There are so many HVAC companies out there that do not know where to start from when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization). Some believe that hiring outside help is the wisest choice, even though it can easily amount to a huge money pit for the uninformed. Others choose to take on the challenge of marketing HVAC services themselves, which can be a great strategy if the HVAC company is knowledgable about the correct methods.

But with so many different and conflicting philosophies as to how HVAC SEO should be implemented, it is so hard to know which practices are effective digital marketing for HVAC companies and which aren’t. It may seem that marketing for HVAC companies is a confusing mess, but with these tips for successful HVAC marketing, it doesn’t have to be.

Not sure where to start? Below are three tips for HVAC company SEO you can’t afford to ignore. Each of these hints has the potential to launch your search engine optimization strategy to a whole new level.

3 Tips for Successful HVAC Company Marketing

1. Your Website Has to Provide Useful, Informative Content

“Keyword stuffing” is one of the greatest mistakes that HVAC companies make as they attempt to implement the principles of SEO into their website. Keyword stuffing is the practice of focusing only on keywords while writing content instead of focusing on readability and solving clients problems.

Keywords are certainly important to HVAC SEO, but they should never steer the content in ways that compromise the quality of the article. Instead of looking for keyword stuffing opportunities, focus on creating content that is high in quality and considered useful by your prospective clients who are searching for it–the benefits of this may surprise you.

2. Use Long-tail Keywords

Now that you know what role keywords don’t play in your content, one thing they do need to accomplish is targeting the most qualified potential clients. This is where long-tail keywords come in. HVAC companies often assume that searches are typically short and concise — “HVAC San Jose,” for example.

Most of the time, however, SEO ranking is aiming for specific and targeted long-tail keywords. Take, for example, the phrase “Where can I get my AC repaired in San Jose?” This search is not only targeted, but will directly lead the user to the results being searched for. Therefore, it is very important that the quality of the content supports the keywords or phrases you choose to focus on.

3. Build a Knowledge Base

A highly effective strategy for marketing HVAC companies as thought leaders in your industry and tailor your search engine results is to develop a powerful “vault” full of valuable and useful information that current or prospective HVAC clients can learn from. Although building a knowledge base is a large time commitment, creating such a knowledge base will enable you to work from targeted keywords to create geographically focused content that leads your HVAC company on the road to success.

The most effective HVAC company knowledge base is one that offers a wealth of answers to prospective HVAC clients about their specific service areas, with each answer becoming the subject of a blog post. Don’t focus on post length or frequency—quality is the most important factor to consider when building a knowledge-base of blogs and articles.

So don’t just assume that HVAC company SEO is all about getting the right keywords and stuffing them into random pages. Create targeted, high-quality content, and the rest will fall into place on its own.