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HVAC SEO: How to Rank #1 on Google Maps
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If you’re an HVAC business owner, you already know that showing up on the first page of Google Maps can transform your business. Ranking high for local HVAC searches doesn’t just bring in traffic—it brings in ready-to-book customers.
In this guide, we’ll break down the proven HVAC SEO formula that’s helped dozens of contractors climb to the top of Google Maps, generate consistent leads, and add hundreds of thousands in new revenue.
Why Ranking #1 on Google Maps Matters for HVAC Businesses
When homeowners search “HVAC near me” or “heat pump installation [your city],” the first thing they see isn’t your website—it’s your Google Business Profile. Those top three spots on the map are prime real estate, and landing there can mean the difference between one or 100 new leads each month.
Ranking #1 on Google Maps gives you:
More phone calls and quote requests
Instant trust from new customers
Visibility in every local HVAC search that matters
At our agency, we’ve seen this firsthand.
Kyle from Eco Pro Heating & Cooling generated $360,000 in six months after his Google Business Profile hit the top three.
Connor from Whyte Mechanical jumped from $47K in quotes to $300K in 90 days using the same system.
And they’re not outliers. This works across dozens of HVAC businesses that now dominate their local map results.
Check out their case studies here:
The 3 Mistakes Most HVAC Companies Make
Before you can rank, it’s important to know what’s holding you back. Most HVAC companies we audit are guilty of one (or all) of these:
Limiting reviews to paying customers only. You should be collecting feedback from every positive interaction—installations, consultations, maintenance calls, and even referrals.
Inconsistent or missing website SEO. Your Google Business Profile and website must support each other. If one is weak, both suffer.
Ignoring their profile after setup. You can’t “set it and forget it.” Google rewards consistency and regular engagement.
How Google Decides Who Ranks #1
Google’s local algorithm focuses on six main factors:
Distance (Proximity) Google prioritizes businesses near the searcher’s location. You can’t move your address, but you can optimize your service areas inside your profile to include all relevant suburbs, towns, and neighborhoods.
Relevance Google needs to know exactly what you do. Make sure your primary category is “HVAC Contractor,” then add supporting categories like “Furnace Repair Service,” “Air Conditioning Repair Service,” or “Heating Equipment Supplier.”
Use the same service-based keywords across your website, Google posts, and reviews (for example: “heat pump installation in Burnaby”).
Prominence This is your business’s authority. Google rewards HVAC companies that show up everywhere online—directories, blogs, social mentions, backlinks, and especially high-quality Google reviews.
Collect new reviews consistently.
Earn backlinks from local and industry sites.
Post new projects or blog updates regularly.
Consistency Google favors profiles that stay active. Post weekly, update hours during holidays, and refresh your photos often. Respond to every review with keywords like “Thanks for choosing us for your heat pump install in North Vancouver!”
Engagement The more people interact with your profile (clicks, calls, photos viewed, directions requested), the higher you’ll rank. Encourage every happy customer to engage with your listing after a job is complete.
Website SEO Your website and Google Business Profile are interconnected. Strong HVAC SEO on your site helps your Google Maps ranking—and vice versa.
1) Distance (Proximity)
What it is: How close the searcher is to your verified address or the center of your service area. You cannot change where someone is searching from, but you can expand signals that you serve nearby neighborhoods.
Actions
In your Google Business Profile, set a precise primary address if you have a shop or office. If you are service-area only, hide the address and set service areas that include your core city plus high-value suburbs and neighborhoods.
List all meaningful districts in service areas. Think “North Vancouver,” “West Vancouver,” “Lynn Valley,” not just “Vancouver.”
Publish city and neighborhood pages on your site that match those service areas, then link them in GBP “Website” and in Posts.
Earn reviews from multiple ZIPs. After jobs, ask happy customers in different neighborhoods first. Diversity of locations in reviews helps coverage.
Add photo captions and Post copy that mention the service and the area. Example: “Heat pump installation in Lynn Valley.”
Targets and KPIs
10 to 20 mapped service areas that actually match where you want jobs.
Reviews in 5 to 8 distinct neighborhoods in your first 90 days.
Grid-based rank tracking across your city to confirm lateral expansion of visibility.
Pitfalls
Setting dozens of far-away areas you never serve. It hurts trust and conversions.
Inconsistent NAP across citations that suggest a different location footprint.
2) Relevance
What it is: How clearly your listing matches the searcher’s intent. Google must understand your services and specialties.
Fill out Services with keyword-rich, plain-English descriptions. Example:
“Heat pump installation”
“Ductless mini split installation”
“Furnace repair”
“Air conditioner tune up” Each service gets 100 to 250 words describing what, where, and typical turnaround.
