AI search for contractors
AI SEO for contractors
When a homeowner asks ChatGPT for the best foundation contractor in town, two or three names come back. The contractor named gets the call. The contractor not named gets nothing. We do the work that puts your business on that list.
Most contractor SEO programs were built for the Google of 2018. Local pack rankings, citation cleanup, a steady drip of blog posts. That work still matters, and we keep it running. But it stopped being enough the moment ChatGPT crossed 800 million weekly users and Perplexity passed 500 million monthly queries. A growing share of $20,000 to $100,000 residential project research now starts with an AI question, and the homeowner has a shortlist before they ever search Google.
AI SEO is a separate discipline that layers on top of local SEO. The tactics overlap, but the signals that move citations are different enough that contractors running only legacy programs are quietly losing the next decade of new-customer searches in their market.
We run a six-month program built specifically for residential trade businesses. Fixed scope. Specific deliverables. Citation tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews every month. The market for this work is wide open in 2026 because most contractor agencies do not understand it yet.
What is in the program
Six months. Fixed scope. The work is sequenced so each month builds on the last and produces measurable signals before the next phase begins.
On-page restructure. Top ten pages rewritten with question-format H2 headings and direct 40 to 60 word answers under each. Specific costs, timelines, and process detail added where generic copy lived before. FAQ schema applied to every relevant section. This is the foundation AI engines extract from.
Structured data, the load-bearing kind. LocalBusiness schema with full property coverage: address, phone, hours, service area in specific cities and ZIP codes, founder, year established, license numbers, payment methods. Service schema with OfferCatalog. Article and BreadcrumbList where content pages need them. Validated end to end.
Project case studies. Four to six detailed case studies built from your completed projects. Each one a standalone page with original photos, specific scope, budget, timeline, materials, and challenges encountered. Six well-documented projects produce more AI citation surface area than thirty thumbnail-only galleries on a typical contractor portfolio.
llms.txt and content curation. Site-wide llms.txt published at the domain root. Top guides, service pages, and case studies surfaced for AI crawlers explicitly. Refresh dates updated across top content. The file gets read by GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and OAI-SearchBot.
Brand mentions across the open web. The work most contractors leave on the table. Pitching regional press one project a year with a story angle. Submission to trade-specific directories like NARI, BBB, Houzz Pro, and your local builder association. Authentic engagement on r/HomeImprovement, r/Construction, your trade-specific subreddit, and regional homeowner forums. Cross- referral relationships with adjacent trades. Five to ten new independent mentions in the six-month window.
Monthly citation tracking. Thirty to fifty buyer queries run through ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews every month. Where you are cited, where competitors win, what to refine next. Reported back in a monthly written brief.
Timeline and outcomes
Months 1 to 2. Audit and on-page restructure of top ten pages. Schema deployment and validation. Google Business Profile completion to the last field. Photo library refresh. By the end of month 2 the technical foundation is in place.
Months 2 to 3. Project case studies produced and published. Each one written from your project files and photo library, then reviewed by you for accuracy.
Months 3 to 4. llms.txt published and curated. Refresh dates updated across top content. Citation baseline established by running buyer queries before mention work begins.
Months 3 to 6. Off-page mention pursuit. Press pitches sent. Directory submissions filed. Reddit and forum presence built up authentically. Cross-referral relationships seeded with adjacent trades.
Months 4 to 6. Monthly citation tracking begins producing data. First citations typically appear by month 4. Meaningful citation share usually follows in months 7 and 8 as mentions compound.
Who this is for
Residential contractors with average project sizes above $20,000 and a service area in the US or Canada. Trades where buyers research the decision over days or weeks rather than booking on impulse: foundation repair, custom home building, kitchen and bath remodeling, pool building, landscape architecture, custom cabinetry, high-end home services. Contractors with a documented portfolio, original photos, and a team that can support a press pitch or a directory application without it derailing the business.
Who this is not for
Contractors looking for a sixty-day campaign. AI citation work compounds over six to twelve months and there is no honest way to shortcut that. Contractors hoping to spend $1,500 a month and outwork competitors with strong programs. Contractors without a documented portfolio: the case study work needs original photos and specific project detail, and we cannot manufacture either. Anyone who wants to skip the on-page foundation and jump straight to "AI tools" or vendor packages: those packages are mostly repackaged familiar SEO with a buzzword markup, and we would rather tell you that than sell you one.
Pricing
Engagements run $4,500 to $9,500 per month with a six-month minimum. Where you sit in that range depends on current site quality, content production load, and how much we are doing on the brand-mention pipeline versus collaborating with your team.
We tell you on the discovery call whether the math works for your trade and your market. About one in three contractors we talk to is better served by waiting six months and rebuilding their site first. We say so when that is the case.
Want to read the work in detail?
The full guide on AI SEO for contractors walks through the on-page work, the off-page work, the sequencing, and what to ignore. Free, no email gate. If you want to run the program yourself, the guide has enough to start. If you would rather we run it, book a discovery call below.
For the broader picture across all AI search disciplines, see the AI search hub for related guides on ranking in ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and the llms.txt setup.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an AI SEO engagement for a contractor take?
Six months for the core program. First measurable AI citations typically appear by month 4. Compounding gains build through month 12 and beyond as press mentions, directory listings, and authentic Reddit engagement accumulate.
Will this work if my SEO is already strong?
Yes, and it works faster. Strong existing local SEO gives the AI engines a confident base to draw from. We layer factual on-page restructuring, schema work, llms.txt, and brand-mention pursuit on top of what you have. Contractors with weak SEO need a longer foundation phase first.
Do you guarantee citations in ChatGPT or Perplexity?
No reputable agency does. AI engines are non-deterministic and proprietary. We can guarantee the work that produces citations: factual content, structured data, llms.txt deployment, brand-mention growth on tracked outlets. Citation gains usually follow within 90 to 180 days of consistent execution.
What does this cost?
Engagements typically run between $4,500 and $9,500 per month depending on scope, current site quality, and how much content production we are taking on versus collaborating with your team. Six-month minimum. We tell you on the discovery call whether the math works for your trade and your market.
Do you work with contractors outside the US and Canada?
Currently we only take on contractors based in the US and Canada. AI search behavior is regionally specific, and we have built our citation tracking and brand-mention pipelines around North American markets, regional press, and local trade directories.
What if I already have an SEO agency?
Most contractors who hire us also have a local SEO agency or in-house person handling Google Business Profile, reviews, and standard on-page work. We layer on top of that, focused on the AI search surface specifically. We coordinate with your existing team rather than replace them.
Let's talk
Want to be the contractor ChatGPT names?
Fifteen minutes on a call. No pitch deck, no pressure. We tell you honestly whether the program fits your business, your market, and your timeline.
book a discovery call