Where HVAC Marketing Stands in 2025
The HVAC industry spends approximately $12 billion annually on marketing and advertising. A significant portion of that money is wasted on channels that do not produce, vendors who do not deliver, and strategies based on what worked in 2015 instead of what works now.
This guide breaks down every major HVAC marketing channel — what it costs, what it produces, and whether it is worth your money. The data comes from managing marketing programs across HVAC companies ranging from single-location shops doing $2M in revenue to multi-market platforms doing $80M+.
Google Ads (Search): The Fastest Path to Leads
What it costs: $3,000-$15,000+ per month in ad spend, plus management fees of $500-$2,500 per month.
What it produces: 50-300+ leads per month depending on market size and budget.
Typical ROI: 4-8x return on ad spend when managed properly.
Google Search Ads are the single most effective short-term lead generation channel for HVAC companies. When someone types "AC repair near me" into Google, they need help now. That is about as high-intent as marketing gets.
The problem: most HVAC companies' Google Ads accounts are badly managed. Common issues we find:
- Broad match keywords eating budget on irrelevant searches. We audited an HVAC company spending $6,000/month and found that 40% of their clicks were for searches like "HVAC jobs" and "HVAC training" — people looking for employment, not service.
- No negative keywords. Related to the above. A well-managed HVAC account has 200-500+ negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic.
- Ads pointing to the homepage instead of service-specific landing pages. Someone searching "furnace replacement" should land on a page about furnace replacement — not your homepage where they have to figure out where to click.
- No call tracking. If you cannot track which calls came from which ads, you are flying blind.
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs): Pay Per Lead
What it costs: $15-$75+ per lead depending on the market and service category.
What it produces: 20-100+ leads per month.
Typical ROI: 5-10x return when properly managed.
LSAs appear at the very top of Google — above regular paid ads. You pay per lead, not per click, which fundamentally changes the economics. A lead is defined as a phone call or message through the ad.
The key to LSA success is your Google review count and rating. Companies with 100+ reviews and a 4.5+ rating consistently appear higher and get more leads. This makes review generation a critical marketing activity, not a nice-to-have.
LSA tips for HVAC companies:
- Dispute invalid leads aggressively. Google will credit you for leads that are not relevant (spam calls, wrong services, out-of-area requests). Most HVAC companies do not bother disputing, which means they are overpaying.
- Keep your profile complete and updated. Budget, hours, service areas, photos — all of it matters for positioning.
- Respond to leads quickly. Google tracks response time, and faster responders tend to get more leads.
SEO: The Long Game With the Best Economics
What it costs: $1,500-$5,000+ per month for a legitimate SEO program.
What it produces: 100-500+ organic leads per month (after 6-12 months of investment).
Typical ROI: 8-15x return on investment in year two and beyond.
SEO is the highest-ROI channel for HVAC companies over the long term, but it requires patience. You will not see meaningful results for 3-6 months. After 12 months of consistent investment, the economics are excellent because organic leads have near-zero marginal cost.
What HVAC SEO actually involves:
- Service pages for every service you offer: AC repair, AC installation, furnace repair, furnace replacement, duct cleaning, heat pump installation, etc. Each page targets specific search terms and includes local keywords.
- Location pages for every city and neighborhood you serve. "AC repair in [City Name]" is a real search term with real volume in every market.
- Blog content targeting informational queries: "How much does AC replacement cost?", "Why is my AC blowing warm air?", "When should I replace my furnace?" This content brings in homeowners who are researching — they are not ready to buy today, but they will be ready soon.
- Technical optimization. Fast load times, mobile-friendly design, proper schema markup, clean site architecture.
- Google Business Profile optimization. Your GBP listing is critical for local search. Photos, posts, reviews, Q&A — all of it affects your visibility in the map pack.
Social Media: Brand Building, Not Lead Generation
What it costs: $500-$3,000 per month for management.
What it produces: Minimal direct leads. Significant brand awareness and trust.
Typical ROI: Difficult to measure directly. Indirect value is real but secondary.
Social media is not a primary lead generation channel for HVAC companies. Nobody scrolls through Facebook thinking "I should get my air conditioner serviced." But social media does serve two important purposes:
1. Social proof. When homeowners are deciding between two HVAC companies, they check social media. A company with an active Facebook page showing completed jobs, happy technicians, and community involvement looks more trustworthy than one with a dead page or no presence at all. 2. Customer retention. Staying visible to past customers so they call you first when they need service again, rather than Googling and potentially choosing someone else.
Where social media does generate leads: Facebook and Instagram ads targeting homeowners in your service area with specific offers (tune-up specials, seasonal promotions). These are paid social campaigns, not organic posting. We ran a spring tune-up campaign for an HVAC company that generated 85 booked appointments at $32 per booking.
Email Marketing: The Forgotten Goldmine
What it costs: $200-$1,000 per month for a proper email program.
What it produces: 10-30% of annual revenue from repeat and reactivated customers.
Typical ROI: 15-30x return on investment.
Email marketing is criminally underused in the HVAC industry. Most companies have a customer database with thousands of names and do nothing with it. A basic email program — seasonal maintenance reminders, special offers, tips and advice — keeps your company top of mind and drives repeat business.
The email program every HVAC company should run:
- Spring AC tune-up campaign (February-April): remind customers to schedule maintenance before the heat hits. Include a discount for early booking.
- Fall furnace tune-up campaign (September-October): same concept, opposite season.
- Post-service follow-up: Automated email 7 days after service asking for a review and offering a referral incentive.
- Monthly newsletter: Tips, seasonal advice, company updates. Keeps you visible between service calls.
Direct Mail: Not Dead, But Expensive
What it costs: $0.50-$2.00 per piece, meaning $2,500-$10,000+ per campaign for a meaningful quantity.
What it produces: 0.5-2% response rate on cold lists; 3-5% on customer lists.
Typical ROI: 2-4x return on customer reactivation campaigns; often negative ROI on cold acquisition.
Direct mail still works for HVAC, but with caveats. Mailing to your existing customer list — especially lapsed customers who have not used your services in 18+ months — can be effective. Mailing to cold lists of homeowners is expensive and hit-or-miss.
If you are going to use direct mail, focus on customer reactivation, not new customer acquisition. The economics are much better with an audience that already knows and trusts you.
Where to Invest Your HVAC Marketing Budget
For an HVAC company doing $3M-$10M in revenue, here is how we typically allocate the marketing budget:
- Google Ads: 30-40% of budget (immediate lead flow)
- SEO: 20-25% of budget (long-term organic growth)
- LSAs: 10-15% of budget (supplemental high-quality leads)
- Email marketing: 5% of budget (retention and reactivation)
- Social media management: 5-10% of budget (brand presence)
- Website improvements: 10% of budget (conversion optimization)
The most important thing is measurement. Every channel should be tracked separately with clear cost-per-lead calculations. Shift budget toward what works and away from what does not. Review performance monthly. Adjust quarterly.
Stop Guessing and Start Measuring
HVAC marketing is not complicated, but it does require discipline — the right channels, proper tracking, and consistent optimization. The companies that grow are not necessarily spending the most. They are spending in the right places and measuring the results.
Fusion Marketing builds and manages marketing programs for HVAC companies — from single-location shops to multi-market platforms. If you want to know where your marketing budget should be going and what it should be producing, call us at (704) 255-5147 or email contact@fusionmarketing.biz. We will give you a straight assessment based on your numbers, not a generic pitch.
