Mastering Google ranking factors is likely one of the last things you thought you’d need to worry about as an HVAC business owner. As more consumers use search engines to find local service providers, finessing your digital marketing strategies becomes necessary. The BrightLocal 2020 consumer review found that 93% of consumers use internet search tools to find local services and businesses. 

While hundreds of ranking factors dictate how your website appears in Google, a few general guidelines known as Google E.A.T inform search engine crawlers of your website’s general success and rankability. Understanding Google E.A.T criteria can help you rank higher, reach more audiences, generate more traffic, and, ultimately, acquire more customers and revenue. 

At ServiceHawk, a leading New Orleans area digital marketing agency, we provide educational resources and agency services for HVAC companies seeking scalable business success. Below, we discuss what E.A.T is, why it’s important, and how you can develop it across your website. 

Google’s Top Ranking Guidelines: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E.A.T)

E.A.T stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. These qualities define Google’s top ranking guidelines. While E.A.T may not be a ranking factor, it dictates how websites should generally portray themselves to do well in the Google algorithm. 

To successfully prove expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, you must master many different Google ranking factors. The E.A.T system offers a roadmap for ensuring that your website meets the most important criteria. Mastering Google E.A.T is important because it allows you to enjoy increased website traffic, local visibility, impressions, interactions, conversion rates, and revenue. 

Whenever a potential client Googles something like “AC repair near me” or “Furnace installation in New Orleans,” you want your website to pop up first. So, how can you meet the E.A.T criteria to rank well? Follow our guidelines below.  

Proving Expertise

The first step in E.A.T is proving your HVAC expertise. Google ranks content creators with in-depth knowledge and years of experience the highest. 

You can prove you’re an HVAC expert by creating a professional, detailed, and technically a perfect site with relevant and high-quality content. We recommend following these steps:

• Perfect your technical SEO: Technical SEO refers to your website’s construction, loading speed, navigability, mobile optimization, and sitemap. We recommend running your website through an Free SEO Audit Tool to locate slow-loading pages, errors, broken links, or faulty code. Google prefers fast websites with convenient navigation paths that simplify the user experience on all device types. 
• Enrich the “about us” page: Your “about us” page is the perfect opportunity to explain your HVAC expertise and credentials. If you have any rewards, certifications, or experience, mention them here. 
• Create relevant, unique, and important content: One of the best ways to prove your HVAC expertise is by writing about it. You can start a blog or webinar series discussing relevant topics that teach consumers about their heating and AC systems. Such content can bring more people to your website when they Google simple questions like “When should I replace my AC?”
• Update old content: Writing something once isn’t enough. Search engine optimization (SEO) involves constant content evolutions to ensure that you meet modern consumer demands and Google ranking factor updates. You should update your site daily or weekly with fresh content.

Developing Authoritativeness

Google wants consumers to receive accurate information, so it ranks the most authoritative websites highest. Search engine crawlers determine authority by considering your existing audience, credentials, and brand recognition. 

As an HVAC company newer to the SEO game, you may have limited authority, making ranking above larger corporations feel impossible. Luckily, you can develop authoritativeness using the following techniques: 

• Link to reputable sources: Google wants to see that you aren’t making information up but sourcing it from authoritative websites. We recommend linking any claims, statistics, or figures to reputable, primary sources. For example, you could write a blog about replacing air conditioner units with a link to a statistic on how often standard systems fail. 
• Develop backlinks: Backlinks are when other websites link to yours. Developing backlinks from reputable sites is one of the best ways to prove your authority. You can request backlinks from HVAC industry leaders, ranking lists, business listing websites, social media channels, and more. 
• Work with other experts: Working with other experts in the HVAC field can increase your exposure. For example, you could do a guest post on another company’s blog that links back to your own website. 

Cultivating Trustworthiness 

When you Google anything, you want to trust that you’ll receive factual, quality, and informative answers. Your online reviews and the community’s general impression of your business directly impact your trustworthiness. You can cultivate stronger trustworthiness using the following tactics:

• Encourage customers to leave reviews: The more positive reviews you generate, the more trustworthy your business appears to Google. Consider offering incentive programs, like discounts upon leaving reviews. 
• Engage with the community: Engaging with the community via social media platforms proves that your brand is personable and human. 
• Focus on your online reputation: When you receive negative reviews, respond to the customer and try to resolve the issue. Resolving negative interactions improves your trustworthiness more than deleting the responses or shoving them away with fake reviews. 
• Create comprehensive content: Rather than posting biased information, consider multiple perspectives across your content. The more non-salesy multi-angled content you create, the more trustworthy your brand will appear. 

Perfect Your Digital Marketing Strategy With ServiceHawk

At ServiceHawk, we provide comprehensive resources for HVAC businesses that want to perfect their digital marketing strategies and reach the top of search results. Now that you know how Google E.A.T. works, learn about the most common HVAC digital marketing mistakes to avoid Google ranking penalties. 

If you’re still struggling to rank your HVAC website high in Google search results, consider seeking professional help from our expert digital marketing agency. At ServiceHawk, we provide dependable SEO results for HVAC businesses in New Orleans, Covington, and Metairie, LA. 

Call ServiceHawk today at 985-888-0455 for a free strategy session with our digital marketing pros.