11 Home Services Marketing Strategies That Work in 2025

Remember when you could rely on word-of-mouth and the Yellow Pages to keep your schedule packed?

Those days are over.

Today's homeowners are Googling their problems at 11 PM, reading reviews before they even call, and even discovering local conrtactors on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

If you're not showing up online, you don't exist to the vast majority of your potential customers.

I've talked to hundreds of HVAC, plumbing, landscaping, and electrical contractors over the past year. The ones crushing it aren't just better technicians, they’re business owners that treat marketing as business-critical (because it is).

The struggling ones? They're still waiting for the phone to ring like it's 2005.

Here's what the top home service companies figured out in 2025...

Marketing is being found when your customers need you most, building trust before you ever show up at their door, and creating systems that turn one-time service calls into lifetime customers.

This guide breaks down exactly how home service companies are using content marketing, email, and search engine optimization, and more to generate high-quality leads and close new customers.

The Gold Rush Is On (And Most Contractors Are Missing It)

Right now, there's more money flowing into home services than ever before.

But here's the problem...

The way customers find contractors has completely flipped. Your grandfather's plumbing business? He got calls from the Yellow Pages and neighbor referrals.

Today? The vast majority of homeowners start their search online.

They've got a broken water heater, they're panicking, and they're typing "emergency plumber near me" into their phone while standing in a puddle.

And every contractor in your city is fighting for the same customers online. Google Ads that used to cost $5 per click are now $25. Getting on the first page of search results went from "nice to have" to "do or die."

Here's the bottom line:

The contractors making bank right now aren't just good at fixing things, they're good at being found when things break. So here’s how to be discovered in 2025 (and beyond)…

12 Strategies To Drive Growth In 2025

1. Optimize for Local SEO

Local SEO is a goldmine for service businesses. When someone searchers “plumber near me” or “roofing Fort Worth,” Google will display a map of local businesses at the top of the search results. This is called a “Local Pack” and it gets the vast majority of clicks for these local searches.

For your business to be displayed in the Local Pack, you’ll need a Google Business Profile. A Google Business Profile is free to create and is the foundation of your presence on Google as the Local Pack takes information directly from your Business Profile.

Make sure your Google Business Profile must include the most up-to-date information possible. Including:

• Your exact business name, phone number, and address
• Service areas you cover
• Business hours (including emergency availability)
• Services you offer
• Recent photos of your work and team
• Responses to all reviews

Beyond your Google profile, you should also create pages on your website for each service area you cover. For example, if you serve five towns, create five pages that mention those locations specifically.

2. Generate More Five-Star Reviews

Whereas people used to rely on recommendations from neighbours, online reviews are now the default way many people decide which service business to hire.

Reviews also directly impact your Google Local Pack rankings and businesses with more reviews and higher ratings typically rank higher in local searches.

The key getting more reviews is training your techs to ask are the right times. The most successful companies:

• Ask for reviews immediately after service
• Send a text with a direct link to Google
• Train techs to mention the importance of reviews
• Respond to every review, good or bad

One contractor I know offers a $20 bonus to techs whenever they're mentioned by name in a 5-star review. This creates a win-win: customers feel good about recognizing good service, and techs are motivated to provide review-worthy experiences.

3. Use Google Local Services Ads

Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) are designed specifically to help home services business attract more leads.

LSAs are displayed when local people search for services and show at the top of search results and featured a "Google Guaranteed" badge to help build trust. And unlike regular ads, you only pay when potential customers actually contact you so they can be very cost-effective.

These ads work especially well for services like plumbing and HVAC because they show your phone number prominently and build trust through the Google verification.

Setting up LSAs requires some admin as Google needs to verift your license, insurance, and performs background checks before approving your business into the LSA program.

The best part? You can set your budget based on how many leads you want, turn ads on or off based on your capacity.

4. Run Meta Ads

Paid ads may seem scary if you’re just starting out with your marketing efforts. But they can deliver huge results for service business owners.

For proof, look no further than Brandon Fink and his HVAC company Air Titans. They acquiring customers for $120 through Meta ads while competitors burn $800 per customer on Google PPC (that’s not to say Google PPC doesn’t work for service businesses… Just Meta may be cheaper).

Meta is Air Titans’ #1 channel for lead generation, they achieve strong 15-20% booking rates on Facebook lead forms for HVAC installs, making it their core customer acquisition strategy

Facebook's algorithm knows your ideal customer better than you do. It can find the homeowner whose 15-year-old HVAC unit is about to fail, the family dealing with a clogged drain, or the business owner whose roof needs attention. The targeting is scary good.

Check out my full interview with Brandon Fink below:

5. Master the Art of the Offer

Getting leads is one thing, closing them is another. One of the most overlooked parts of digital marketing for home service businesses is putting together irresistible offers to increase your conversion rates and turn leads into customers.

