How AI assistants choose who to recommend for duct repair

1. What people actually asked
2. What your duct repair page has to explain
3. What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone
4. Your duct repair page checklist
5. Questions owners ask
6. How we got these numbers
7. See it on your own website

What people actually asked

We asked for duct repair in two different ways. Here is each one, word for word, with how many of the 257 answers it produced between September 4 and October 12, 2026:

• “Who should I call for duct repair in Clearwater, FL 33755?”133 answers
• “Duct repair near me — I'm in Dunedin, FL 34698. Who do you recommend?”124 answers

Together, the 257 answers covered 45 towns in Hillsborough County, Pasco County and Pinellas County: including Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Park and Seminole. Each town came up in 2 to 23 answers. By assistant: Google AI Mode 106, ChatGPT 80 and Claude 71.

Customers also call it “ductwork repair”, “air duct repair” or “duct leak repair”, so use those words on the page as well.

The question underneath all of them

“Can you repair the damaged section without replacing all the ductwork?” A localized repair and a system-wide change deserve different inspection and quotation explanations.

What your duct repair page has to explain

Many companies that came up for duct repair were really duct cleaners or general AC firms. Assistants often could not tell whether a company repairs ducts at all. Answers told customers to ask whether a company repairs ducts or only cleans them. A page that names the damage the company fixes, such as torn, crushed or disconnected flex duct, answers that first question.

Customers worried about being sold a whole new duct system when one section was the problem. Answers told them to ask whether a company repairs the existing ducts or recommends replacement, and to get both prices side by side. Some suggested a second opinion when told everything must go. The page should explain how the company decides between a spot repair and a larger change.

Customers also wanted to see the damage for themselves. Answers told them to ask for an inspection of the attic or crawlspace, photos of the damaged section and a leak test before and after. Several asked whether the repair uses mastic or foil tape rather than cloth duct tape. A repair example with photos of the section and the fix shows all of this at once.

What the assistants looked for before recommending anyone

We read all 257 answers to see what the assistants looked for before naming a company for duct repair, what they told the customer to ask, and what they said they couldn’t find.

What the assistants told customers to ask

Most common first:

Will the company inspect the ducts and show photos of the damage?

Answers told customers to ask for an inspection of the duct runs, often in the attic or crawlspace, before any quote. Many said to ask for photos of the damaged sections. Customers wanted to see the problem, not take a verbal quote on trust.

43% of the answers (110 of 257) brought this up.

Ask for photos of the damaged duct sections and a written estimate before approving work.

Which kinds of duct damage does the company fix?

Many answers asked the customer what was wrong, such as torn, crushed or disconnected flex duct, before suggesting who to call. Assistants told customers to confirm that a company fixes their specific problem. The type of damage shaped which companies fit.

40% of the answers (102 of 257) brought this up.

Ask for a written estimate after inspection and confirm whether they’re repairing a leak, replacing damaged flex duct, or correcting insulation/airflow.

Does the company repair ducts or only clean them?

Many listings that came up were for duct cleaning or general AC work and did not mention duct repair. Assistants told customers to ask before booking. Some answers stressed that cleaning and repair are different services.

24% of the answers (62 of 257) brought this up.

Ask for a leakage inspection and a written estimate; make sure they distinguish repair/sealing from cleaning, since those are different services.

Does the company test for leaks before and after?

Answers told customers to ask for a leak or pressure test, especially when rooms stay warm or power bills are high. Several said to test again after the repair. Customers wanted proof the repair fixed the problem.

21% of the answers (54 of 257) brought this up.

Ask whether they test for duct leaks before and after the repair.

Can the damaged section be repaired without replacing everything?

Assistants regularly told customers to ask whether a company repairs existing ducts or pushes full replacement. They suggested getting both prices in writing and a second opinion if told the whole system must go. A company that clearly offers spot repairs looked more trustworthy.

18% of the answers (46 of 257) brought this up.

Ask whether they repair the existing ductwork or recommend replacement, and request a written estimate.

What does the company seal repairs with?

Some answers told customers to ask whether a repair uses mastic or foil tape rather than cloth duct tape. They said cloth tape does not hold up in attic heat and humidity. The materials told customers whether a repair would last.

12% of the answers (32 of 257) brought this up.

Ask whether the repair uses mastic or foil tape, since cloth "duct tape" doesn't hold up in Florida heat and humidity.

What the assistants couldn’t find

In 28 of the 257 answers, the assistant said it couldn’t find or confirm something it needed about a company. By assistant: Claude in 28 of its 71, ChatGPT in 0 of its 80 and Google AI Mode in 0 of its 106. As we asked it, Claude usually says what it couldn’t confirm; ChatGPT and Google AI Mode seldom do, so these counts mostly show what Claude couldn’t find. Most often:

• A phone number or other way to reach the company: 21 answers
• Reviews it could check: 11 answers
• Whether the company serves the customer’s town or ZIP code: 4 answers
• A license or insurance it could check: 3 answers
• A price or how the job is priced: 3 answers

Assistants most often could not find a phone number, then could not verify reviews, and the reviews they did find were mostly about general AC work. A duct repair page with a working number and reviews from duct customers answers what they kept sending people to check.

