Marketing an HVAC business in 2025 is not the same as it was even a short five years ago. The way people search online has changed, and so has the way Google and other search engines display results. In short, almost everything you thought you knew about HVAC SEO is different, and you’ll need to make some strategic changes if you’re going to keep up.
For example, do you know how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025? If you’re scratching your head, wondering what in the world zero-click searches are, you’re not alone. However, these searches are among the biggest trends in the world of digital marketing, and as more and more searches are ending without a click, you need to understand how they work and what you can do to make the most of them.
For HVAC companies, this shift may feel frustrating at first, but you can turn it into a powerful opportunity to build trust, capture attention, and win more local business. In this guide, we’ll break down what zero-click searches are, why they matter, and, most importantly, how you can use them to your advantage and keep your HVAC company one step ahead.
What Is a Zero-Click Search?
There’s a very good chance that you’ve actually performed a zero-click search yourself without realizing it.
A zero-click search occurs when a user finds the answer they were searching for directly on the search results page (SERP) and doesn’t need to click a website link or scroll through multiple sites. Perhaps you found the information you were looking for in the AI Overview or a featured snippet at the top of the page. You might have found what you needed through other features, like:
- Knowledge panels (the brand or business profiles on the side of the page)
- Maps results and local packs that highlight several local businesses offering what you’re searching for
- Quick tools like weather, unit converters, or calculators
In short, a zero-click search means that the search engine itself provides answers. The idea is to save users time and keep them happy while reducing the number of clicks to websites.
Why Zero-Click Searches Matter for HVAC Companies
At first glance, zero-click searches might sound like bad news. If people don’t click, how can they call your HVAC company? You might even wonder whether it’s worth putting any effort into digital marketing if Google is going to make it so unnecessary for people to visit your website.
But don’t panic. When you know how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025, you can actually leverage these changes to get more traffic to your site and, in turn, more customer calls.
How is this possible?
- Visibility matters. Even if someone doesn’t click on your website when searching for an HVAC company, seeing your business name in a featured snippet or local pack helps build recognition.
- Trust is built instantly. Being the company that shows up as “the answer” makes you look like the authority on the subject, increasing the likelihood that people will call you for help with their HVAC problems.
- Local intent is strong. Homeowners searching for “AC repair near me” don’t always need to click a website. When you optimize your online presence for zero-click searches, customers might call straight from the Google Business Profile listing.
The increase in these searches makes SERP visibility (the way your company’s information shows up in search engine results pages) more valuable than ever. And while it’s true that businesses are seeing some decline in organic traffic thanks to zero-click searches, companies that adapt are finding new ways to capture leads without relying on clicks.
The Types of Zero-Click Results That Matter for HVAC Companies
To understand how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025, HVAC companies need to know which results actually drive business. Try searching for an HVAC company near you, and you’ll see that there are several features on the results page that you can leverage to attract customers.
Featured Snippets
A featured snippet is the box that provides an answer to a question at the top of the Google search results. For example, if someone searches “How often should I change my furnace filter?” the top result might be a short paragraph pulled from an authoritative website.
Competition for the featured snippet is fierce, but if your HVAC company wins that snippet, you become the go-to expert instantly.
AI Overviews
Introduced in 2024, Google’s AI Overviews summarize information from multiple websites in concise, conversational answers. They aim to provide users with a solution or a direct answer to their question without requiring them to click through multiple websites.
AI Overviews are both a challenge and an opportunity for HVAC companies. While the overviews can eliminate the need for users to click on your site, they do include direct links to the sources from which they pulled the information. If the AI algorithm considers your content credible enough to feature, you could increase your company’s authority and trust.
Local Packs and Google Maps
When users search for a local HVAC company, Google shows a “map pack” that highlights the top three businesses near them. Many HVAC customers stop here, clicking “call” or jotting down the phone number instead of visiting a website. When companies ask how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025, the first step is to give their Google Business Profile extra attention to ensure it appears in the local pack.
Knowledge Panels
Not all customers perform generic searches, such as “HVAC company near me.” They may be familiar with your company name from your offline marketing efforts or word of mouth and specifically search for it.
When this happens, the Google results will include a knowledge panel on the right side of the page, displaying details such as your phone number, reviews, and hours of operation. In most cases, this panel provides enough information for them to contact you without needing to click through, so keeping it updated ensures they can do so.
People Also Ask (PAA) Boxes
These dropdowns display related questions to the user’s search. For example, when someone searches for information about HVAC maintenance, the associated questions might pertain to the frequency or cost of maintenance visits, the consequences of skipping maintenance, or what to expect during a maintenance visit. If Google uses your website to answer these questions, you can enhance your brand’s visibility and authority.
The Best Ways To Optimize Your HVAC Website for Zero-Click Searches
Here’s where the fun begins. Instead of fearing zero-click searches, HVAC companies can lean into them with a zero-click SEO strategy that not only spurs customers to call but also increases authority and trust. You can achieve this by making some slight adjustments to your SEO strategy.
