Why Most Plumbers Miss Out on AI Search (ChatGPT, Gemini) — Here’s How to Win! #plumbingbusiness
The speaker, Nolen Walker, explains why plumbers (and other local service businesses) need to think beyond traditional Google SEO and start optimizing for emerging AI-driven search engines such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. While Google’s map “Pack 3” still drives most calls, AI models are already surfacing different winners—often favoring companies with stronger overall digital signals, even if those firms haven’t cracked Google’s top map spots yet.
Key takeaways:
- Great website = foundational “brand signal.” AI tools crawl the same public web as Google. A clean, well-coded, content-rich site (not a cheap template stuffed with 2005-style keywords) is mandatory.
- Digital Brand Signaling. Tools like DataPins (the speaker’s proprietary software) publish geotagged job photos and micro-posts that reinforce expertise, authority, and trust (Google’s E-E-A-T). ChatGPT has started ingesting these pins, sometimes ranking contractors 30–40 miles outside their normal map radius.
- Opportunity for newcomers. An established firm with an outdated site may still sit in Google’s Pack 3, but AI results often elevate newer companies that invest in fresh content and structured data.
- No special “AI hack.” The same best practices—solid code, real-world reviews, frequent localized content—feed both Google and AI models. If you’re already “strong as hell” on Google, you’ll be strong in AI search; if not, fix the fundamentals first.
Bottom line: double down on modern web design and continuous, location-based content so you win across Google and the new AI search layers.