Google Ads vs Facebook ads for an HVAC company
By the Margin Media team · Updated
For an HVAC company, Google Ads should come first because they reach people searching for a repair or a new system right now. Facebook and Instagram ads reach homeowners who are not looking yet, which suits tune-up offers and replacements but needs more follow-up. Run Google until calls are answered and booked well, then add Facebook.
What is the real difference between the two?
The difference is who starts the conversation. On Google, the homeowner types what they need and your ad answers it. On Facebook and Instagram, your ad interrupts someone who was doing something else. The first catches demand that already exists. The second creates interest, so those leads need a faster reply and more patient follow-up to become a booked visit.
How do they compare for HVAC work?
Side by side, for the jobs an HVAC company sells. Neither column is better in every row, which is why the order you start them in matters.
| Google Ads | Facebook and Instagram ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | People searching for heating and air help | Homeowners in your area, not searching |
| Best suited to | Repairs, no-heat and no-cool calls, replacement searches | Tune-up offers, replacement offers, staying known |
| How the lead arrives | Mostly a phone call | Mostly a form |
| How urgent it is | Can need help today | Can be weeks from deciding |
| What it needs from you | A phone answered every time | A reply within a minute, then follow-up |
| Main risk | Paying for the wrong searches | Forms nobody calls back |
When is Facebook the better choice?
Facebook is the better choice when the job is not urgent and you have an offer worth stopping for: a seasonal tune-up, or a replacement for a system that still runs. It also suits an HVAC company that already shows well in search for its area and wants to reach people earlier. It is the wrong first step if nobody follows up forms.
How does Margin run ads for an HVAC company?
Margin builds and runs the ads on Facebook and Instagram, in an ad account you own. Each campaign gets its own booking page. The ad budget is your money, paid straight to the platform, never through Margin.
Every call the ads produce is answered by Mia, day or night, and anyone who asked but did not book keeps hearing from her by text until they book or say no. Texting starts once phone carriers approve your number. Ads go live within 30 days of kickoff.
What Margin sets up for this.
- Ads on Facebook and Instagram, in an account you own
- Mia, the AI receptionist, on every call
- Follow-up until they book or say no
What a business needs is decided on its audit. It is a one-time setup fee and a monthly fee, with exact numbers on the audit.
How Margin works for HVAC companiesSee the portal with a sample business
Related questions
Should an HVAC company run Google Ads and Facebook ads together?
It can, once the first one is working. An HVAC company that starts both at once cannot tell which produced the booked jobs. Start with search ads, get calls answered and tracked, then add Facebook with its own page and its own count.
Why are my HVAC Facebook leads so hard to reach?
Because they filled in a form in a few seconds and went back to scrolling. An HVAC company that calls the next morning is calling someone who has forgotten. A text and a call within a minute, then steady follow-up, is what turns those forms into visits.
Who should own the ad account for an HVAC company?
The HVAC company should own it. An account in your own name keeps its history and its billing with you if you change who runs the ads. Ask for this in writing before anyone starts.