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10 Easy Ways To Prepare For AI Dominance In A Post-Search World

Last Updated: May 20, 2025

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The way people find local businesses is changing fast. We’re moving away from traditional search engines like Google and toward AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini. These platforms are gaining users at a rapid pace, and taking huge chunks of traffic away from search. If you’re still relying on search to reach new customers, you’re targeting a rapidly-shrinking audience.

AI tools aren’t just smarter, they’re faster, more convenient, and often more helpful than search ever was. That’s why more people are turning to them to ask questions, get recommendations, and even find local service providers. And here’s the key: these tools are already deciding which businesses to recommend… and which ones to ignore.

That’s why businesses like yours need to act now. If you wait until the pain sets in, it’ll be too late, and you can’t just “buy your way in” like you can with PPC ads. Even worse, these AI models don’t refresh daily, weekly, or even monthly. It’s common for AIs to be a year or two behind in their knowledge because retraining can cost millions of dollars. That means new information (like your website), may not be included for many months, or even years.

Here are 10 easy actions you can take today to help AI recognize your business and recommend you to future customers.

1. Ask for Better Reviews

Not just more reviews, but better ones. Ask your happy customers to be specific:

  • “They quickly and professionally installed a new water heater in San Marcos, TX” (pure gold!)
  • “Good plumber” (mostly unhelpful)

The first one has a specific service, uses some great adjectives (quick & professional), and includes the city and state. That’s the trifecta! The more detail, the easier it is for AI (and customers) to understand exactly what you do and where you do it. If you have to offer a discount or reward for a review, do it. If you have to offer a better reward for the RIGHT keywords in the review…do that too. Be upfront and tell the customer why. They’ll appreciate the candor and think you’re smart for being on top of the AI trend.

2. Get More Reviews

Gone are the days of skating by with 10 reviews. ChatGPT, the most lenient in this category, says that it expects small local businesses to have at least 50 now. Grok wants 100+. If you have fewer than this, the AIs will likely pass you over in favor of a business with a larger sample set of reviews.

Ask every happy customer. Offer a discount or small gift card if needed. Just start getting those numbers up!

If you need some ideas on how to get more reviews, check out these posts we did on that subject:

  1. Reviews: Why you MUST get them and tips for getting more of them
  2. Looking to Get More Google Reviews? Here’s Our Strategy
  3. How to Get More Customer Reviews Just by Asking for Them

3. Reply to Reviews (Professionally)

AI tools (and real humans) pay attention to how you respond to reviews — especially the bad ones.

  • Thank people for positive reviews.
  • Stay calm and professional with negative ones.
  • Never argue or blame the customer.

Good responses show you’re responsible and trustworthy. Believe it or not, these are two traits AI is programmed to value.

Struggling with this? Don’t worry, most people do, but we help customers with this every day. Just reach out and we’ll be glad to help you.

4. Create Pages for Each Service You Offer

You’ve heard us harp on this for years: make a page for each service. Now it’s not just for Google, it’s for the AI too.

Rather than just saying that you offer “plumbing services,” break out each one into separate pages like:

  1. Toilet repair
  2. Faucet installation
  3. Water heater installations

AI can’t recommend you for a service if it doesn’t know you offer it. As smart as AI is, it still needs to be told exactly what you do.

5. List All Services Clearly

If you’re not ready to build out separate service pages, at least make sure all your individual services are listed in one spot. That means, for example, you will list “water heater installation” and “water heater repair” as separate items. Make this list exhaustive. While this is not a very helpful SEO practice, it can give you at least some benefit in the AI optimization realm.

6. Clearly State Your Hours And Whether You Offer Emergency Services

This one’s big and often missed. If you’ll respond to a call 24/7 and offer emergency services, say it clearly and prominently on your website. Why? Because when someone tells an AI, “I need an emergency plumber near me,” you’ll only show up if that term is on your site. Similarly, if it’s 8pm and someone asks for a plumber, being marked as open for business until 9pm gives you a chance to be in the running for that query.

