6 REAL Reasons Why You Need A Mobile-Optimized Website
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” But what about that other saying: “If you build it right, they&...
The rules of search have changed. Google’s AI overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity aren’t just reading your website anymore. They’re scanning the entire internet for signs that people are talking about your business, that they care about your company and that you care about them.
If you’re not being talked about, you’re not being found. It’s that simple.
But here’s the exciting part: the fundamentals that have always mattered in SEO are becoming even more important in the AI era. While others complain about Google’s changes and AI overviews, smart business owners are doubling down on the basics and doing them consistently to stand out.
This isn’t about manipulating search engines. It’s about doing things that actually help people, documenting it loudly and consistently, and earning your place in search results through genuine value and community engagement.
• Detailed reviews that tell stories perform better in AI search results than generic 5-star ratings
• Community engagement and contextual mentions help search engines understand your local relevance
• Social media platforms are now searchable assets that feed directly into search engines and AI models
• Reddit is dominating search results and provides massive opportunities for local businesses to get cited by AI
This show is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a web design and SEO agency focused on helping home service companies grow.
Most businesses focus on collecting five-star reviews. Smart businesses get reviews that include what they did, where they did it, and how they helped.
When someone searches for “hot tub removal in Cherry Hill, New Jersey,” Google doesn’t just show star ratings. It highlights specific review content: “Greg and Jason did a fantastic job removing our old hot tub” and “they moved a hot tub for me, great service, and came out the next day.”
These detailed reviews become searchable content that AI models can quote and reference. Instead of generic “great job” reviews, you want stories that include:
Specific services performed: “They removed our old HVAC system and installed the new unit in one day”
Team member names: “Mike and Sarah were professional and explained everything clearly”
Location details: “They worked in our basement and left everything cleaner than they found it”
Process descriptions: “They protected our floors and cleaned up completely before leaving”
To get these detailed reviews, text customers a photo of your team on the job and ask them to include it in their review. Send them a picture of the completed work. Give them specific prompts about what to mention.
AI bots, Google, and other search engines are starting to quote real review content in their answers. Having reviews that are authentic stories rather than generic praise gives you a massive advantage in search results.
“Getting your clients to include in their review what it was that you did and how you helped them is a massive thing that Google sees.” – Lewis Vandervalk
You can’t fake being well-known, but you can absolutely influence being well-known online. Search engines learn from contextual mentions, so even without direct backlinks, when people in your area mention you organically, search engines assume you’re relevant.
Daily Community Engagement
Create a spreadsheet of 10-15 active local Facebook groups. Make it a daily task to search for terms related to your business and comment helpfully on relevant posts. Don’t just say “we can help.” Provide actual value by answering questions and sharing expertise.
Incentivize Customer Posts
Get customers to post about your work in community groups. Offer small incentives for them to share photos and descriptions of your services in local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, or Yelp.
Strategic Giveaways
Partner with local restaurants to get $50-100 gift cards. Post giveaways in community groups requiring people to like your page and tag friends. One example generated almost 500 comments and significantly increased website traffic.
Content That Helps, Not Sells
Instead of posting pictures of junk or broken equipment, post selfies of your team in branded uniforms in front of professional trucks. Share “5 things the community gets wrong about [your service]” or answer common questions like “How much does [service] cost?”
The key is being genuinely helpful rather than promotional. Answer questions, provide advice, and establish yourself as the local expert people turn to for information.
“Google AI learns from contextual mentions. If people in your area are mentioning you organically, the engines are assuming that you’re relevant based on all the different ways that you’re being talked about.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are now searchable. Your posts, reels, and videos can appear in search results and feed into AI models. This means your social media content should be optimized like blog posts.
Answer Common Questions
Create content that directly answers what people are searching for:
Optimize Your Captions
Use tools like Descript to transcribe your videos, then feed those transcripts into ChatGPT or Claude to create SEO-optimized captions. Include local hashtags and location-specific terms.
Focus on Reels and Video Content
Reels are showing the most impact for searchability. Create short videos that provide value, answer questions, and showcase your expertise.
