How Your HVAC Company Can Successfully Expand into Getting Found on Google For Plumbing Services

Patrick McFadden • August 11, 2024

As a thriving HVAC company, you’re likely always looking for ways to grow and diversify your offerings. One natural expansion could be into plumbing services.

However, the digital landscape can be tricky to navigate when branching into new categories. Here’s how to ensure Google recognizes your expertise in both HVAC and plumbing, helping you achieve success in this new venture.


Understanding Topical Authority

Topical authority is crucial in the world of SEO. It means being recognized as an expert in a specific subject by search engines like Google. Your company is already known for HVAC services — air conditioning, heating, and related areas. But how do you make Google understand that you’re also a credible provider of plumbing services?


The Challenge of Adding New Services

Let’s say your HVAC company wants to start offering plumbing services. Google currently identifies your site as an authority on HVAC topics. If you add just one page about plumbing, it won’t align well with the existing content. Google won’t immediately see you as a plumbing expert because your site’s primary focus has always been HVAC.


Building Topical Authority in Plumbing

To get Google to recognize your expertise in plumbing, you need to create multiple pages related to plumbing services. Think of it as building a new chapter in your company’s story. You might start with 5–10 pages that cover different plumbing topics — common plumbing problems, maintenance tips, emergency plumbing services, and so on. This approach is known as topical clustering.


By adding a cluster of related content, you help Google see that plumbing is now a significant part of your business. This way, your site’s overall content starts to include plumbing, making it more relevant and authoritative in this new category.


Avoid Diluting Your Content

One thing to watch out for is diluting your site’s focus. If you add content that’s too far removed from your core services — like interior decorating — you could confuse Google about what your site is really about. This dilution can make it harder for you to rank well for both HVAC and plumbing topics.


Managing Multiple Topics Strategically

To effectively manage your content and maintain strong rankings, consider creating a subdirectory on your site specifically for plumbing services. This way, you can keep the plumbing content somewhat separate but still under the umbrella of your main site. For example, your site could have sections like “/hvac” and “/plumbing” to clearly distinguish between the two service areas.


When to Consider a Separate Website

If you plan to develop a substantial amount of content for plumbing — say, 100 or more pages — it might be worth creating a separate website dedicated entirely to plumbing services. This approach can help you build strong topical authority for plumbing without affecting your HVAC content.


Here’s a HVAC Example

Imagine your HVAC company, “CoolAir Experts,” is well-established and known for providing top-notch air conditioning and heating services. Your website is filled with detailed pages about HVAC repair, maintenance, installation, and tips for homeowners to keep their systems running efficiently. Google recognizes your site as an authoritative source on HVAC topics.


Now, you want to expand into plumbing services. If you only add a single page titled “Plumbing Services” to your website, it won’t be enough to convince Google that CoolAir Experts is also a reliable source for plumbing information. Google still sees your site as primarily focused on HVAC services.


To change this perception, you need to build topical authority in plumbing. Here’s how you can do it:


1. Create Multiple Plumbing Pages: Start by adding several pages about different aspects of plumbing. For instance:

  • “Common Plumbing Problems and Solutions”
  • “Emergency Plumbing Services: What to Expect”
  • “How to Maintain Your Home’s Plumbing System”
  • “Benefits of Regular Plumbing Inspections”
  • “Signs You Need to Call a Professional Plumber”

2. Link Relevant Content: Ensure these new pages are well-linked to each other and to your main site. For example, link the “Emergency Plumbing Services” page to the “Common Plumbing Problems and Solutions” page where relevant.

3. Provide In-Depth Information: Each page should offer detailed, valuable information that helps users understand and solve plumbing issues. This not only improves your SEO but also builds trust with potential customers.

4. Integrate Plumbing into Existing Content: Mention plumbing services where relevant on your existing HVAC pages. For instance, if you have a blog post about preparing your home for winter, include tips about both HVAC and plumbing maintenance.


By adding these pages and integrating plumbing content into your existing site, you help Google see that CoolAir Experts is expanding its expertise to cover plumbing as well. This process, known as topical clustering, gradually builds your authority in the new service area.


In summary, understanding and implementing topical authority means systematically adding and linking relevant content so Google recognizes your website as an expert source in both HVAC and plumbing. This strategy not only helps your site rank better for plumbing-related searches but also assures potential customers that they can trust you with their plumbing needs, just as they have with HVAC.


Final Thoughts

Expanding your HVAC company to include plumbing services is an excellent way to grow your business. By strategically adding plumbing content and managing your site’s focus, you can ensure that Google recognizes your expertise in both areas. Whether through topical clustering on your existing site or by launching a new, dedicated website, you can successfully broaden your service offerings and reach more customers.

The Missing Layer in AI: Why Judgment, Not Just Data, Will Define the Next Era of Intelligence

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
Everyone is scaling outputs. Almost no one is scaling judgment.

Everyone Talks About AI Judgment. We Built It.