7. Make Your Contact Info Prominent

Make sure your phone number, email, and business address are easy to find. Put them:

  • In the header and footer
  • On a Contact page
  • On your service pages

AI tools can’t recommend you if they can’t figure out how customers will reach you.

8. Show Off Your Experience

Have you been in business for 10, 20, 30 years? Say it! A long track record builds trust. AIs (and customers) are more likely to recommend companies that seem stable, experienced, and reliable.

9. Win Some Awards (And Display The Ones You Already Have)

You don’t need a Nobel Prize, just something to signal credibility:

  • A local “Best Of” award
  • Chamber of Commerce recognition
  • A trade association shoutout
  • HomeAdvisor, Angi, BBB, or Thumbtack awards

These third-party mentions tell the AI you’re reputable and that makes you more recommendable. Even if your awards are a few years old, get the graphic and put it on your site with a couple sentences about it. This will tell the AIs that you are winning awards and will give you credibility.

10. Get Listed in the Right Directories

AI pulls a lot of its info from business directories. Of course more is better than fewer, but make sure your info is listed (and consistent) on the ones below, specifically, because the AIs are using these when they formulate opinions about your business.

  1. Google Maps / Google Business Profile
  2. Yelp
  3. BBB (Better Business Bureau)
  4. Thumbtack
  5. Nextdoor
  6. Houzz
  7. Angi

These listings also give you more chances to collect reviews, which as you know, is critical.

Final Thoughts

As we discussed last week, AI is changing how customers find businesses. Unfortunately, while it’s making things easier for the consumer, it’s making things quite a bit harder for businesses. You’ve got to continue doing everything you’ve been doing for search engines, but now you have more to do and fewer chances to show up in the results. Sometimes, just one…But with a few smart moves, you can stay ahead and make sure your company shows up when someone’s asking an AI for help.

And if you ever need help with any of this (websites, reviews, directories) we’re just a message away.

History Is Repeating: We’re Reliving The Yellow Pages Collapse

Last Updated: May 14, 2025

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Remember when people laughed at the iPhone? No keyboard? All screen? Back in 2007, Blackberry and Palm Pilot users thought it was a gimmick. But within just a few years, physical keyboards were basically extinct, and Apple had reshaped the entire mobile industry.

Or think back to 2005. You could run a business without a website and still be fine. But by 2010? If you didn’t have a professional site, you might as well have been invisible. Customers were online, and if you weren’t, they simply couldn’t find you.

And then there’s the Yellow Pages. In 2005, those big fat books were still landing on everyone’s doorstep. A lot of folks thought they’d be around forever. But the internet had other plans. Usage plummeted. By 2015, they were on life support. Today, can you even remember the last time you actually saw one?

These changes happen slowly at first… then all at once.

Right now, we’re living through one of those moments again.

Graph showing the Yellow Pages usage over time with an arrow pointing to just past the peak usage saying "you are here"

Search (yes, even Google) is on the verge of becoming the next Yellow Pages.

Sounds crazy, right? But AI tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini are already quietly siphoning traffic away from search engines. Instead of Googling, people are asking their AI assistants, and getting direct, no-click answers on the spot.

It won’t be long before typing a search and scrolling through results feels as outdated as using a Rolodex. It’s faster, easier, and more intuitive to simply ask your AI buddy and get the answer immediately.

For example, why would you search on Google, then read through a bunch of links when you can just ask your super-smart AI buddy. In this example, in less than 5 seconds, Grok searched through 25 websites and produced the below recommendation:

Grok recommendation for an electrician in Albany NY

If you can’t see how this is going to obliterate search, you need glasses. This tsunami is coming and there’s no stopping it.

We’re not saying search is dead…yet. But it is 2005 all over again. And if your business isn’t preparing for a world beyond traditional search, you’re setting yourself up to fall behind.

What Should You Do Now?

Here’s the good news: you don’t need to scrap everything and make a hard left turn.
In fact, many of the things you’re already doing to compete in traditional search will still help you compete in the AI-driven future.