Think Beyond Traditional Blogging
Instead of just publishing weekly blog posts, consistently create content on social platforms that gets community engagement and feeds into search engines. Your Instagram posts and TikTok videos are becoming as important as your website pages.
The goal is to make every piece of content searchable and valuable. When someone asks an AI chatbot about your service in your area, you want your social content to be part of the answer.
“Your Instagram posts, your Facebook posts, your TikTok posts, your reels start to become searchable assets. You’re switching from ‘let’s put out a blog every week’ to ‘let’s be consistent putting out content on these platforms.'” – Lewis Vandervalk
Reddit is dominating Google search results, and AI models are pulling heavily from Reddit discussions. This creates a massive opportunity for local businesses willing to engage authentically.
Why Reddit Works
When you search “how to choose the best plumber,” Reddit often appears as the #1 result. Google and AI bots trust Reddit because it’s contextual content from real people who self-police through upvotes and downvotes.
Getting Started on Reddit
The Right Approach
Don’t just promote your business. Provide genuine value by answering questions, sharing expertise, and helping people solve problems. When someone asks for plumber recommendations, explain what makes a good plumber rather than just saying “hire me.”
Local Community Engagement
Look for posts like “Need an honest, locally owned plumbing company” and respond with helpful criteria for choosing a good contractor. Include your business naturally as an example, but focus on educating rather than selling.
The Gift Card Challenge
The first five people who take action on Reddit strategy and send proof to contact@bluecrocus.ca will receive a gift card. This isn’t just an incentive, it’s recognition that most people won’t do this, which makes it even more valuable for those who do.
Reddit discussions are being cited by AI models and appearing in search results. Getting involved now positions you ahead of competitors who ignore this platform.
“Reddit is showing up in search results everywhere. Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google are using it really strongly. It’s a bunch of smart people who self-police, and Google knows this.” – Lewis Vandervalk
Schema markup is structured data that tells search engines and AI bots exactly what’s on each page of your website. Every page should have schema markup that clearly identifies your business information, services, reviews, and content.
Essential Schema Types
Connecting Your Digital Presence
Use “sameAs” schema to link all your online profiles… Facebook, Yelp, Instagram, LinkedIn. This tells search engines and AI that all these profiles represent the same business.
Implementation Tools
Use plugins like RankMath or schema builders to add structured data. You can also use ChatGPT to help generate schema markup for specific pages by providing the page content and asking for appropriate schema types.
Schema markup is like giving search engines and AI bots a clear roadmap of your business. Instead of guessing what your content means, they can read exactly what services you offer, where you’re located, and what customers say about you.
“Schema tells Google and the AI bots what is on that page. You’re laying out really clearly for the search engines what’s on your website.” – Lewis Vandervalk
The businesses that thrive in the AI era won’t be those with the biggest budgets or the fanciest websites. They’ll be the ones that consistently do the fundamentals well and adapt to how people actually search for information.
This means being active in your community, both online and offline. It means creating content that genuinely helps people rather than just promoting your services. It means engaging on platforms where your customers spend time, even if those platforms feel unfamiliar.
Most importantly, it means taking action. You can read about these strategies, but they only work if you implement them consistently over time.
Your Action Plan:
The search landscape is changing rapidly, but the fundamentals remain the same: provide genuine value, build real relationships, and consistently show up where your customers need help.
If you run a great company, get out there and be active. Do things that get your company mentioned and provide value to your community. The search engines and AI bots will notice and help serve you up when people need your services.
This is how you earn your spot in the changing landscape of search. Not through manipulation or shortcuts, but through genuine value and consistent action.
“This isn’t about manipulating search engines. This is about doing stuff that actually helps people, documenting it loudly, consistently, generously, and then the search engines and bots are going to see that and help serve you up for the people who need your services.” – Lewis Vandervalk
This Podcast is sponsored by Blue Crocus Solutions, a marketing agency offering website design, branding, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services for Home Service businesses.
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