The October Slump: How to Use SEO to Keep Your Techs Busy When the Weather is Mild
Category: Seasonal Strategy | Read Time: 4 Minutes
Keywords: HVAC shoulder season marketing, HVAC SEO tips, furnace replacement leads, HVAC maintenance plans, contractor recurring revenue
For HVAC owners, the "Shoulder Season" is the most stressful time of year.
The weather is 65 degrees and sunny. The phones have stopped ringing for emergency repairs. Your overhead hasn't changed, but your revenue has slowed to a trickle. You’re watching your best technicians sit in the shop, and you're worried they’ll start looking for a "more stable" company if you can’t give them 40 hours a week.
The "October Slump" (and its Spring counterpart) is a business killer. But it doesn’t have to be. Smart HVAC owners use SEO and a Digital Ecosystem to create demand when the weather won't do it for them.
Here is how to keep your trucks rolling during the mild months.
1. Market "Proactive Replacement" Before the Crisis
When the first freeze hits in November, everyone wants a furnace. In October, nobody is thinking about it. That is your opportunity.
By using SEO to rank for terms like "Energy-efficient furnace upgrades [City]" or "Signs your heater won't last the winter," you capture the high-ticket leads who are planners, not panic-buyers. These are the homeowners who have the budget for a full system replacement and want to avoid the "no-heat" emergency in January.
2. Sell "Indoor Air Quality" (IAQ) as the Fall Hero
Fall is allergy and flu season. While the AC isn't running, the air in the home is becoming stagnant.
The Strategy: Use your blog and social media to educate homeowners on whole-home air purifiers, humidifiers, and UV light systems.
The Result: These are high-margin, high-ticket add-ons that don't require "breakdown" weather to sell. They keep your techs busy with clean, profitable indoor work.
3. Automate Your Maintenance Plan Sign-Ups
The best way to survive the shoulder season is to have a backlog of Pre-Season Tune-ups. If your website makes it easy for customers to join a "Home Comfort Club" or a "Maintenance Subscription," you have a guaranteed list of houses to visit when the weather is mild. At Reach Marketing, I build these subscription funnels directly into your site, turning a one-time repair lead into a lifetime of recurring revenue.
4. Why Your "Growth Plan" Matters in the Slow Months
SEO is not a light switch you can flip when the phone stops ringing. If you want to be busy in October, your SEO work needs to happen in July.
Through my Growth Plan ($299/mo), I am constantly:
Building Location Pages: Ensuring you rank in every suburb you serve.
Updating GMB Posts: Reminding your local community to "Book a Fall Safety Check" before the rush.
Managing Content: Writing the blogs that convince homeowners to upgrade to high-efficiency systems while the weather is calm.
Stop Praying for Bad Weather
Relying on a heatwave or a blizzard to make payroll is no way to run a business. A true Digital Ecosystem gives you the power to generate your own "weather." By positioning your brand as a year-round comfort partner, you can fill your schedule with high-value installs and maintenance, keeping your team happy and your bank account growing.
Contact us now or book a free call
Ready to kill the "October Slump" once and for all? Let’s build a marketing strategy that keeps your trucks moving 12 months a year.