Ask Google a simple question today and there’s a good chance the answer appears at the top of the page, written by AI, before any website. Ask ChatGPT for a good electrician near you and it will happily suggest a few. If you’ve spent years trying to show up in search, it’s fair to wonder whether any of that still matters.
It does. But what works has shifted, and the businesses that adjust early are the ones those AI answers will mention.
What has changed
- Simple questions get answered on the spot. “How long does a heat pump last?” often gets a summary at the top of Google, so fewer people click through for basic facts.
- AI answers lean on a handful of sources. Instead of ten links, a summary might draw on three or four pages. Being one of them matters more than being sixth on the list.
- Searches are longer and more like conversations. People describe their situation (“old house, 100 amp panel, want an EV charger”) and expect a specific answer.
- The first impression may not be your website. A customer might meet your business in an AI answer, a map listing or a review before they ever see your homepage.
What hasn’t changed
People still choose who they hire. When the question is “who should I call?”, they look for signs that a real, competent business is behind the name: reviews, photos, a clear service area and proof that you know what you’re talking about.
And AI tools have to learn about you from somewhere. Your website, your Google Business Profile, your reviews and mentions elsewhere are the raw material. If your site says very little, the AI has very little to say about you.
Five things that still work
1. Answer the questions your customers actually ask
Every trade has questions customers ask over and over. Pages that answer them clearly, early and in plain language are exactly what search engines and AI tools look for. Put the question in the heading, give the direct answer in the first two or three sentences, then add the detail.
2. Show first-hand experience
Google has said for years that it looks for content written from real experience. In practice that means specifics a generic article can’t have: what you see on the job, the numbers you work with, the mistakes you watch customers make and your honest opinion. It’s also what makes a page worth quoting in an AI answer. (More on that in why AI-written content isn’t enough anymore.)
3. Be specific about where and what
Name your service area, the kinds of jobs you take and the ones you don’t. Local detail, like the age of the houses, local bylaws or the weather, helps people and search tools match you to the right searches.
4. Keep your details consistent everywhere
Your business name, address, phone number and hours should match on your website, your Google Business Profile and every directory you’re listed in. Inconsistent details make it harder for any system to be sure it’s the same business.
5. Earn reviews and mentions
Reviews that mention the actual job (“replaced our panel in a day”) help more than five stars alone. Mentions on local sites, trade associations and suppliers’ pages tell search tools you’re established.
Measure it differently
Rankings still matter, but they’re no longer the whole picture. Every month or so, ask a few AI tools the questions your customers ask and see whether your business comes up. Search the same questions on Google and check whether an AI Overview appears and which pages it quotes. Note what changes over time.
Where Say It SEO fits
This is the problem Say It SEO was built for. We research the questions people in your area actually search for, interview you by phone for about 15 minutes per topic, and turn what you say into an article in your own words, with posts ready to share. On the Regular and Chatterbox plans we also check every week where each article shows in Google, including whether Google’s AI Overview quotes it.