I couldn't find a trustworthy "best" ranking, and the reviews I saw were mostly for general AC work, not duct work.

Where the assistants sent people

Each answer linked to the pages the assistant relied on. Of the 151 ChatGPT and Claude answers about duct repair, this is how many linked at least once to each kind of site:

• A contractor’s own website: 97% (147 answers)
• A directory or review site such as Yelp, Angi or the BBB: 52% (79 answers)
• A manufacturer or home-improvement guide: 5% (7 answers)
• An official license lookup: 3% (5 answers)
• A Google search or Maps page: under 1% (1 answer)

A contractor’s own website was the page linked most often, so your site is usually what the customer is sent to read.

Google AI Mode works differently. In 75% of its 106 answers, the links opened Google’s own listing for a business rather than a website. There, your Google Business Profile is the page the customer sees, so it needs the same facts as your site.

The checks behind every recommendation, applied to duct repair

Can the customer reach a person?

Phone numbers were what assistants most often could not find for this job. Some warned about templated sites that appear in many cities and are not local companies.

21 of the 257 answers about duct repair, 21 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 147 of the 290 conversations where it came up.

What do recent customers say?

Assistants often could not verify reviews, and most reviews they found were about general AC work. Reviews that mention a duct repair speak to this job better.

11 of the 257 answers about duct repair, 11 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 139 of the 569 conversations where it came up.

Do you serve the customer’s town or ZIP code?

For duct repair, coverage means a company will come to the home to inspect, then return for the work. Answers sometimes could not confirm a company served the customer's ZIP code.

4 of the 257 answers about duct repair, 4 of them from Claude, said the assistant couldn’t confirm this. In our July–August study across eight trades, it cost a business its place in 350 of the 554 conversations where it came up.

Source: How we research what AI assistants recommend.

Your duct repair page checklist

Work through this list on your duct repair page. Each item answers something the assistants looked for above.

1. Use “duct repair”, “ductwork repair” or “air duct repair” in the page title, the main heading and the first paragraph.
2. Explain what your duct inspection covers, whether it is free, and that you share photos of what you find.
3. List the duct problems you repair and the duct types you work on, such as flex duct, duct board or sheet metal.
4. Give duct repair its own page, separate from cleaning, and describe a real repair you completed.
5. Say whether you test duct leakage or airflow before and after a repair, and whether the test is in the price.
6. Say that you repair damaged sections where possible, and explain when you recommend replacing more.
7. Name the sealing materials you use on repairs and say what warranty the repair carries.
8. Put your own working phone number, company name and address on the duct repair page.
9. Link to your recent reviews and point to ones from duct repair customers.
10. List the towns and ZIP codes where you inspect and repair ducts.

Going further: let assistants see real openings

For planned work like duct repair, a useful opening says whether it is for an assessment or the job itself, and whether the customer’s address is covered.

Merchant Context builds custom integrations with scheduling software so customers and AI assistants can read your current availability. Where your system records the job type, service area, duration and crew capacity, the integration can show those details with each opening, so an assistant can match it to the request instead of guessing.

We scope each connection to the software and data you actually have. A displayed opening is not a confirmed booking: the customer still confirms through your normal booking process, and the information is only useful while it is fresh.

Source: Merchant Context: custom integrations in the AEO service · checked 2026-10-14.

Questions owners ask

Can damaged ductwork be repaired instead of replaced?

Often a single torn, crushed or disconnected section can be repaired. Answers about this job told customers to ask whether a company repairs existing ducts or recommends replacement, and to get both prices in writing. A page should explain how the company decides.

What should a duct repair estimate include?

Answers told customers to expect an inspection, photos of the damage, a leak test and a written estimate that separates repair, sealing and insulation from full replacement. A company's page should say which of these its estimates include.

Is duct repair the same as duct cleaning?

No. Cleaning removes dust and debris, while repair fixes damaged, leaking or disconnected ducts. Assistants often found cleaners when customers needed repairs and told them to ask which service a company offers.

Which AI assistants did you test?

Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Claude. Between September 4 and October 12, 2026, they answered 257 questions about duct repair: Google AI Mode 106, ChatGPT 80, Claude 71.

Will these changes guarantee a recommendation?

No. Nobody can promise that. These changes supply what the assistants were looking for in our research. Whether they move recommendations for your business is something to measure after they go live.

See it on your own website

Send us your website address and we’ll make a free preview of your homepage, rewritten so customers and assistants can find your duct repair answers. You pay only if you accept it: $2,000 a month, month to month, with no build fee.

Get your free homepage preview

Source: Merchant Context: the current website offer · checked 2026-10-14.

Keep reading

• AI search optimization and websites for HVAC companies.
• Which services need their own page on a contractor website?