Voice Search Tips for Home Service Businesses

Voice search is finally making its mark on the digital marketing landscape.

Nowadays, 20% of all internet searches are voice-based. We're always on the move and we always have our mobile devices with us, not to mention the fact that Google voice search algorithms have progressed in a big way.

For home service businesses that rely on local SEO, voice search will continue to play a big role. Today, we're going to give you a few voice search tips that can help you boost your SEO and put you ahead of the competition.

Understanding voice search can give you a big edge over other HVAC and plumbing businesses. Keep reading and learn how it's done.

Fill Out Your GMB Profile

One thing to understand about voice search is that it's deeply tied to local SEO, which is so crucial for home service businesses. If your HVAC or plumbing business is going to have high visibility online, you need to fill out your Google My Business profile.

Without this profile, your business will be in no man's land. When someone performs a voice search, Google looks at GMB to get business names, addresses, contact info, business category, and ratings. The more thoroughly you fill out your GMB profile, the better.

Getting More Online Reviews

When someone performs a voice search, they might say, "what is the best HVAC installation company near me?". If your business is going to show up on the SERP, you need a high average star rating and lots of positive reviews.

Over 90% of people look at online reviews before buying a product or service, but reviews are also important for local SEO. Lots of good ratings, positive reviews, and responses to reviews will help you appeal to Google's voice search algorithm.

Conversational Keywords and Customer Intent

The way that voice search SEO works is a bit different. Searchers are using more conversational language when they perform searches, so you need to focus on long-tail and local keywords on your landing pages and in your content.

Most voice searches come in the form of questions, as mentioned above. The key to nailing your keywords is understanding the intent of the searcher. Optimize your content to address this intent and you'll be successful with voice search.

How Your Site Factors In

One of the best ways to optimize your website for voice search is to have an FAQ section. Having a dedicated page with conversational questions and answers will solve the problem posed above.

Also, since voice searches are always performed on mobile devices, you need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Simplicity is the key here, so make your navigation easy to understand, compress the size of your images, and integrate larger fonts and buttons.

Voice Search Optimization for Service Businesses

Voice search SEO isn't the future of digital marketing for service businesses—it's the present. These tips will help to optimize your business for voice search, but it's important to keep your ear to the ground and stay on top of the ever-changing SEO trends. 

To get help with SEO for your HVAC or plumbing business, look no further than Optic Marketing. As a full-service digital marketing agency for service businesses, we can help you take your company to new heights. Contact us today to discuss your digital advertising needs.

 


Things to Do After Your HVAC Company Gets a Five Star Review

Over 90% of customers read online reviews before purchasing a product or service.

Running an HVAC company is all about bolstering your reputation. No matter where you operate, there are going to be other HVAC companies vying for the same group of customers. Good reviews help to establish your reputation and draw those customers away from the competition.

When you receive a five star review, you need to know what to do with it. In this post, we're going to tell you how to respond to business reviews.

You work hard to give your customers the best service you can. Now keep reading and learn how responding to your five star reviews can boost business.

Why Responding to a Five Star Review Matters

Getting a positive review isn't something every HVAC company is capable of, so you're already off on the right foot. Once you've got the perfect review in hand, you can focus on your five star review response.

It's important to respond to comments - good and bad - so that your customers know you're listening. Doing so will boost your customer retention and local SEO, which is an important part of establishing your business as the go-to HVAC company in your area.

Your response may also influence how potential customers perceive your business. As we mentioned earlier, a lot of people look at customer reviews before contacting a business. If you show that you're responsive to your customers, it'll show new customers that you care about their happiness.

Expressing Gratitude

There are a few different ways to bolster your five star review image. First and foremost, it's important that your response is genuine and relates to what the customer discussed in their review.

One good way to keep the positive vibes going is to simply express your gratitude for the review and their business. After all, your customers don't have to leave you a review. They're doing it because they enjoyed the service you gave them.

Thank them by name and let them know that you really appreciate their feedback. It's a simple, yet effective approach.

Highlight Your Team

You can take your five star review response one step further and highlight a member of your team that performed the HVAC service. A five star review will often single out a specific team member that provided excellent service.

By acknowledging the same team member in your response, you're showing that you read the review carefully. You can say something like, "Thanks for your review; we'll pass your compliments along to [insert employee]". Doing this on a regular basis will also boost employee morale at your company.

Mention Upcoming Offers

We mentioned earlier that review responses can help you boost customer retention. You can really dig into this by mentioning an upcoming promotion or program in your response to incentivize your happy customer to come back again soon.

It helps if the service you're advertising pertains to something the customer mentioned in their review. Otherwise, it may seem a bit blatant.

Know How to Get Five Star Reviews 

Once you know how to get a five star review and what to do with it afterward, you can go a long way to establishing your HVAC business as the best in the area. Responding to every single online review can be a lot of work, but it truly does pay off in the end.

