Air conditioning is the most seasonal trade in Australia. When the first heatwave hits, searches for installers and repairs don’t creep up, they explode overnight. The businesses that are already visible when that happens capture the surge. Everyone else scrambles.
With ducted installs worth $8,000 to $15,000 and split systems from $2,000 or so, a single well-placed ad campaign can carry a whole quarter. Here’s how I’d approach it.
Plan around the weather, not the calendar
The mistake I see most often is starting ads when the heat arrives. By then, click prices have risen and competitors are all bidding at once. The smarter approach is a rhythm:
| Phase | What to do |
|---|---|
| Off-season (autumn and winter) | Build campaigns, landing pages and local SEO while clicks are cheap |
| Pre-season (spring) | Warm up with install-focused campaigns and start collecting reviews |
| Peak (heatwaves) | Scale budgets hard and run emergency repair ads |
| Shoulder (autumn) | Shift to service, maintenance and reverse-cycle heating |
The campaigns that work
Installation (the big money)
Searches like “air conditioning installation [city]” and “ducted air conditioning cost” are where the big jobs live. Give these their own campaign and a dedicated page that answers the real questions: price ranges, brands, running costs and how long installation takes. People researching a $10,000 purchase want information before they call.
Emergency repairs
“Air conditioner not working” searches in a heatwave are urgent and convert quickly. Run call-focused ads with scheduling that matches when you can respond, and consider a premium positioning for same-day service.
Heating
Reverse-cycle systems heat as well as cool. A winter campaign promoting heating keeps work coming in the quiet months.
Service and maintenance
Customers who’ve just had an install are your best source of repeat revenue. Automated annual service reminders turn a one-off job into a yearly booking.
Speed decides who wins in a heatwave
In peak season, homeowners request three or four quotes and book whoever responds first. If your enquiries sit in an inbox for six hours, you’ve lost the job. That’s why I pair ads with instant automatic replies and a booking link so the customer can lock in a time immediately. I explain how in my marketing automation post.
What does it cost?
Click prices rise sharply in peak season. As a rough guide, many installers do well with $2,000 to $4,000 or more a month in ad spend, scaled up and down with the weather. The return depends on your close rate, but with installs of this size, a handful of extra jobs usually covers it. I go through budgeting in my cost guide for tradies.
Combine ads with local SEO
Ads give you leads this week, but local SEO keeps working all year without per-click costs. Ranking in the Google Maps pack for “air conditioning installation near me” is hugely valuable, and my local SEO guide shows how to build it.
Ready for the next heatwave?
I run Google Ads for air conditioning businesses across Australia, with no lock-in contract and full ownership of your account. Book a free strategy call and I’ll help you plan your seasonal campaigns before the heat arrives.