HVAC Marketing That Actually Works: SEO vs PPC for HVAC Companies

Every HVAC business owner faces this decision: Google Ads or SEO? Both promise more customers. Both cost money. But which one actually delivers better results for HVAC companies?

Let's look at real numbers. Real costs. Real results. No marketing fluff. Just data from actual HVAC companies that tried both.

What Is PPC (Google Ads)?

PPC stands for Pay Per Click. You create ads that show up when someone searches "HVAC repair near me" or "emergency heating repair." Every time someone clicks your ad, you pay Google.

How much per click? Depends on your location and keywords:

• "HVAC company" - £6-£10 per click
• "Emergency heating repair" - £10-£15 per click
• "AC installation" - £8-£12 per click
• "Boiler repair near me" - £7-£11 per click

Most HVAC companies spend £2,000-£4,000 monthly on Google Ads. Big cities cost more. London HVAC companies often spend £6,000+ monthly just to stay competitive.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Instead of paying for ads, you optimize your website to rank organically. When done right, your business shows up naturally when people search.

SEO includes:

• Improving website speed and mobile friendliness
• Creating service pages targeting specific searches
• Optimizing Google Business Profile
• Getting customer reviews
• Building links from local websites
• Publishing helpful content

Professional HVAC SEO costs £1,000-£2,000 monthly. One-time heavy lifting for first 6 months, then maintenance. Unlike ads, you can reduce spending later while maintaining rankings.

Cost Comparison: Year One

Let's compare actual costs for average HVAC company over 12 months:

Year one, SEO costs £15,600 less than PPC. But what about results? Cheaper doesn't matter if it doesn't work.

Results Comparison: What Actually Happens

Glasgow HVAC company ran both simultaneously for 12 months. Same budget. Different channels. Tracked everything. Here's what happened:

PPC Results (12 Months)

• Total spent: £31,200
• Total clicks: 3,120 (at £10 average)
• Total calls: 187 (6% conversion)
• Total booked jobs: 94 (50% booking rate)
• Average job value: £420
• Total revenue: £39,480
• ROI: 126% (£1.26 returned for every £1 spent)

SEO Results (12 Months)

• Total spent: £18,600
• Months 1-3: 12 calls total (SEO warming up)
• Months 4-6: 48 calls (rankings improving)
• Months 7-9: 87 calls (momentum building)
• Months 10-12: 124 calls (strong rankings)
• Total calls year one: 271
• Total booked jobs: 149 (55% booking rate)
• Average job value: £440 (slightly higher quality leads)
• Total revenue: £65,560
• ROI: 352% (£3.52 returned for every £1 spent)

SEO cost £12,600 less and generated £26,080 more revenue. But notice the pattern: SEO started slow (12 calls in 3 months) then accelerated dramatically.

Cost Comparison: Year Two and Beyond

Here's where the difference becomes massive.

PPC Year Two

• Same monthly spend: £2,800
• Similar results (maybe 10-15% improvement)
• Total cost: £33,600
• Stop paying, calls stop immediately

SEO Year Two

• Reduced monthly spend: £800 (just maintenance)
• Rankings continue improving
• Results typically double year-over-year
• Total cost: £9,600
• Reduce spending, rankings stay stable for months

Three-year comparison:

• PPC total cost: £100,800 (£33,600 x 3 years)
• SEO total cost: £37,200 (£18,600 + £9,600 + £9,000)

SEO saves £63,600 over three years. And results keep improving while PPC stays relatively flat.

Speed to Results

PPC wins for immediate results. Launch campaign today, get calls tomorrow. This makes PPC valuable in specific situations:

• Brand new HVAC company with zero visibility
• Peak season approaching (summer for AC, winter for heating)
• Cash flow crisis requiring immediate revenue
• Testing new service area before committing to SEO

SEO takes 3-4 months before meaningful results. Months 1-2 typically bring minimal increase. Month 3-4 is when improvements become noticeable. Month 6+ is when SEO often surpasses PPC for lead volume.

Manchester HVAC company launched in March (heading into slow season). Needed immediate revenue. Started with PPC, generated quick cash flow. Simultaneously invested in SEO. By September (heating season), SEO ranked well. Reduced PPC by 70%. Used both strategically.

Quality of Leads

Interesting finding: SEO leads convert slightly better than PPC leads.

Why? People searching organically tend to research more. They read your website properly. They compare fewer companies. They trust organic results more than paid ads. By the time they call, they're more qualified and ready to book.

PPC leads are more mixed. Some are high quality. Others click randomly. Some call multiple companies simultaneously. More price shopping. Lower booking rate.

Data from 50 HVAC companies:

• PPC call-to-booking rate: 48%
• SEO call-to-booking rate: 57%
• PPC average job value: £395
• SEO average job value: £435

Not huge difference, but noticeable. SEO brings slightly better customers who book more expensive jobs.