If you need help optimizing your online reviews or any other aspect of digital marketing for your HVAC business, contact us at Optic Marketing. We're a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in working with HVAC and plumbing companies.


Google Local Service Ads or Google PPC Ads for HVAC Businesses

Did you know that Google's advertising business generates a whopping $150 billion in revenue?

This is a win-win scenario because Google offers valuable options for business to increase their exposure and gain loyal customers they wouldn't otherwise have. Two main options for Google advertising include local service ads and pay-per-click ads.

Are you wondering what ways you can get the most out of your marketing endeavors? Keep reading to learn all about how to use Google local service ads or Google PPC ads for your HVAC business.

Google Service Ads

Many HVAC Businesses love the fact that Google service ads appear at the top of Google search results. This can save you a significant amount of time. Instead of laboring over SEO, you can essentially cut the line.

Since these service ads operate based on location, your ad will only appear to people who are searching for HVAC products or services in your area. You can expect your ad to appear beside two others that are also relevant.

Aside from your business name, these HVAC ads will also display your business' accumulative star rating, the number of years you've been in business, your hours of operation, and your phone number. This allows potential customers to make an informed decision right away instead of clicking on the ad and giving you outlier data, for instance.

Rather than the number of years you've been in business, you can use that brief text for something else if you'd like, such as a miniature mission statement.

Google PPC Ads

Google PPC ads are yet another great marketing option for an HVAC company that wants more exposure and more lead generation. Since you only pay when someone clicks your ad, you can save money and get real results. Plus, the clicks will allow you to analyze the effectiveness of the ad.

If it isn't performing to your liking, you can tinker and tailor it so that the ad can meet your goals if not exceed them. As for placement, it's common to see Google PPC ads right below local service ads.

Placement is essential but it's by no means everything. Used together, these two types of ads can work wonders for your brand's exposure and general revenue stream.

You can start launching ads through Google's advertising platform but it's better to hire professionals. That way, you can have a more informed and overarching strategy.

Are You Ready to Use Google Local Service Ads and More?

Now that you've learned all about how to use Google local service ads and Google PPC ads for your HVAC business, you can decide which strategies work best with your goals.

Optic Marketing Group is here to help you launch your most successful marketing campaign yet. Our experienced professionals know the ins and outs of SEO, ad functions, audience targeting, and so much more.

If you're ready to take your brand to the next level, then be sure to contact us right away. We're looking forward to working with you.


4 Tips on Training Your Technicians to Sell

Your HVAC company can't thrive without well-trained HVAC technicians.

America is home to over 200,000 HVAC technicians. If your company is going to stand out among the many other local HVAC companies, it's important to give your customer the best service. 

Part of this is ensuring that your employees come from reputable technician schools. The better they are at installing and repairing HVAC equipment, the more reputable your company will be. 

If your company is going to thrive and grow, however, you need your technicians to sell your products and services. In this post, we're going to give you 4 important tips on training your employees to sell. 

Cross-selling or "upselling" is an essential part of business growth, so keep reading and teach your employees how it's done.

1. Incentivizing Sales

The easiest way to get your technicians to buy into a sales role is to incentivize it. Provide a commission or financial reward to the technicians that are able to make sales on the fly.

Individual rewards should entice some of your more outgoing technicians to make sales, but you don't want to alienate the ones who don't perform as well. You can also offer team incentives when sales are made or new clients are brought in. This can help boost cohesion and morale.

2. Training Technicians on Building Rapport

Train your technicians on how to build a rapport with the customer. If your techs are going to make sales, they need the customer to trust that what they're telling them is correct. 

Demonstrated expertise will take them most of the way. Being accommodating and friendly will bring them the rest of the way. Instruct your technicians to ask customers lots of questions and have them almost tutor them by explaining in simple terms what they're doing and why they're doing it.

3. Pointing Out Future Problems

If your technicians notice any other HVAC issues while on the job, they should always bring it to the customer's attention. Without being pushy, inform the customer that a future problem could arise that they can either fix now or in the future. 

Some customers may want to have the problem dealt with immediately. By leaving it open-ended, however, your tech can establish a quality lead for the future and grow your business with return customers.

4. Handling Objections

An important part of doing sales work is handling objections. When your customers object to services you're providing or, more commonly, the price of the services, your technicians need to know what to do.

Instilling confidence in your team of technicians is the first step. If the objections are financial in nature, your technician should be able to outline all of the financing options that your company has available.

Your technicians should also be able to espouse your company's virtues - why you're better than the next company. This comes naturally when you develop a good culture in your HVAC business.

Creating Technicians Who Sell

Some technicians will no doubt show some resistance to the idea of having to upsell customers. However, if you're able to train them in these areas and incentivize them to put in the extra effort - sometimes requiring them to leave their comfort zone - it'll pay huge dividends.

Having technicians who sell will have a positive impact on your business, but you still need to appeal to the right customers in the first place. At Optic Marketing, we can help your HVAC or plumbing business identify and appeal to your niche audience. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.