Seasonal PPC Strategies for HVAC Businesses

HVAC is one of the most seasonal industries in paid advertising. The difference between your best month and your worst month can be a 5x to 8x swing in lead volume -- and if your ad strategy stays static all year, you are either overspending during slow months or leaving money on the table during peak demand.

We manage PPC for HVAC contractors across every climate zone in the U.S., and the companies that win are not the ones with the biggest annual budgets. They are the ones who shift budget, keywords, ad copy, and landing pages month by month to match what homeowners are actually searching for. A $6,000/month account with a smart seasonal strategy will outperform a $12,000/month account running the same campaigns year-round.

This post breaks down exactly how to structure your HVAC PPC campaigns by season, with budget allocation frameworks, keyword shifts, ad copy adjustments, and performance benchmarks for each quarter.

Why Static HVAC Campaigns Waste Money

Most HVAC companies set up their Google Ads account once and let it run unchanged for 12 months. The campaigns target the same keywords, use the same ad copy, and spend the same daily budget whether it is January or July. That approach has three predictable problems.

Problem 1: You overspend during slow months. If your daily budget is $200 and nobody in your market is searching for AC repair in November, Google will find ways to spend that $200 anyway -- on low-intent queries, broad match garbage, and clicks from people who are not buying. Your cost per lead spikes and lead quality drops.

Problem 2: You underspend during peak months. When July hits and "AC repair near me" searches triple, your $200/day budget runs out by noon. Your ads stop showing during the highest-intent hours of the day, and your competitors who planned for the surge capture those leads instead.

Problem 3: Your messaging is wrong for the season. A homeowner searching for furnace repair in December does not respond to the same ad copy as someone searching for AC installation in May. Urgency, offers, and pain points shift dramatically by season, and your ads need to reflect that.

The fix is not complicated. It just requires a plan.

The HVAC Seasonal Calendar

Before diving into tactics, here is the seasonal framework we use for every HVAC client. Your specific timing varies by climate zone, but the pattern is consistent.

"Baseline" is your lowest-volume month, typically October or April in most markets. Use that as your anchor and scale everything relative to it.

Pre-Summer Strategy (March–May)

This is the highest-leverage quarter for HVAC PPC because you are reaching homeowners before they are in emergency mode. Leads acquired now are cheaper, less competitive, and convert to higher-value jobs (maintenance plans, proactive replacements) than emergency leads in July.

Keywords to Activate

Shift budget toward these keyword themes starting in March:

• AC tune-up / AC maintenance / spring AC check
• AC not cooling / AC running but not cold
• AC replacement cost / new AC unit price
• SEER rating / high efficiency AC
• AC installation [city]

Pause or reduce bids on heating-focused keywords unless your market has cold snaps through April.

Ad Copy That Works

Pre-summer messaging should emphasize preparation and availability:

• "Beat the Summer Rush -- Book Your AC Tune-Up Now"
• "Spring AC Specials -- $79 System Inspection & Check"
• "Don't Wait Until It Breaks -- Schedule AC Maintenance Today"
• "New AC Systems from $89/Month -- Free In-Home Estimate"

Include countdowns or limited availability language. Homeowners procrastinate, and scarcity messaging moves them off the fence.

Budget Playbook

Start increasing budget by 20% in March. By May, you should be at 140%–150% of your baseline. The CPCs are still reasonable in this window because most competitors do not ramp up until June. This is where you get the best cost per lead of the entire cooling season.

Landing Page Adjustments

Switch hero images to cooling-related visuals. Update testimonials to feature AC-related jobs. If you offer a spring tune-up special, the landing page should feature that offer prominently -- not a generic "Contact Us" form.

Peak Summer Strategy (June–August)

This is the highest-volume, highest-competition period. Every HVAC company in your market is bidding aggressively, and CPCs can spike 40%–80% above spring levels. The key is not just spending more -- it is spending smarter.

Keywords to Prioritize

Emergency and urgency-driven keywords dominate:

• AC repair near me / emergency AC repair
• AC not working / AC blowing hot air
• AC repair same day / 24 hour AC service
• AC replacement same day
• No AC / house too hot

These queries have the highest intent and the highest CPCs. Bid aggressively but make sure your landing page and call handling are airtight -- every missed call is a $200+ lead lost.

Ad Copy That Converts

Summer ad copy is about speed, availability, and relief:

• "AC Broken? Same-Day Repair Available -- Call Now"
• "Emergency AC Service -- Trucks in Your Area Today"
• "$0 Diagnostic Fee with Repair -- Licensed & Insured"
• "Can't Sleep in the Heat? We Fix AC Units 24/7"

Use ad scheduling to show emergency-focused copy during evening and weekend hours when homeowners discover problems at home.

Budget Playbook

This is where you spend the most. Increase to 180%–250% of baseline. But do not just raise the daily budget blindly. Monitor these signals daily:

• Impression share lost to budget: If this exceeds 20%, increase budget. You are missing high-intent impressions.
• Average CPC vs. conversion rate: If CPCs jump 50% but conversion rate stays flat, your ROI is still positive -- just more expensive per lead. If CPC jumps and conversion rate drops, your landing page or call handling is the bottleneck.
• Time of day performance: Most emergency AC searches peak between 11am and 7pm. Shift budget to those hours with bid adjustments.

Ad Extensions and Features

Call extensions are non-negotiable in summer. Over 60% of emergency HVAC leads come from phone calls, not form fills. Enable call-only ads alongside standard search ads. Add callout extensions emphasizing "Same-Day Service," "24/7 Emergency Repair," and "Licensed & Insured."

