Google Ads for heat pump installers: from first question to booked survey

How do heat pump installers get more surveys from Google Ads? Answer the questions homeowners search before they are ready to buy, show MCS certification and real installs, mention government grant schemes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme with a clear “check current eligibility” rather than quoting amounts, and make the heat loss survey the thing people book. Separate homeowners from landlords, and track enquiries all the way to signed installs. Unavoidable Marketing is a Leeds-based agency that runs Google Ads for UK heat pump installers, and founder Andrew Heppinstall is on every strategy call.

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Last updated: 18 October 2026

Why heat pump ads fail when they are run like boiler ads

A broken boiler is a same-day job. Someone searches, rings and books. A heat pump is the opposite. The homeowner has questions: will it heat my house, do I need new radiators, where does the unit go, what about the noise, is there a grant, will it work in an old house. They read, ask friends, watch videos and talk to two or three installers before they let anyone survey the house.

Copying a boiler campaign, with urgent wording and a “call now” button, wastes money on a buyer who is not ready to call. A heat pump account needs to meet people at each stage and keep them close until they are.

The searches, stage by stage

Grants: mention them carefully

Government grant schemes, such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales, are a big reason people start looking. They are also a common source of complaints when ads overpromise. Scheme rules, amounts and eligibility change, and they differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• Name the scheme in your ads and pages, because people search for it by name
• Do not put a grant amount in an ad headline, as it may be out of date by the time someone reads it
• Use plain wording such as “we help with grant applications, check current eligibility”
• Link to a page that explains how the scheme works and points to the official government guidance
• Explain that you, as an MCS certified installer, handle the paperwork where the scheme allows

This is honest, it keeps your ads accurate as schemes change, and it builds trust with people who have read horror stories.

Make the survey the goal

For most heat pump installers the first real commitment is the survey, including a room-by-room heat loss calculation. That is what the ads should sell. Explain on the landing page what happens on the survey: measuring rooms, checking insulation and windows, looking at radiators and pipework, deciding where the outdoor unit and cylinder will go. Say how long it takes and what the customer gets afterwards.

A short form that asks for property type, age, number of bedrooms, current heating and postcode lets you sort enquiries before you drive out. Where a house clearly needs insulation work first, an honest answer now saves a wasted visit and earns a recommendation later.

MCS and real installs on the page

MCS certification is a trust signal homeowners look for, and grant schemes usually require an MCS certified installer. Show it in your ad text, on every landing page and in your image assets. Then show your own installs: outdoor units on ordinary UK homes, cylinders in airing cupboards, new radiators in place. Customers want to see what it will look like on a house like theirs, not a show home.

If you run Performance Max, this is the material it needs. Real photos and a short video of a job from start to finish do far more than stock images.

Homeowners and landlords are different buyers

Homeowners

Care about comfort, running the system well, noise, where the unit goes and whether the grant applies. They decide slowly and often as a couple. Ads and pages should be patient, clear and full of answers.

Landlords and housing providers

Care about energy ratings, tenant comfort, reliability, maintenance and minimal disruption between tenancies. They may want several properties done on one plan. Grant eligibility can differ for them, so the same “check current eligibility” line applies. A separate campaign with wording such as “heat pumps for rental properties” and a page about working around tenants keeps both audiences properly served.

Remarketing for a decision that takes months

Most people who visit your site will not enquire on the first visit. Remarketing shows them your installs, reviews and survey offer again across YouTube and other sites while they think it over. Short videos answering the common questions, such as noise and radiators, work well here.

Negatives worth adding

• Buying units: heat pump for sale, buy heat pump online, cheapest heat pump, heat pump parts
• Other products: pool heat pump, tumble dryer heat pump, portable air conditioner
• DIY: install heat pump myself, DIY heat pump, how to fit
• Careers: heat pump installer course, heat pump training, jobs, salary

Tracking that follows the whole journey

We track calls, forms and survey bookings, and set up a simple way to mark surveys and signed installs. That feeds back to Google so it bids for people who go on to sign. Reports show cost per survey and cost per install by campaign. Expect the numbers to settle over a season, not a fortnight.

How we do it

Since 2012 we have worked on 390+ projects, and 92% of our clients come back. We currently work with 40+ UK trade businesses.