Get found on Google.
And on ChatGPT. And Perplexity. And everywhere.
Help homeowners discover your business in local search and AI answers. Start with a clear picture of where you appear and what needs attention.
Your customers are searching. They’re just not finding you.
Customers can discover businesses through maps, search results, and AI answers. We check how your business appears across these experiences and where important information is missing.
Search optimization for 2026 and beyond.
We combine local search fundamentals with clear, useful content and measurement across Google Search and AI search experiences.
Technical SEO foundation
Make your pages accessible to search engines, with clear structure and accurate business information.
More detail about Technical SEO foundation
We check crawl access, indexing eligibility, internal links, canonical URLs, and structured data that matches the visible page. For Google, the same Search foundations support eligibility for AI Overviews and AI Mode. For ChatGPT search, we check OAI-SearchBot access separately from GPTBot, which serves a different purpose. Training access is a separate choice. We do not treat llms.txt or a special markup format as a requirement for Google visibility.
Local & map pack optimization
Keep your business profile, services, and opening hours consistent wherever customers find you.
More detail about Local & map pack optimization
We keep your Google Business Profile, service details, opening hours, and website information accurate and consistent. Google describes local results in terms of relevance, distance, and prominence. We help resolve profile and verification issues, maintain service information, and build a process for requesting genuine customer reviews. We report profile activity and attributable leads where the data is available; no fixed ranking percentage or position is promised.
GEO: AI search optimization
Answer real customer questions with useful content grounded in your experience and reliable sources.
More detail about GEO: AI search optimization
We publish clear answers to the questions your customers actually ask, supported by real project details, expertise, and reliable sources. We keep business information current and make useful pages accessible to search systems. We track observed mentions and citations separately from website referrals and leads. Results vary by platform, query, location, and time. A preferred content format or frequent date change does not guarantee a citation.
SEO + GEO. One integrated service.
Everything you need to get found in traditional search and AI-generated answers.
On-page SEO
Title tags, meta descriptions, header structure, and keyword-optimized content for every service page.
Google Business Profile management
Maintain accurate business categories, services, hours, and contact details. Review profile updates, publish relevant business news and approved job photos, and respond helpfully to customer feedback. Track available profile interactions alongside actual inquiries.
Structured data & schema
Add and validate structured data that describes the visible page accurately. Select supported types for the content and check the relevant requirements. Valid markup can support eligible search features, but it does not guarantee a ranking or an AI citation.
AI citation optimization
Improve the clarity and accuracy of service information, document real experience, and review observed AI answers for relevant customer questions. Use those observations to identify content worth improving and to measure changes over time.
Ranking & citation tracking
Track selected search queries and observed AI mentions or citations, with the product, date, and location context recorded. Report what was measured and its limits. Compare visibility with visits and inquiries without presenting sampled answers as complete market coverage.
Monthly performance reports
Clear reports showing traffic, rankings, AI citations, and, most importantly, leads generated from organic search.
Citation & NAP management
Review business listings on relevant search, map, and directory services. Correct material differences in your name, address, phone number, hours, and service information where you have access. Prioritize the sources customers use and keep a record of completed updates.
Local link building
We pursue relevant opportunities for people to discover your business through local publications, trade organizations, and genuine community relationships. We assess each opportunity for relevance and usefulness rather than promising rankings from a fixed link count. Advertising and sponsorship links should be identified appropriately, and link schemes intended to manipulate rankings should be avoided.
Included in your plan.
See which plans include SEO & GEO.
On-page SEO is included in Platform. Full SEO & GEO management starts at Growth.
Common questions.
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
GEO is work intended to improve how a business is represented in AI-generated search answers. For a home service business, that means publishing useful information about its services, keeping business details accurate, documenting real experience, and making its pages accessible to search systems. Google treats optimization for its generative search features as part of SEO. Visibility varies by platform and query; a citation or recommendation cannot be guaranteed.
How is GEO different from traditional SEO?
SEO helps search engines discover and understand your pages and helps people find useful information. GEO is commonly used to describe work on visibility in generative AI answers. For Google's generative search features, Google describes that work as part of SEO. Other platforms have their own access and retrieval systems, so evaluate each separately. Accurate business information, useful content, and accessible pages support the work, but no special FAQ format, directory count, or opening word count guarantees a citation. Measure search visibility, observed AI citations, and resulting visits or inquiries separately.
How long before I see SEO results?
