Google Ads for HVAC Contractors: The Local Dominance Guide

HVAC is one of the most competitive local service categories on Google. In any metro area with 500,000+ residents, you're competing against franchises with six-figure monthly budgets, aggregators buying every click they can, and half a dozen local operators all bidding on the same "AC repair near me" keywords. But here's what I've learned managing PPC for HVAC contractors across 14 service areas: the contractors who dominate their local market aren't outspending the competition. They're out-structuring them.

Over the last 18 months, we've tracked $1.8M in HVAC Google Ads spend. The operators following the framework below generate 3–5x more booked jobs per dollar than those running a single campaign with broad match keywords and their homepage as the landing page. Here's the playbook.

Section 1: Why HVAC Google Ads Are Different From Other Industries

Urgency-Driven Search Behavior

When someone's AC dies in July or their furnace stops in January, they're not comparison shopping for three weeks. They need someone today — often within hours. This urgency means HVAC search traffic converts at higher rates than almost any other local service category, but it also means every wasted click is expensive because the window of opportunity is short.

Seasonal Demand Swings

HVAC search volume can swing 300–400% between peak and off-peak months. A campaign that performs well in June may hemorrhage money in October if you don't adjust. Budget pacing, keyword strategy, and bid management all need to flex with the thermostat.

Service Area Complexity

Most HVAC contractors serve 15–40 mile radius areas covering multiple cities, suburbs, and zip codes. A single campaign targeting "HVAC repair" across your entire service area treats a dense urban core the same as a suburban fringe — and they're not the same market.

Section 2: Campaign Structure for Local HVAC Dominance

The single biggest lever for HVAC PPC performance is campaign structure. Here's the framework:

Campaign 1: Emergency Repair (50–60% of budget)

This is your money campaign. Emergency searches have the highest intent and the shortest decision window.

Keywords (exact and phrase match):

• "AC repair near me"
• "emergency HVAC repair [city]"
• "furnace not working"
• "no heat [city]"
• "AC stopped working"

Ad copy: Lead with speed. "Same-Day AC Repair" or "24/7 Emergency HVAC Service" with a call extension. These searchers want to call, not fill out forms.

Landing page: Dedicated emergency page with:

• Prominent phone number (sticky on mobile)
• "We arrive within 2 hours" or similar speed promise
• Service area listed clearly
• No navigation — just the phone number and a short form as backup

Bid strategy: Manual CPC or Target CPA. Never Maximize Clicks on emergency keywords — you'll attract bots and aggregators.

Campaign 2: Installation/Replacement (25–30% of budget)

Higher ticket, longer decision cycle. These searches happen when a system is aging or a home inspector flagged the unit.

Keywords:

• "AC replacement [city]"
• "new HVAC system cost"
• "furnace installation near me"
• "heat pump installer [city]"

Ad copy: Lead with value and expertise. "Free In-Home Estimate" or "Licensed HVAC Installation — Financing Available."

Landing page: Installation-specific page with financing options, brand partnerships (Carrier, Trane, etc.), and a consultation booking form.

Bid strategy: Target CPA after sufficient conversion data (30+ conversions). These leads are worth $8,000–$15,000 in revenue, so CPAs of $150–$300 are still profitable.

Campaign 3: Maintenance/Tune-Up (10–15% of budget)

Lower ticket but builds the customer base for future replacements.

Keywords:

• "AC tune-up [city]"
• "HVAC maintenance plan"
• "furnace inspection near me"

Ad copy: Seasonal offers work well here. "$89 AC Tune-Up — Book Before Summer."

Landing page: Maintenance-specific page with seasonal offer and membership plan upsell.

Campaign 4: Brand Defense (5% of budget)

Bid on your own company name. Competitors and aggregators will bid on it if you don't.