Is your HVAC campaign ready for the summer surge? We build seasonal PPC strategies for HVAC contractors that capture every high-intent lead. Get a free campaign audit before peak season →

Shoulder Fall Strategy (September–November)

Fall is where most HVAC companies make a critical mistake: they cut ad spend too aggressively after summer winds down. Yes, cooling demand drops. But heating demand is ramping up, and the transition period is when maintenance plans, duct cleaning, and heating inspections drive consistent revenue.

Keywords to Activate

Start shifting toward heating-related keywords in September:

• Furnace tune-up / heating inspection / fall furnace check
• Furnace not turning on / heater not working
• Furnace replacement cost / new furnace price
• Duct cleaning / air quality
• Heating maintenance plan

Keep a reduced budget on AC repair through September in warm-climate markets. Do not turn it off completely -- late-season AC issues still happen.

Ad Copy Adjustments

• "Is Your Furnace Ready for Winter? Book Your Inspection Now"
• "Fall Heating Tune-Up -- $89 Complete System Check"
• "Don't Get Caught in the Cold -- Schedule Furnace Service Today"
• "New Furnace Systems -- 0% Financing Available"

Budget Playbook

Return to 100%–130% of baseline. The temptation is to drop below baseline, but the HVAC companies that maintain consistent presence through fall build brand awareness that pays dividends when winter emergencies hit. Homeowners remember the company they saw ads for in October when their furnace dies in January.

Maintenance Plan Campaigns

Fall is the single best time to sell HVAC maintenance plans. Create a dedicated campaign targeting:

• HVAC maintenance plan / furnace maintenance agreement
• Annual HVAC service plan / heating and cooling plan
• Seasonal HVAC tune-up

These leads have the highest lifetime value of any HVAC customer. A $200 maintenance plan customer becomes a $15,000 system replacement customer three to five years later. Bid accordingly.

Peak Winter Strategy (December–February)

Winter mirrors summer in urgency but with different dynamics. Heating emergencies are less frequent than cooling emergencies in most markets, but the jobs tend to be higher-value (furnace replacements average $5,000–$12,000 vs. AC repairs averaging $300–$800).

Keywords to Prioritize

• Emergency furnace repair / heater not working
• Furnace repair near me / 24 hour heating repair
• No heat in house / furnace blowing cold air
• Furnace replacement / new furnace installation
• Heat pump repair / heat pump installation

Ad Copy That Converts

• "No Heat? We Offer 24/7 Emergency Furnace Repair"
• "Furnace Died? New Systems Installed as Fast as Tomorrow"
• "Emergency Heating Service -- $0 Trip Charge with Repair"
• "Stay Warm Tonight -- Same-Day Furnace Repair Available"

Budget Playbook

Scale to 130%–200% of baseline, depending on your climate zone. Northern markets should be at the high end. Southern markets with mild winters can stay closer to baseline. Watch weather forecasts -- the first hard freeze of the season triggers a massive spike in heating searches. If you see a cold snap coming, increase budget 24–48 hours before it hits. The companies that are first to ramp up when the weather turns capture the most leads at the lowest CPCs.

Monthly Budget Allocation Template

Here is a month-by-month framework for a $60,000 annual HVAC PPC budget. Adjust ratios based on your climate zone and service mix.

This template concentrates 47% of annual spend in the four peak months (May–August) and maintains consistent presence during the remaining eight months. That ratio is intentional: peak season delivers 55%–65% of total annual leads in most markets.

Tracking Seasonal Performance

You cannot optimize what you do not measure. Track these metrics monthly and compare year-over-year:

Build a simple dashboard that tracks these monthly. After one full year, you have a seasonal playbook specific to your market, your services, and your competitive landscape that gets more profitable every year.

Common Seasonal PPC Mistakes

Running the Same Budget All Year

This is the most common and most expensive mistake. A flat $5,000/month spend means you are wasting money in October and starving your campaigns in July. Match your spend to demand.

Keeping Summer Ad Copy in Winter

If your ad still says "AC Repair -- Same Day Service" in December, you look out of touch. Homeowners notice. Update ad copy, sitelinks, callouts, and landing pages every time the season shifts.

Ignoring Shoulder Seasons Entirely

September and March are not dead months. They are the best months to acquire maintenance plan customers and proactive replacement leads -- the highest LTV customers in HVAC. Companies that go dark during shoulder seasons miss this entirely.

Not Adjusting Bids for Weather Events

A sudden cold snap or heat wave can 3x search volume overnight. If your campaigns are not ready to capture that spike, your competitors will. Monitor local weather and adjust budgets proactively, not reactively.

Failing to Update Negative Keywords Seasonally

The search queries triggering your ads shift by season. "AC repair" campaigns should have heating-related negatives, and vice versa. Review search term reports monthly and update negative keyword lists to prevent cross-season waste.

The Bottom Line

Seasonal PPC management is the single highest-ROI optimization most HVAC companies are not doing. The framework is straightforward: shift budget, keywords, ad copy, and landing pages to match what homeowners are searching for right now -- not what they were searching for three months ago.

The HVAC companies that dominate their markets year-round are the ones that treat their ad account like a living system that adapts with the seasons, not a set-it-and-forget-it machine. Start with the monthly budget template above, track your metrics, and refine each season based on what the data tells you.

Want a seasonal PPC strategy built for your HVAC business? We design and manage year-round HVAC advertising strategies that maximize every dollar across all four seasons. Schedule your free strategy call →