Timing depends on the change, the site's starting point, and when search systems revisit and reassess its pages. Google says some changes can take effect within hours while others can take several months, and some may have no noticeable impact. Confirm technical fixes when they are deployed, then track indexing, relevant search traffic, and inquiries over time. Treat any project timeline as an estimate with stated assumptions. There is no universal deadline for map rankings, organic gains, or AI citations.
Is on-page SEO included in the Platform plan?
Yes. On-page SEO (title tags, meta descriptions, structured data) is included in every plan. Full SEO & GEO management starts at the Growth plan.
How do AI systems decide which local business to recommend?
There is no single published formula shared by every AI service. Search-enabled tools can retrieve web information and link to sources, but their answers vary with the question, location, product, and available information. Check actual answers and their cited pages before deciding what to improve. Start with accurate service details, real evidence of your work, and business information customers can verify. Treat a missing recommendation as something to investigate, not proof that one directory, badge, or schema field is missing.
What does structured data actually do for my ranking?
Structured data describes a page's entities and content in a machine-readable format. It can help a page qualify for supported Google rich results when the markup matches the visible content and meets the feature's requirements. It does not guarantee a higher ranking or an AI citation. Google does not require special schema for its generative search features.
Do I need both SEO and GEO, or can I just focus on one?
Start with the shared foundations: useful pages, accurate business details, crawl access, and reliable measurement. Google's generative search features are part of its search ecosystem, so its guidance does not require a separate special optimization formula. Evaluate additional platforms based on your customers, available visibility data, and business priorities. Record citations separately from visits and qualified inquiries so you can judge where further work is worthwhile. Do not assume that every AI referral converts at a fixed multiple of organic search traffic.
What’s the most important factor for ranking in the Google map pack?
Google describes local ranking in terms of relevance, distance, and prominence. Complete and accurate business information helps Google understand what you offer; distance depends on the searcher's location; reviews and links can contribute to prominence. Google keeps the detailed algorithm confidential, so there is no published percentage that makes one profile tactic a guaranteed route to the top.
What is NAP consistency and why does it matter for AI search?
NAP means name, address, and phone number. Keep those details accurate wherever your business is listed so customers can identify and contact the right business. Google's local-search guidance emphasizes complete, up-to-date business information. Prioritize substantive errors such as an old phone number, incorrect location, or duplicate listing. Do not treat a minor abbreviation difference as proof of a ranking penalty or promise a fixed AI visibility gain from a directory cleanup. Follow each platform's rules for how your business information should appear.
Should I have separate pages for each city I serve?
Create a city page when it gives customers useful information that your main service pages do not already provide. Describe the services you actually offer there, practical service-area limits, and verified examples of local work when you have permission to share them. If the only difference is the city name, a clear service-area section may be more useful. Google warns against substantially similar location pages created to funnel visitors to another page. A dedicated city page can help explain your business, but it does not guarantee a map position, an organic ranking, or an AI recommendation.
What is E-E-A-T and why does it matter for my home service website?
E-E-A-T means Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses these concepts in its discussion of helpful, reliable content, but says E-E-A-T itself is not a specific ranking factor. For a contractor website, demonstrate relevant experience with accurate qualifications, named authors or staff where appropriate, and real project details you have permission to publish. Explain what you know and support factual claims with evidence. These steps help readers assess credibility; they do not establish a guaranteed ranking or an automatic AI recommendation.
Do AI systems need permission to crawl my website?
Check the crawler and the purpose separately. OAI-SearchBot controls automatic crawling for ChatGPT search; GPTBot relates to model training, and its setting is independent. Googlebot handles crawling for Google Search. Google-Extended controls certain training and grounding uses outside Google Search; it does not control your site's inclusion or ranking in Google Search. We check robots.txt, page access, indexing controls, and any firewall restrictions against each platform's documentation. Allowing a crawler does not guarantee that a page will be indexed, cited, or recommended. Training permissions remain a separate business decision.
What is llms.txt and does my website need one?
An llms.txt file is an optional way to describe a site's content for systems that choose to use it. It is not a prerequisite for Google Search or its generative AI features, and Google says it ignores the file for visibility and ranking. Prioritize useful public pages, crawl access, accurate business information, and a maintained sitemap. Evaluate any platform-specific use against that platform's documentation.
What is review velocity and how does it affect my map pack ranking?
Review velocity means how frequently a business receives new reviews. Google says that more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking, but it does not publish a required weekly rate or a fixed ranking weight for recency. Request honest feedback from real customers consistently, respond helpfully, and measure the results. Do not promise a particular position from a specific review count or cadence.
Why do cost and pricing searches matter so much for AI search optimization?
