing company can make it look like they’re spending money (and time) to progress your organic SEO when they haven’t. For example, in a recent chat with a home contractor, Nolen found a PPC-oriented firm that hadn’t even completed their client’s Google My Business profile. That’s a primary, mandatory task for ranking in local search, and they hadn’t even touched the listing! You can dodge the “Bundle Shuffle” in two easy steps. First, make sure your PPC campaigns are always priced separately from your organic efforts. Next, make sure your credit card for the PPC campaigns is set up directly through Google Ads, not your marketing company! While they can charge you a managing fee, this prevents your digital marketer from marking up the cost per click. Avoid These Bundle Red Flags <ul> <li>“We provide PPC reporting through a third-party report, not Google.”</li> <li>“You shouldn’t spend very much on SEO. PPC offers a better return.”</li> <li>“We’re working on your website, but these things take time.”</li> <li>“If you search your company name, it comes up in paid search.”</li> </ul> By the way, this last red flag is a familiar trick PPC companies use to show proof of activity. Company names are very cheap to buy in PPC. Who else would be competing for your company name? <h2>Worried About Your Company?</h2> If you think your marketing firm may be trying to trick you, we’d love to help. There are a handful of honest, productive SEO companies in the industry. For example, our highly rated team at HVAC Webmasters supports hundreds of businesses across the United States, earning them front-page rankings, better traffic, and higher quality leads. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/dirty-secrets-of-hvac-seo-companies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Dirty Secrets of SEO Companies Revealed (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

The Dirty Secrets of SEO Companies Revealed (Podcast)

What does the online marketing landscape look like as we advance towards 2020? What sort of HVAC SEO strategies can your company use to climb the ranks even higher this year? Nolen and Jason of HVAC Webmasters discuss some helpful tips to increase local search visibility and earn more leads. So if you’ve struggled to make page 1 rankings in Google Search, be sure to listen in.  Helpful Points for HVAC Companies:   Original content is still essential, but it’s a baseline now. Collecting reviews is more vital than ever. Make sure your Google My Business account remains active.    A New Baseline for Marketing  Original content is a concept businesses live and die by and a practice that’s become the norm for those looking to perform well in local search. While everyone can and should pursue original content that provides real value for consumers in their target market, it is more of a requirement than a bonus.  In other words, quality content is the new baseline.  To win front page rankings and develop a consistent pool of website traffic, roofing contractors have to go above and beyond that baseline. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools at your disposal to rise above the competition and let your brand stand out. Some of them are free tools from Google, while others may require a little investment from your company.  Google My Business Activity  It’s one of the most accessible resources, yet many businesses fail to claim their free Google My Business (GMB) account. If you haven’t claimed your business listing, you’re liking missing out on hundreds of potential customer impressions. Fill out as many boxes as possible, as Google will be more likely to present your business during a local consumer search.  GMB accounts come with several fun tools to showcase your company. The portal allows businesses to upload original company photos, videos, and infographics. You can also create updates and promotions that show up whenever someone searches for your company name. So it takes only a few minutes to upload a photo, write some catchy insights about standard heating and cooling challenges, then send out the post for viewing in local search!  Be sure to post regularly, as GMB posts disappear a week after crafting them. You can view historic Google posts from your archives, but Google only shows recent releases in search engine results pages (SERPs). Posts are Also a Great Means of Showing Internal Company Life. You can upload images to serve as your company cover and exterior office shots. Just be careful that the photos you post represent your company well. Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to ensure that your favorite photos are the ones showing up in local SERPs.  Review Management and Collection  Apart from your company website and content optimization strategy, nothing impacts local search like customer reviews. As such, all great SEO strategies work to incorporate a steady influx of client feedback. For example, Google used to favor reviews from its own portal (Google Reviews), but now it prefers them from various sources.  You’ll notice that many top industry performers work hard to gather reviews from their customers consistently. As a result, you’ll find these companies standing out in local service packs, earning premium leads for some of the most popular services. As you can see, even a little effort goes a long way when it comes to reviews.  Where should you ask for reviews?   Google Reviews Facebook Instagram Better Business Bureau Yelp Angie’s List Your Website  Reviews, in Google and Your Website, Create Trust With Consumers. Of course, the easiest way to collect client feedback is to ask for it. Then, send your customers (especially the happy ones) a short invitation via text or email. It doesn’t have to be complicated; provide the link(s), so they can do it quickly.  Showcasing Reviews on Your Website  For the most significant impact, incorporate those reviews into the company website. You’ll likely need a professional to do this for you, but watch out! Most HVAC SEO companies aren’t very good at infusing these reviews into the site effectively. Our team at HVAC Webmasters took years to develop our tool (DataPins) to do so, but the impact on our clients’ local search results is nothing short of incredible.  Team Up With HVAC Webmasters.  If your business sometimes struggles to earn that oh-so-important front-page listing, our team would love to talk with you! At HVAC Webmasters, we enable HVAC companies around the country to achieve higher ranks, better traffic, and outstanding leads.  The post HVAC SEO Strategies for 2020 (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

What does the online marketing landscape look like as we advance towards 2020? What sort of HVAC SEO strategies can your company use to climb the ranks even higher this year? Nolen and Jason of <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> discuss some <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-seo-tips/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">helpful tips</a> to increase local search visibility and earn more leads. So if you’ve struggled to make page 1 rankings in Google Search, be sure to listen in. Helpful Points for HVAC Companies: <ul> <li>Original content is still essential, but it’s a baseline now.</li> <li>Collecting reviews is more vital than ever.</li> <li>Make sure your Google My Business account remains active.</li> </ul> <h2>A New Baseline for Marketing</h2> Original content is a concept businesses live and die by and a practice that’s become the norm for those looking to perform well in local search. While everyone can and should pursue original content that provides real value for consumers in their target market, it is more of a requirement than a bonus. In other words, quality content is the new baseline. To win front page rankings and develop a consistent pool of website traffic, roofing contractors have to go above and beyond that baseline. Thankfully, there are plenty of tools at your disposal to rise above the competition and let your brand stand out. Some of them are free tools from Google, while others may require a little investment from your company. <h2>Google My Business Activity</h2> It’s one of the most accessible resources, yet many businesses fail to claim their free <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/google-my-business/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Google My Business</a> (GMB) account. If you haven’t claimed your business listing, you’re liking missing out on hundreds of potential customer impressions. Fill out as many boxes as possible, as Google will be more likely to present your business during a local consumer search. GMB accounts come with several fun tools to showcase your company. The portal allows businesses to upload original company photos, videos, and infographics. You can also create updates and promotions that show up whenever someone searches for your company name. So it takes only a few minutes to upload a photo, write some catchy insights about standard heating and cooling challenges, then send out the post for viewing in local search! Be sure to post regularly, as GMB posts disappear a week after crafting them. You can view historic Google posts from your archives, but Google only shows recent releases in search engine results pages (SERPs). Posts are Also a Great Means of Showing Internal Company Life. You can upload images to serve as your company cover and exterior office shots. Just be careful that the photos you post represent your company well. Unfortunately, there’s currently no way to ensure that your favorite photos are the ones showing up in local SERPs. <h2>Review Management and Collection</h2> Apart from your company website and content optimization strategy, nothing impacts local search like customer reviews. As such, all great SEO strategies work to incorporate a steady influx of client feedback. For example, Google used to favor reviews from its own portal (Google Reviews), but now it prefers them from various sources. You’ll notice that many top industry performers work hard to <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/reviews-reputation-management/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">gather reviews</a> from their customers consistently. As a result, you’ll find these companies standing out in local service packs, earning premium leads for some of the most popular services. As you can see, even a little effort goes a long way when it comes to reviews. Where should you ask for reviews? <ul> <li>Google Reviews</li> <li>Facebook</li> <li>Instagram</li> <li>Better Business Bureau</li> <li>Yelp</li> <li>Angie’s List</li> <li>Your Website</li> </ul> Reviews, in Google and Your Website, Create Trust With Consumers. Of course, the easiest way to collect client feedback is to ask for it. Then, send your customers (especially the happy ones) a short invitation via text or email. It doesn’t have to be complicated; provide the link(s), so they can do it quickly. <h3>Showcasing Reviews on Your Website</h3> For the most significant impact, incorporate those reviews into the company website. You’ll likely need a professional to do this for you, but watch out! Most HVAC SEO companies aren’t very good at infusing these reviews into the site effectively. Our team at HVAC Webmasters took years to develop our tool (DataPins) to do so, but the impact on our clients’ local search results is nothing short of incredible. <h2>Team Up With HVAC Webmasters.</h2> If your business sometimes struggles to earn that oh-so-important front-page listing, our team would love to talk with you! At HVAC Webmasters, we enable HVAC companies around the country to achieve higher ranks, better traffic, and outstanding leads.  The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-seo-strategies-for-2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC SEO Strategies for 2020 (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