Use GBP Posts weekly for specific intents. Examples: “Emergency furnace repair in Burnaby,” “Annual heat pump maintenance checklist.”
Keep menu links and Bookings connected to the most relevant landing pages. Do not send every click to your homepage.
Targets and KPIs
1 primary category, plus 3 supporting categories.
12 to 20 Services filled with descriptions and pricing notes if possible.
4 Posts per month mapped to high-intent searches.
Pitfalls
Category stuffing that does not reflect real work. It dilutes relevance.
Duplicating vague service names like “heating” with no detail.
3) Prominence
What it is: Your authority across the web. This includes volume and quality of reviews, local citations, press, and backlinks that mention your brand.
Actions
Build a review machine. After every job, send a short text and email with your direct review link. Nudge again 48 hours later if no response.
Target review quality. Ask customers to mention the service and area. Example prompt: “If it helps, you can note it was a heat pump install in Edgemont Village and how the team left the space clean.”
Create a local link plan. Join associations, sponsor a youth team, partner with a supplier for a case study, contribute expert quotes to local news. Each should include a link to your site and preferably a brand mention that matches GBP.
Submit to top-tier citations and a handful of niche ones. Keep NAP identical everywhere.
Publish project spotlights on your blog with before and after photos, then share to GBP via Posts and add those photos to your Profile.
Targets and KPIs
100 new reviews in 6 to 9 months with a natural cadence.
20 to 40 consistent citations with matching NAP.
5 to 10 local or industry backlinks per quarter.
Avg. rating 4.6+ while keeping response rate to reviews at 100 percent.
Pitfalls
Buying spammy links or reviews. It risks removal or suspension.
Bursts of 30 reviews in a day after months of silence. Keep it steady.
4) Consistency
What it is: Ongoing freshness and accuracy signals. Active businesses tend to rank better.
Actions
Review responses within 48 hours. Include light keywords and thank the customer by name.
Photo cadence. Upload 3 to 5 authentic photos each week. Field work, vans, techs, gear, before and afters, and neighborhood landmarks.
Holiday hours and temporary closures updated as they happen.
GBP Q&A. Seed and answer common questions customers ask on the phone. Example: “Do you install cold climate heat pumps in West Vancouver?” Provide a helpful, concise answer and link to the relevant page.
Maintain product listings if you showcase systems or maintenance plans. Keep pricing and specs aligned with your website.
Targets and KPIs
4 Posts per month, 12 to 20 photos per month, 100 percent response rate to reviews and Q&A.
Zero mismatches between GBP hours and website hours.
Pitfalls
Stock photos that do not match your market. Real photos perform better.
Letting Posts or photos go dark for months. It signals inactivity.
5) Engagement
What it is: How users interact with your profile. Calls, direction requests, website clicks, photo views, and Q&A all feed positive signals.
Actions
Put a tracking number on GBP that forwards to your main line, and list the main number as “additional.” This preserves NAP while letting you measure calls.
Make your cover photo a clear, bright field photo with people and branding. People engage more with human-centric images.
Craft conversion-ready Business Description. 750 to 1,000 characters that include your top services, core areas, proof points, and a simple call to action.
Pin Featured Post variants for peak seasons. Example before summer: “Book your AC tune up in North Vancouver. Limited slots this month.” Link to a friction-free booking page.
Use FAQ posts to answer intent. Example: “How fast can you replace a failed furnace in Kitsilano?” Short answer and a link to Emergency page.
Targets and KPIs
Month over month growth in calls, direction requests, website clicks, and photo views inside GBP Insights.
10 to 20 percent conversion from GBP clicks to booked jobs on your landing pages.
Pitfalls
Sending GBP traffic to a slow or generic homepage. Always link to the most relevant, fast page with clear calls to action.
Ignoring missed calls. Use call recording and rapid callback workflows.
6) Website SEO
What it is: Your site’s content, structure, and authority reinforce your local relevance and boost your map rankings.
Actions
Build a clean hierarchy.
Top navigation: Heat Pumps, Furnaces, AC, Boilers, Water Heaters, Maintenance, Financing, Service Areas, About, Contact.
For each system, create Install, Repair, Maintenance pages.
For priority cities, create location versions of high-intent services. Example: “Heat Pump Installation North Vancouver,” “Furnace Repair Burnaby.”
On every service and city page, include:
A benefit-led hero with the city name.
Proof items like brand logos you install, rebates you handle, and reviews from that city.
FAQs answering local concerns.
Internal links to related services and the city hub.
On-page basics
Title tags with service + city and a value hook.
H1 that mirrors search language.
Schema where relevant, such as LocalBusiness and Product for maintenance plans or featured systems.
