Most "HVAC site networks" are built from two tactics: lots of near-identical city pages or domains, and links between company sites placed mainly to lift rankings. Google's spam policies describe both. This guide explains each policy in plain terms, shows what it looks like in an HVAC company, and sets out what to build instead. It is general information about Google's published policies, not legal advice.
The policies, in plain language
Google publishes its rules in Spam policies for Google web search, last updated in August 2026 when we checked it on October 22. Three of them matter most for multi-location HVAC marketing.
Doorway abuse. Sites or pages created to rank for specific, similar searches, which lead visitors to something less useful than the final destination. Google's examples include several sites with slight variations aimed at the same query, and domains or pages for particular cities that all funnel users to one place.
Link spam. Creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate rankings. The examples include buying or selling links, excessive link exchanges, partner pages that exist only to cross-link, automated link creation, and widely distributed footer or widget links.
Scaled content abuse. Producing many pages mainly to manipulate rankings, with little value to users, no matter how they're made. The examples include generating pages with AI or similar tools without adding value, and spreading content across multiple sites to hide how much of it there is.
That last example matters for networks: splitting thin content across many domains doesn't hide it.
What a doorway looks like in HVAC
Here is the pattern we see most:
- forty or more pages titled "Furnace Repair in [Town]", "AC Installation in [Town]", and so on
- each page has the same three paragraphs with the town name swapped in
- none mentions anything specific about the town: no branch, no local housing, no local program
- every page has the same call to action and phone number
- the pages sit outside the main menu, linked only from a footer block or a sitemap
A variation uses separate domains: one exact-match city domain per town, each with a short version of the main site, each linking back to the main company domain.
Both versions fit the doorway description almost word for word. The pages exist to rank for "[service] [town]" and push visitors to the same phone number. A homeowner reading one learns nothing they couldn't learn from any of the others.
What a link scheme looks like in HVAC
Link schemes in HVAC networks usually take one of these forms:
- every company site, division and city domain links to every other in a sitewide footer
- "partner" pages listing the group's sites, with keyword-rich anchor text
- swapped links with suppliers or other contractors, agreed mainly for rankings
- paid placements on directories and blogs, presented as editorial links
Google says paid links are acceptable when they're labelled with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". The problem is links placed to pass ranking value that weren't earned.
Contrast that with a legitimate link. A boiler division's about page saying it belongs to your group, with a link to the parent site, tells the reader something true and useful. One contextual link where it helps is very different from a footer block repeated on two thousand pages.
Why these tactics backfire
The obvious risk is that the pages don't rank, or stop ranking after a while. Google's policies state that sites violating them may rank lower or not appear in results at all, and some cases get a manual action that shows up in Search Console.
The less obvious risk is collateral damage. A brand that publishes hundreds of low-value pages invites a lower opinion of everything it publishes, including its good service pages. And a network of sites that all link to each other ties their fates together; when one is judged manipulative, the links from it stop helping the others.
There's a business cost, too. Customers who land on a thin city page and find nothing about their town often leave. Those visits rarely turn into calls, which is why these pages tend to disappoint even before any penalty.
How to audit your own site
You can run a quick audit in an afternoon.
- List your location pages and domains. Use your sitemap, or a site search in Google for your domain.
- Compare two pages side by side. Copy both into a document and highlight identical sentences. If more than a few remain after removing the town name, flag both.
- Check navigation. Can a visitor reach each location page from the main menu or a locations index? Pages reachable only from the footer or sitemap deserve a closer look.
- Check Search Console. For each location page, look at clicks and impressions over 12 months. Pages with almost none are candidates to merge or remove.
- List your outbound links between company sites. Note where they appear, how many pages carry them, and what the anchor text says.
- Check your profiles. Every Google Business Profile should match a staffed location. Profiles at addresses where nobody works are a separate problem, but often part of the same network.
What to do with what you find
For each flagged page or domain, there are four outcomes:
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Real branch, thin page | Rebuild it with real local substance |
| Town served from a nearby branch, thin page | Merge into that branch's page, redirect |
| Town you don't really serve | Remove it, or redirect to the nearest relevant page |
| Separate city domain with copied content | Redirect page by page to the main site |
For links: remove sitewide footer blocks between company sites, keep one honest contextual link where it helps readers, and stop any paid or swapped link arrangements that exist for rankings.
What to build instead
The alternative isn't fewer customers reached; it's reaching them with pages that deserve to rank.
- One strong main site carrying the company's name, services and expertise.
- A location page for each real branch or territory, with the branch details, services offered there, local housing and heating context from your team, and current programs linked to official sources.
- A Google Business Profile for each staffed location, each pointing to its own location page.
- A separate site only for a genuine division, written for its own buyers.
- Earned links: local press, supplier and manufacturer dealer listings, community sponsorships and trade association memberships.
That structure covers the same territory as a doorway network. The difference is that every page gives a reader a reason to stay.
Next steps
If your audit turned up problems, our location pages service rebuilds thin pages, and the consolidation guide explains how to retire old domains safely. If you're still deciding on structure, start with one domain or many.
Frequently asked questions
Are all city pages doorway pages?
No. A page about a real branch or territory that gives local homeowners useful, specific information is a normal part of a multi-location site. The problem is sets of near-identical pages whose main job is ranking for each town name.
Is it wrong to link between our own company sites?
Not in itself. An about page explaining that your boiler division belongs to your group, with a link, is helpful. What Google's policies describe as link spam is linking mainly to manipulate rankings, such as link exchanges and footer links repeated across every page.
What happens if our site is judged to be spam?
Google's policies say violating sites may rank lower or not appear in results at all, and some cases lead to a manual action reported in Search Console. Recovery means fixing the problem and, for manual actions, asking for a review.
We used AI to write our city pages. Is that the problem?
The tool isn't the issue; the result is. Google's scaled content policy targets large numbers of pages made mainly for rankings with little value, however they were produced. A page written with help from software can be fine if it carries real, checked local substance.