HVAC SEO Strategies for 2020 (Podcast)

When creating a functional HVAC SEO plan, many heating and cooling professionals settle for piecemeal strategies. Today, Nolen and Jason of HVAC Webmasters discuss why SEO is so often an all-or-nothing venture. A Cohesive effort makes for lasting results. If your HVAC business struggles with creating traffic online or converting clicks into leads, be sure to listen closely.  Key Points to Listen For:    SEO for HVAC requires consistent updates and fresh content. SEO is a holistic effort. Piecemeal plans fall flat. Geotagged Reviews and Check-ins create fantastic growth potential. SEO Solutions only work when they get used consistently.    Lining Up Your SEO Ducks  True or false: website content lasts forever. While adages may suggest that whatever content you post online lasts forever, please don’t listen to them. Your content may last as long as your domain does, but it could lose its potency long before then. In reality, websites need to faithfully make SEO updates if they wish to keep ranking on the front page of Google Search results.   “That’s okay. We post to our company blog every month. We’re fine!” “But My HVAC company earns reviews for every job we complete.” “When we launched our site, we used a lot of hot keywords.” “Our social media presence will keep us going indefinitely.” “We’re enjoying fantastic success. We don’t need to make updates!”   At the HVAC Webmasters, we’ve heard all of these responses (and more). Unfortunately, it comes from the mindset that one single element of SEO can carry the rest without any extra effort. Unfortunately, not even the most sophisticated blog, reviews platform, keyword strategy, or social media campaign can create lasting HVAC SEO success by itself. It takes a little bit of everything to preserve your rankings, especially those ranking #1 in Google Search. Why Lose Premium Listings By Failing to Complete Regular SEO Updates? Key SEO Ingredients for HVAC Companies  The extensive list of SEO to-dos is one we recite pretty often at HVAC Webmasters. If you’ve listened to our podcasts before, you’ll know that we’re very fond of reviewing the basics of search engine optimization. So what does it take for a heating and cooling professional to be successful online?   Custom Website Development Fresh Coding Keyword-rich Pages Blogging Reviews (from a variety of sources) Google My Business Listings Citations Social Media Presence   Remember, all of these activities contribute towards your overall online marketing success. So there’s a natural order to these, which we’ll touch on later. The key is to create a cohesive plan for all these elements to work in harmony. That’s why HVAC contractors who rely on multiple vendors for their SEO updates so often experience muddied results. Customer Questions Make for Great Blogging Topics SEO for HVAC Contractors – A Winning Strategy  So how can you put together a functional SEO strategy and make it easier for your business to consistently rank for those hot keywords? As we mentioned earlier, there’s a natural order for optimization.  How to Order Your SEO Elements:   1. Complete a Google My Business listing. 2. Develop a custom website (with coding and keyword-rich content). 3. Get listed on multiple citation sources: BBB, Angie’s List, etc. 4. Start asking for reviews after jobs. 5. Blog at least once a month. 6. Cultivate your social media presence.   You can use many activities to showcase your brand and earn new business, but these are the most essential.  How to Keep SEO Updates Simple  Setting up all these elements (or paying someone to do it for you) may require a significant investment on your company’s part. Even after completing all the initial setup, there’s still the matter of SEO updates. As Jason puts it in our podcast, picture your website as a physical storefront. If your lights are out, people will think you’re closed.  Google examines hundreds, maybe even thousands of data points to judge whether or not a company is dependable enough to refer users. If your HVAC company creates a new website and leaves it alone for months on end, Google sees a storefront with the lights out. It subsequently lowers your company’s rank in local search. One-off activities like blogging may slow the descent, but not even that will preserve your rankings for long.  So what can your business do to streamline SEO updates and keep your site as visible as possible to both Google and potential customers?   1. Review your homepage and service pages every quarter. Update as needed. 2. Write down FAQs from clients and make blog posts each month. 3. Make sure your Google My Business account stays up to date. 4. Give “Review Us” cards after each job, or try DataPins. 5. Take pictures before and after essential jobs. Post to Facebook.    Team Up With the Webmasters  If you want to make your online marketing and SEO updates as easy as possible, team up with the HVAC Webmasters. Our seasoned team of graphic designers, programmers, content writers, SEO strategists, and social media pros support hundreds of contractors around the United States. We’d love to serve you too. The post Why Regular Web Work is Important for SEO (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

