How to Track Your HVAC Company's AI Visibility Every Month
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(Direct Answer) To track AI visibility, pick 10 to 15 fixed questions your customers ask, ask them in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google once a month in a clean browser session, and record whether you are named, where you appear, who is named instead and which sources are cited. Then compare your mention rate month to month, alongside calls from your Google Business Profile and website. |
Google gives you Search Console. Your phone system counts calls. But nothing tells you, out of the box, whether ChatGPT recommended your company last week. That is why many HVAC owners have no idea whether they show up in AI answers at all.
The fix is a simple monthly routine. It takes about an hour, costs nothing and tells you whether your AEO work is moving the needle.
Why Track Every Month
- AI answers change. The companies named today may not be named next month.
- Competitors move. A rival who adds town pages or reviews can push you out.
- Work takes time to show. Monthly checks let you see slow, steady change without overreacting to one bad week.
- People still double-check. In Yext's 2026 report, 53% of AI users said they check a recommendation on Google or Bing before acting (Yext). So you need to track both AI answers and your Google presence.
Step 1: Choose Your Question List
Pick 10 to 15 questions and keep them the same every month. Cover your main services, your main towns and a few different types of question:
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Question type |
Example |
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Best company |
"Who is the best AC repair company in [city]?" |
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Urgent |
"Emergency furnace repair near [neighborhood] open now" |
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Service |
"Who installs heat pumps in [city]?" |
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Cost |
"How much does a new AC unit cost in [city] and who should I call?" |
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Town |
"HVAC company in [smaller town you serve]" |
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Brand |
"Is [your company] a good HVAC company?" |
Step 2: Ask the Same Way Every Time
- Use a private or incognito browser window, or a temporary chat, so your own history does not affect the answer.
- In ChatGPT, make sure web search is on.
- Ask each question in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google, and note whether Google shows an AI Overview.
- Do it around the same date each month, from the same location if you can.
Our 15-minute AI visibility test walks through the setup in more detail.
Step 3: Record the Results in a Simple Sheet
A spreadsheet with these columns is all you need:
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Column |
What to write |
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Month |
The month you checked |
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Question |
The exact question |
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Tool |
ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google |
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Named? |
Yes or no |
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Position |
First, second, third or lower in the answer |
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Competitors named |
Every company named instead of or alongside you |
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Sources cited |
The websites the answer linked to or quoted |
Step 4: Work Out Your Mention Rate
Your mention rate is the share of answers that name your company. Count the answers where you were named and divide by the total number of answers.
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Example (made-up numbers): 15 questions asked in 3 tools gives 45 answers. If you were named in 9 of them, your mention rate is 9 out of 45, or 20%. If next month it is 14 out of 45, about 31%, your work is moving in the right direction. |
Also watch the sources cited column. If the same directory or "best of" list keeps appearing in answers and you are not on it, that is your next task.
Step 5: Connect It to Calls
Mentions only matter if they turn into jobs. Each month, also note:
- Calls and website clicks from your Google Business Profile, shown in the profile's performance report.
- Clicks from Google Search, shown in Google Search Console.
- Visits from AI tools, which often show up in Google Analytics as referrals from sites like chatgpt.com or perplexity.ai.
- What new customers tell you. Add "How did you hear about us?" to your booking script, and include "ChatGPT or another AI tool" as an option.
Common Tracking Mistakes
- Changing the questions every month, which makes results impossible to compare
- Testing while logged in with your own history on
- Reacting to one month instead of the trend over three
- Tracking AI answers but ignoring Google, where most people still check you
Tracking tells you where to focus. To act on it, see our complete guide to AEO for HVAC companies.
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Free AI Visibility Check Not sure where you stand? We will ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google 10 to 15 questions your customers ask in your area, then send you a short report: where you show up, who shows up instead and the first fixes we would make. No cost and no obligation. Get your free AI visibility check or call +1 (615) 610-7780. |
Frequently Asked Questions: Tracking AI Visibility
Are there paid tools that track AI visibility?
Yes, several tools now track AI mentions automatically. They can save time, but the manual method above is free and works well for a single HVAC company.
Why do I get different answers each time I ask?
AI tools vary their answers, and results can change with location, timing and your history. That is why you should use a clean session, keep the same questions and look at the trend over several months.
What is a good mention rate?
There is no standard yet. Compare yourself to last month and to the competitors who appear most often. Steady improvement is the goal.
