How AI Search is Disrupting Local Marketing

The AI shift is real: AI-driven search is rewriting local marketing.

1.5 - 2.5 million Kiwis now use generative AI as their main search tool, projected to hit 4.5 million by 2027.

Traditional Google SEO/PPC won’t cut it alone.

As a marketing lead for home services, we are pivoting our strategy to keep plumbers, roofers $ tradies are ahead of this curve.

Answers over clicks:

AI models (ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, X’s Grok) pull answers directly from websites, many users get what they need without clicking a link.

We make sure our clients’ sites are the answer.

For example, a plumber’s blog on "how to fix a leaky faucet (IN CITY)" might get cited in an AI response, capturing the homeowner’s trust without them ever visiting the site.

Content that solves (not sells): AI search cares about useful answers, not salesy keywords.

We have overhauled our content strategy to address real homeowner questions and problems.

For instance, a roofing client’s guide on "Repair vs. Replace a Roof?" educates users instead of just pitching services. This not only builds trust with readers - it also makes the brand more likely to be the one AI recommendations highlight as the local expert.

Reputation is King in AI:

Local reputation now directly fuels visibility. Google’s generative search heavily factors in authority and online reputation.

We’ve doubled down on review velocity and quality. Businesses with a higher volume of 5★ reviews are more likely to be referenced by AI so our campaigns actively solicit reviews on Google.

One client went from 20 to 150 reviews in a year - now Alexa and Siri consistently name them first for "best HVAC service near me."

Structured content wins:

To get picked up by AI, your content must be easy for algorithms to read.

We structure our clients’ pages with clear headings, FAQs and schema markup.

Think of it as making our content "machine friendly." The payoff? When someone asks an AI assistant about, say, "heatpump troubleshooting tips,"

Our client’s well formatted FAQ page is primed to be quoted verbatim. In short, being a structured, trusted source is the new SEO strategy.

Optimise for voice & conversation:

Voice interfaces are rising - customers now ask Siri, Alexa or ChatGPT’s voice assistant for local recommendations. These queries sound like real questions (longer and more conversational). We adapt by targeting natural language phrases and "near me" queries. For example, we updated a cleaning client’s content and local listings to answer "Who’s the best carpet cleaner near me?" in a conversational tone.

The result: they’re the name that voice assistants echo back. In an AI driven world, if you’re not the answer to a spoken question, you’re invisible.

Be present in AI results - organically or paid:

We aim to secure our clients a spot in AI generated answer summaries.

Part of that is organic (earning citations by authority) but paid strategy is evolving too.

Bing’s AI chat is already testing ads embedded in responses and Google’s SGE still shows sponsored results alongside AI answers.

We’re reallocating budget to these emerging placements - from Bing Chat ads to Google’s Local Services Ads so home service brands appear in AI answers, either as the expert source or a recommended option.

Don’t rely on keywords alone:

Diversification is our safety net. As AI changes search, we’re reducing dependence on traditional SEO/PPC keywords. That means investing in other channels - local service ads, social media, email, even community outreach to drive traffic and leads.

For example, Google’s Local Services Ads (pay-per-lead) now play a big role in our plumber and electrician campaigns, since they bypass the usual search results and often integrate with voice search.

By spreading out across multiple channels, our clients stay visible even as pure search traffic fluctuates.

New metrics for the AI era:

We are evolving how we track success.

Instead of only looking at Google rankings and clicks, we monitor brand mentions and traffic from AI referrers. In fact, Bing’s new Copilot (chat) now passes along a referrer in GA4 analytics - we watch for that to see when customers arrive via an AI answer. We also keep an eye on direct traffic spikes or increases in "[Client Name] + reviews" searches, which often indicate an AI assistant prompted someone to seek out that business.

These KPIs help prove that being featured in AI-driven search results drives real-world leads, even if the click happened in a chat interface.

Early wins & lessons:

Our strategic pivots are already paying off. One roofing company saw a surge of calls after ChatGPT started citing their maintenance tips in its answers.

Another client’s detailed FAQ on water heater issues was highlighted in Google’s AI Overview, resulting in a wave of high quality inquiries.

These wins show that adapting content and SEO for AI isn’t just theory - it’s working on the ground.

We’re turning potential traffic losses into new business by staying ahead of the AI curve.

Bottom line: Adapt now.

AI driven search isn’t the end of local marketing - it’s a new beginning.

We are helping home service brands evolve from relying solely on search rankings to becoming the trusted sources that AI platforms quote and recommend. The playbook is changing fast but those who embrace these shifts - focusing on quality content, up to date reviews, structured data and broad visibility - will thrive.

In a world of ChatGPT and AI copilots, the winners will be the ones who rewrite their SEO and PPC strategy today for the reality of tomorrow.