When creating a functional HVAC SEO plan, many heating and cooling professionals settle for piecemeal strategies. Today, Nolen and Jason of <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> discuss why SEO is so often an all-or-nothing venture. A Cohesive effort makes for lasting results. If your HVAC business struggles with creating traffic online or converting clicks into leads, be sure to listen closely. Key Points to Listen For:  <ul> <li>SEO for HVAC requires consistent updates and fresh content.</li> <li>SEO is a holistic effort. Piecemeal plans fall flat.</li> <li>Geotagged Reviews and Check-ins create fantastic growth potential.</li> <li>SEO Solutions only work when they get used consistently.</li> </ul> <h2>Lining Up Your SEO Ducks</h2> True or false: website content lasts forever. While adages may suggest that whatever content you post online lasts forever, please don’t listen to them. Your content may last as long as your domain does, but it could lose its potency long before then. In reality, websites need to faithfully make SEO updates if they wish to keep ranking on the front page of Google Search results. <ul> <li>“That’s okay. We post to our company blog every month. We’re fine!”</li> <li>“But My HVAC company earns reviews for every job we complete.”</li> <li>“When we launched our site, we used a lot of hot keywords.”</li> <li>“Our social media presence will keep us going indefinitely.”</li> <li>“We’re enjoying fantastic success. We don’t need to make updates!”</li> </ul> At the HVAC Webmasters, we’ve heard all of these responses (and more). Unfortunately, it comes from the mindset that one single element of SEO can carry the rest without any extra effort. Unfortunately, not even the most sophisticated blog, reviews platform, keyword strategy, or social media campaign can create lasting HVAC SEO success by itself. It takes a little bit of everything to preserve your rankings, especially those ranking #1 in Google Search. Why Lose Premium Listings By Failing to Complete Regular SEO Updates? <h3>Key SEO Ingredients for HVAC Companies</h3> The extensive list of SEO to-dos is one we recite pretty often at HVAC Webmasters. If you’ve listened to our podcasts before, you’ll know that we’re very fond of reviewing the basics of search engine optimization. So what does it take for a heating and cooling professional to be successful online? <ul> <li>Custom Website Development</li> <li>Fresh Coding</li> <li>Keyword-rich Pages</li> <li>Blogging</li> <li>Reviews (from a variety of sources)</li> <li>Google My Business Listings</li> <li>Citations</li> <li>Social Media Presence</li> </ul> Remember, all of these activities contribute towards your overall <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-marketing/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">online marketing</a> success. So there’s a natural order to these, which we’ll touch on later. The key is to create a cohesive plan for all these elements to work in harmony. That’s why HVAC contractors who rely on multiple vendors for their SEO updates so often experience muddied results. Customer Questions Make for Great Blogging Topics <h3>SEO for HVAC Contractors – A Winning Strategy</h3> So how can you put together a functional SEO strategy and make it easier for your business to consistently rank for those hot keywords? As we mentioned earlier, there’s a natural order for optimization. How to Order Your SEO Elements: <ol> <li>1. Complete a Google My Business listing.</li> <li>2. Develop a custom website (with coding and keyword-rich content).</li> <li>3. Get listed on multiple citation sources: BBB, Angie’s List, etc.</li> <li>4. Start asking for reviews after jobs.</li> <li>5. Blog at least once a month.</li> <li>6. Cultivate your social media presence.</li> </ol> You can use many activities to showcase your brand and earn new business, but these are the most essential. <h2>How to Keep SEO Updates Simple</h2> Setting up all these elements (or paying someone to do it for you) may require a significant investment on your company’s part. Even after completing all the initial setup, there’s still the matter of SEO updates. As Jason puts it in our podcast, picture your website as a physical storefront. If your lights are out, people will think you’re closed. Google examines hundreds, maybe even thousands of data points to judge whether or not a company is dependable enough to refer users. If your HVAC company creates a new website and leaves it alone for months on end, Google sees a storefront with the lights out. It subsequently lowers your company’s rank in local search. One-off activities like blogging may slow the descent, but not even that will preserve your rankings for long. So what can your business do to streamline SEO updates and keep your site as visible as possible to both Google and potential customers? <ol> <li>1. Review your homepage and service pages every quarter. Update as needed.</li> <li>2. Write down FAQs from clients and make blog posts each month.</li> <li>3. Make sure your Google My Business account stays up to date.</li> <li>4. Give “Review Us” cards after each job, or try DataPins.</li> <li>5. Take pictures before and after essential jobs. Post to Facebook.</li> </ol> <h2>Team Up With the Webmasters</h2> If you want to make your online marketing and SEO updates as easy as possible, team up with the HVAC Webmasters. Our seasoned team of graphic designers, programmers, content writers, SEO strategists, and social media pros support hundreds of contractors around the United States. We’d love to serve you too. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/regular-seo-updates-produce-results/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why Regular Web Work is Important for SEO (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Why Regular Web Work is Important for SEO (Podcast)

HVAC contractors deal with heavy competition, especially when it comes to service-related keyword ranking. That’s why so many businesses turn to paid ads, which offer the benefits of pinpoint targeting to bypass competitors. Nolen and Jason talk about creating a successful, cost-effective marketing plan to maximize the return on your ad investment in our latest podcast. So if you’ve considered experimenting with paid ads, or if you’ve only claimed mediocre returns in the past, be sure to listen in.  Look for These Key Topics:   How to Prepare for Paid Ad Campaigns Understanding the Average Lead Journey Smart Paid Ads Strategy for Beginners Getting Cost-Effective Results from Your Ads    Preparing for Paid Ads  As with any part of your online marketing strategy, your paid ads require a firm starting position to launch. That foundation is your SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you haven’t taken care of these organic search elements yet, you’ll need to do so before attempting paid ad campaigns.  Essential Organic Search Elements    Website Creation Codebase Development Design – Graphics and Navigation Content Writing Google My Business – Registration Citation Listings Reviews Integration   Once you have a professional website for leads to pour into, then you can kick off your paid ads! However, before we dive into practical starting points for your advertising, we need to re-examine the lead development process. First, you’ll need a high-performance website with relevant landing pages. You’ll Need a High-Performance Website for Your Paid Ads to Direct To. Understanding the Course of Lead Development  In their discussion, Jason and Nolen discuss how even the buying process for a shampoo bottle may last as long as three months. But, of course, if something so menial requires such a long decision process, it’s only natural that HVAC leads might take even longer to transform into an actual business. After all, this is a significant investment.  Here’s how a typical non-emergency lead might progress. First, the consumer encounters an element from your company’s marketing program. That might be the product of your SEO for HVAC keywords, social media advertisements, or even word-of-mouth marketing. Then, when they begin their search for their heating and cooling service, they recall your marketing and visit your site. The initial visit may only last for a few minutes.  Fast forward to weeks or months in the future, and the consumer returns to your website once more. This time they take longer, visit a couple of service pages, then leave. At this point, they may turn to your social media page and citation sources to examine your company’s reviews. Then, finally, they revisit your website one more time and make the call to your office. Google Analytics Provides Valuable Insight on User Behavior. That’s quite a decision process! But, unfortunately, only 3% of people who click on your Google Search listing will complete the entire journey to becoming actual clients.   Key Takeaways from the Lead Process:   Consumers may require multiple site visits before they convert. There are several points in the decision process where ads can help. Organic SEO elements still play a massive role in the search progression.   Progressive Order of Paid Ads  Once an HVAC contractor establishes a firm foundation of website SEO, then paid ads to become a natural second step. But, with so many platforms to choose from, how do industry professionals know where to begin their efforts? Over the years, our team at HVAC Webmasters has completed a lot of research and testing with paid ads, and there’s an optimal progression that works wonders for most heating and cooling companies.   Step #1: Retargeting   Paid Ads, Step #1: Retargeting  One of the most dangerous parts of the lead development process is the period after a visitor’s initial exposure to your website. Even if the potential client experiences a great first impression with your brand, people eventually forget most of the encounter as they move on with their daily online routine. While your website can’t chase after these would-be clients, retargeted ads can.   These ads pop up in the visitor’s browser as they shop or browse on other websites. That’s why you’ll discover ads from your recent site visits following you to Facebook – their retargeting program is called Pixel Tracking – or as you look up recipes to plan evening meals.  Do you know why these ads are so popular among businesses these days? They multiply a potential customer’s likelihood of converting three to five times! Imagine transforming your conversion rate from 3% to 9-15%. They’re also dirt cheap, running somewhere around one-tenth the cost of traditional PPC ads. Excellent returns and low investment costs make for a pretty outstanding paid ads venue.   Step #2: Geofencing   Paid Ads, Step #2: Mobile Ads via Geofencing  Don’t let the fancy terminology fool you. Geofencing is simply a flashy term for the geographical ad targeting that’s been available for the better part of a decade. Any company or marketing professional trying to sell geofencing as a new concept isn’t worth your business.  This specialized ad targeting offers lucrative opportunities for your business! When a consumer searches for “AC repair” or even a local competitor, it’s easy to track that activity and create a banner ad campaign to pursue that potential client. With the added benefits of geofencing, you’ll conveniently eliminate any false leads from outside of your service area.  So what does this process look like for a consumer in a real-world situation? Imagine a homeowner is hunting for HVAC contractors to complete a furnace replacement. They’ve seen one of your competitor’s PPC ads on Google Search and visits their site. Later that day, they pull up Candy Crush or another app and see a well-crafted banner ad for your company. Since the consumer is already in the market for HVAC services, they click the ad and visit your site.   Step #3: PPC Campaigns   Paid Ads, Step #3: PPC Campaigns  Of course, there are always the traditional PPC venues available in Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising. While they cost more than geofencing and retargeted ads, both of these platforms offer substantial opportunities for growth. Even freshly minted HVAC contractors can find important information on creating and managing a PPC campaign on Adwords.  So what’s the appeal for these platforms? For one, they avoid the fierce keyword competition of HVAC SEO. Second, both Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising provide outstanding targeting capabilities for finding the right audience. Third, as the largest search engine and social media platform (respectively), these ad programs also promise vast consumer bases for contractors to pursue. Finally, many businesses see a double return on their Adwords investment. If you’ve already done a great job of optimizing your website, then much of your paid ads keyword research is already done.  If you haven’t done so already, try making a few test campaigns and running them for your business. Google often offers free credits to help you get used to the Adwords platform. What do you have to lose?    Team Up With HVAC Webmasters  While paid ads certainly offer many growth opportunities for heating and AC contractors, we know that trying to run your campaigns can be pretty demanding! That’s why our team at HVAC Webmasters provides substantial resources to help you analyze your advertising strategy, refine it, and manage it for you. We also offer excellent solutions to kick off your SEO for HVAC services. As a result, our clients enjoy page one rankings, better traffic, and higher lead volumes.  The post The Best Way To Spend Your HVAC Paid Ads Money (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