Creating fresh, helpful content, getting customer reviews, and building trust and authority online all still matter. Keep doing those things!

But now, it’s time to evolve your strategy. You need to add a few new techniques so your content isn’t just optimized for search engines and human visitors, but also works for AI assistants that are quickly becoming the new gatekeepers.

AI tools don’t search the way Google does. Rather than maintaining a giant file cabinet of documents, they ingest your website’s content, assimilating its information as part of it’s own knowledge. Then they use that knowledge to generate answers directly for their users, much more similarly to how we humans operate. If your content isn’t structured in a way that these models can understand and use, your business may get left out of the conversation entirely.

This shift doesn’t require you to throw everything out, it just means evolving your processes to stay relevant as the landscape changes.

GET OFF ZERO.
It’s absolutely critical that you take the first step in this evolution. Do something. Even a small move today gives you a huge head start over those still clinging to “search is forever.” Nothing will hurt you more in the long run than giving in to static inertia and procrastinating.

Step One: The AI Optimization Quick Start

We recommend starting with the low-hanging fruit that offers good bang-for-your-buck value. A good option is our AI Optimization Quick Start but there are other options out there. We recommend adding:

  • An LLMs.txt file on your site to help AI tools find and interpret your content
  • A well-formatted FAQ page, written with large language models in mind

From there, you can start layering in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to ensure every page of your site is ready for the next generation of search. These are things that can be done a little each month, so don’t get overwhelmed thinking you have to do this all at one time.

Bottom Line?

We really want you to recognize where we are in history, because we’ve been here before. AI is reshaping how people find businesses, just like smartphones reshaped communication, and websites replaced the phone book.

This isn’t a drill. And it’s not hype. This is your early-ish warning. Don’t go down with the ship. Search is still critical (for now) but it won’t be long before it’s gone. Get ahead now, or you’ll be scrambling later.

Need help getting started?
Let’s talk about how our AI Optimization services can future-proof your website, and keep you ahead of the curve before your search traffic disappears.

ScamWatch: “Broken Links” and Bogus Pages – Don’t Fall for This Website Audit Trick

Last Updated: May 7, 2025

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If you’ve been running your business website for more than five minutes, chances are good you’ve gotten that email. You know the one—some helpful “expert” reaching out to let you know that your website is riddled with errors, broken links, and issues that are just begging for a free audit.

Sounds generous, right?

Yeah, not so much. Today, we’re putting this pesky scam under the microscope. Spoiler alert: that broken link they’re pointing to? It’s as fake as a $3 bill.

The Scam in a Nutshell

Here’s how it usually goes:
You get an email from someone claiming they ran a scan of your website. They found broken links, missing pages, or critical SEO errors. They even include a few URLs to “prove” their point.

Something like this:

“Hi! We noticed several errors on your website, such as this one: https://yourbusiness.com/advertising-services/flying-unicorn-repair. We’d love to offer you a free audit to help fix these problems.”

Looks scary at first, right? But there’s just one little problem:

That page was never supposed to exist.

Let’s Talk About Filing Cabinets

Let’s break this down with a good old-fashioned analogy: your website is like a filing cabinet. The structure of every URL on Earth is like this: https://file-cabinet-name/drawer-name/file-name

  • The cabinet itself is your main website — for example, www.prospectgenius.com.
  • Each drawer in the cabinet is a directory — maybe one drawer is for “Advertising Services” (/advertising-services/), another for “Testimonials,” and so on.
  • Inside each drawer are your actual files — real pages, like “/GoogleAdsHelp” or “/LocalSEOTips.html.”

Now here’s where the scam comes in.

These scammers are acting like they opened your filing cabinet, went into the “Advertising Services” drawer, and couldn’t find a file called “Fire Truck Wheels.” And now they’re emailing you, panicked, like that’s some kind of huge problem.

But… that file never existed in the first place. You never made a page about “fire truck wheels.” Why would you? You run an HVAC business, not a firehouse!

Not All 404s Are Created Equal

Now, let’s be clear: some 404 errors ARE real problems.