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
Ask anyone in tech where AI is headed, and they’ll tell you: “The next leap is reasoning.” “AI needs judgment.” “We need assistants that think, not just answer.” They’re right. But while everyone’s talking about it, almost no one is actually shipping it. So we did. We built Thinking OS™ —a system that doesn’t just help AI answer questions… It helps AI think like a strategist. It helps AI decide like an operator. It helps teams and platforms scale judgment, n ot just generate output. The Theory Isn’t New. The Implementation Is. The idea of layering strategic thinking and judgment into AI isn’t new in theory. The problem is, no one’s been able to implement it effectively at scale. Let’s look at the current landscape. 1. Big Tech Has the Muscle—But Not the Mind OpenAI / ChatGPT ✅ Strength: Best-in-class language generation ❌ Limitation: No built-in judgment or reasoning. You must provide the structure. Otherwise, it follows instructions, not strategy. Google DeepMind / Gemini ✅ Known for advanced decision-making (e.g., AlphaGo) ❌ But only in structured environments like games—not messy, real-world business scenarios. Anthropic (Claude), Meta (LLaMA), Microsoft Copilot ✅ Great at answering questions and following commands ❌ But they’re assistants, not advisors. They won’t reprioritize. They won’t challenge your assumptions. They don’t ask: “Is this the right move?” These tools are powerful—but they don’t think for outcomes the way a strategist or operator would. 2. Who’s Actually Building the Thinking Layer™? This is where it gets interesting—and thin. Startups and Indie Builders Some small teams are quietly: Creating custom GPTs that mimic how experts reason Layering in business context, priorities, and tradeoffs Embedding decision logic so AI can guide, not just execute But these efforts are: Highly manual Difficult to scale Fragmented and experimental Enterprise Experiments A few companies (Salesforce, HubSpot, and others) are exploring more “judgment-aware” AI copilots. These systems can: Flag inconsistencies Recommend next actions Occasionally surface priorities based on internal logic But most of it is still: In early R&D Custom-coded Unproven beyond narrow use cases That’s Why Thinking OS™ Is Different Instead of waiting for a lab to crack it, we built a modular thinking system that installs like infrastructure. Thinking OS™: Captures how real experts reason Embeds judgment into layers AI can use Deploys into tools like ChatGPT or enterprise systems Helps teams think together, consistently, at scale It’s not another assistant. It’s the missing layer that turns outputs into outcomes. So… Is This a New Innovation? Yes—in practice. Everyone says AI needs judgment. But judgment isn’t an idea. It’s a system. It requires: Persistent memory Contextual awareness Tradeoff evaluation Value-based decisions Strategy that evolves with goals Thinking OS™ delivers that. And unlike the R&D experiments in Big Tech, it’s built for: Operators Consultants Platform founders Growth-stage teams that need to scale decision quality, not just content creation If Someone Told You They’ve Built a Thinking + Judgment Layer™… They’ve built something only a handful of people in the world are even attempting. Because this isn’t just AI that speaks fluently. It’s AI that reasons, reflects , and chooses. And in a world that’s drowning in tools, judgment becomes the differentiator. That’s the OS We Built Thinking OS™ is not a prompt pack. It’s not a dashboard. It’s not a glorified chatbot. It’s a decision architecture you can license, embed, or deploy— To help your team, your platform, or your clients think better at scale. We’ve moved past content. We’re building cognition. Let’s talk.

We Found the Missing Layer AI Has Been Waiting For

By Patrick McFadden • May 2, 2025
In every era of innovation, there’s a silent bottleneck—something obvious in hindsight, but elusive until the moment it clicks. In today’s AI-driven world, that bottleneck is clear: AI has speed. It has scale. But it doesn’t have judgment . It doesn’t really think . What’s Actually Missing From AI? When experts talk about the “thinking and judgment layer” as the next leap for AI, they’re calling out a hard truth: Modern AI systems are powerful pattern machines. But they’re missing the human layer—the one that reasons, weighs tradeoffs, and makes strategic decisions in context. Let’s break that down: 1. The Thinking Layer = Reasoning with Purpose This layer doesn’t just process inputs— it structures logic. It’s the ability to: Ask the right questions before acting Break down complexity into solvable parts Adjust direction mid-course when reality changes Think beyond “what was asked” to uncover “what really matters” Today’s AI responds. But it rarely reflects. Unless told exactly what to do, it won’t work through problems the way a strategist or operator would. 2. The Judgment Layer = Decision-Making in the Gray Judgment is the ability to: Prioritize what matters most Choose between imperfect options Make decisions when there’s no clear answer Apply values, experience, and vision—not just data It’s why a founder might not pursue a lucrative deal. Why a marketer might ignore the click-through rate. Why a strategist knows when the timing isn’t right. AI doesn’t do this well. Not yet. Because judgment requires more than data—it requires discernment . Why This Is the Bottleneck Holding Back AI AI can write. It can summarize. It can automate. But it still can’t: Diagnose the real problem behind the question Evaluate tradeoffs like a founder or operator would Recommend a path based on context, constraints, and conviction AI today is still reactive. It follows instructions. But it doesn’t lead. It doesn’t guide. It doesn’t own the outcome. And for those building serious systems—whether you’re running a company, launching a platform, or leading a team—this is the wall you eventually hit. That’s Why We Built Thinking OS™ We stopped waiting for AI to learn judgment on its own. Instead, we created a system that embeds it—by design. Thinking OS™ is an installable decision layer that captures how top founders, strategists, and operators think… …and makes that thinking repeatable , scalable , and usable inside teams, tools, and platforms. It’s not a framework. It’s not a chatbot. It’s not another playbook. It’s the layer that knows how to: Think through complex decisions Apply judgment when rules don’t help Guide others —human or AI—toward strategic outcomes This Is the Missing Infrastructure Thinking OS™ isn’t just about better answers. It’s about better thinking—made operational. And that’s what’s been missing in AI, consulting, leadership development, and platform design. If you’re trying to scale expertise, install judgment, or move from tactical to strategic… You don’t need a faster AI. You need a thinking layer that knows what to do—and why. We built it. Let’s talk.
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