Google is piloting View-Through Conversion Optimization within Demand Gen campaigns on YouTube image and video inventory, letting Smart Bidding include view-through conversions alongside clicks. This could improve upper-funnel efficiency, accelerate learning on smaller budgets, and bring Google closer to impression-led optimization seen on Meta and TikTok. However, it risks attribution inflation, poorer lead quality, and cannibalization of high-intent channels like Search and LSAs. For home services advertisers, the author advises strict guardrails: clean conversion setup, short view-through windows, a clean A/B test, and judging success by qualified calls, booked appointments, and completed jobs rather than impression-level metrics.

The article explains that AI answer engines repeatedly cite a small set of authoritative sources, and that visibility is driven more by comprehensive keyword coverage than by backlinks. It lists universal authorities like Reddit, Wikipedia, and YouTube, and notes sector-specific authorities such as Amazon, NerdWallet, and PMC. Citation patterns vary by industry, with some sectors concentrated among a few authorities and others more diverse, allowing newcomers to gain visibility through breadth of coverage. Using Semrush data and rank-based correlations, it shows AI visibility correlates most strongly with AI mentions and organic keywords, and advises contractors to build definitive, safety- and code-focused reference content to earn citations and customer calls.

This piece argues that Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) should be measured by calls and booked jobs, not vanity visibility in AI results. The primary north-star metric is share of search, which predicts market share when brand demand increases. Marketers should track buyer-intent traffic, generative prompt visibility tied to urgent homeowner moments, and conversion from conversational queries. It outlines a monthly GEO scoreboard and concrete plays—transactional content, PR, distinctive brand assets, and clear offers—to drive demand that converts into immediate bookings.

Google has integrated its Gemini-powered “Nano Banana” tech into Google Lens, significantly improving recognition of logos, model numbers, components, materials, and finishes in photos. For contractors, this upgrade speeds part identification, reduces unnecessary truck rolls, improves sourcing across suppliers, and supports faster training via internal visual libraries. As visual search grows, clear, labeled photos on service pages and Google Business Profiles can surface more often, driving calls and booked jobs over mere clicks. PPC teams can also strengthen Performance Max by supplying vertical-specific image assets that align with common equipment and parts queries.

Google plans to expand ads within AI Overviews to additional English-speaking markets beyond the U.S. by the end of 2025. These ads will appear alongside AI-generated summaries, changing the competitive landscape from traditional text ads above links to placements embedded in the answer experience. For contractors, this blurs intent on diagnostic and research queries, making precise targeting, strong conversion signals, and tight call tracking essential. The piece emphasizes prioritizing calls and booked jobs over vanity metrics, warning against loose automation like maximize clicks without guardrails.

Google is rolling out a global ‘Sponsored results’ label that groups ads under a single header and allows users to hide the entire sponsored block. This change will likely reduce casual clicks, lower CTR on broad queries, and increase the intent and conversion rate of remaining traffic, especially on high-intent local searches. Contractors should tighten keyword targeting, emphasize call-first messaging and assets, align bidding to calls and booked jobs, and localize campaigns and landing pages for speed and trust. Monitor impression share shifts, CTR by intent and device, and calls-per-click to gauge performance; rising conversions alongside lower CTR can indicate improved efficiency.

Google has added an AI Mode layer on top of traditional search, enabling multimodal, conversational queries and surfacing answers earlier in the journey; visual searches via Lens are up 70% year over year. For local contractors, the imperative is to drive calls by strengthening Google Business Profiles, creating credible problem-first content, and supplying clear, local visual assets. Visual search should be fed with authentic, well-labeled job photos and on-page images that explain common issues and next steps, building a reusable library across GBP, site pages, and ads. SEO fundamentals still win: local proof, transparent pricing/process pages, structured data, consistent NAP, and reviews with specific service and neighborhood mentions. For PPC, bias spend toward high-intent search and LSAs, apply tight negatives, manage lead quality, and prioritize phone outcomes over clicks.

This article explains how to turn PPC reports into action for contractors by focusing on business outcomes like booked jobs, revenue, and margins instead of vanity metrics. It recommends tailoring reports to each stakeholder, stripping data to a concise, decision-driving set, and using a few clear visuals with annotations. Each section should translate findings into dated, capacity-aware recommendations tied to phones, schedules, and P&L, framed within a concise Goal → Change → Impact → Next narrative. Finally, it stresses updating reports on a cadence aligned with calendar and seasonality so decisions happen in the meeting, not later.

This article presents a pragmatic 2026 SEO plan for contractors aimed at generating phone calls and booked jobs rather than vanity traffic. It recommends allocating 60–70% of effort to short-term, independent wins, 20% to business-as-usual maintenance, 10% to long-term bets like YouTube/Reddit/reviews, and 10% to learning/testing. The guidance stresses optimizing for Google, which still dominates query volume relative to chat tools, and prioritizing tasks that directly impact conversions. It also outlines long-term presence-building and ongoing technical/content hygiene to sustain results.

LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews now act as trust gatekeepers, influencing visibility and conversions based on how frequently a contractor is mentioned and the sentiment of those mentions. Track Mention Volume and Sentiment as core AI-era KPIs, alongside review velocity, share of positive AI summaries, and owned presence. Use these insights to align ad copy with real customer themes, add proof to landing pages, build audience signals, adjust geo/schedule based on local chatter, and control brand narratives. A minimal stack includes weekly scrapes, a simple tracker, monthly AI checks, and steady review generation to sustain velocity and high ratings.