If you run an appliance repair business and you do have a page about dishwasher repair, but the link in your website menu accidentally points to htttps://yoursite.com/dishwaser-repair (oops—missing the “h”), that’s a real broken link, and you should address it.

That kind of error confuses visitors, hurts your credibility, and can even hurt your rankings in Google. So yes, 404s can be important when they’re pointing to content that should exist.

But here’s the key difference:

  • ✅ A real 404 is when a link is broken to a page that’s supposed to be there.
  • ❌ A fake 404 is when someone just makes up a random page and acts like it’s missing on purpose.

The scammers in these emails? They’re not finding real problems. They’re just making up URLs, like: https://yourwebsite.com/advertising-services/sparkle-unicorn-parts…and then acting like it’s a big deal when your site says, “Sorry, that’s not a page.”

It’s like walking into your office, opening a random drawer, and complaining that it doesn’t contain a lasagna recipe. Sure, it could have one—but it never did, and it’s not supposed to.

Why This Matters

When someone types in a URL like: https://yourwebsite.com/advertising-services/lasagna-recipes and gets a “404 Page Not Found” error, that’s NOT a broken link. That’s just your website saying, “Hey, that file isn’t in the drawer.” Perfectly normal, because why would there be a page about “lasagna recipes” in the “advertising services” directory? Situation normal, no red flags here.

The scammers are hoping you won’t know the difference. They’re banking on you panicking over scary tech-speak like “errors” and “critical issues.” Then they’ll try to upsell you on expensive services to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

What Should You Do?

  1. Don’t click anything in the email.
  2. Ignore the fake links they give you.
  3. Don’t be pressured into a “free audit” from someone you don’t know.
  4. Ask your real web provider (or someone you trust) if you ever have doubts.

And most importantly: trust your gut. If it sounds too dramatic, too urgent, or too helpful for a total stranger… it probably is.

Bottom Line

A fake page that never existed is not a sign your website is broken. It’s just someone trying to open a file in your cabinet that was never there to begin with.

So the next time a random “SEO specialist” tries to scare you with made-up URLs and nonsense errors, you’ll know better. Toss that email in the digital trash bin, and carry on knowing your site is just fine.

Want to keep your online presence safe and scam-free? Stay tuned for more in our ScamWatch series, because in the wild west of the internet, knowledge is your best line of defense.

Are You Chasing ‘Fresh Content’ for Nothing? What Local Service Websites Really Need

Last Updated: May 5, 2025

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You’ve probably heard the phrase “Google loves fresh content.” And while there’s some truth to that, there’s also a lot of confusion, especially for local service businesses like plumbers, electricians, contractors, etc.

Unfortunately, that confusion is being used to sell all kinds of unnecessary content updates and “SEO services” that don’t move the needle (and might even hurt your rankings.) If you’ve ever been told to keep rewriting your “Water Heater Installation” page just to stay “fresh,” this post is for you.

Let’s break down what Google really means by freshness, when it matters, and how you can use it strategically, without wasting your time or money.

Does Google Prioritize Freshness for Small Business Websites?

Yes, Google’s algorithm does consider freshness, especially for time-sensitive searches like news, sports scores, or celebrity gossip (thanks, Taylor Swift). This started with updates like the Caffeine Update (2010) and Freshness Update (2011). But here’s the thing: if someone’s searching “fix leaky faucet” or “plumber near me,” they’re not looking for the latest info. Instead they want relevant and reliable info.

That’s why your core service pages (like drain cleaning or water heater repair) don’t need to be updated constantly. Google is more interested in how helpful, trustworthy, and locally relevant your content is.

When Does Fresh Content Actually Matter?

