Mobile-friendliness is also an important ranking factor for Google: All other things being equal, the best mobile web page will outrank the others on searches done on mobile devices and desktops. To maximize mobile friendliness:

• Replace PDF brochures (hard to read on mobile) with HTML web pages.
• Keep inquiry forms simple and make the fields large enough for easy entry on mobile phones.
• Lock a phone icon with click-to-call functionality at the top of the page so it’s always in view no matter how far down the page your visitor scrolls.
• Use plenty of white space and keep paragraphs as short as possible (2-3 lines ideally).
• Lock hamburger or tab navigation at the top of the page and keep the navigation as simple as possible.

There are many other mobile web design techniques to apply to your site; investing wisely in professional design will generate a handsome return in SEO results.

2. Local SEO Priorities

Local SEO is a subset of SEO focused on local businesses such as HVAC to make a company stand out organically on Google for searches in a specific geographic market(s). While local SEO involves numerous activities, these are the critical ones your company must get right:

• Your company name, phone number, and physical address must be displayed uniformly on each page of your website. (This is known as “NAP” information.)
• Cultivate positive user reviews on Yelp, BBB and other high-profile, reputable review sites devoted to HVAC and related industries, as well as on Google My Business and other social media platforms. Positive reviews not only boost local SEO, but also benefit your lead generation and brand image in obvious ways. Very important!
• Obtain citations of your business on local business websites, and local and regional news websites. Mentions of your company tell Google (and humans) your business is reputable and successful.
• Set up and cultivate a Google My Business page for each of your physical locations. Because it’s a Google property, an active company presence there, and user reviews, get favored exposure from Google when users are searching for HVAC services.

3. Have Web Pages Dedicated to Your Primary Keywords

A common SEO mistake made by HVAC companies is making the home page do all the work. Rather than trying to optimize the home page for 10 or 20 target keywords, you’ll get much better results creating 10 or 20 pages specifically devoted to your primary services. Typical page/keyword designations might include:

• Residential HVAC services in Everytown
• Commercial HVAC services in Everytown
• Air conditioning installation and service in Everytown
• Heating installation and service in Everytown
• Emergency HVAC service in Everytown
• Air purifying services in Everytown
• Furnace installation and repair in Everytown

It takes professional keyword research to pinpoint the keywords that represent the best opportunities for strong rankings. Factors to consider are keyword volume, competitiveness, and relevance. But once the keyword targets are identified, having web pages devoted strictly to them (and related keywords) tells Google your page is highly relevant to searches for those keywords rather than roughly relevant, as a one-size-fits-all home page would suggest.

4. Speed Up Page Loading

Page loading speed is an important ranking factor for Google, and one that companies often overlook. But if you think about your online behavior, you’ll immediately see that a slow loading page (one that takes more than two or three seconds to load) is the surest way to send someone clicking away to a competitor.

Many factors can slow down page loading. Common culprits include poor storage and retrieval of website images, inferior or shared web hosting, technical web server issues, improper coding and the use of an outdated CMS platform.

If you haven’t done it in a while, consider having a technical audit performed on your website to identify loading speed and other SEO-critical technical issues. Many of these issues are relatively easy to fix and can have enormous impact on your SEO performance.

5. Make Your Site a Conversion Powerhouse

HVAC companies should never forget the real purpose of investing in SEO is not to get high rankings or lots of organic traffic, but to get new customers. A spectacular SEO campaign may drive hundreds or thousands of visitors to your site, but if they never book an appointment or call for information, what good is it?

To make your website convert:

• Have professionally written, error-free, useful, and persuasive content.
• Have attention-getting, custom images that highlight your expertise and service quality.
• Include credibility elements on your site, such as years in business, BBB certification and customer reviews.
• Have appealing offers — and capitalize on seasonal offers such as fall and spring furnace inspections.
• Draw attention to your warranties, guarantees and track record (to combat skepticism).

The great thing about creating a strong, converting website for SEO is that it will help you get more leads no matter where your site visitors come from. Like most SEO techniques, great execution benefits your business in ways that go beyond SEO.

Publication date: 4/9/2018

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