HVAC contractors deal with heavy competition, especially when it comes to service-related keyword ranking. That’s why so many businesses turn to <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-advertising/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">paid ads</a>, which offer the benefits of pinpoint targeting to bypass competitors. Nolen and Jason talk about creating a successful, cost-effective marketing plan to maximize the return on your ad investment in our latest podcast. So if you’ve considered experimenting with paid ads, or if you’ve only claimed mediocre returns in the past, be sure to listen in. Look for These Key Topics: <ul> <li>How to Prepare for Paid Ad Campaigns</li> <li>Understanding the Average Lead Journey</li> <li>Smart Paid Ads Strategy for Beginners</li> <li>Getting Cost-Effective Results from Your Ads</li> </ul> <h2>Preparing for Paid Ads</h2> As with any part of your online marketing strategy, your paid ads require a firm starting position to launch. That foundation is your SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you haven’t taken care of these organic search elements yet, you’ll need to do so before attempting paid ad campaigns. Essential Organic Search Elements  <ul> <li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-website-design/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Website Creation</a></li> <li>Codebase Development</li> <li>Design – Graphics and Navigation</li> <li>Content Writing</li> <li>Google My Business – Registration</li> <li><a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/citation-sources/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Citation Listings</a></li> <li>Reviews Integration</li> </ul> Once you have a professional website for leads to pour into, then you can kick off your paid ads! However, before we dive into practical starting points for your advertising, we need to re-examine the lead development process. First, you’ll need a high-performance website with relevant landing pages. You’ll Need a High-Performance Website for Your Paid Ads to Direct To. <h3>Understanding the Course of Lead Development</h3> In their discussion, Jason and Nolen discuss how even the buying process for a shampoo bottle may last as long as three months. But, of course, if something so menial requires such a long decision process, it’s only natural that <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-leads/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC leads</a> might take even longer to transform into an actual business. After all, this is a significant investment. Here’s how a typical non-emergency lead might progress. First, the consumer encounters an element from your company’s marketing program. That might be the product of your SEO for HVAC keywords, social media advertisements, or even word-of-mouth marketing. Then, when they begin their search for their heating and cooling service, they recall your marketing and visit your site. The initial visit may only last for a few minutes. Fast forward to weeks or months in the future, and the consumer returns to your website once more. This time they take longer, visit a couple of service pages, then leave. At this point, they may turn to your social media page and citation sources to examine your company’s reviews. Then, finally, they revisit your website one more time and make the call to your office. Google Analytics Provides Valuable Insight on User Behavior. That’s quite a decision process! But, unfortunately, only 3% of people who click on your Google Search listing will complete the entire journey to becoming actual clients.  Key Takeaways from the Lead Process: <ul> <li>Consumers may require multiple site visits before they convert.</li> <li>There are several points in the decision process where ads can help.</li> <li>Organic SEO elements still play a massive role in the search progression.</li> </ul> <h2>Progressive Order of Paid Ads</h2> Once an HVAC contractor establishes a firm foundation of website SEO, then paid ads to become a natural second step. But, with so many platforms to choose from, how do industry professionals know where to begin their efforts? Over the years, our team at HVAC Webmasters has completed a lot of research and testing with paid ads, and there’s an optimal progression that works wonders for most heating and cooling companies. <h2>Step #1: Retargeting</h2> <h2>Paid Ads, Step #1: Retargeting</h2> One of the most dangerous parts of the lead development process is the period after a visitor’s initial exposure to your website. Even if the potential client experiences a great first impression with your brand, people eventually forget most of the encounter as they move on with their daily online routine. While your website can’t chase after these would-be clients, retargeted ads can.  These ads pop up in the visitor’s browser as they shop or browse on other websites. That’s why you’ll discover ads from your recent site visits following you to Facebook – their retargeting program is called <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/facebook-pixel-tracking-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Pixel Tracking</a> – or as you look up recipes to plan evening meals. Do you know why these ads are so popular among businesses these days? They multiply a potential customer’s likelihood of converting three to five times! Imagine transforming your conversion rate from 3% to 9-15%. They’re also dirt cheap, running somewhere around one-tenth the cost of traditional PPC ads. Excellent returns and low investment costs make for a pretty outstanding paid ads venue. <h2>Step #2: Geofencing</h2> <h2>Paid Ads, Step #2: Mobile Ads via Geofencing</h2> Don’t let the fancy terminology fool you. Geofencing is simply a flashy term for the geographical ad targeting that’s been available for the better part of a decade. Any company or marketing professional trying to sell geofencing as a new concept isn’t worth your business. This specialized ad targeting offers lucrative opportunities for your business! When a consumer searches for “AC repair” or even a local competitor, it’s easy to track that activity and create a banner ad campaign to pursue that potential client. With the added benefits of geofencing, you’ll conveniently eliminate any false leads from outside of your service area. So what does this process look like for a consumer in a real-world situation? Imagine a homeowner is hunting for HVAC contractors to complete a furnace replacement. They’ve seen one of your competitor’s PPC ads on Google Search and visits their site. Later that day, they pull up Candy Crush or another app and see a well-crafted banner ad for your company. Since the consumer is already in the market for HVAC services, they click the ad and visit your site. <h2>Step #3: PPC Campaigns</h2> <h2>Paid Ads, Step #3: PPC Campaigns</h2> Of course, there are always the traditional PPC venues available in Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising. While they cost more than geofencing and retargeted ads, both of these platforms offer substantial opportunities for growth. Even freshly minted HVAC contractors can find important information on creating and managing a PPC campaign on Adwords. So what’s the appeal for these platforms? For one, they avoid the fierce <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/keyword-strategy/top-100-hvac-keywords/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">keyword competition</a> of HVAC SEO. Second, both Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising provide outstanding targeting capabilities for finding the right audience. Third, as the largest search engine and social media platform (respectively), these ad programs also promise vast consumer bases for contractors to pursue. Finally, many businesses see a double return on their Adwords investment. If you’ve already done a great job of optimizing your website, then much of your paid ads keyword research is already done. If you haven’t done so already, try making a few test campaigns and running them for your business. Google often offers free credits to help you get used to the Adwords platform. What do you have to lose? <h2>Team Up With HVAC Webmasters</h2> While paid ads certainly offer many growth opportunities for heating and AC contractors, we know that trying to run your campaigns can be pretty demanding! That’s why our team at <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> provides substantial resources to help you analyze your advertising strategy, refine it, and manage it for you. We also offer excellent solutions to kick off your SEO for HVAC services. As a result, our clients enjoy page one rankings, better traffic, and higher lead volumes.  The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/a-winning-paid-ads-strategy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Best Way To Spend Your HVAC Paid Ads Money (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

The Best Way To Spend Your HVAC Paid Ads Money (Podcast)