Embrace Answer Engine Optimization
Traditional SEO involves creating content and using keywords effectively to ensure your pages appear near the top of the search results page. That’s still valid, but the focus is shifting toward answer engine optimization (AEO) and structuring content to directly answer user questions.
For example, when you write blog posts, they should focus on providing direct, clear, and concise answers to common customer questions. This means using headings like “How often should you service an AC unit?” and following with a short, direct answer. Breaking down complex topics using bullet points or numbered lists can also give answer engines the fast, bite-sized answers they need.
This format is exactly what search engines love to pull into featured snippets and AI Overviews.
Optimize for Local Searches
Local SEO isn’t anything new for more HVAC businesses, because local visibility is everything. People searching for help with their heating and air conditioning need a local company, not a crew from another state.
Therefore, when you’re thinking about how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025, focus on setting up your Google Business Profile so that it appears in local search results and map packs.
This includes:
- Filling out every section of your Google Business Profile
- Adding photos of your team, trucks, and completed jobs
- Posting updates and promotions regularly
- Encouraging reviews and responding quickly to them
Providing plenty of information about your company helps build trust. After all, who would you be more likely to call: a company with detailed information about its background and services or one with just a phone number?
Keeping your profile updated also makes it easy for customers to call you directly from the SERP without any additional clicks.
Target Common HVAC Questions
One of the keys to business success in any industry is the ability to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and understand what they need and want. Your digital marketing strategy should also use this approach. In other words, when someone turns to Google because their air conditioner isn’t working, what are they typing into the search bar?
Creating content around the exact questions that people ask can help increase your company’s visibility and position on the search page. It also increases the likelihood of inclusion in the People Also Ask boxes, featured snippets, or AI Overviews. This is especially true when you use those questions as headers or incorporate them into FAQ sections.
For example, you might build content around questions like:
- “Why is my AC blowing warm air?”
- “How long do furnaces last?”
- “Best thermostat settings in summer”
Providing concise yet detailed answers can help put your company in front of the people who need it.
Leverage Schema Markup
A schema is structured data that tells search engines what your content is about. It uses a specific vocabulary that search engines understand and present the content to users.
For example, schema markup for a page with a recipe is the standard format for including the ingredients, cooking time, and nutritional information. Because the page uses this common language and setup, search engines recognize it as a recipe, making it more likely to appear in relevant searches.
HVAC companies can use the schema markup to increase their odds of appearing in rich results by using structured data like:
- FAQs
- How-to guides
- Reviews
- Local business info
Focus on Brand Presence, Not Just Clicks
Getting clicks on your website is great, but in 2025, HVAC marketing is about SERP visibility and recognition. If homeowners see your company name across multiple search features, they’re more likely to remember and trust you when they need help.
Adapt Content for AI Overviews
With AI Overviews taking up so much screen space, your content must be easy for AI algorithms to parse and turn into concise summaries. Thankfully, many of the principles that you’re already using to make great content still apply, with a few minor tweaks. Writing in plain, conversational language, without confusing industry jargon, and using structured headings and subheadings remains the foundation of good content.
However, structuring content with questions that you answer in a few lines, then expand on later on the page, can help get your content into the overview and “People Also Ask” section.
Don’t Forget Voice Search
Voice assistants power a fair number of zero-click searches. People say things like “Hey Google, who’s the best HVAC company near me?” or “Alexa, what temperature should I set my thermostat in winter?” and get a direct answer without ever typing a word. Optimizing your pages for voice means using natural, conversational phrasing in your content and FAQ pages, so voice assistants can rely on your content to provide answers.
Change Your Approach to Tracking Results
Traditional traffic reports no longer tell the whole story. This means that you’ll need to monitor different metrics to gauge the success of your SEO efforts. This might include keeping track of:
- How often your business appears in local packs
- How many phone calls come directly from your Google Business Profile
- The number of branded searches (people looking up your business name)
- How many featured snippets your content has
These metrics show the real impact of your zero-click SEO strategy.
The Future of HVAC Marketing in a Zero-Click World
Zero-click searches aren’t going away. If anything, they’re expanding. Between AI Overviews, featured snippets, and voice assistants, more answers to user queries will live right on the SERP.
These changes don’t mean less business for HVAC companies, though. They just mean playing the game differently. By focusing on how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025, HVAC businesses can:
- Stay top of mind when homeowners need urgent assistance
- Build trust as the “instant answer” expert
- Generate direct calls and leads without relying only on website traffic
Are You Ready To Show Up in Zero-Click Searches and Get More Customers?
If the rise in AI Overviews and other zero-click search results has you worried about fewer clicks to your HVAC website, you’re not alone. But clicks aren’t the only measure of success anymore. What really matters is visibility, authority, and accessibility, all of which you can achieve by embracing zero-click searches.
The sooner your HVAC company adapts to this shift, the stronger your online presence will be in 2025 and beyond. At Relentless Digital LLC, we specialize in showing HVAC companies how to optimize for zero-click searches in 2025 to dominate local search results, featured snippets, and AI Overviews.
Get in touch with us today to learn how you can refine your zero-click SEO strategy to put your HVAC company in front of homeowners right when they need you most, so your business continues to thrive in 2025’s search landscape and beyond.
