Phil Risher says AI recommendation engines are replacing Google search for finding home-service businesses, the biggest shift since Yellow Pages. Traditional SEO tactics no longer work. Instead, businesses need authentic, story-driven content that builds trust with AI platforms so they get recommended directly.
There was almost 250 people packed into my last session at Jobber Now, and they were all worried about pretty much the same exact thing. How is AI going to change how customers find home service businesses? Because before, people would just go to Google, type in HVAC repair near me, and get 10 blue links and read the Google Business Profiles and reviews and then make a decision. Now, that's not quite the case. Now it's actually going to AI mode and it's recommending businesses, and less and less people are clicking to go to websites. So does the strategy that you're doing for SEO have to change? And the answer is yes. It's the biggest shift that we've seen since Yellow Pages to Google Search to now Google Search to AI mode. And if you're running the same playbook that you ran before, you're going to get left behind. The new playbook is building trust and authority with these platforms so that they recommend your business. Anyone can go to Claude and create an SEO optimized website or blog post or content piece. And if anyone can do that, how do you stand out as a business? And the only way to do that is to demonstrate your authority through real stories and real content about your business.
