The six levers that decide whether Google and AI recommend you.
How we work on visibility for landscape design-build and outdoor living firms, in plain English.
of pages cited in Google’s AI Overviews don’t rank in Google’s top 10.
Ahrefs, 2026of business locations analyzed appear in ChatGPT’s local recommendations.
SOCi, 2026people use ChatGPT every week.
OpenAI, 2025What AI search and local SEO actually are
Local SEO decides who homeowners see first on Google Maps. AI search (AEO and GEO) decides which companies an assistant names when a homeowner asks who to hire. Both depend on the same thing: clear, consistent, trusted information about your business across the web. Three of the levers below are about how search engines read you; three are about why they choose you.
The six levers
Google Business Profile
- Why it matters
- It’s the first thing homeowners see on Google Maps, and a source Google’s AI answers draw on.
- What we do
- Categories, services, service areas, description, hours and project photos completed, then weekly posts and replies to reviews.
- What to expect
- One of the fastest levers: profile fixes can show within weeks.
Reviews
- Why it matters
- Recent reviews that describe the work and the town help homeowners choose, and give Google and AI assistants more to go on.
- What we do
- A direct review link and a message to send after every project. Rule-safe: every client is asked, no incentives, no cherry-picking.
- What to expect
- A steady flow of recent reviews, building month after month.
Consistent listings
- Why it matters
- When your name, address, phone and services differ across the web, search engines and assistants have less reason to trust any of them.
- What we do
- We clean up and align your details across the directories that matter, then monitor them.
- What to expect
- Mostly done in the first two months, then maintained.
Service and town pages that answer questions
- Why it matters
- Assistants quote pages that say plainly what you build, where, and answer what homeowners ask: costs, timelines, permits, process.
- What we do
- Pages for your core services and priority towns, written with facts, real projects and short, direct answers.
- What to expect
- Two pieces of content a month, compounding over time.
Structured data and AI access
- Why it matters
- Markup helps search engines and assistants understand what your business is. If your site blocks AI crawlers, assistants can’t read it.
- What we do
- Organization, Service and FAQ markup, a check that AI crawlers aren’t blocked, and an llms.txt summary file where it makes sense. It’s low effort, but not every assistant is confirmed to use it yet.
- What to expect
- A one-off setup in the first weeks, checked monthly.
Outside mentions
- Why it matters
- Independent sites that mention you are proof that you’re real and respected.
- What we do
- Manufacturer “find a contractor” lists, trade associations, local press and award pages you qualify for.
- What to expect
- The slowest lever; it builds over months.
Classic SEO vs. AI search
| Classic SEO | AI search (AEO & GEO) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it aims for | A high position in Google’s list of results | Being named inside the answer an assistant writes |
| What we measure | Rankings, clicks, map positions | Mentions across a fixed set of buyer questions |
| What it rewards | Relevance, links, local signals | Clear facts, consistency, reviews and outside proof |
| Where you appear | A link or a map pin | Your name, in a short list |
AI search builds on SEO rather than replacing it. We work on both and track them separately.
How many levers do you have working?
Tick what’s already true for your company. Nothing is sent anywhere.
How we apply it with each client
Visibility check and your visibility plan: the questions, searches and towns that matter, and what we fix first.
Foundations: Google Business Profile, listings cleanup, structured data and AI crawler access.
Profile posts, review requests and replies, two content pieces, outside mentions.
A one-page report: map positions, AI mentions on 20 buyer questions, and actions from your Google profile, against your starting point.
Review against your starting point. If there’s no measurable progress, we keep working at no cost until there is.
What we don’t promise
We don’t promise a position on Google or a place in an AI answer. Those depend on Google and the AI companies, and they change how they choose without notice. We promise the work, a monthly report you can check, and measurable progress on the parts we can move.
Questions
Do you guarantee that ChatGPT will recommend us?
No. Nobody can honestly guarantee a place in an AI answer; the AI companies change how their models choose sources without notice. We guarantee the work and measurable progress on your Google profile and map positions.
Do I need a new website?
Almost never. We work with the site you have. If the check shows your site is the bottleneck, a rebuild is available as an add-on.
We already work with an SEO agency. Does this overlap?
Partly. Classic SEO and AI search share foundations. We focus on Google Maps and AI answers, and we’re happy to coordinate so nothing is done twice.
How do you measure results?
Three layers: visibility (map positions and AI mentions on a fixed set of 20 buyer questions), actions (calls, website clicks and direction requests from your Google profile), and leads (project requests, where you share them).
See who the AI names in your area today.
Our free visibility check runs your company through Google Maps, ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI answers for the towns you serve, and shows you what to fix first.
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