AI and the New HVAC Leads Game
How are you performing on lead generation? Many contractors still think lead generation is about ranking on Google and bidding on the right keywords. But the game has changed. You’re not marketing to an audience, you’re marketing to three: traditional search engines, the homeowner, and AI search agents
On this week’s episode of Cracking the Code, Jack Nagy, Founder of MTA360, breaks down how AI is reshaping visibility, why platforms like Reddit now influence whether you show up in AI-driven recommendations, and how different strategies factor into whether your intake team is ever contacted. He explains why contractors must go beyond Google, how to avoid blocking AI crawlers, and how to build a structure that gets every location seen as a standalone authority.
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00:00:00:00 – 00:00:21:12
How do you benefit from I get them to know you. Even on platforms like Reddit. So you had another vertical. You think you’re going to rank right away? Why? In today’s world, you need to market to three entities.
00:00:21:14 – 00:00:51:09
Welcome to Cracking the Code, where we make Hvac success clear, simple, and stress free. I’m your host and contractor, University general manager David Holt. In today’s episode, we’re honored to speak with Mr. Jack Nagy, president and founder of MTA 360. Jack will be leading a great epic 2026 workshop titled The Evolving Search Landscape from Yellow Pages, which is exactly where I was back in the 90s to AI driven discovery.
00:00:51:11 – 00:01:23:09
His session is on Friday, February 13th, hosted at the Bellagio in beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada. So let’s get cracking. Welcome to Cracking the Code, Jack. We’re really looking forward to your session at epic 2026. Can you give our viewers a few points that you plan to cover during your breakout session? Yeah. Thanks, David. Appreciate the opportunity. Being here, I am going to cover a number of topics, but the one that today everyone you know, it’s kind of the buzzword AI or buzzwords is how we want to put it.
00:01:23:11 – 00:01:42:02
And I can assure you one, that what I would say and present today will be different in February, because that is how quickly it’s evolving. And it’s not just the evolution of it, but what do you do with that evolution? How do you use it to your benefit? So really at three things we want to try to hit today.
00:01:42:02 – 00:02:06:15
So AI is clearly a driver in all three of these things. So let’s first focus on let’s talk about the lead generation via Google and different platforms like Facebook and Yelp and so forth. How’s that being impacted today? Well, it’s almost impossible to cover a topic without somehow the words AI coming out of your mouth, but I’ll do my best there initially.
00:02:06:17 – 00:02:33:07
So lead generation obviously is the lifeblood. And I’ve said for decades it’s about generate a lead, closed the sale. That’s what it’s all about. So today the key in lead generation is understanding that you’re now marketing to three entities. You’re marketing to Google. And years ago that’s all you had to do. Some keyword research that you were good to go.
00:02:33:09 – 00:02:52:21
Number two would be okay now. Okay. Now we’ve got to market to the to the homeowner because Google also looks at what’s your content. How fresh is that? What are you doing with it. And does it satisfy the person doing the search. Because anyone on Google hey, Google says you’re their their customer, not yours, not mine, it’s theirs.
00:02:52:21 – 00:03:20:10
So they want to satisfy. So that customer comes back okay. And then number three now you have to market to the chat. Or the I should say I search agents. So right now I have to satisfy three people. Now before I get the offer that let me back up a little bit. There is still somewhat of a we’ll call it an overflow case on keywords.
00:03:20:11 – 00:03:44:13
Now, I’m not downplaying the importance of keywords. It’s the first step. You do your keyword, you do your keyword research. And I can help you with that. Research is a great assistant. And the analogy I think you’ve heard me say is it’s not the installer, it’s not the lead installer. It’s the help to make that installer more efficient and move more quickly and such.
00:03:44:15 – 00:04:07:20
Okay. So that’s what I that’s the way we’re looking at okay. So the first step is yes keyword research. And I can make that much easier today. Number two is traffic. And it’s not just in general traffic. It’s where is each segment of traffic coming from. And by the way you can identify air traffic. And I still don’t.
00:04:07:21 – 00:04:31:00
But why not. Is it’s that important okay. So traffic and number three is going to be did my phone ring today. Because that’s how we judge all our technology, all our R&D. We can I could go on and on about it, but frankly, the innocent care home owner doesn’t care about how an inverter works. They don’t care how the generator comes on with a transfer switch.
00:04:31:00 – 00:05:00:00
Right? They just care. Hey, we lost power. I want my generator to come on. So that’s really what it is. Keywords. Traffic leads closed the sale. Okay, I can’t I we actually can help, with our training and closing the sale, but that’s a different conversation, so I’ll leave it at that. But expanding your leads yet and understanding how you do that on various platforms, and you can say, well, yeah, it’s been around a long time.