Pricing questions help customers decide whether a service fits their needs and budget. Explain what affects your quote, what is included, and when an inspection is needed. Publish ranges only when you can support them for the service and area described, and date material price information. Put the useful answer where readers can find it easily. Avoid copying another contractor's prices or promising that an answer of a particular length will earn an AI citation.
What is Google AI Mode and how does it affect my home service business?
AI Mode is Google's conversational search experience. It can combine information from multiple pages and provide links to supporting sources. For your business, it is another place where customers may encounter information about your services. Make those details clear and current, then measure available search visibility and resulting inquiries. An appearance does not guarantee a visit or a lead, and an absence in one answer does not establish that your business is excluded from every AI result.
How long does it take to build AI citation visibility?
Do not plan around a guaranteed citation date. Establish a baseline for the services, locations, and questions you want to monitor, and record what changes you make. Review observed citations alongside visits and inquiries over time. A change in visibility can reflect demand, competing content, or changes in a search product as well as your own work. Set milestones for work you can verify, such as correcting business information and publishing reviewed service content, rather than promising recommendations by a particular month.
Do review keywords matter for AI recommendations, not just star ratings?
Detailed, honest reviews can help prospective customers understand what working with you is like. Invite customers to describe their experience in their own words, and respond when you can provide a useful answer or update. Do not script location keywords, require positive feedback, or offer rewards for a Google review. Review text can be useful evidence for people, but there is no verified cross-platform formula here for converting particular words into AI recommendations.
What is AEO and how is it different from GEO?
AEO usually describes work on clear answers to people's questions; GEO usually describes visibility in generative AI experiences. The terms overlap. For a contractor website, start with the questions customers actually ask, answer them accurately, explain relevant limits, and provide a useful next step. Clear answers help readers, but no format guarantees selection by a search or AI system.
Is Google automatically editing my Google Business Profile in 2026?
Google can update profile information using sources such as user reports and licensed content. Check notifications and review changed fields against your actual services, hours, and contact details. Correct inaccuracies through the available controls; Google notes that not every update can be managed in the profile. Keep a record of material changes so your team can investigate recurring discrepancies. Do not assume that every update came from AI or that your original setup remains accurate indefinitely.
How do ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews source information differently?
Review each product's actual results. ChatGPT search may show citations and a Sources view; Perplexity describes searching the web and linking to its sources; Google's AI search features use its Search systems and can retrieve related information through additional queries. Open the cited pages to see what supports an answer. Record the product, question, location context, and date when comparing results. A fixed citation percentage or directory checklist does not describe every platform or every local search.
How does Google Business Profile video verification work for contractors?
Follow the verification method offered in your Business Profile. When Google requests a recording, plan one continuous, unedited video of at least 30 seconds and record and upload it through the profile on a mobile device. Show the relevant location, business equipment, and evidence that you manage the business, following Google's instructions for your business type. Keep sensitive numbers and private information out of the recording. Use Google's current checklist rather than assuming every contractor must show the same vehicle details or documents.
What are local backlinks and why do they matter for my contractor SEO?
Local backlinks are links to your website from other websites connected to your area or trade. They can help people discover your business. Google also describes links as one source of information about a business's prominence in local search. They are one part of a broader search strategy, not a guarantee that you will outrank a competitor. Evaluate the linking site's relevance, the usefulness of the page, and whether the link reflects a genuine relationship. A fixed number of links does not establish a ranking outcome.
How do I build local backlinks for my home service business?
Start with real relationships and useful contributions: an accurate trade-directory listing where you qualify, a substantive local news story, or a relevant resource that another organization chooses to reference. Evaluate memberships and sponsorships for their business and community value, and check actual costs with the organization. If a link is advertising or part of a sponsorship, Google says it should be qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow". Avoid buying links to pass ranking credit, automated link schemes, or reciprocal arrangements created primarily to manipulate search results. No outreach method guarantees placement or rankings.
How should I use Google Business Profile posts and video in 2026?
Share useful updates when you have something current to show: an actual offer, a service update, or approved photos of completed work. Check dates, availability, and customer permission before publishing. Google says posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set. Choose a schedule your team can maintain accurately; weekly posting is not a published guarantee of map rankings. Review customer interactions and inquiries to decide which updates are useful.
What is topical authority and why does it matter for AI search recommendations?
The term usually describes how thoroughly and credibly a site covers a subject. Use it as a planning idea: explain the services you actually provide, answer meaningful customer questions, and connect related information. Add details from real experience that a generic summary would miss. Avoid multiplying nearly identical city or service pages just to increase coverage. A content plan should make the site more useful; it does not certify an authority score or guarantee that an AI system will name your business.
