If you’ve performed a Google search lately, you’ve probably seen the “AI-powered overview” at the top of the search results. Google’s AI analyzed the search query and generated an answer based on the information in the top-ranking website pages.
While this feature offers helpful information for users, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword for marketers. If you’re trying to attract customers to your plumbing company, you’ve likely wondered how Google AI search will affect your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts and other aspects of your digital marketing strategy.
Google AI search is changing the way marketers approach online visibility. But with a thorough understanding of this technology and the right tactics in place, your plumbing business can still stay visible and relevant on Google — ultimately reeling in more potential customers than ever before.
How Does Google AI Search Work?
Overcoming the newfound limitations of Google AI search involves understanding this AI tool front to back.
Google’s AI-powered search — called Search Generative Experience, or SGE — is a new method of answering long-tail search questions in Google. The search engine provides an AI-generated summary at the top of the search results page, above organic search results and ads.
SGE summaries usually appear for long-tail keyword searches rather than head terms, which are short phrases that generate a lot of search traffic. So when users search “plumbing company,” they likely aren’t seeing SGE summaries above your website. In contrast, when they search “signs a water heater needs repair” the AI-generated summary will outrank your plumbing blog posts.
But how does the SGE find the answers to user queries? It pulls information from several sources at once, usually the top-ranking website pages that provide valuable information to answer the question. Google AI search also analyzes personal search data and other metrics to determine what information to provide in the AI-powered search results.
The tool also includes links to the sources it used so that users can continue reading for more information. If Google pulls information from your plumbing website and then cites it as a source, that still benefits your SEO strategy.
But when users find the answer to their queries in the AI-powered search results and don’t need further information, they’ll move on to their next search without visiting your plumbing company’s website, learning more about your services, or having the opportunity to contact you for an appointment.
This means you must be strategic about how you are structuring your website content to encourage Google’s artificial intelligence to use it within its SGE summaries.
How Google AI Affects Your Plumbing SEO
Google AI search has altered many aspects of how professionals in the plumbing industry and beyond must approach search engine optimization and their digital marketing campaigns as a whole. Understanding the impact of Google AI on your brand visibility can help you adjust your marketing efforts accordingly while using SGE as a tool, not a limitation.
Google AI Impacts Organic Traffic to Your Website
Perhaps the largest impact of Google’s AI-powered search on your plumbing company is that it steals organic traffic from your website. New customers won’t need to visit your website to find answers to their plumbing-related questions — they can see the answer right at the top of the search results in the AI-generated section.
When users search long-tail keyword phrases, such as “when should I call emergency plumbing services,” they typically want a quick answer to their question. If they can find that answer instantly through the AI Overview, they won’t need to scroll any further down the search results.
This is why your plumbing company must structure your content to appeal to Google’s artificial intelligence. Appearing in the “sources” section of the AI Overview can continue to drive organic traffic to your website.
Google AI Changes How Ranking Factors Are Prioritized
Ranking factors are the criteria Google evaluates to determine the order in which to display search results for a user query. With the introduction of Google AI has come a change in the way Google assesses and prioritizes ranking factors.
Before, keyword optimization and back-linking played a much larger role in a page’s search engine visibility. Now, Google prioritizes factors like content relevance, user intent, and context higher, as these are also the factors Google AI search considers when looking for information to include in the AI overview.
Google AI uses complex models to evaluate the context and semantics of website content. It prioritizes high-quality content that clearly addresses the question or topic in the search query over websites that simply use the right keywords and on-page ranking factors.
Google AI Affects Keyword Optimization Strategies
Keyword optimization has been at the heart of SEO for a long time. If your plumbing company has a full-fledged SEO strategy, you likely conduct keyword research to find topics to write about, then plan your content around the secondary and semantic keywords you found during your research.
While keywords are still important in your content creation strategy, comprehensively addressing a topic may be more important. Instead of planning your content around keywords, conduct research on user intent and your target audience, write professional and detailed content, and then incorporate the keywords as naturally as possible.
Google AI Prioritizes Pages With Excellent User Experience
Google has always considered user experience to be an important ranking factor, but the introduction of Google AI search has made this factor even more crucial to brand visibility. Google’s AI evaluates how users interact with content to determine the best information to display in the AI overview.
Because of this, Google prioritizes pages with an excellent user experience. It evaluates all of the following factors when determining its search rankings and web page visibility:
- Page load speed
- Bounce rate
- Time on page
- Mobile-friendliness
- Site usability
- Interaction rates
Websites that excel in all of these areas are more likely to rank highly in search results.