There are thousands of keyword variations in the service industry, but HVAC contractors generally only pursue a tiny fraction of them. It’s easy to think that the key to success is ranking high for “AC repair” and “compressor leak repair,” but there’s are other paths to ranking #1 on Google. Listen in as Nolen and Jason discuss how new entries and older companies alike can upgrade their keyword strategy.  Key Points to Listen For:   SEO results may not take as long as you think. Secondary keywords make a big difference for new HVAC contractors. Google considers user intent with brand-optimized keywords.    Keyword Strategy &amp; Optimization  With all the HVAC contractors that we’ve talked with over the years, it’s clear that most professionals have at least some familiarity with keywords. “I need keywords in my website. Popular keywords.” High-volume keywords earn a higher amount of exposure, but there’s a crucial caveat that people forget.  It’s extremely tough to rank for High-volume keywords.  New entries into SEO rarely rank highly for HVAC keywords like “AC repair” or “furnace replacement.” Why? Because there are hundreds of other businesses already attempting it. That doesn’t mean that your business can’t develop a keyword strategy to capture those phrases eventually.  Primary Vs. Secondary Keywords  In SEO, keywords fall under two categories: primary keywords and secondary keywords. All companies eagerly attempt to rank for the first category. These might include:   “HVAC contractor” “AC replacement” “Furnace tuneup” “Emergency air conditioning”   On the other hand, secondary keywords include terms and phrases related to the primaries (sometimes called LSI keywords). What is their purpose?   One: They prevent content writers from stuffing primary keywords dozens of times throughout a page. Two: They draw Google’s attention to the article and produce more vital recognition for the primary keywords. Three: Secondaries allow your business to rank for a high quantity of low-volume keywords.    Where Do HVAC Brands Fit In?  HVAC brands, especially high-quality ones, make fantastic secondary keywords. When potential customers lose their Trane AC Unit (for instance), most perform a generic search for “AC repair” or a similar primary keyword. However, people who want a professional with related brand experience might search “Trane AC repair.” Fewer HVAC professionals optimize for these brand-specific keywords.  But won’t Google direct them towards Trane’s website? Google recognizes that the user intent behind these searches is to find a local repair company. As a result, your business can rank highly for the secondary keyword and maybe even score a position in a local pack.  Some heating and cooling companies understand this idea, but they get the execution wrong. Have you ever seen an HVAC website that showcases dozens of popular industry brands? Most resort to either low-content pages or spun pages to make up the content requirements, and Google penalizes this sort of behavior. Instead of following this rank-dropping behavior, take ten of the most popular HVAC brands in your area and develop a secondary keyword strategy around those! Even if you only get a few hits a week, ten pages with three calls a month each quickly adds up.   The Effects of HVAC Brand Keyword Strategy  Remember those primary keywords that you thought you had no chance of ranking for? As those secondary keywords draw Google’s attention towards your website, the search engine re-evaluates your content. While Google closely guards the secrets of its core algorithm, SEO professionals know that the search engine spiders (researches) websites every few weeks to perform these evaluations. Therefore, if your website contains content oriented towards both primary and secondary keywords, Google may start to list your business higher up in primary keyword rankings.  Getting Started on Your Keyword Strategy  Is it time to re-optimize your site’s content to pursue a new keyword strategy? First, make sure you do plenty of research before writing up your service pages and blog posts. Thankfully, there are plenty of free tools out there to help guide your search.  Great Keyword Research Tools   SEMrush Ubersuggest Answer the Public Serpstat   Remember those secondary keywords! They may not earn the highest traffic volume, but secondaries increase the number of phrases Google recognizes from your website. So that traffic quickly builds up.  Team Up With the HVAC Webmasters  Are you looking for an experienced team of HVAC SEO professionals? Come to the seasoned experts at HVAC Webmasters. We empower heating and cooling companies across the country with a broad spectrum of digital marketing services, including custom web design, content development, and social media advertising. As a result, our clients enjoy premium front page ranking for local search, more robust user engagement, and remarkable lead generation. The post Keyword Strategy for HVAC Brand Optimization (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

There are thousands of keyword variations in the service industry, but HVAC contractors generally only pursue a tiny fraction of them. It’s easy to think that the key to success is ranking high for “AC repair” and “compressor leak repair,” but there’s are other paths to ranking #1 on Google. Listen in as Nolen and Jason discuss how new entries and older companies alike can upgrade their keyword strategy. Key Points to Listen For: <ul> <li>SEO results may not take as long as you think.</li> <li>Secondary keywords make a big difference for new HVAC contractors.</li> <li>Google considers user intent with brand-optimized keywords.</li> </ul> <h2>Keyword Strategy &amp; Optimization</h2> With all the HVAC contractors that we’ve talked with over the years, it’s clear that most professionals have at least some familiarity with keywords. “I need keywords in my website. Popular keywords.” High-volume keywords earn a higher amount of exposure, but there’s a crucial caveat that people forget. It’s extremely tough to rank for High-volume keywords. New entries into SEO rarely rank highly for <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/services/keyword-strategy/top-100-hvac-keywords/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC keywords</a> like “AC repair” or “furnace replacement.” Why? Because there are hundreds of other businesses already attempting it. That doesn’t mean that your business can’t develop a keyword strategy to capture those phrases eventually. <h3>Primary Vs. Secondary Keywords</h3> In SEO, keywords fall under two categories: primary keywords and secondary keywords. All companies eagerly attempt to rank for the first category. These might include: <ul> <li>“HVAC contractor”</li> <li>“AC replacement”</li> <li>“Furnace tuneup”</li> <li>“Emergency air conditioning”</li> </ul> On the other hand, secondary keywords include terms and phrases related to the primaries (sometimes called LSI keywords). What is their purpose? <ul> <li>One: They prevent content writers from stuffing primary keywords dozens of times throughout a page.</li> <li>Two: They draw Google’s attention to the article and produce more vital recognition for the primary keywords.</li> <li>Three: Secondaries allow your business to rank for a high quantity of low-volume keywords.</li> </ul> <h2>Where Do HVAC Brands Fit In?</h2> HVAC brands, especially high-quality ones, make fantastic secondary keywords. When potential customers lose their Trane AC Unit (for instance), most perform a generic search for “AC repair” or a similar primary keyword. However, people who want a professional with related brand experience might search “Trane AC repair.” Fewer HVAC professionals optimize for these brand-specific keywords. But won’t Google direct them towards Trane’s website? Google recognizes that the user intent behind these searches is to find a local repair company. As a result, your business can rank highly for the secondary keyword and maybe even score a position in a local pack. Some heating and cooling companies understand this idea, but they get the execution wrong. Have you ever seen an <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-website-design/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC website</a> that showcases dozens of popular industry brands? Most resort to either low-content pages or spun pages to make up the content requirements, and Google penalizes this sort of behavior. Instead of following this rank-dropping behavior, take ten of the most popular HVAC brands in your area and develop a secondary keyword strategy around those! Even if you only get a few hits a week, ten pages with three calls a month each quickly adds up.  <h3>The Effects of HVAC Brand Keyword Strategy</h3> Remember those primary keywords that you thought you had no chance of ranking for? As those secondary keywords draw Google’s attention towards your website, the search engine re-evaluates your content. While Google closely guards the secrets of its core algorithm, SEO professionals know that the search engine spiders (researches) websites every few weeks to perform these evaluations. Therefore, if your website contains content oriented towards both primary and secondary keywords, Google may start to list your business higher up in primary keyword rankings. <h3>Getting Started on Your Keyword Strategy</h3> Is it time to re-optimize your site’s content to pursue a new keyword strategy? First, make sure you do plenty of research before writing up your service pages and <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/5-hvac-blog-topics/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">blog posts</a>. Thankfully, there are plenty of free tools out there to help guide your search. Great Keyword Research Tools <ul> <li><a href="https://www.semrush.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">SEMrush</a></li> <li><a href="https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ubersuggest</a></li> <li><a href="https://answerthepublic.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Answer the Public</a></li> <li><a href="https://serpstat.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Serpstat</a></li> </ul> Remember those secondary keywords! They may not earn the highest traffic volume, but secondaries increase the number of phrases Google recognizes from your website. So that traffic quickly builds up. <h2>Team Up With the HVAC Webmasters</h2> Are you looking for an experienced team of HVAC SEO professionals? Come to the seasoned experts at <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>. We empower heating and cooling companies across the country with a broad spectrum of digital marketing services, including custom web design, content development, and social media advertising. As a result, our clients enjoy premium front page ranking for local search, more robust user engagement, and remarkable lead generation. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/how-to-optimize-for-hvac-brands-online/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keyword Strategy for HVAC Brand Optimization (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Keyword Strategy for HVAC Brand Optimization (Podcast)