Zach Rollins of Downspout built his entire growth strategy around recurring revenue. His power washing customers get pitched Christmas lights in the fall. Christmas light customers get power washing offers in the spring. "Our goal is to make a customer go from a one-time purchase of $1,200 bucks, turn that into $2,000, $3,000, $4,000."

Brandon Fink and Air Titans lead with an $89 HVAC tuneup offer and converts 50% of customers to memberships, and has recently started to include a free smart thermostat.

The math is counterintuitive to start but these offers have helped Brandon to rapidly scale and solve the biggest challenge in home services… getting their techs through the door for the first job.

It's the same strategy we use at ShareWillow. We lead with free templates to help service business owners figure out performance pay. Then, once they see the value and are ready to scale, we design and manage performance pay plans that align employee incentives with business goals.

6. Invest In PPC For Targeted Leads

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising lets you show ads to people searching for specific services. Unlike LSAs, you pay each time someone clicks your ad, whether they contact you or not.

The key to PPC success is targeting the right keywords with the right messaging. For example:

• "Emergency plumber [city]" might get a higher bid than "plumbing company"
• Ads for emergency services should emphasize speed and 24/7 availability
• Ads for planned services like remodels should focus on quality and value

Your PPC ads should lead to specific landing pages that match what the person searched for. If someone clicks an ad for "AC repair," don't send them to your homepage, send them to a page about AC repair.

7. Experiment With Marketplaces

Home services marketplaces like Angi, Thumbtack, and HomeAdvisor can provide additional leads, but they come with costs and challenges.

The key is being selective. Rather than joining every platform, focus on one or two that align with your services and pricing. Set clear budgets and track your return on investment.

The key to success is to use these marketplaces strategically. For example, isntead of looking at Angi as your #1 lead gen channel, use it to fill gaps in your schedule or to expand into new service areas.

8. Produce Case Studies

Customer experience matters and before deciding to work with your business, many potential customers will look at online reviews and testimonials. But some will want to go more in-depth than reading reviews on Google. This is where case studies come in.

On your website, create a dedicated space where your target audience and potential customers can go to read in-depth stories explaining how you’ve helped other customers. A great customer story will show potential customers:

• The specific problem you solved
• Your process and expertise
• Measurable results and outcomes

Case studies and testimonials serve as powerful social proof that can significantly impact your conversion rates.

9. Leverage Email Marketing

Email is still one of the most impactful marketing channels for home service businesses. It works because you own the customer data and have a direct line to their inbox. Unlike social media marketing where you’re relying on algorithms or paying to reach your audience.

Every home services business should be sending marketing campaigns like:

• Reminders when seasonal maintenance is due
• Special offers based on the age of installed equipment
• Recommendations for complementary services

Software can handle most of these types of emails automatically so you don’t have to worry about hitting send yourself. You just set up the emails and they’re sent to the right customers at the right time.

10. Utilise Organic Social Media Marketing

There are over 250 million social media accounts in the U.S. This massive digital marketplace is where modern businesses connect with potential customers. If your business isn’t active, your HVAC industry competitors likely are, gaining an edge in your local market.

Besides free visibility, social media helps you:

• Drive traffic to your website.
• Boost credibility and trust.
• Meet customers at their preferred place.
• Improve local SEO.
• Showcase impressive before-and-after jobs.
• Deliver quicker responses for better service.

Building a solid presence across your social media accounts is essential for any home services provider.

Run an HVAC company? Check out our guide to HVAC social media marketing here.

11. Ensure Your Website Design is Mobile-First

Most people searching for home services are using phones, not computers. Yet many service businesses still have websites that don’t work perfectly on mobile devices.

Your website needs to be fast, simple, and action-oriented on mobile. This means:

• Load times under 3 seconds
• Big, tappable phone numbers
• Simple forms with few fields
• Clear service descriptions
• Easy-to-find service areas

Remember that mobile users are often in urgent situations. They don't want to read your company history, they want to know if you can solve their problem right now so prioritize making it easy to book your services on mobile.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Services Marketing

How much should a home service business spend on marketing?

Most successful home service businesses invest 8-12% of revenue in marketing, with digital channels typically delivering the highest ROI when properly managed and measured.

What marketing metrics matter most for home service businesses?

The most important metrics are cost per booked job, customer acquisition cost by channel, lifetime value ratio, and attribution by marketing source.

How can home service businesses compete with large national companies?

Local businesses can compete effectively by emphasizing personal service, community connections, and specialized expertise while leveraging digital tools to match larger competitors' visibility.

What is the most effective digital channel for emergency home services?

Google Local Services Ads and mobile search typically deliver the highest ROI for emergency services due to their prominence on mobile devices and trust signals.

How can home service businesses measure marketing ROI accurately?

Implementing call tracking, form tracking, and booking attribution software while maintaining consistent tracking parameters across campaigns enables precise ROI measurement.