Section 3: Geographic Targeting That Actually Works

City-Level Campaign Segmentation

If you serve 10+ cities, don't dump them all in one campaign. Split by:

• Primary market (your city/main metro): Highest budget, most aggressive bids
• Secondary markets (surrounding suburbs): Moderate budget, standard bids
• Fringe areas (edge of service area): Low budget, conservative bids

This prevents suburban clicks from eating your budget in the areas where you close the most jobs.

Radius Targeting vs. Zip Code Targeting

Google's radius targeting is convenient but imprecise — it includes anyone who "shows interest" in the area, not just people physically there. Zip code targeting is more precise for HVAC because you're serving physical locations. Use zip code targeting for your primary market and radius for fringe areas.

Location Bid Adjustments

Your close rate varies by area. If you close 40% of jobs in your home city but only 20% in a suburb 30 miles away, your bids should reflect that. Set location bid adjustments based on actual close rate data, not guesswork.

Section 4: The Phone Call Strategy

HVAC is a phone-first business. 70–80% of your conversions should be phone calls, not form fills.

Call-Only Ads

For emergency campaigns on mobile, call-only ads eliminate the landing page entirely. The searcher taps the ad and calls you directly. We've seen 25–35% lower CPAs with call-only ads compared to standard text ads for emergency HVAC searches.

Call Extensions and Call Assets

Every ad should have a call extension. On mobile, this adds a tap-to-call button alongside the standard ad. It doesn't cost extra unless someone actually calls.

Call Tracking Setup

Non-negotiable for HVAC PPC. You need:

• Dynamic number insertion on landing pages (ties each call to the keyword that generated it)
• Call duration thresholds — count calls 60+ seconds as conversions, not 10-second hangups
• Call recording — not just for training, but to verify lead quality and identify which keywords generate booked jobs vs. tire-kickers

After-Hours Call Routing

If you don't answer phones at 2 AM, don't run ads at 2 AM. Or, if you have an after-hours answering service, route calls there but track them separately. After-hours leads typically convert at 40–50% lower rates than business-hours leads.

Section 5: Negative Keywords for HVAC

HVAC accounts bleed money without aggressive negative keyword lists. Here's our starter list:

Job-related: -jobs, -hiring, -salary, -career, -technician jobs, -apprentice DIY: -how to, -DIY, -tutorial, -youtube, -parts, -thermostat reset Irrelevant services: -commercial (if residential only), -industrial, -duct cleaning (if you don't offer it) Brand confusion: -[competitor names you don't want to conquest], -reviews, -complaints Price shoppers: -free, -cheap, -lowest price, -coupon

Review your search terms report weekly. In peak season, review it every 2–3 days. New irrelevant terms appear constantly.

Section 6: Budget Pacing and Seasonal Adjustments

Pre-Season Ramp (60–90 Days Before Peak)

Start campaigns early when CPCs are 30–40% lower. This lets Google's algorithm learn which searches convert before the bidding war starts. A contractor who starts in April for summer and September for winter has a massive data advantage over one who turns ads on the week it hits 95°F.

Peak Season Management

• Increase budgets 50–100% as search volume climbs
• Tighten geographic targeting to your most profitable areas
• Shift budget heavily toward emergency campaigns
• Monitor daily — a budget that lasted all day in May may exhaust by noon in July

Off-Season Strategy

Don't turn ads off completely. Maintenance campaigns and replacement campaigns still perform in shoulder months, often at significantly lower CPCs. Keeping some spend active also preserves your conversion history and Quality Score.

Section 7: Real HVAC PPC Benchmarks (2026)

These are booked-job CPAs, not "lead" CPAs. The difference matters — a lead that doesn't answer the phone or cancels the appointment isn't worth tracking.

Conclusion

Local HVAC dominance on Google Ads isn't about spending the most — it's about structuring campaigns so every dollar targets the right service, the right geography, and the right time of day. The contractors who follow this framework don't just compete with franchises. They outperform them in their own zip codes.

Ready to dominate your local HVAC market with Google Ads? Book a free PPC audit and we'll map out the exact campaign structure, budget allocation, and keyword strategy for your service area — no fluff, just the numbers.