Most contractors have a love/hate relationship with their lead services. In this podcast, Jason and Nolen explore the potential perks of buying leads for HVAC contractors, along with the sometimes disastrous pitfalls. Whether you’ve purchased leads in the past or are considering a service soon, you’ll gain some essential insights into the pros and cons of lead gen companies.  Look Out for These Key Points   Does buying leads create long-term or short-term opportunities? Do lead services contribute towards your brand development? What expenses come out of buying leads? How good is the lead quality?    What Does Buying Leads Mean?  Developing a client base takes time, money, and lots of effort. It may take years to establish a comfortable pool of loyal customers. But, for businesses longing for that initial growth, buying leads presents a desirable, fast solution. Here’s how it works:  How Lead Buying Works   Step #1: An HVAC contractor hires on a lead generation company. Step #2: The lead gen company connects them with potential customers by phone or email. Step #3: The contractor accepts or rejects the client, who may or may not decide to do business with the contractor. Step #4: The contractor renders payment to the lead-generating company.    Lead Companies   What is the Most Popular Pay-Per-Lead Company?  Pay-Per-Lead (PPL) companies range from household names to somewhat sketchy businesses. While there are numerous PPL companies out in the market, you’d have difficulty finding a more recognizable name than HomeAdvisor. The directory promotes local lists for various niches and boasts a vast array of contractors.   HomeAdvisor Houzz Porch Thumbtack Yelp    Lead Costs   How Much Do Companies Pay for Leads?  That depends on the particular service you utilize for your leads. We’ll use HomeAdvisor as an example. According to the HomeAdvisor Pro How It Works page, HVAC contractors pay a mix of annual, monthly, and variable fees in exchange for leads. Keep in mind; the company does not guarantee any of these leads will convert into customers. To quote from their website, “You will be charged for each lead you receive, whether or not you ultimately win the job…”  What Costs Can I Expect?   Annual Subscription Fees General Industry Leads Costs (“Market Match”) Brand Specific Leads Costs (“Exact Match”) Supporting Service Costs   When people request your company specifically through HomeAdvisor, your company may pay an even higher lead cost rate. You can set monthly target budgets, but lead costs may exceed that number.   Key Questions   Questions to Ask When Buying Leads  There are two primary concerns your HVAC business should consider when buying leads. First, you’ll need to consider the pricing structure of the service. Some companies quote a relatively low per lead cost but quietly zing you with additional fees. Others charge higher rates but do a much better job of outlining what that money buys.  The even more essential question you need to ask is: “How does your company qualify these leads?“ Is your money going towards connecting with ready-to-buy consumers, or is the PPL company pushing window shoppers to meet their quota?  Of course, you should never subscribe to a PPL service without consulting existing clients of that company. If you find that all the people you consult are getting fantastic returns on their investment, this could be the opportunity you’ve been targeting. On the other hand, clients may warn you to steer clear of that prospective service. Either way, you’ll have better peace of mind about your decision!    Is Buying Leads Worth it For Contractors?  While many HVAC SEO companies would tell you otherwise, buying leads sometimes provides fantastic results for contractors. If you find a service that offers a fair costing rate and a dependable ROI, go for it. However, there are several factors you need to weigh before pulling the trigger on these annual subscriptions.  Crucial Factors to Consider   Will buying leads provide long-term growth? Do buying leads gain exposure for your brand or their brand? Could you earn these same leads (or better) through other means? Do you want to be locked into a subscription? Are the leads provided of sufficient quality?   Alternatives to Buying Leads  One of the selling points of companies like HomeAdvisor is that you have tight control over the location and types of people you gain leads for. You can also set spending targets that your PPL service may or may not exceed. Having control over your marketing is a serious advantage.  But what if you could get this control without paying a subscription fee?  Google Ads PPC (pay per click) campaigns also target specific markets within a geographical area. They automatically deactivate whenever they hit your predetermined budget, and your efforts determine the quality of the leads you receive. If you don’t like the results, you can quit anytime or refine your campaigns till they succeed. Many HVAC contractors experience a double return on their investment into Google Ads. During your paid search efforts, you can also spend valuable time working on your HVAC SEO through keyword research and engaging content.  Team Up With the HVAC Webmasters  Whatever course you ultimately choose to develop your leads, we hope you succeed. If you’re hunting for ways to grow your lead generation, our team at the HVAC Webmasters would love to help. We provide HVAC SEO solutions, PPC campaign management and analysis, custom website development, and numerous other services to advance your business.  The post Pros and Cons of Buying Leads for HVAC Businesses (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Most contractors have a love/hate relationship with their lead services. In this podcast, Jason and Nolen explore the potential perks of <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-leads/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">buying leads for HVAC contractors</a>, along with the sometimes disastrous pitfalls. Whether you’ve purchased leads in the past or are considering a service soon, you’ll gain some essential insights into the pros and cons of lead gen companies. Look Out for These Key Points <ul> <li>Does buying leads create long-term or short-term opportunities?</li> <li>Do lead services contribute towards your brand development?</li> <li>What expenses come out of buying leads?</li> <li>How good is the lead quality?</li> </ul> <h2>What Does Buying Leads Mean?</h2> Developing a client base takes time, money, and lots of effort. It may take years to establish a comfortable pool of loyal customers. But, for businesses longing for that initial growth, buying leads presents a desirable, fast solution. Here’s how it works: How Lead Buying Works <ul> <li>Step #1: An HVAC contractor hires on a lead generation company.</li> <li>Step #2: The lead gen company connects them with potential customers by phone or email.</li> <li>Step #3: The contractor accepts or rejects the client, who may or may not decide to do business with the contractor.</li> <li>Step #4: The contractor renders payment to the lead-generating company.</li> </ul> <h2>Lead Companies</h2> <h3>What is the Most Popular Pay-Per-Lead Company?</h3> Pay-Per-Lead (PPL) companies range from household names to somewhat sketchy businesses. While there are numerous PPL companies out in the market, you’d have difficulty finding a more recognizable name than HomeAdvisor. The directory promotes local lists for various niches and boasts a vast array of contractors. <ul> <li>HomeAdvisor</li> <li>Houzz</li> <li>Porch</li> <li>Thumbtack</li> <li>Yelp</li> </ul> <h2>Lead Costs</h2> <h3>How Much Do Companies Pay for Leads?</h3> That depends on the particular service you utilize for your leads. We’ll use HomeAdvisor as an example. According to the HomeAdvisor Pro <a href="https://pro.homeadvisor.com/how-it-works/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">How It Works</a> page, HVAC contractors pay a mix of annual, monthly, and variable fees in exchange for leads. Keep in mind; the company does not guarantee any of these leads will convert into customers. To quote from their website, “You will be charged for each lead you receive, whether or not you ultimately win the job…” What Costs Can I Expect? <ul> <li>Annual Subscription Fees</li> <li>General Industry Leads Costs (“Market Match”)</li> <li>Brand Specific Leads Costs (“Exact Match”)</li> <li>Supporting Service Costs</li> </ul> When people request your company specifically through HomeAdvisor, your company may pay an even higher lead cost rate. You can set monthly target budgets, but lead costs may exceed that number. <h2>Key Questions</h2> <h3>Questions to Ask When Buying Leads</h3> There are two primary concerns your HVAC business should consider when buying leads. First, you’ll need to consider the pricing structure of the service. Some companies quote a relatively low per lead cost but quietly zing you with additional fees. Others charge higher rates but do a much better job of outlining what that money buys. The even more essential question you need to ask is: “How does your company qualify these leads?“ Is your money going towards connecting with ready-to-buy consumers, or is the PPL company pushing window shoppers to meet their quota? Of course, you should never subscribe to a PPL service without consulting existing clients of that company. If you find that all the people you consult are getting fantastic returns on their investment, this could be the opportunity you’ve been targeting. On the other hand, clients may warn you to steer clear of that prospective service. Either way, you’ll have better peace of mind about your decision! <h2>Is Buying Leads Worth it For Contractors?</h2> While many HVAC SEO companies would tell you otherwise, buying leads sometimes provides fantastic results for contractors. If you find a service that offers a fair costing rate and a dependable ROI, go for it. However, there are several factors you need to weigh before pulling the trigger on these annual subscriptions. Crucial Factors to Consider <ul> <li>Will buying leads provide long-term growth?</li> <li>Do buying leads gain exposure for your brand or their brand?</li> <li>Could you earn these same leads (or better) through other means?</li> <li>Do you want to be locked into a subscription?</li> <li>Are the leads provided of sufficient quality?</li> </ul> <h3>Alternatives to Buying Leads</h3> One of the selling points of companies like HomeAdvisor is that you have tight control over the location and types of people you gain leads for. You can also set spending targets that your PPL service may or may not exceed. Having control over your marketing is a serious advantage. But what if you could get this control without paying a subscription fee? <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/google-ads/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Google Ads</a> PPC (pay per click) campaigns also target specific markets within a geographical area. They automatically deactivate whenever they hit your predetermined budget, and your efforts determine the quality of the leads you receive. If you don’t like the results, you can quit anytime or refine your campaigns till they succeed. Many HVAC contractors experience a double return on their investment into Google Ads. During your paid search efforts, you can also spend valuable time working on your HVAC SEO through keyword research and engaging content. <h2>Team Up With the HVAC Webmasters</h2> Whatever course you ultimately choose to develop your leads, we hope you succeed. If you’re hunting for ways to grow your lead generation, our team at the <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> would love to help. We provide HVAC SEO solutions, PPC campaign management and analysis, custom website development, and numerous other services to advance your business.  The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/buying-leads-pros-and-cons-for-hvac-businesses/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pros and Cons of Buying Leads for HVAC Businesses (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Pros and Cons of Buying Leads for HVAC Businesses (Podcast)

