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In this episode of the 8-Figure HVAC Brands Podcast, Netrocket founder Daniel Dramshev talks with Dennis Yu, one of the first employees at Yahoo and a partner in HVAC Quote. Dennis explains why Google still drives most HVAC leads, how to track marketing all the way to revenue, and shows on screen how an AI agent can audit an HVAC company, compare it with competitors, and build a plan to outrank them.
This is Part 1 of the conversation. In Part 2, Daniel and Dennis go deeper into HVAC Quote, online quoting tools, and website conversion.
About the guest
| Name | Dennis Yu |
| Background | One of the first employees at Yahoo, oversaw more than $1 billion in online ad spend |
| Works with | HVAC Quote, an online quoting tool used by about 350 HVAC contractors |
| Focus | Helping contractors show up in Google Maps and teaching AI skills to young adults |
AI will expose weak marketing
Dennis says he hasn’t been this excited since 1997. In his view, AI is like a light being turned on: it shows who is doing real work and who isn’t. Most marketing is a waste, and many agencies add layers of markup on top. Now that AI agents can do much of that work, weak marketing gets exposed fast.
“If you suck at what you’re doing, AI is going to crush you. If you’re good at what you’re doing, it’s a multiplier.“
Dennis has asked about a hundred agency owners how AI changed their productivity. On average, people who actually use AI tools get about five times more work done. Daniel sees at least the same 5x in his own team, and even more for some processes.
AI search vs. Google for HVAC leads
For all the talk about AI, Dennis sees AI tools bring only about 3% of total lead volume across the companies he works with. Google is still the dominant player and is getting stronger: Gemini has around 900 million users, and Google has 13 apps with more than a billion users each.
“AI is only 3% of total lead volume.“
Google now pulls social mentions into AI Overviews and is bringing AI conversations into Google Maps. For HVAC contractors, that means the signals they create across YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yelp, and reviews matter more than ever. Learn more about Google Maps SEO for HVAC companies.
Track marketing all the way to revenue
Even a $12 million HVAC company Dennis knows still doesn’t have a report that shows revenue and which marketing drove which call. Having a CRM and call tracking isn’t enough. Leads still need UTM codes, and you have to tie digital and offline sources together: flyers, radio, events, and referrals from real estate agents, electricians, and other trades.
Dennis recommends a weekly marketing effectiveness report that Claude or ChatGPT can build by pulling data from your systems and sending it every Friday.
“It doesn’t matter how good you are at Google Ads or tuning LSA or SEO. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have it tracked.“
Live AI audit: how to outrank competitors
On screen, Dennis asks ChatGPT for the best HVAC contractor in Phoenix and compares the answer with Google results. The lists are very similar. Then he asks why the AI ranked one company first, which sources it used, and what his client needs to do to rank higher, step by step.
The AI builds a full plan: more genuine reviews, consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across directories, stronger social coverage, and fixes to broken web pages. Dennis then asks it to turn the plan into a visual PDF report with charts comparing the client with competitors on each factor, and to email it as a draft.
He also warns not to buy or incentivize reviews: Google has said it will penalize that.
How HVAC owners can start using AI
Dennis’s simplest advice: install the Claude extension for Chrome. You don’t need to build agents or write code. Open it while you’re working and ask it to:
- Audit your website, Google Business Profile, and competitors, and explain everything in plain English
- Review a weekly call center or marketing report and tell you what’s missing
- Check an email for typos and tone before you send it
- Explain unclear terms like LSA or Tag Manager
- Start fixing things, like SEO titles and meta descriptions, once you give it access
The agent asks for permission before visiting new sites or taking actions, so you stay in control.
“You don’t need to learn digital marketing. You just need to become a boss.“
Audit your marketing agency with AI
An owner can ask the AI to audit the agency’s work, not to switch agencies but to understand what they’re doing and hold them accountable. Dennis believes a good agency should pass an audit no matter who runs it. The same goes for calls, labor, and anywhere money is spent. If you need a second opinion on your marketing, see Netrocket’s digital marketing consulting.
Auditing CRM, margins, and supplier costs
If you can open a system in Chrome, the agent can audit it: CRM pipelines, notes, and processes, with no API setup needed. Dennis shares an example where AI analyzed margins across services, found where material costs were too high, and emailed suppliers to ask for a 15% discount with clear reasoning.
Why smaller HVAC companies can win
Daniel’s takeaway is that AI isn’t only for tech people. Contractors who learn to manage AI agents can move faster than older and bigger companies, control what their marketing team is doing, and outrank competitors. Learn more about AI SEO for HVAC companies and HVAC SEO.
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