Fast load times on mobile.
Internal links from blogs to your money pages. Create blogs that answer real questions you hear on the phone, then point readers to the right service page.
Google Search Console
Submit sitemap.
Fix coverage issues.
Track queries that include HVAC service + city and improve pages that are close to page one.
Targets and KPIs
1 service page and 1 service-city page published each week for the first 8 to 12 weeks.
Primary money pages under 2.5 seconds LCP on mobile.
10 to 20 internal links pointing to each money page.
Steady growth in impressions and clicks for “service + city” terms.
Pitfalls
Thin city pages with only a swapped city name. Give each page unique proof, photos, and FAQs.
Fighting for dozens of cities before you dominate your home base. Win near you first, then radiate outward.
Your 90-Day Execution Plan
Weeks 1 to 2
Lock primary and secondary categories, fill Services with descriptions, set service areas, fix NAP everywhere.
Ship 6 to 8 money pages. Start with Heat Pump Install, Furnace Repair, and AC Repair for your main city and one key suburb.
Build 10 citations and secure 2 to 3 local backlinks.
Add tracking to calls and buttons on GBP landing pages.
Weeks 7 to 10
Publish 4 more Posts and 12 to 16 photos.
Ship 4 to 6 additional city pages.
Pitch one local press or partner case study.
Weeks 11 to 12
Audit Insights and GSC data. Improve titles, intros, and CTAs on pages that are close to page one.
Double down on neighborhoods with rising call volume.
Copy-and-Paste Assets
Review text
“Hi [Name], thanks again for choosing us for your [service] in [neighborhood]. If everything looks good, would you mind leaving a quick Google review here? It really helps local homeowners find us. [short review link] If it helps, a sentence about the service and area is perfect.”
GBP Post template
“Need fast furnace repair in [City/Neighborhood]? Our certified techs diagnose and fix most issues on the first visit. Book today and stay warm this week. [Booking link]”
Business description starter
“[Brand] is a family-first HVAC contractor serving [primary city] and surrounding neighborhoods. We install and service heat pumps, furnaces, boilers, and ductless systems, and we handle rebates and financing in-house. Homeowners choose us for same-week installs, clean workmanship, and 150+ local reviews. Call for a free estimate or book online.”
The Website Structure That Boosts HVAC SEO
If your website doesn’t back up your Google profile, you’re missing out. Here’s how to build a structure that works:
1. Create individual service pages Example:
Heat Pump Installation
Furnace Repair
Air Conditioning Maintenance
2. Create service area pages Each service should have versions for your key cities or regions:
Heat Pump Installation North Vancouver
Heat Pump Installation West Vancouver
This may sound like a lot of pages, but it’s worth it. The more specific your content, the more Google understands where you operate and what you offer.
3. Add internal links and blogs Connect every service page to relevant content—blog posts answering common HVAC questions, FAQs, and local guides.
4. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console This ensures Google can find and index your pages quickly.
How to Get More High-Quality Google Reviews
Reviews can make or break your HVAC SEO. But asking for them doesn’t have to be awkward.
Use the “feedback-first” method:
Ask for feedback after every job: “Hey [Name], how did everything go with your furnace installation today?”
If positive, follow up with: “Awesome! We’re asking a few happy clients to leave a quick review on Google. Would you mind sharing your experience?”
Pro tip: Include keywords and images in reviews. A customer who writes “Eco Pro Heating installed my new heat pump in Burnaby—fantastic service!” is boosting your ranking for that exact search term.
Tools like Jobber make this process automatic. Once a job is complete, it sends a review request with your Google review link—no manual follow-up needed.
Results You Can Expect
When your HVAC SEO and Google Business Profile are properly optimized, you can expect:
A steady stream of leads without relying on ads
Ranking for multiple high-intent local keywords
Increased trust and visibility across your service areas
Faster conversions from customers who already trust you
Our clients typically see these results within 90 days of setup.
Want This Done for You?
We’ve helped over 100 HVAC and home service companies rank #1 on Google Maps, generate predictable leads, and grow their revenue—without running paid ads.
Here’s what’s included in our done-for-you HVAC SEO system:
Full SEO audit of your website and Google Business Profile
List of high-value HVAC keywords for your area
Complete profile optimization
Local backlink building
Professionally written service and city landing pages
Automated review generation system
We even guarantee $100,000 in new revenue within 90 days—or your money back.
All it takes is one to two hours of your time to get started. We handle the rest.
Ranking #1 on Google Maps isn’t luck—it’s a system. Follow the framework above, and you’ll turn your HVAC business profile into a lead-generating machine.
Or, if you’re ready to skip the learning curve and start closing more jobs faster, let’s do it for you.
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