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Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning, a company in the HVAC industry serving Iowa City, is dedicated to providing the best service and products possible. Recently, we conducted an audit of its website to identify the obstacles preventing its online growth. The findings revealed a classic case of a website with potential that is not fully delivering.
Upon initial review, we found that the team has built the website on WordPress and equipped it with quality plugins. However, it lacks essential tracking pixels, which are crucial for monitoring and analytics. These technical gaps are significantly affecting both performance and visibility.
Organic Keywords Rankings on Google
Previously, Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning attracted considerable organic traffic. Traffic and keyword rankings have sharply declined since then.
Their location service pages are not appearing as expected. For example, the website ranks for some terms like ‘HVAC Iowa City’, but it does not appear for other important terms related to HVAC, air conditioning, and cooling in the area. The website is missing out on a significant amount of potential traffic. This means potential customers can’t find Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning.
Content Gaps and User Intent
In healthy sites, the homepage shouldn’t be the main traffic driver. When it is, it indicates that other pages are underperforming or failing to attract traffic. For example, I noticed that under ‘Heating and Cooling,’ the website lists various brands, but this isn’t what people are searching for. Users are looking for terms related to AC repair, emergency AC, HVAC services, and more. Ideally, service pages and blog posts target specific keywords and offer valuable content to attract significant traffic.
Even when it offers options like solar, air cleaners, or humidifiers, the information provided is insufficient. This content can easily be generated by AI, like ChatGPT, but it doesn’t meet Google’s E-E-A-T standards, which require demonstrating real Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust. This gap in content affects how users and search engines perceive the site.
Backlink Profile and GMB
The website lacks authoritative content and backlinks. Although the Google My Business (GMB) profile for Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning is strong with a 4.7-star rating and numerous reviews, the website’s lack of quality content and external links undermines its authority and affects its search rankings.
Website Traffic and Authority Issues
The issue with Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning is that their website isn’t driving traffic. This is because it lacks helpful content and doesn’t have any inbound links, which are crucial for building SEO power and authority. As a result, their site lacks authority with a Domain Rating of 9. While the site did have some traffic a couple of years ago, it has seen no significant improvements since then. When I checked the footer, I noticed there’s no mention of who made the site—a detail that’s usually included but is missing here.
If they are paying for SEO services, they are not receiving the value they should. Any business they gain from Google likely comes from Local Search Ads, which are essential for plumbing and HVAC companies. They might also get business through their Google My Business profile. The SEO on Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning site is practically nonexistent, as shown by the near-zero stats.
Lack of Social Media Engagement
The data shows there’s no significant traffic coming from social media channels. Although there’s some activity on Facebook, engagement appears low. This is a missed opportunity, especially since these issues can be fixed quite easily.
To improve, they should focus on showcasing real photos and videos of their technicians and the work they do. This strategy will help them gain traction in Iowa City and surrounding areas. It’s not about uncovering a hidden SEO secret; it’s about giving Google exactly what it wants—proof of your experience and expertise.
Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning is doing great work in the field, but this success isn’t being reflected online as effectively as it could be. They probably already have the necessary content, but they aren’t fully leveraging it. A VA or another team member could repurpose this content for platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and their website. Afterward, they can run targeted ads. This process is very straightforward and easy—it’s the same approach we teach in the Content Factory. You’ve got the basics down; it’s just about ensuring everything flows smoothly from start to finish.
I have been emphasizing this process with Roger Wakefield, highlighting the critical importance of owning your marketing, especially in the home services industry. You need to take control of your marketing by understanding the process.
This knowledge will empower you to manage your marketing efforts effectively. This approach ensures you have full ownership of your analytics and assets, avoiding the pitfalls of relying too heavily on third-party marketing companies.
It might require an initial investment to set things up properly, but after that, the process becomes simple and manageable. This foundational knowledge is all you need to get things running smoothly.
Working with Roger Wakefield on the project Are You Googleable, we’ve enlisted industry leaders like Tommy Mello and others in the home services space to set a new standard of accountability. Our goal is to ensure that everyone in Local Service Businesses understands how ‘Googleable‘ they are.
The key takeaway is that owning your marketing is crucial. You should have full control over your analytics and assets, rather than relying entirely on outside marketing companies.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.