Summer is brutal. Your AC unit goes out, and suddenly you’re calling every HVAC company in town. Your phone rings off the hook. But are those calls actually making you money?
That’s what return on ad spend answers.
Why Return On Ad Spend Matters for HVAC
HVAC has unique challenges other industries don’t face:
- Extreme seasonality. Summer AC and winter heating create massive demand swings. Your ROAS should reflect this, not stay flat year-round.
- Service vs installation differs. A maintenance call might earn $150. A new system installation could be $8000. These have wildly different payback periods.
- Contracts provide recurring value. A maintenance agreement brings ongoing revenue. Tracking ROAS helps you see which ads generate contract customers versus one-time callers.
- Competition drives CPC up. In hot markets, “AC repair near me” can cost $80 per click. Without ROAS tracking, you’re guessing which clicks are worth it.
How to Check in GA4
Setting up ROAS in Google Analytics 4:
- Create conversion events. Mark service bookings and call conversions in Configure > Events.
- Link Google Ads. Connect your account in Settings > Google Ads links.
- Find ROAS metric. Go to Advertising > Publisher ads. Enable the ROAS column if not visible.
- Filter by time period. Compare summer months to winter months to see seasonal patterns.
You’ll see raw numbers. Making them actionable requires digging deeper.
The Easier Way
ClawAnalytics makes HVAC advertising simple:
- Know which seasons perform best. See exactly when your ROAS peaks and plan your ad spend around those windows.
- Track maintenance vs emergency. Understand whether your ads attract maintenance plan customers or only emergency callers.
- Compare service types. Discover that furnace repair ads might outperform AC ads in winter, even with lower conversion rates.
Example questions ClawAnalytics answers:
- “What’s my actual ROAS on ‘emergency AC repair’ during heat waves?”
- “Are maintenance plan customers coming from Google Ads or referrals?”
- “Which HVAC service has the best ROAS - repairs, installations, or maintenance?”
Quick Wins
- Promote maintenance plans in off-season. When ROAS drops in spring and fall, push maintenance contracts to maintain revenue.
- Use re-marketing. Target people who visited your site but didn’t book. Their ROAS is often higher since they already know you.
- Separate repair from installation. Different campaigns let you see which type of work pays better per ad dollar.
- Track by equipment brand. If you specialize in certain brands, create campaigns targeting those homeowners. They often have higher budgets.