00:05:00:02 – 00:05:20:18
We even can look at Yelp and do an evaluation and see if there’s an opportunity there. But overall, in general, expanding the platforms that you can get leads from. And so, you know, back in the good old days when we did do Yellow Pages and direct mail and all that kind of stuff, which yellow Pages, not so much direct mail still has a place.
00:05:20:18 – 00:05:48:15
But in this, in this new technology, certainly a I has a significant effect on search engine optimization, sometimes called SEO, the whole lead generation process, the entire sales funnel. So what what are your what are your current thoughts and and and approaches on dealing with the AI effect? I again, we look at it as a very smart assistant to a degree we don’t see.
00:05:48:15 – 00:06:12:22
At least today could change tomorrow. But right now we don’t see. And others I think professionals what respected do not see. Oh, you don’t need SEO. I could do your SEO for you. We don’t see that. So it’s no different than the service tech going out and troubleshooting the system and taking superheat readings. They could have sophisticated, instruments.
00:06:13:00 – 00:06:35:01
An auto tech can have a scanner that can be a very sophisticated scanner, but it still comes down to the of tech doing the repair and such. Okay. So what we see with AI and just so you know, the GPT chat is about 50%, of the usage out there. And so just people always ask like what’s okay most fun.
00:06:35:03 – 00:06:59:09
And what we see where AI is, it could help you or maybe not. Maybe not. Meaning we see that if it’s if you don’t understand it and you don’t understand how they are. AI agents understand verbiage, understand content. Content so valuable it’s always been valuable. But now you write in content that has to be appealing to Google.
00:06:59:09 – 00:07:22:02
The consumer and an AI. Yeah. So it can shorten the funnel. It can get you in front of people who are like, yeah, let me check it out. Whatever. Versus I need someone now and getting away expanding from just two words, a few keywords. You know, you have AC repair, AC repair near me. Don’t get me wrong, still very valuable.
00:07:22:08 – 00:07:55:20
But now more into dialog like more so like, you know, could you recommend a good, you know, a good AC contractor and you know, you see this, you see a AI pulling from, platforms like Reddit. Why do they like to pull from Reddit as an example? Because Reddit conversation, it speaks to, or it understands how people are speaking about something we have a lot of clients do really well, from an AI perspective, and a lot of it comes from Reddit, and it’s just still not a platform that most dealers think about.
00:07:56:00 – 00:08:21:10
Most contractors or businesses don’t think about how do I get my customers to talk about me? In a very positive way? And again, going back to, you know, going to, traffic, it’s important to understand where the traffic is coming from. Is it good traffic? Is it not? There’s so much involved. You know, in dissecting and understanding how AI is working.
00:08:21:10 – 00:09:02:18
But I can tell you, there’s, one thing that it’s interesting. You could take AI today can give the same answer to ten different people asking the same question. Okay. So, for example, everyone asks the same question. AI has their bank of knowledge and they give everyone the same question. So if I’m if I’m using if to to develop content and we do come from behind the why not as we use it to develop content and we say, please write me a paragraph or a page about AC repair in Tampa, and nine of the people ask the same question, it’s going to be very similar content.
00:09:02:18 – 00:09:25:12
So use it as the assistant, use it as the tool, but not as the tip of the spear. But you better stay on top of it, because I can tell you, anyone working with an agency that doesn’t have a good handle on AI and it’s you know, and it’s similar to like Google. I was like, oh yeah, Google has all these updates to no secret.
00:09:25:14 – 00:09:54:20
It’s easy to understand where Google’s updates are, but the question really comes down to is now what do you do? Hey, it’s not hard to understand. My AC system doesn’t operate now. The question is, why doesn’t it operate? How do I make the repair? Why do I? You still need an experienced tech, service technician that’s going to come out and make the repair using whatever tools is required to do the job.
00:09:54:22 – 00:10:18:00
And that’s the way. But I can tell you that we know what we win is they look at we’re looking at platforms. Yeah. We look at tick tock, we look at next door. We look at platforms that realistically, we might not have put a lot of focus on before and everything, you know is valuable and going beyond. So I guess a way to put it is I says, you better go beyond Google.
00:10:18:00 – 00:10:46:13
Don’t lose sight of it. Still, like, oh yeah, that’s top. It’s, you know, top of the list, but do not lose sight and make sure I don’t block accidentally. We see that. Don’t block the crawlers from AI agents. They have to see it. If you produce and content whether it’s five pages a month or ten pages or whatever you’re producing, and our new website, typically 50 to 100 pages right out of the box.
00:10:46:19 – 00:11:08:16
Why are we doing it? Because it’s a different world. That’s why we’re doing it. So, you know, that that’s where I now go. I will go in granular, in-depth about AI and answer any questions anyone has. But like I said, what I would share today in a full presentation, it’ll change. You’ll probably change, you know, next week it’s set, in really about.
