Marketing for Home Service Contractors
If you're an HVAC tech, plumber, electrician, or roofer, you know that marketing is different for your industry.
You're not selling products online. You're selling trust and immediate availability.
Why Traditional Marketing Fails for Contractors
Billboards: Expensive, hard to track ROI Radio Ads: Expensive, reaches wrong audience Yellow Pages: Dead (nobody uses them) Angi/HomeAdvisor: Expensive leads, shared with competitors
What Actually Works in 2026
1. Google Local Service Ads (LSAs)
If available for your trade, LSAs are gold:
- Show at the very top of search results
- "Google Guaranteed" badge builds trust
- Only pay for leads (not clicks)
- Pre-screened customers
- Lower cost than traditional ads
Trades Available: HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Roofing, Locksmiths, Garage Door, Appliance Repair
2. Google Maps Optimization
75% of people never scroll past the Map Pack.
To rank in the top 3:
- Complete Google Business Profile 100%
- Generate 3-5 reviews per month
- Post regularly (2-3x per week)
- Add photos weekly
- Respond to all reviews
3. Review Generation Automation
The Problem: Asking customers manually gets 5% conversion The Solution: Automated SMS with direct review link gets 80% conversion
Set up GoHighLevel or similar to automatically request reviews after jobs.
4. Emergency Service Landing Pages
Create dedicated pages for:
- "Emergency [Service] [City]"
- "24/7 [Service]"
- "[Service] Near Me"
These pages convert 3x better than your homepage.
5. Retargeting Website Visitors
People visit your site but don't call. Retarget them with:
- Facebook/Instagram ads
- Google Display ads
- Special offers
- Customer testimonials
Result: 20-30% of retargeted visitors convert.
The Contractor Marketing Stack
Essential Tools:
- Google Business Profile (free, most important)
- Google Ads (LSAs + Search Ads)
- Review Generation Tool (GoHighLevel, Podium)
- Call Tracking (know which ads work)
- CRM (follow up with leads instantly)
Budget: $1,500-$3,000/month minimum to see real results.
Real Results
HVAC Company (Southaven):
- Strategy: LSAs + Local SEO + Review Automation
- Result: 150+ calls per month, $18 cost per call
- ROI: 8:1
Plumbing Company (Tupelo):
- Strategy: Google Ads + Retargeting + Landing Pages
- Result: 200+ leads per month, $12 cost per lead
- ROI: 10:1
Common Contractor Mistakes
- Relying on referrals only (not scalable)
- Using Angi/HomeAdvisor (expensive, shared leads)
- No website (invisible online)
- Ignoring reviews (customers check reviews first)
- Not tracking ROI (don't know what's working)
The 90-Day Plan
Month 1: Foundation
- Optimize Google Business Profile
- Set up review generation
- Create service landing pages
- Claim all directory listings
Month 2: Traffic
- Launch Google LSAs (if available)
- Start Google Search Ads
- Set up retargeting
- Generate 10+ reviews
Month 3: Optimize
- Track which keywords convert
- Double down on winners
- Cut what's not working
- Scale successful campaigns
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Get a free contractor marketing audit and we'll show you exactly what's working (and what's not) for your trade.