While static service pages are fine as-is (as long as they’re solid), fresh content does help in the right places:

  1. Local SEO Boosts
    Regularly adding content that highlights recent jobs or local testimonials helps show Google (and your customers) that you’re active in your community. Think: “How We Fixed a Burst Pipe in [Your City] Last Week.”
  2. Helpful, Evergreen Blog Posts
    A monthly blog post like “5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Water Heater” or “Why Pipes Freeze in [Your State]” builds authority and ranks for long-tail searches. No need to post weekly fluff since Google prefers quality over quantity.
  3. Changes in Services or Codes
    If you add new services or there’s a change in plumbing regulations, then yes, update or add content. That shows you’re staying current and trustworthy (which ties into Google’s E-E-A-T framework: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
  4. Seasonal Trends
    Creating content around seasonal problems like frozen pipes in winter or sump pump tips during rainy months can pull in timely traffic.

Should You Keep Updating Your Service Pages?

No, not unless something actually changes. Tweaking them just to seem “fresh” won’t help and can actually hurt your rankings if it disrupts the user experience. Focus on making those core pages clear, informative, and SEO-friendly. Include things like:

  • What the service is
  • How it works
  • What it costs
  • Service areas
  • Customer reviews and trust signals

Once that’s dialed in, you’re golden.

Want Fresh, SEO-Friendly Content Without the Headache?

Most business owners have zero time for writing blog posts. It’s one of 200 items on your list that never see the light of day. That’s where our SocialStream comes in. We write a high-quality blog post for you every month, tailored to your services, your region, and the questions your customers are asking. That means your site stays fresh, relevant, and optimized for SEO, without you ever having to touch a keyboard. It’s helping tons of our clients stay off a screen but stay high in the rankings, especially for long-tail (more specific) search terms.

Final Takeaway

You don’t need to constantly rewrite every page on your website. Instead, make sure your core pages are strong, accurate, and user-focused. Then, sprinkle in fresh content where it adds value. Focus on things like answering customer questions, targeting seasonal searches, or showcasing recent work and awards.

And if you want someone to handle that for you? That’s exactly what SocialStream was built for. Reach out and we’ll tell you all about it…maybe it’s right for you too.

Fresh Content FAQs


Google’s algorithm considers freshness mainly for time-sensitive searches like news or sports scores, but for core service pages such as drain cleaning or water heater repair on small business websites, content relevance, trust signals, and local relevance are more important than constant updates.


Fresh content matters when you publish local SEO boosts like case studies highlighting recent jobs or local testimonials, create evergreen blog posts on topics like ‘5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Water Heater’, update content for new services or changes in industry codes, or produce seasonal articles that address specific customer needs.


Types of fresh content that boost local SEO include recent job spotlights such as ‘How We Fixed a Burst Pipe in [Your City] Last Week’, local customer testimonials, evergreen blog posts like ‘Why Pipes Freeze in [Your State]’, updates on new plumbing services or code changes, and seasonal tips like preventing frozen pipes in winter.


You should only update core service pages such as drain cleaning or water heater repair descriptions when there are actual changes—like updated pricing, added service areas, or new procedures; tweaking core service pages solely to appear ‘fresh’ can disrupt user experience and harm your rankings.


Seasonal content—like guides for preventing frozen pipes in winter or sump pump maintenance during rainy seasons—attracts timely traffic, demonstrates that your plumbing business is active in the community, and signals relevance to both Google and potential customers.


An evergreen blog post covers topics that remain relevant over time, such as ‘5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Water Heater’ or ‘Why Pipes Freeze in [Your State]’, helping your site build authority and rank for long-tail keywords without the need for constant rewrites.


Focusing on Google’s E-E-A-T framework—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—by showcasing real plumbing expertise, sharing credentials, and providing accurate service information is more effective for SEO than superficial content tweaks made solely to appear fresh.


SocialStream delivers monthly professional blog posts tailored to your plumbing or local service business, ensuring your website stays fresh, relevant, and optimized for SEO without requiring you to write content or manage updates yourself.

AI Optimization: Hype, Hope, or Head Start?

Last Updated: April 23, 2025

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Last week, we unpacked the alphabet soup of SEO, GEO, and AEO. This week, we’re staying in the same neighborhood, but turning the spotlight onto a buzzword that’s been lighting up our inboxes and call logs: AI Optimization.