00:11:08:16 – 00:11:27:13
So thank you. It’s very it’s a very fluid, world that we live in right now with this technology. And, it occurs to me that, you know, we’re sitting here having this conversation about AI, and there may be people on this call who don’t even know really what I even stands for. So artificial intelligence is what it stands for.
00:11:27:13 – 00:12:06:15
But as you were talking, I’m thinking about it’s a it’s assisting individuals, right. It’s assisting innovation. It’s, you know, it’s I thought about this too. It’s assisting idiots like me. Right. It’s it’s interesting when when you look at it as an assistant, kind of like you talked about earlier. You know, if I, if I’ve got an installer, if I got a lead installer, the, the assistant for the lead installer is, is an important resource for the installation, but we still require our own personal intelligence to be able to affect the change that we’re trying to make on that install.
00:12:06:15 – 00:12:22:10
And it’s, it’s kind of the same thing with the whole AI thing. It’s it’s, you know, people are worried about it’s going to replace me, it’s going to replace me, it’s going to replace me now. It’s going to assist individuals with the job that they need to do. And I think that’s a key point. And don’t be afraid of it.
00:12:22:10 – 00:12:38:19
You have to engage with it. You have to understand it. And I know the people that are going to be attending your session are going to really look forward to it. So let’s hit one more question here real quick. What about this one? I’m sorry. Before you. Yeah, I was going to say one more thing, I apologize. Okay.
00:12:38:21 – 00:13:03:06
The key is how does it make you more productive? Okay. We built our own SEO software, and people say, oh, you did it because, like, it saves time. Yes, but why do you want to save time? You want to save time so the person can spend more time on other things to make things better for the client.
00:13:03:08 – 00:13:20:11
So, you know, one of the things that I does look at, hey, look at schema. Why did you never even heard of that? What does that mean? I’m not going to get into it right now. Oh, ideals have never heard things like domain authority. They haven’t heard about backlinks. They don’t fully know what it is. Just like say it’s saying to a homeowner.
00:13:20:15 – 00:13:38:23
Well, let me share with you, the superheat, the subgoal and delta across the indoor coil. The algorithms of the inverter or their real capacity is I prefer to call it and the homeowner is like, what can I control off my phone? And is it going to save me? My son? Sorry, but there’s like I said, it’s about productivity.
00:13:38:23 – 00:14:04:12
And that’s what I can make you is more productive. So you can work on other things. So we got one more point we want to talk about. And that’s what about businesses that have multiple locations? I mean, is that a different world that we have to deal with there? It totally is. And one of the things with Google that’s consistent in a lot of areas is how they roll it out.
00:14:04:14 – 00:14:36:01
Meaning let’s say there’s a an end goal where 100% of what they’re going to do gets rolled out, but they don’t necessarily say, turn it on like a light switch, Google guaranteed, or a local service and whatever you want to resort to it as, started like that, it started as that of a, a pilot in San Francisco, and now it’s everywhere in the country.
00:14:36:02 – 00:15:03:08
Has it evolve? Of course. You know, in a lot of ways that may not be great for the business, but always, of course, produces more revenue. So Google like no surprise. Okay, so what we started seeing and hearing, which is nothing like having 20 plus years of experience and getting feedback from your customers. And if you become a student of your customers or clients needs, you become smarter.
00:15:03:08 – 00:15:29:22
And you understand because they tell you all right, they don’t hold back. They tell you. So what we started hearing and this started, well over a year ago. We started having clients, had multiple locations, physical locations. Okay. We don’t recommend. We don’t do so tissues, virtual, you know, addresses. Because it’s just a matter of time before Google figured that out, and then they suspend you a whole nother conversation, but not great.
00:15:30:00 – 00:16:00:13
So we will take a dealer who had has multiple locations and what we started hearing is, you know, in this location in Chicago, let’s just pick an example. Boy, we see a lot of traffic, a lot of leads. You know, we’re really happy. But, you know, we have a second location, in Belgium. And we’re not getting a lot of leads from that, see, and we see that, you know, between Google Analytics and Google Search Console, we see that.
00:16:00:15 – 00:16:29:17
So we understand what the deal is saying. We dissect traffic there. Right. And we started seeing that more and more and more. And now it’s pretty consistent. So Google and they’re really smart. So they can look at multiple locations. You could have 234I don’t care how many you have. But we see them basically identifying, where did you knock down.
00:16:29:17 – 00:16:57:16
What’s your main location. Where did you start. Because a lot of businesses start with one location, then add on a second, third, etc.. Where did you start? Because that’s where I’m like, I’m good with you there. But the other location or locations? Yeah, I see you. Yeah. You, you know, you’re you’re there, you get a little. So the example or analogy I use is okay, I have two separate businesses and we’ll take, we’ll say with Chicago and else, okay.