Heating &amp; cooling contractors often wonder why their HVAC website doesn’t bring in enough leads. Most of the time, it is the result of low click volume, a product of poor web design, codebase, and search engine optimization. But what about advertising? For contractors running PPC campaigns, the low click volume could originate from a poorly managed advertising strategy on Google, Facebook, or elsewhere. Despite these everyday occurrences, there are instances when traffic comes in, but leads don’t. In cases like this, the problem is with conversion rate optimization. If your website is frequently visited but is not converting those visitors into leads, here are some of the reasons websites don’t convert:   Call To Action  Every high conversion website has a clear and convincing call to action. Unfortunately, there are too many websites that don’t have their basic information listed on the header and footer of their homepage. Every visitor should know who you are, where you are, and what you do. Those three things are non-negotiable. It is not enough, however, to list a phone number. A readable text size must appear so that users can easily see it. You want the phone number to read clearly for the prospective customer. You also want the phone number to be clickable on mobile devices by integrating click-to-call functionality. This way, mobile users can become leads with a simple click making it more convenient to generate new clients online.   Personalization  An underrated factor in website conversion rates is personalization. What do we mean by that? Have you ever been to an HVAC website that has stock photos or low-quality photos? These kinds of images may currently be on your website. What you may not have considered is how a lack of personalization can impact conversions. Visitors who see personable contractors are more likely to call than those who see stock photos or images of angry-looking HVAC employees. This concept is more rooted in traditional marketing than digital marketing but the two merge in this instance. Consumers who have a level of comfort with the business will be more likely to engage with them, which manifests itself in the form of online leads for HVAC.   Site Speed Optimization  Visitors who bounce off your page immediately will not convert. One of the most typical reasons for an incredibly high bounce rate is site speed. When sites fail to load within 3 seconds, most visitors will bounce—visitors who access the site through mobile accounts for more than half of all users. Speeding up your website can help conversions but achieving higher speeds takes some technical sensibilities. For one, your site can’t have too many large files on it, including images that may slow downloading speed. Furthermore, your HVAC site must have a clean codebase which means no obtrusive JavaScript or excess WordPress plugins from 3rd parties. Clean designs tend to load fast, increasing conversions.   How SEO &amp; Website Conversions are Related  We mentioned earlier in this post that most failing websites don’t have a conversion problem as much as an SEO problem. But the reality is that these two things are inherently connected. Google ranks websites, at least partially, based on how users behave on them. You cannot convert visitors you don’t have. Conversely, higher conversions often lead to higher rankings because the same principles that foster conversions also send positive signals to Google. HVAC Webmasters provides digital marketing services for contractors across the United States. We optimize sites for search ranking and conversions while implementing your company photos and offering three logo revisions (if necessary) to improve presentation. The post Does Your HVAC Website Convert Enough Customers? (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Heating &amp; cooling contractors often wonder why their <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-websites/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC website</a> doesn’t bring in enough leads. Most of the time, it is the result of low click volume, a product of poor web design, codebase, and search engine optimization. But what about advertising? For contractors running PPC campaigns, the low click volume could originate from a poorly managed advertising strategy on Google, Facebook, or elsewhere. Despite these everyday occurrences, there are instances when traffic comes in, but leads don’t. In cases like this, the problem is with conversion rate optimization. If your website is frequently visited but is not converting those visitors into leads, here are some of the reasons websites don’t convert: <h2>Call To Action</h2> Every high conversion website has a clear and convincing <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/call-to-action/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">call to action</a>. Unfortunately, there are too many websites that don’t have their basic information listed on the header and footer of their homepage. Every visitor should know who you are, where you are, and what you do. Those three things are non-negotiable. It is not enough, however, to list a phone number. A readable text size must appear so that users can easily see it. You want the phone number to read clearly for the prospective customer. You also want the phone number to be clickable on mobile devices by integrating click-to-call functionality. This way, mobile users can become leads with a simple click making it more convenient to generate new clients online. <h2>Personalization</h2> An underrated factor in website conversion rates is personalization. What do we mean by that? Have you ever been to an HVAC website that has stock photos or low-quality photos? These kinds of images may currently be on your website. What you may not have considered is how a lack of personalization can impact conversions. Visitors who see personable contractors are more likely to call than those who see stock photos or images of angry-looking HVAC employees. This concept is more rooted in traditional marketing than digital marketing but the two merge in this instance. Consumers who have a level of comfort with the business will be more likely to engage with them, which manifests itself in the form of online leads for HVAC. <h2>Site Speed Optimization</h2> Visitors who bounce off your page immediately will not convert. One of the most typical reasons for an incredibly high bounce rate is site speed. When sites fail to load within 3 seconds, most visitors will bounce—visitors who access the site through mobile accounts for more than half of all users. Speeding up your website can help conversions but achieving higher speeds takes some technical sensibilities. For one, your site can’t have too many large files on it, including images that may slow downloading speed. Furthermore, your HVAC site must have a clean codebase which means no obtrusive JavaScript or excess WordPress plugins from 3rd parties. Clean designs tend to load fast, increasing conversions. <h3>How SEO &amp; Website Conversions are Related</h3> We mentioned earlier in this post that most failing websites don’t have a conversion problem as much as an SEO problem. But the reality is that these two things are inherently connected. Google ranks websites, at least partially, based on how users behave on them. You cannot convert visitors you don’t have. Conversely, higher conversions often lead to higher rankings because the same principles that foster conversions also send positive signals to Google. <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a> provides digital marketing services for contractors across the United States. We optimize sites for search ranking and conversions while implementing your company photos and offering three logo revisions (if necessary) to improve presentation. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/does-your-hvac-website-convert/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Does Your HVAC Website Convert Enough Customers? (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Does Your HVAC Website Convert Enough Customers? (Podcast)