Google AI May Lead to More Long-Tail Searches
Because Google’s AI overview mainly appears for long-tail searches instead of head terms, Google may see a rise in long-tail keyword searches over time. Users will learn that asking specific, detailed questions in their search queries provides them with laser-focused AI overviews that cover the information they need. Instead of searching “emergency plumber,” users will begin searching “how to find the right emergency plumber” and similar phrases.
This means your plumbing company needs to target long-tail keywords in blog posts and website content as well. Not only will you stay relevant to user search queries, but you will also provide the information Google’s AI is looking for, improving your chances of appearing in the sources section for the AI Overview.
Best Practices To Mitigate the Impact of Google AI on Your Plumber Marketing Strategy
While SEO probably isn’t your only digital marketing strategy as a plumbing company, it is still crucial to lead generation. Tactics like email marketing and social media marketing work best with your existing customer base, but content marketing and SEO are essential to your growth strategy.
Plumbers and other small business owners need to adapt to the changing landscape of digital marketing and AI. Follow these best practices to begin adjusting your digital marketing for plumbers to account for the impact of Google AI — and use it to your advantage.
Comprehensively Address User Intent in Your Content
First, approach your content strategy with a new mindset. Instead of centering your content around specific keywords and other technical factors that previously impacted your search engine rankings, focus more on creating comprehensive, engaging content that thoroughly covers a topic.
All of the content your plumbing business creates for your website should be informative and well-structured. It should appeal to Google’s E-E-A-T ranking factors:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
If you use AI-written content within your digital marketing strategy, review it closely before publishing it to your website. Artificial intelligence cannot generate content with the same authority, expertise, and experience that humans can. It may be worth investing in human-written content to keep your plumbing website relevant in search engines.
This content will do more than simply appeal to Google’s AI search and ranking factors. It will also help you:
- Build customer relationships by instilling trust in potential customers
- Improve the customer experience on your website by providing rich, valuable information that addresses common plumbing needs
- Boost your online reputation by showing users that your company provides high-quality content
Of course, by prioritizing Google’s new ranking factors, you’ll also increase your rankings in search engine results and boost brand awareness.
Consider Investing in Paid Ads
Google changes its ranking factors and algorithms frequently, and AI continues to play a bigger and bigger role. While you work on catering to these new requirements, you can also invest in other digital marketing strategies to grow your plumbing business. Paid ads are still a great way to engage potential clients and target those who are most likely to schedule plumbing services.
Paid ads typically center around long-tail keywords anyway, as these keyword phrases offer better conversion rates than head terms like “plumbing company.” As more people begin searching long-tail keywords, your paid ads will experience even more traffic from qualified leads, making PPC ads a cost-effective way for plumbing contractors to acquire new business.
Google has also incorporated AI into its Google Ads campaigns. It recently released a tool that can generate images to accompany your ad content. You can use these AI-generated images to save time during the ad creation process while engaging your user base.
When creating Google Ads or Facebook Ads, use bidding strategies that account for your budget and the search volume of your target keywords. Keep user behavior in mind as you craft the content and choose the images for your ads. Then, don’t be afraid to use Google Analytics and other tools to evaluate the performance of your ad campaigns and gain valuable insights.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile still plays a significant role in search engine optimization and online visibility. Remember, Google doesn’t typically display AI Overviews for head terms like “plumber near me.” Instead, it displays Google Business Profiles for local companies near the top of the search engine results page.
Users also review Google Business Profiles to learn more about plumbing businesses before choosing one. They can read positive reviews, verify that a local business offers the service they need, and even place a phone call right through this online listing.
If you haven’t claimed your Google Business Profile yet, now is the time to do so. Provide all of the following information in your profile:
- Business name (keep this consistent across all your online listings)
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Exact service area
- List of services
You should also upload photos relating to your services and create text posts to describe your offerings and engage potential customers.
If and when Google AI search does begin taking over head terms, you want your Google Business Profile to be ready. The artificial intelligence will likely analyze these profiles to compile a list of companies relevant to the user’s query.
Work With a Cutting-Edge Plumber Marketing Agency
Adapting to the ever-changing digital landscape can be challenging for plumbing companies. You want to focus on providing reliable services for customers — not learning the ins and outs of Google AI search. That’s why many plumbers hire plumbing marketing agencies to assist them.
The top plumbing marketing agencies provide data-driven SEO for plumbing companies that leverages the ways AI has shaped the marketing world. Using AI features strategically can help your business stay competitive instead of falling prey to the ways AI has altered marketing.
The right marketing agency can completely take your online marketing strategy off your shoulders while you focus on your business.
Find Your Plumber Marketing Partner With Top Marketing Agencies
Do you need help finding a plumbing marketing agency that can help your business leverage the power of AI? Our database features a list of vetted marketing professionals who exclusively work with plumbing contractors. Review our list of the top plumbing marketing agencies today to find a company that can help you stay at the forefront of Google AI search features.