If I rank on page 1 of Google, why might I still not appear in AI Overviews?
An organic position does not guarantee inclusion in a particular AI answer. Google's AI features use its Search systems and may retrieve related pages to address different parts of a question. Review the answer and supporting sources, check whether your page is indexed and eligible, and assess whether it actually helps with that question. Do not diagnose missing FAQ schema or an incorrect opening word count from absence alone. Keep a dated record of observations so one result is not mistaken for a lasting pattern.
How do third-party sources affect my AI citation rate, and what is the compounding citation advantage?
Information about your business can appear on directories, review sites, news pages, and other websites. Check which sources are actually cited when monitoring a relevant AI answer, and correct material inaccuracies where you have access. Pursue legitimate coverage because it helps people understand your work. Do not assume that each mention creates a predictable increase in later citations. Any claimed compounding effect needs measured evidence and a clear explanation of what else changed during the same period.
How should I optimize my home service website for voice search?
Make spoken customer questions easy to answer from accurate information: what you repair, where you work, when you are available, and how to contact you. Use clear headings and straightforward wording, and keep public business listings consistent with your site. Test relevant questions on the products your customers use and check the sources behind the responses when available. Avoid promising that one FAQ format, directory listing, or assistant-specific shortcut will make your business the spoken answer.
Should my home service business be on Apple Maps?
Review how your business appears in Apple Maps and use Apple's business tools to manage eligible location information. Apple introduced Apple Business to bring its business services together, including management of brand and location details. Confirm your name, category, contact information, and hours, and review available location insights. Check the current eligibility requirements for your business type. An accurate listing helps customers reach you, but claiming it does not guarantee a Siri recommendation or a particular position in Maps.
Should I update my website content seasonally?
Review seasonal content against your own service area, customer questions, availability, and historical demand. Update prices and offers when they change, and remove advice that is no longer accurate. Plan the work early enough for your team to review it, without promising a fixed indexing date. A new date alone does not make an article better. Keep useful pages current and record substantive changes so you can compare their performance without treating seasonality as proof of an SEO result.
How do Google Local Services Ads fit with my organic SEO strategy?
Treat Local Services Ads as a paid lead channel with its own eligibility, budget, and reporting. Google's ad ranking guidance describes an auction that considers bids, profile quality, responsiveness, and the customer's search. Accurate business information and helpful reviews matter to customers across channels, but an advertising result does not establish an organic ranking improvement. Compare qualified inquiries, booked jobs, and cost by channel, and confirm the current campaign requirements before committing a budget.
How should I optimize for Microsoft Copilot to reach homeowners who use it?
Use Bing Webmaster Tools to check discovery and indexing, and follow Bing's guidance for accessible, accurate content. Its AI Performance report provides citation information for supported Microsoft experiences, including Copilot. Review which pages are cited and the associated grounding queries, then compare those observations with visits and inquiries. Keep public business details accurate as well. A citation count is not a ranking score, a complete record of every answer, or proof that a particular listing change caused the result.
How many pages does my contractor website need to rank competitively?
Plan pages around the services you provide and the questions customers need answered. Start with clear service information, accurate contact and service-area details, and a straightforward way to request help. Add separate pages when a topic needs its own explanation, then connect related pages with useful links. Review the content for gaps and duplication before expanding it. A page-count target alone does not establish quality or competitiveness. Track which pages attract relevant visits and inquiries, and improve them based on what you learn. Build a site you can keep accurate rather than committing to a fixed publishing quota or ranking timetable.
What is Google Ask Maps and how do I optimize for it?
Ask Maps is Google's conversational Maps feature for questions about places and personalized recommendations. Keep the business information customers rely on accurate, including services, hours, and contact details. Check relevant results when the feature is available to you and review any incorrect information through the appropriate controls. Google's announcement does not establish a required photo count or a guaranteed service-name formula. Treat observed appearances as evidence to track, not a promise of coverage for every nearby customer.
How do I track my AI Overview visibility using Google Search Console?
Use Search Console's Generative AI performance reports to review impressions and pages appearing in supported AI features. Google says the rollout completed worldwide on August 31, 2026. The separate inclusion control is under Settings, then Search generative AI; inclusion is the default for top-level properties. Review available data alongside overall search performance and actual inquiries. Zero impressions alone do not identify the cause. Investigate eligibility, indexing, reporting limits, and relevance before prescribing a content change.
