If you've heard that SEO is dead, you're not alone. It's one of the biggest topics circulating in marketing right now, and if you run a home services business, it's worth paying attention to what's actually changing and what it means for your ability to get found online.
Here's the short version: SEO isn't dead. In fact, Google’s new guidance says AI-driven search is still SEO. But the way customers find your business has fundamentally shifted, and the businesses that understand this early will have a real advantage.
These were among the key takeaways from a recent webinar Scorpion hosted with ServiceTitan, featuring William Haddad, SVP of Product and Optimization at Scorpion.
From Rankings to Recommendations
For years, the goal was simple: rank on Google. Show up on page one, get found, get calls.
That model is changing fast. AI-powered search tools like Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and others don't just return a list of links anymore. They read the internet, pull from dozens of sources, and recommend businesses directly to the person searching.
Think about what that means. When a homeowner types, "My kitchen faucet is leaking, who can fix it near me?" AI isn't just crawling your website. It's pulling your reviews, checking your listings, reading what others have said about your business, and deciding whether to recommend you or your competitor.
Google still drives the majority of search traffic, but AI Overviews now appear in more than 50% of searches. When they show up, the top organic result sees a nearly 60% drop in clicks. Traffic patterns are shifting, and businesses that rely on a single channel are feeling it.
Here’s What Matters to AI
Here's what most business owners don't realize: AI reads everything about your brand online.
When someone searches for a plumber, HVAC tech, or electrician in your area, AI pulls from a range of sources to decide who to recommend. That includes:
- Your Google Business Profile, including categories, photos, and how recently it's been updated
- Your reviews across Google, Thumbtack, Angi, and similar platforms, including how (and whether) you respond to them
- Listing consistency across directories, meaning your name, address, and phone number match everywhere you appear
- Third-party mentions from news outlets, industry sites, community forums, and social media
- Your website content, including how clearly it explains what services you offer and where you offer them
The businesses getting recommended in AI are the ones with the clearest, most consistent, most credible presence across the web.
The Two Things to Focus on First
If you're not sure where to start, two areas will have the biggest immediate impact.
Reviews. If your business doesn't have a system to automatically request reviews from customers, that's priority one. Volume matters, recency matters, and how you respond matters. A thoughtful response to a negative review signals to AI (and to potential customers) that your business takes service seriously.
"If you do not have a strategy today to automate and solicit new reviews, then that needs to be a top priority for your business," Haddad said.
Listing accuracy. Check that your business name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere you appear online: Google, Yelp, Angi, Bing, Nextdoor, and any industry-specific directories. Inconsistencies create confusion for AI systems trying to verify your business, and that confusion can push you out of recommendations entirely.
Brand Is the Long Game
Beyond the foundational fixes, the businesses that win in AI search over the long term are the ones building a recognizable, credible brand.
"You're more likely to be cited in AI search channels from a third-party source than from your own website," said Haddad. "So, that is being used as a trust signal today. Are others in the community talking about me and is that being used as a signal for AI to provide the answer?"
That means video content, because YouTube is now one of the largest search engines and AI systems are increasingly pulling from video. It means showing up in your community and getting that coverage online by earning mentions in local news or trade publications. It also means your customers are talking about you on platforms you might not control.
None of this happens overnight. But every piece of content, every review, every mention adds to the picture AI paints of your business when a customer searches for what you do.
"If AI can't tell a clear story about your brand, it won't recommend you."
The Bottom Line
The fundamentals haven't disappeared. Having a strong website, consistent listings, and great reviews was always important. What's changed is that these signals now feed into a much larger system that shapes whether you get recommended at all.
The good news: most of your competitors haven't figured this out yet. Getting your foundation in place now means your business shows up when and where it matters most.
Scorpion helps home services businesses build and maintain the kind of presence that gets recommended in AI search.