AI is Changing
Lead Generation:
Here’s How Home
Service Pros Can Win
Why Google’s New AI Might Be Slowing Down Your Phone Calls
Things are shifting big-time in how your future customers find you online. Google isn’t the same as it was even a few months ago. With new AI features like “AI Overviews” and the “Google Search Generative Experience” (SGE) rolling out, just doing old-school SEO won’t cut it anymore.
That’s a problem if you rely on your phone ringing, people filling out forms, and getting lots of new leads every week.
If you’ve noticed fewer leads, fewer calls from Google, or you’re just wondering where your website visitors went, you’re not alone. And it’s not your fault. The rules changed. We’re here to help you win the new game.
The New Google Search: What Home Service Businesses Need to Know
Google’s test version of Search Generative Experience (SGE) is live and being tried out by people across the U.S. right now. This new way of searching uses AI to change how search results look. It requires an opt in at this point, and is likely to continue changing, but it is available.
Instead of just a list of links and map results, people now see an AI-written summary at the top of the page. This summary answers their question before they even see your business listing. A lot of times, the local businesses, ads, and regular links get pushed way down the page. This means fewer people see them and click on them, unless your business is part of that AI summary.
This means:
Being #1 in search results isn’t as good as it used to be.
Your local online presence (SEO) now needs to include AI.
If you don’t change, you’re losing leads.
We call this new approach “AI Engine Optimization” (AEO). Our simple goal: help your business show up where customers are looking, even inside the AI summary itself.
What AI Means for Your Website and Your Leads
This is where many business owners fall behind. You can’t just change a few things on your website and expect it to work. Google’s AI reads and ranks content differently. And if your website is slow, clunky, or looks like an old brochure, you’ll get passed over.
Making their websites load faster on phones and computers.
Writing clear and direct answers to common questions.
Setting up pages so AI can easily read them (using things like schema and topic clusters).
Adding local trust signals like job photos, customer reviews, and stories about jobs in specific cities.
Making it easy for people to contact them so leads don’t get lost.
Getting people to your website is one thing. Getting them to become a lead is another. We’ve seen businesses double their leads just by making their website better and easier to use, without spending more on ads.
Why You Still Need Different
Ways to Get Leads
Listen, we really believe in online marketing. But we’re also realists. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to getting new customers.
When a client tells us “our Google leads have slowed down,” we look at all the ways they’re trying to get business. Nine out of ten times, they’re leaning too much on one platform, whether it’s Google Local Services Ads, Facebook, or a single ad campaign.
We help our clients build a marketing plan that uses many different approaches to protect their flow of new business:
Customer Referrals + Reviews
Google Ads + YouTube
Facebook + Instagram
Local TV + OTT
Direct mail + door hangers
Billboards + sponsoring local events
Email marketing campaigns
And yes, good old-fashioned knocking on doors
These aren’t just random things we do. Instead, they’re designed to work together. This means building brand impressions that create trust, using remarketing to keep you top of mind, and crafting calls to action (CTAs) that convert when the homeowner is ready to act. All of this also feeds into strong customer reviews and priceless word-of-mouth referrals, which AI increasingly values as a sign of a truly trusted business.
Real Solutions That Keep Your Leads Coming
We’re not just playing defense. We’re helping our clients win by getting ready for these changes before everyone else does.
Our playbook includes:
Websites built to show up in Google’s AI Overviews.
Page content structured to appear in SGE summaries.
Conversion-optimized landing pages and service pages.
Conversion-optimized landing pages and service pages.
Paid ad campaigns built for good results and clear reporting.
Looking at and improving our strategies every single month.
We’ve helped home service companies:
Cut their cost per lead
Increase their appointments
Grow their yearly income by 30 to 50 percent.
Let’s Be Honest: Most
Marketing Plans Are Just
Guesses. Yours Shouldn’t Be.
If your marketing plan looks the same as it did last year, you’re already falling behind.
Google has changed. How people search has changed. AI isn’t just a trendy word anymore. It’s deciding who gets seen and who gets left behind.
It’s important to know that these AI changes are still very new, and frankly, anyone who claims to have all the answers figured out right now isn’t being honest. We’re aggressively testing new strategies, running experiments daily, and adapting our approach as Google rolls out these updates. We’re committed to staying on the cutting edge so your business doesn’t miss a beat.
We built Greenbaum Stiers to help home service companies like yours grow, get bigger, and protect their lead flow. We don’t just chase clicks or how many people see something. We chase booked jobs, real money back for your investment, and long-term success in your market.
Let’s Build a Lead Strategy
That’s Ready for the Future
Schedule a 30-minute chat with our strategists.. We’ll look at your website, check your current marketing,
and give you clear next steps to get better leads. No fluff, no hard sell.
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