00:16:57:18 – 00:17:20:13
So two individual business jets AC, DC say hey, and at the end of the month also be an equal SEO set up correctly back linking and everything done the same. We look at the two businesses and let’s say at the leads collectively and see what the total number okay x number of leads. But then we say okay now we have one.
00:17:20:13 – 00:17:47:11
This goes back to has a location in Chicago, has a location else everything being equal, we add up all the leads at the end of the month and we compare it to the two individual based, individual businesses. They don’t compare. The two individual businesses generate more leads because Google says, okay, you’re a standalone single location. That’s your market.
00:17:47:15 – 00:18:11:06
Surrounding towns inside, and we’re okay with it. So what do you do? And, you know, we started seeing this as far back as five years ago, but nothing like today. Today is pretty prevalent. And also the other thing is, which, you know, sort of connects a similar scenario is like, I’m the HPC guy, I own it, I can get 500 leads in a month from SQL.
00:18:11:10 – 00:18:31:00
I’m the king of and then all of a sudden they’re like, well, I’m going to get into plumbing. Why not? Good idea. Right. You have a customer base and then the expectation is well then add on plumbing. So, you know, I, you know, in a short period of time, reasonable period of time, the plumbing term should rank as good as the HOA said.
00:18:31:02 – 00:18:59:15
And that as easy as it sounds, because Google said no, you’re the Hvac company. I’ve known you for three AC forever, and now you’re saying you’re in plumbing now? I don’t think so. So back to the locations. So what do you do? How do you get Google to look at each location as its own standalone location? And how do you do it from a very cost effective standpoint, because they have no budget plays role.
00:18:59:17 – 00:19:25:23
Okay. And the efficiencies we’ve picked up with AI and technology, you know, things have allowed us to significantly reduce our pricing and to more, which is an unusual combination. You imagine an HPC manufacturer coming out with a new inverter and lowering the price. I’m not sure I ever have seen that. But, you know, maybe it’s out there. So with that being said, we created what we call an enterprise or mothership concept.
00:19:26:01 – 00:19:49:12
And then so we have this, this website that we’re building all the power and authority to, and then we have a localized website for each location under the wing of the mothership that’s a Google, and the homeowner is employed. What? So when the homeowner is, you know, intelligent, they see the elegant version, they see an LG in website.
00:19:49:14 – 00:20:17:01
Google sees the LG and website, and only that site. So, you know, and we’re able to do this whether you have two locations or literally it’s endless, endless. We can keep building on localized site well under the wing of the mothership. Now, we may want to increase the horsepower of the mothership to support 20 locations or 30 locations or whatever it may.
00:20:17:03 – 00:20:45:01
But the point is, it’s very cost effective and it works. And the results, which I’m happy to share more. We’re all about the results. The results have exceeded our expectations. Absolutely unbelievable results. When Google now sees you as an individual standalone company versus one website who’s trying to scoop up multiple locations, it just doesn’t work as well, as it used to, which is a lot of things.
00:20:45:01 – 00:21:07:12
You know, I always say understanding Google that Google made an update is relatively easy. Now, what do you do with that? All right. So that’s what you know. And I’m proud of our R&D department. And you know frankly it hasn’t gotten any easier you know right. What was it like to troubleshoot it. Well see a unit a contactor, a compressor, a one cap maybe you start that.
00:21:07:17 – 00:21:37:14
Pretty darn simple. Now take the panel off of the inverter for the first time you’ve ever seen one. Yeah, maybe, a little taken back by, like, what in the world is all this stuff? Yeah, I’m. I always say I’m a 1967 Firebird mechanic in a 2025 world that when I opened the lid of my Lexus, I just close it right back and say, I got to take this somewhere else because I understand the concepts, but I don’t have the tools.
00:21:37:16 – 00:22:00:13
Exactly. You don’t have the tools a long way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so this, this little primer, if you will, that we just went through this little taste is just the beginning of the powerful information that I guarantee you, my friend Jack is going to help you as an attendee, that that attend his epic 2026 breakout session.
00:22:00:15 – 00:22:26:06
It’s absolutely going to be fantastic. And as Jack Jack’s already mentioned, the evolving landscape of search in general is going to peak different even tomorrow than it is today. And so I really appreciate you and your team staying on top of this, Jack. So thanks for your support as we continue to work together to help contracting community be better tomorrow than they are today.
00:22:26:06 – 00:22:50:09
For more about Jack’s breakout session, visit the epic 2020 6.com website and check out the agenda for Friday at 11 a.m.. And if you haven’t already registered for the conference, make sure you do so right now, because it will surely sell out as it has in the past. Click Register Now at Epic 2020 6.com so you don’t get left out.
00:22:50:11 – 00:23:11:06
Thanks for watching. Cracking the code where we make Hvac success clear, simple, and stress free. See you next time!