Buying a lead is not the worst idea for an HVAC contractor. After all, leads drive your business. Unfortunately, in our experience, when HVAC contractors do buy leads, the leads are expensive, and the contractor is unhappy. But the issue with purchasing HVAC leads expands even further beyond the negativity surrounding them. Buying leads can be a pitfall for your company and might discourage you from investing in marketing resources that increase your brand visibility and generate sales sustainably.   Finding a Lead Source for HVAC Companies  If you are a heating &amp; cooling contractor, who struggles to find a solid lead source, you aren’t alone. Although buying leads as a concept is not foolish since every business’s goal is to profit, the practice presents challenges. Low-quality distributors who offer “shared” leads rather than exclusives are the most common problem. But even with so-called exclusive prospects, HVAC companies are climbing uphill to secure the sale.  Getting More Leads  Despite well-documented disgust with lead sources many contractors continue to buy them. Why? Because at the end of the day they still want more leads. Securing a sale brings money to their business and becomes a cyclical process. The profit is just enough to seem like it’s worth it for the heating &amp; cooling business. Getting more leads can be a challenge especially with sources offering shared leads. Worse yet, it often distracts contractors from other forms of marketing, like SEO, that will actually end up producing more sales over the long run.  Investing in Your HVAC Company  When you purchase a lead from a 3rd party platform, their brand benefits most. Next time the customer needs HVAC services, they will probably go back to the source instead of your HVAC company. Your goal should shift towards investing in your brand and growing the allegiance of consumers. This way, you will generate sustainable business for your company and not shell out hard-earned funds to 3rd parties.  Custom Websites  The first thing you’ll need is a custom website with schema markup. A website can be the central hub of your HVAC company and create a foundation for sales. Unfortunately, today, most websites use templates, either from a WordPress theme market or from DIY website builders like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace. While they have their advantages, of course, they don’t have the type of long-term potential that custom sites do. As a result, they limit ROI in terms of organic optimization and the long-term control of your brand, which we want to avoid.  Google My Business  Nobody will take your company seriously without a Google My Business listing. You might ask how GMB is different from a 3rd party lead platform. First, you are not investing money. Google My Business listings are free and allow you to rank in the Local Map 3-Pack. Second, you can link your website URL to your GMB listing so that your web property becomes associated with the Google listing as well as the Google Reviews. All of this is free of charge for companies.  Search Engine Optimization  The best leads come from organic clicks on Google. For example, ranking for terms like “ac repair” and similar phrases can drive searchers to your website or Google My Business Listing. In either case, with websites optimized for conversions, you can earn most of your profit organically. SEO is the best long-term strategy for online marketing since it is an investment in yourself and becomes a sustainable profit generator for years and decades to come.   A Full-Scale Approach  A single strategy may not always work out, but the combination of several techniques helps HVAC companies earn sales online. Investing your marketing dollars in leads only or ads only discourages long-term growth. You can still buy HVAC leads, but only if you optimize your brand at the same time. Using SEO, you can reap the long-term rewards of a complete and robust web presence. Try partnering with a full digital marketing agency like HVAC Webmasters, the top-rated agency in 2021. The post Buying Leads Can Be a Pitfall for HVAC Companies (Podcast) appeared first on HVAC Webmasters.

Buying a lead is not the worst idea for an HVAC contractor. After all, leads drive your business. Unfortunately, in our experience, when HVAC contractors do buy leads, the leads are expensive, and the contractor is unhappy. But the issue with <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-leads/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">purchasing HVAC leads</a> expands even further beyond the negativity surrounding them. Buying leads can be a pitfall for your company and might discourage you from investing in marketing resources that increase your brand visibility and generate sales sustainably. <h3>Finding a Lead Source for HVAC Companies</h3> If you are a heating &amp; cooling contractor, who struggles to find a solid lead source, you aren’t alone. Although buying leads as a concept is not foolish since every business’s goal is to profit, the practice presents challenges. Low-quality distributors who offer “shared” leads rather than exclusives are the most common problem. But even with so-called exclusive prospects, HVAC companies are climbing uphill to secure the sale. <h3>Getting More Leads</h3> Despite well-documented disgust with lead sources many contractors continue to buy them. Why? Because at the end of the day they still want more leads. Securing a sale brings money to their business and becomes a cyclical process. The profit is just enough to seem like it’s worth it for the heating &amp; cooling business. Getting more leads can be a challenge especially with sources offering shared leads. Worse yet, it often distracts contractors from other forms of marketing, like SEO, that will actually end up producing more sales over the long run. <h2>Investing in Your HVAC Company</h2> When you purchase a lead from a 3rd party platform, their brand benefits most. Next time the customer needs HVAC services, they will probably go back to the source instead of your HVAC company. Your goal should shift towards investing in your brand and growing the allegiance of consumers. This way, you will generate sustainable business for your company and not shell out hard-earned funds to 3rd parties. <h3>Custom Websites</h3> The first thing you’ll need is a <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/hvac-website-design/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">custom website</a> with schema markup. A website can be the central hub of your HVAC company and create a foundation for sales. Unfortunately, today, most websites use templates, either from a WordPress theme market or from DIY website builders like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace. While they have their advantages, of course, they don’t have the type of long-term potential that custom sites do. As a result, they limit ROI in terms of organic optimization and the long-term control of your brand, which we want to avoid. <h3>Google My Business</h3> Nobody will take your company seriously without a Google My Business listing. You might ask how GMB is different from a 3rd party lead platform. First, you are not investing money. Google My Business listings are free and allow you to rank in the Local Map 3-Pack. Second, you can link your website URL to your GMB listing so that your web property becomes associated with the Google listing as well as the Google Reviews. All of this is free of charge for companies. <h3>Search Engine Optimization</h3> The best leads come from organic clicks on Google. For example, ranking for terms like “ac repair” and similar phrases can drive searchers to your website or Google My Business Listing. In either case, with websites optimized for conversions, you can earn most of your profit organically. SEO is the best long-term strategy for online marketing since it is an investment in yourself and becomes a sustainable profit generator for years and decades to come.  <h2>A Full-Scale Approach</h2> A single strategy may not always work out, but the combination of several techniques helps HVAC companies earn sales online. Investing your marketing dollars in leads only or ads only discourages long-term growth. You can still buy HVAC leads, but only if you optimize your brand at the same time. Using SEO, you can reap the long-term rewards of a complete and robust web presence. Try partnering with a full digital marketing agency like <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>, the top-rated agency in 2021. The post <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com/buying-leads-pitfalls/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buying Leads Can Be a Pitfall for HVAC Companies (Podcast)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.hvacwebmasters.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HVAC Webmasters</a>.

Buying Leads Can Be a Pitfall for HVAC Companies (Podcast)

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The HVAC Marketing Plan

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