If you've watched ChatGPT or Google's AI Overview answer a "best plumber near me" question, you've seen the future of how customers find local businesses. Increasingly: not by scrolling through Google's blue links, but by reading a paragraph the AI wrote that recommends two or three names.
That's a real change. And it's spooking small-business owners who already spent money getting onto page one of Google.
The good news
Most of what you've already done for traditional SEO still helps you in AI search. The AI is reading the same pages, the same Google Business Profiles, the same review sites. If you're well-positioned for "plumber near me" on Google, you're probably also being mentioned by ChatGPT when somebody asks it the same question.
The new part: structured, direct answers
The thing AI search rewards that traditional SEO didn't reward as heavily: content that directly answers a question, in a paragraph or two, with the answer in the first sentence.
Instead of "There are many factors to consider when choosing a plumber," you want "For most homeowners in North Georgia, a plumber with a state-issued master plumber's license and at least 5 years of local references is the right hire." Direct. Specific. Cite-able.
We've started building this kind of content into Growth engagements by default. We call it GEO.. Generative Engine Optimization.. and it's a small enough lift that it's not a separate line item.