Let’s clear the air right away: Not all AI optimization is a scam. But some of it? Yeah… it’s more smoke and mirrors than substance.

AI Optimization: The New Snake Oil… or the Next Big Thing?

Here’s the truth: There’s a lot of AI snake oil being sold right now. Fancy dashboards, “AI-powered” this, “machine learning” that… some of it sounds impressive, but when you dig in, it’s all fluff that has no functional purpose (at least at the present time.)

We’ve had a few confused call-ins recently, wondering if they’re being taken for a ride. It’s a fair concern! But here’s the flip side: completely ignoring AI is like refusing to get a smartphone in 2009. Sure, your flip phone still works… but for how long?

Don’t Break the Bank, But GET OFF of Zero

Let’s be clear: we’re not suggesting you dump your entire marketing budget into AI tomorrow. That’s not smart. But staying at zero? That’s even riskier.

Here’s why: Right now, search is still king. About 95% of your traffic probably comes from search engines like Google. But that balance is shifting. Fast.

The traffic you get from search will continue to drop. That much we already know for certain.

We’re looking at a near future where:

  • 95/5 (search/AI) becomes
  • 80/20, then
  • 60/40, and eventually
  • 20/80 in some industries.

You might think that sounds extreme, but AI-driven platforms (think ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, voice assistants, and future tools we haven’t even seen yet) are already starting to serve answers directly to customers… before they ever hit a search result.

If you’re still sitting at zero when that wave fully hits, you’re going to be underwater.

What Are We Doing About It?

For our CoreSite clients, we’re in the process of rolling out an upgrade to our standard offering. It’s a suite of features we’re calling “AI-Friendly” to help you get future-ready, without the fluff.

Things like:

  • Structuring content so AI can easily understand and surface your business
  • Answer formatting that matches how AI bots want to deliver results
  • Meta data and schema upgrades to talk the AI language

For forward-thinking, future-minded folks, who are looking to move first and reap the benefits, we just launched specific Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services. These AI Optimization Packages offer more in-depth page-by-page optimizations that will feed those AI bots with all the information they need, exactly how they want to see it. Think of it like putting a turbocharger on your digital presence.

Ask the Hard Questions

If you’re working with an SEO provider, now’s a great time to ask: “What are you doing to prepare me for AI-driven search?” If they shrug, mumble something vague, or try to distract you with a shiny pie chart… it might be time to get a second opinion.

Bottom Line

AI is coming. It’s not a question of if, but when, and how fast. You don’t need to overhaul your whole strategy overnight. But you do need to get off zero. Ever step you take in the AI direction will give you a leg up on your competition. Let’s future-proof your business, smartly, and without the smoke.

Contact Us Today!

AI Optimization FAQs


AI optimization is the practice of structuring website content, schema markup, and conversational language to improve visibility and ranking in AI-driven search systems and virtual assistants.


Traditional SEO focuses on search engine result pages through keyword use, backlinks, and on-page content, whereas AI optimization prioritizes structured data, natural language conversational content, and schema markup to align with AI agents and generative search models.


AI optimization hype refers to exaggerated marketing claims promising instant SEO results via AI, and some AI optimization services are considered snake oil when they offer expensive tools or packages without measurable impact or sound methodology.


My business should get off zero for AI optimization because completely ignoring AI-driven search platforms risks losing visibility as AI agents increasingly serve answers before traditional search results.


My business should budget for AI optimization by allocating a manageable portion of its marketing budget—piloting AI-friendly features and services—rather than investing all funds at once or ignoring AI entirely.


Prospect Genius’s CoreSite upgrade includes AI-Friendly features such as structured content templates, answer formatting optimized for AI bots, metadata enhancements, and JSON-LD schema markup.


Prospect Genius’s AI optimization packages include Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) services for AI agents requiring FAQ integration and structured answers, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services for AI-driven recommendation engines and generative models.


To evaluate if my SEO provider is preparing me for AI-driven search, I should ask: “What AI optimization strategies are you implementing, and can you provide examples of AI-Friendly features, schema markup, or conversational content you have deployed?”

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