Quick answer: most residential HVAC companies invest $900–$3,500/month for local SEO. Larger, multi-market operators or shops chasing aggressive growth spend $3,500–$7,500+/month. One-time technical fixes or site rebuilds add $2,000–$10,000+ depending on scope.
If you're weighing SEO against PPC, LSAs, or just "doing nothing," this guide breaks down the real ranges, what good packages include, ROI math, and how to choose the right model for your shop.
What drives HVAC SEO cost?
- Market & service area: dense metros or wide geographies require more local pages, links, and reviews.
- Competition: going up against established brands with 1k+ reviews takes more content + link authority.
- Website starting point: if your site is slow, thin, or outdated, expect one-time technical work.
- Content volume: ranking for AC repair, heat pumps, furnaces, mini-splits, and 10+ cities needs steady content.
- Google Business Profile (GBP): ongoing post/review/photo cadence is a separate workload.
- Backlinks & PR: quality links are earned (partnerships, local PR), not bought—time-intensive.
- Reporting & analytics: real ROI tracking (calls, forms, jobs) takes setup and maintenance.
Pricing models you'll see
| Model | Typical Range | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $900–$7,500+ | Most common; combines content, GBP, links, and on-site work. |
| Project / one-time | $2,000–$10,000+ | Migrations, technical cleanup, site rebuilds, content sprints. |
| Hourly / consultative | $125–$250/hr | Internal teams need a strategist; flexible, but requires execution muscle. |
Realistic monthly budgets by company size
Use this as a starting point. Local competition can push you up a tier.
| Company profile | Trucks | Suggested SEO budget |
|---|---|---|
| Solo owner-operator | 1 | $600–$1,200/mo (baseline GBP + fixes) |
| Small shop | 2–5 | $900–$2,000/mo |
| Growing shop | 6–15 | $1,800–$3,500/mo |
| Multi-location / dominant | 16–50 | $3,500–$7,500+/mo |
What should be in a good HVAC SEO package?
- Technical foundation: Core Web Vitals, schema, crawl/index fixes, site architecture.
- Service & location pages: AC repair, furnace repair, heat pump, mini-splits, + unique city pages with proof (photos, permits, reviews).
- Content library: FAQs ("AC blowing warm air"), buyer's guides, seasonal posts.
- GBP ops: categories, services, products, weekly posts, Q&A, photo cadence, review playbook.
- Local links & citations: chambers, suppliers, sponsorships, neighborhood associations.
- Conversion upgrades: clear pricing ranges, financing, trust badges, after-hours booking.
- Reporting: organic calls/forms, rankings, pages driving jobs, and revenue attribution.
Sample packages (deliverables, not fluff)
Starter (baseline compete) — $900–$1,500/mo
- 1–2 new pages/mo (service or city)
- GBP posts weekly + review workflow
- Core citations + light link outreach
- Monthly reporting & call tracking
Growth (outrank local competitors) — $1,800–$3,000/mo
- 3–4 pages/mo (mix of service, city, and FAQs)
- Quarterly technical tune-ups + schema
- Local PR/link earning each month
- Conversion lifts (offer blocks, FAQs, financing widgets)
- Bi-weekly reporting & insights
Market Leader (multi-city expansion) — $3,500–$7,500+/mo
- 4–8 pages/mo (city rollouts + deep guides)
- Ongoing digital PR/link earning
- Programmatic location sections (templatized but non-duplicate content)
- Dedicated strategist + KPI scorecard tied to jobs booked
ROI math (simple)
- Average ticket: service $300–$600; install $7,500–$14,000
- Lead → job rate: organic web 20–35% when your site answers fast
- Breakeven leads needed: Monthly SEO cost ÷ (Avg. Profit per job × Close %)
Example:
Spend $2,000/mo, profit per service job $180, close rate 30%
Leads needed ≈ 2,000 ÷ (180 × 0.30) ≈ 37 leads to breakeven.
If 1–2 installs/month come from organic, you crush breakeven.
⚡️ Pair SEO with 24/7 conversion. Adding an AI chat that books after hours (like RepairZen) often raises lead-to-job rate by 5–15 pts, lowering the leads needed to ROI.
Timeline & milestones
- Months 1–2: technical cleanup, GBP revamp, initial pages, review machine on.
- Months 3–4: first page-1 rankings for long-tail terms, call uptick.
- Months 5–6: city/service pages compound; organic becomes a consistent channel.
- Months 6–12: authority flywheel; expand to new cities/services.
Red flags to avoid
- "Guaranteed #1 rankings" or 30-day miracles.
- Cheap link packages or private blog networks (PBNs).
- No access to analytics, GSC, or call recordings.
- Duplicate city pages with find-replace city names.
- Content that never mentions your actual process, photos, permits, or reviews.
How to set the right HVAC SEO budget (5 steps)
- Pick the outcome: service call volume vs. install pipeline vs. city expansion.
- Audit starting point: site health, content gaps, GBP strength, review count.
- Choose a package: match the deliverables to your outcomes, not vanity metrics.
- Commit to 6 months: SEO compounds; set milestones and review monthly.
- Capture every lead: if they call at 8:30pm, book it—don't let your SEO pay for someone else\'s job.
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