Control and Flexibility

PPC offers complete control:

• Turn on/off instantly
• Change budget anytime
• Test different messages quickly
• Target specific times and locations
• See results immediately

SEO offers less control but more stability:

• Can't turn on/off instantly
• Changes take weeks to affect rankings
• Testing requires patience
• But rankings stable even if you reduce budget
• Compound effect - improves over time

Think of PPC like renting. SEO like buying. Renting (PPC) offers flexibility but builds no equity. Buying (SEO) requires commitment but builds lasting asset.

Competitive Dynamics

PPC gets more expensive over time. Why? More HVAC companies compete for same keywords. Competition drives prices up. Five years ago, "emergency heating repair" cost £6 per click. Now £12-£15. In five more years? Probably £20-£25.

SEO difficulty increases too, but differently. Once you rank well, defending position costs less than winning it initially. Birmingham HVAC company ranked #1 for key terms in 2021. Still #1 in 2025. Maintenance cost minimal compared to initial investment.

Plus, established SEO gives you competitive moat. New HVAC competitor can match your PPC budget instantly. They can't match your established SEO rankings and domain authority. Takes them years to catch up.

The Winning Strategy: Both (Eventually)

Best-performing HVAC companies use both strategically:

Year 1: Invest in SEO Foundation

• Primary budget to SEO
• Small PPC budget (£600-£800/month) for immediate leads
• Focus SEO on highest-value services
• Use PPC to fill schedule while SEO builds

Year 2: Reduce PPC, Expand SEO

• Cut PPC budget 50-70%
• Maintain SEO at reduced rate
• Expand to secondary keywords
• Use PPC only for seasonal peaks or new services

Year 3+: SEO-Dominant Strategy

• Minimal PPC (£200-£400/month) or seasonal only
• SEO maintenance plus continuous improvement
• Majority of leads from organic search
• Total marketing cost down 60% versus PPC-only approach

Sheffield HVAC company followed this exact strategy. Started 2022 spending £3,200/month on PPC, zero on SEO. By end of 2024, spending £800 total monthly (£600 SEO maintenance, £200 PPC). Getting more leads in 2024 than 2022 while spending 75% less.

When PPC Makes More Sense

Some situations favor PPC over SEO:

• Very competitive markets: Top 5 UK cities where SEO alone struggles. Combination works better.
• Short-term needs: Need revenue this month, can't wait 4 months for SEO.
• Testing new services: Validate demand before investing in SEO.
• Seasonal-only business: Only work 4-6 months yearly. PPC flexibility valuable.
• Commercial/B2B HVAC: Smaller search volume makes SEO harder to justify. PPC targets specific decision-makers.

But even in these cases, SEO should supplement PPC long-term. Relying solely on PPC means permanent high marketing costs.

When SEO Makes More Sense

SEO particularly strong for:

• Established businesses: Can afford 3-4 month buildup period.
• Long-term thinking: Building business to last, not quick flip.
• Smaller markets: Less competition makes SEO results faster.
• Residential HVAC: High search volume for emergency repairs and installations.
• Multiple locations: SEO scales efficiently across service areas.

Nottingham HVAC company serves 8 surrounding towns. Ranking each town for 5 key services = 40 rankings. PPC would cost £4,000+ monthly to cover all areas. SEO cost £2,200 monthly initially, now £900 maintenance. Covers all 40 search combinations. SEO scales better.

Making the Decision

Consider these questions:

1. How much can you budget monthly? Under £1,500? Start with pure SEO or tiny PPC supplement. Over £3,000? Do both properly.
2. How urgent are results? Need calls this week? PPC. Can wait 3 months? SEO offers better ROI.
3. What's your time horizon? Planning to sell in 12 months? PPC. Building for years? Definitely SEO.
4. How competitive is your market? Major city? Probably need both. Smaller town? SEO alone often sufficient.
5. Do you have cash reserves? Comfortable waiting for results? SEO. Tight on cash? PPC brings faster revenue.

Final Recommendation

If you can only do one, choose SEO. Better long-term ROI. Lower ongoing costs. Builds permanent asset.

But if you can afford both initially, that's ideal. PPC covers immediate needs while SEO builds. Then gradually shift budget from PPC to SEO as rankings improve. Within 12-18 months, you'll spend less total marketing budget while getting more leads.

The worst strategy? Jumping between them. Three months of PPC. Then cancel and try SEO. Then panic and go back to PPC. That builds nothing. Wastes money. Delivers poor results.

Commit to SEO for minimum 6 months. Use small PPC budget if needed during that time. See what happens. Then decide long-term allocation based on actual results, not guesses.