PPC vs SEO for HVAC Contractors: Which is Better?

"Should I spend money on Google Ads or invest in SEO?" It's the question every heating contractor asks at some point.

Both can bring in leads. Both cost money. But they work very differently, and picking the wrong one can burn through your marketing budget fast.

Let's cut through the noise and look at what actually works for HVAC businesses in the UK.

The Quick Comparison

The Real Costs (2026 Numbers)

PPC Costs for HVAC Contractors

Running Google Ads isn't cheap, especially in competitive markets:

• Cost per click: £0.09-£0.40 in low competition areas, but £4-£16+ in cities like London or Manchester
• Monthly ad spend: £80-£8,000 for small to mid-sized contractors
• Agency management fees: 12-30% of ad spend, or £800-£2,400/month flat fee

The big catch? The moment you stop paying, your traffic disappears. Every single lead costs money, forever.

SEO Costs for HVAC Contractors

SEO requires patience but builds lasting value:

• Monthly investment: £400-£4,000 for professional services
• Time to results: 3-6 months for meaningful rankings
• Long-term benefit: Traffic continues even after you stop investing

The upfront cost might feel similar, but the compound effect is completely different.

ROI Over Time: The Numbers That Matter

Here's a real example from a service business with a £200,000 annual marketing budget:

Same budget, very different results. And this pattern repeats across industries. According to Search Engine Journal, organic search drives 53% of all website traffic compared to just 15% from paid search.

The Compound Effect Over 3 Years

With an £8,000 marketing investment:

• Year 1: PPC ROI = 150% | SEO ROI = 300%
• Year 3: PPC ROI = 150% (flat) | SEO ROI = 600%+ (compounding)

PPC stays flat because you're always paying for every click. SEO compounds because rankings you build today keep generating traffic tomorrow.

Why SEO Converts Better

Overall conversion rates tell the story:

• SEO conversion rate: 2.4%
• PPC conversion rate: 1.3%

Why the difference? People trust organic results more than ads. When someone sees you at the top of Google naturally, they assume you're there because you're good at what you do, not because you paid to be there.

That said, PPC does have one advantage: visitors who click on ads are 35% more likely to convert when they do convert. They're often in "buying mode" with higher intent. But you get far fewer of them for the same budget. Google's own advertising resources confirm that intent varies significantly between paid and organic visitors.

When PPC Makes Sense

PPC isn't always the wrong choice. Use it when you need:

• Immediate leads, you've got capacity and need work now
• Seasonal promotions, pushing boiler servicing before winter or AC before summer
• Testing keywords, finding out what converts before investing in SEO
• New service launches, getting visibility quickly for something new
• Cash flow, generating quick revenue to fund longer-term SEO

PPC works as a short-term tool. The problem is when businesses rely on it forever and never build sustainable traffic.

When SEO is the Better Choice

SEO wins when you want:

• Long-term sustainable growth, traffic that doesn't disappear
• Lower cost per lead over time, as rankings improve, lead costs decrease
• Brand authority and trust, critical for high-value contracts
• Protection from budget cuts, traffic continues even if budgets tighten

For HVAC contractors thinking about the next 2-5 years, SEO almost always makes more sense as the foundation.

The Smart Approach: Combine Both

The best strategy for most HVAC businesses isn't either/or. It's a smart combination:

1. Start with modest PPC for immediate leads (£800-£2,400/month)
2. Simultaneously invest in SEO to build your foundation (£800-£1,600/month)
3. Gradually shift budget toward SEO as organic rankings improve
4. Use PPC data to inform SEO, keywords that convert in ads are worth targeting organically

The recommended split: 60-70% to SEO, 30-40% to PPC. Adjust based on your market competition and how quickly you need results.

Geographic Factors

High-Competition Markets (London, Manchester, Birmingham)

In major cities, PPC costs can become "cost-prohibitive" for general contractors. Bidding wars drive costs sky-high, and you're competing against companies with massive budgets.

In these markets, SEO becomes even more attractive. It's the only way to compete sustainably without burning through cash.

Lower-Competition and Rural Markets

In smaller towns, PPC can deliver quick wins at reasonable costs. Less competition means lower bids. But SEO still builds sustainable traffic over time, even if the search volume is lower.

What to Track

Whichever approach you choose, track these metrics:

• Cost per lead (CPL): Track both channels separately
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): What does each actual customer cost?
• Lead quality: PPC might deliver more leads, but are they the right ones?
• Close rate: Which channel produces leads that actually become customers?
• Lifetime customer value: SEO leads often have higher trust and retention

Use our ROI Calculator to estimate what each approach could deliver for your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Short-term (0-3 months): PPC wins for immediate leads and quick cash flow.

Long-term (12+ months): SEO delivers 2-4x better ROI and compounds over time.

Best approach: Combine both, using PPC to bridge the gap while SEO builds momentum.

The businesses that dominate their local markets aren't choosing one or the other. They're using both strategically, weighted toward SEO for sustainable growth. For more on local SEO strategy, see our guide to local SEO for HVAC contractors.

Stop renting your traffic. Start owning it.