Full Dispatch · HVAC Marketing Audit Checklist
25 things to check on every HVAC operator's online presence
The same checklist powers our paid External Signals Audit. Use it to self-audit your shop today. If you want the automated version (with your actual score + competitor benchmarks), run the free Instant Audit.
Section 1
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Where ~70% of HVAC discovery happens. Get this right before anything else.
1.1 Primary category set to 'HVAC contractor'
Not 'Air conditioning contractor' (too narrow) or 'Heating contractor' (too narrow). Single primary, then secondary categories for specifics.
1.2 Service area defined for every city you serve
Add each city + a 5-10 mile radius. Service-area businesses don't need a physical address showing.
1.3 ≥10 GBP photos uploaded in the last 90 days
Google prioritizes freshness. Job-site photos, before/after, your trucks, your team. Original photos beat stock every time.
1.4 Hours include holidays + 24/7 emergency note
If you do 24/7 emergency, set 24-hour availability OR add a 'open 24/7 for emergencies' note in the business description.
1.5 Services list matches what you actually do
Add 4-12 specific services (e.g., 'AC installation', 'Furnace repair', 'Heat pump installation'). Each one is a chance to surface in voice search.
Section 2
Reviews
Velocity and freshness matter more than total count.
2.1 ≥4 new reviews in the last 90 days
If not, add a post-job text-message ask. ~30% of customers leave a review when asked directly. The other 70% would have if they'd been asked.
2.2 Average rating ≥ 4.6
Below 4.6 is a conversion killer. Respond to every <5-star with a calm, professional reply — readers judge you on your response, not the complaint.
2.3 Every review response written by you (not boilerplate)
Generic 'Thanks for the review!' responses signal you're not paying attention. Reference what the customer specifically said.
2.4 Review keywords mention your services
Reviews that mention 'AC install', 'furnace repair', etc. help you rank for those terms. Subtly ask in your follow-up.
Section 3
Schema markup (structured data)
Helps Google + AI search engines understand what you do. Worth 1-2 places in local rank.
3.1 HVACBusiness or LocalBusiness JSON-LD on your homepage
Include name, address, phone, hours, geo coordinates, areaServed. Validate at validator.schema.org.
3.2 AggregateRating schema if you have reviews
Pull ratingValue + reviewCount from your GBP profile. Shows star ratings in search results directly.
3.3 Service schema for each major service line
Separate JSON-LD blocks per service (AC repair, heat pump install, etc.). Each one is a citation surface for AI search.
Section 4
AI search visibility
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude. Where the next generation of customer research happens.
4.1 Robots.txt allows GPTBot / PerplexityBot / ClaudeBot
Most WordPress sites block these by default. Add 'User-agent: GPTBot \n Allow: /' (and same for others).
4.2 Your About page reads like a Wikipedia entry
Founder name, year founded, # trucks, certifications, service area. AI engines pull from this. 'We are a full-service HVAC company' tells them nothing.
4.3 FAQ schema on your most common questions
Pull 10-20 questions you actually answer over the phone, write 1-paragraph answers, wrap in FAQ schema. Surfaces in Google + AI snippets.
4.4 Service-area pages with unique content per city
Not just '[City] HVAC' — actual local content (climate, common equipment, neighborhoods). Anti-pattern: same page with city name swapped.
Section 5
NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone)
If your name/phone format differs across listings, Google can't merge them — your authority gets fractured.
5.1 Identical business name across Google, Yelp, BBB, Facebook
Match exactly — 'ABC Heating & Cooling' is NOT the same as 'ABC Heating and Cooling'. Pick one canonical form.
5.2 Same phone number format on every listing
Pick (555) 123-4567 OR 555-123-4567 OR +1 555 123 4567. Don't mix.
5.3 Address (if shown) matches your GBP exactly
Suite numbers, abbreviations (St vs Street), all of it. Run your business through a citation audit tool quarterly.
5.4 Active listings on 8+ major directories
Google, Yelp, BBB, Facebook, Angie's, HomeAdvisor, Nextdoor, Houzz, Yellowpages, Bing Places. Citation count correlates with rank.
Section 6
Conversion infrastructure
Every visitor your marketing earns is wasted if these aren't dialed in.
6.1 Phone number is click-to-call on mobile
Wrap in <a href='tel:5551234567'>. 60-70% of HVAC traffic is mobile — they shouldn't have to copy/paste your number.
6.2 Sticky call button on mobile
Persistent footer or floating button. Makes 'I'll call later' into 'I'll call now'.
6.3 Form has ≤4 fields above the fold
Name, phone, address, problem. Anything else is a leak. Don't ask for 'how did you hear about us' on the contact form.
6.4 Auto-respond to form fills within 60 seconds
First responder wins ~50% of leads. SMS auto-response + actual human callback within an hour.
6.5 Call tracking on every lead source
Different number per channel (organic, paid, GBP). Otherwise you can't tell what's actually working.
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