What is the Google Business Profile Q&A section and should I seed it?
Where Q&A is available, use it to provide accurate answers to genuine questions about your business. Google limits the feature to selected categories and regions, and its appearance can change. Keep common service, availability, and contact questions answered on your website too. Check for inaccuracies and respond through the available business controls. Avoid manufacturing customer questions or using self-voting as a ranking strategy. A helpful answer serves customers without needing a promise that another AI system will extract it.
My business address is outside the city I most want to rank in. Can I still win the map pack there?
You may appear for searches outside the city where you are based, but map visibility is not guaranteed. Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance, and prominence. Keep your Business Profile accurate, describe where you actually work, and help customers understand your services. Do not assume that hiding an address or listing a wider service area removes distance from ranking. Use your real business location and follow Google's eligibility rules for any additional profiles. Review visibility from different customer locations and measure actual inquiries before drawing conclusions about coverage. There is no universal mileage cutoff or review-text formula established by the Google guidance linked here.
Does Reddit or community discussion online affect how AI recommends my contracting business?
Public discussions can be among the pages a search-enabled AI product finds, but access and source selection vary. Inspect the citations in an actual answer before attributing it to a community mention. Participate transparently, follow the community's rules, and protect customer privacy. Do not assume that private neighborhood posts are available to every AI system or that each reply or upvote adds a measurable citation signal. Focus on useful, authentic participation rather than manufacturing endorsements.
What is zero-click search and how does my home service business get leads without website visits?
Zero-click search describes a search that ends without a visit to another website. Someone may still contact a business through a profile, so website analytics alone do not capture every interaction. Review available Business Profile metrics alongside your inquiry and booking records. Google's Calls metric counts clicks on the call button, not confirmed completed conversations. Keep impressions, button activity, qualified leads, and booked work separate. A rise in branded searches can be worth investigating, but it does not by itself prove that AI citations produced new customers.
My competitor has 400 reviews and I have 20. Can I still win the map pack?
Review count alone does not determine local results. Google describes local ranking through relevance, distance, and prominence, and says more reviews and positive ratings can help. That does not establish which business will win a particular search or how quickly. Keep your business details accurate, provide good service, ask real customers for honest feedback without incentives, and respond helpfully. Use the customer's own words rather than prescribing keywords. Compare relevant inquiries and search performance over time; a weekly review target or response-rate threshold does not guarantee a ranking improvement.
What keywords should a home service contractor actually target?
Start with the services you actually offer and the language customers use when asking for help. Group questions by purpose, such as urgent repairs, comparing options, or understanding costs, then decide which existing page should answer each need. Use your inquiry history and available search data to refine the plan. Do not assume that every urgent query shows only maps or that every research query has the same buying timeline. Prioritize relevant inquiries over a long list of loosely related keywords.
What is Google agentic booking and how does it affect my home service business?
Google can make automated calls to businesses for different purposes, including checking details, gathering prices and availability, and handling certain appointment requests. The experience depends on the feature, region, language, and business category. Google's Have AI check pricing flow gathers information for the customer; its help page says that flow does not create a booking. Other supported appointment flows may make a reservation. For your business, keep your profile's phone number, hours, and service information accurate, and help the person answering calls distinguish an inquiry from a confirmed appointment. Give accurate availability and explain when a price requires an inspection. Check Google's current documentation and your actual phone records rather than assuming a universal 90-second cutoff or that a missed call leaves no trace. Businesses can manage automated-call preferences in their Business Profile settings.
What third-party tools can I use to track my business in AI search recommendations?
Compare tools by the products they test, location controls, saved answers, source links, export options, and how they define a mention or citation. Ask to see the underlying observations before relying on a visibility score. Use native Google and Bing reports where available, and keep sampled prompt results separate from actual visits and leads. No third-party tool can reveal Google's private ranking signals. Check current coverage and pricing directly with a vendor before purchasing; a tool's sample is not a complete record of what every customer sees.
Why is my contracting business invisible in AI search even though I rank on Google?
A ranking for one search does not establish visibility in every AI answer. Start by recording the platform, question, location, date, and answer observed. Then check whether the relevant page is accessible to the appropriate search crawler, eligible for indexing, useful for the question, and accurate about your business. For Google, special FAQ markup or a fixed opening word count is not required for generative search. For ChatGPT search, check OAI-SearchBot access separately from GPTBot training settings. We compare observed mentions and citations with referrals and enquiries where measurement is available. No diagnostic checklist or fixed timetable guarantees a recommendation.
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