AI Search Isn’t Reddit — It’s Your Website and Listings. Contractors, Here’s How to Win

By techgrad | October 9, 2025

The article argues that AI search responses overwhelmingly cite brand-controlled sources—your website and local listings—rather than forums like Reddit. It reports that 86% of AI citations come from websites and listings, with some variance among models and industries. For HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors, the priority is to build clear service pages, optimize Google Business Profiles, and maintain consistent listings to earn AI citations and drive calls. It provides a practical playbook and a 30-day action plan emphasizing structured data, availability signals, GBP hygiene, and NAP consistency.

TL;DR: AI answers pull 86% of citations from brand-controlled sources (your site and listings). If you run HVAC, plumbing, or electrical, put your time into airtight service pages, rock-solid Google Business Profiles, and consistent listings. That’s how you drive calls from AI search — not by chasing Reddit threads.

What the Data Actually Says (Not the Hype)

86% of AI citations come from sources owned or managed by brands.

  • Source mix: Websites 44%, Listings 42%, Reviews/Social 8%, Forums 2%.
  • Model differences: Gemini favors websites (52.1%). OpenAI leans into listings (48.7%). Perplexity spreads across sources like MapQuest and TripAdvisor.
  • Industry variation: Retail skews to brand sites (47.6%). Finance leans on authoritative local pages (48.2%). Healthcare relies on listings (52.6%). Food service sees more reviews/social (13.3%).

Translation for home services: AI assistants aren’t defaulting to crowd chatter. They’re citing the places you control — your website and your local listings — and rewarding whoever is most complete, accurate, and crawlable.

Why This Matters for HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical

Calls come from clarity. AI models prefer the cleanest, most structured answer they can trust. For contractors, that means:

  • Your website must clearly describe services, service areas, availability, and pricing signals (even if ranges), and answer common questions fast.
  • Your listings (Google Business Profile and the big aggregators) must be complete, consistent, and active. Think categories, services, hours, emergency availability, photos, and Q&A.
  • Reviews still help, but they’re a supporting actor — not the lead. The lead is your owned data.

Don’t overthink the model wars. One model leans website, another leans listings. Cover both with disciplined execution and you’ll show up in more AI answers — and get more calls.

“Calls, Not Clicks” Playbook: Own the Citations

  • Service pages that map to the query: “AC repair,” “furnace installation,” “drain cleaning,” “panel upgrade,” each with benefits, symptoms, steps, FAQs, warranty, financing, and local proof.
  • Location coverage: Dedicated city/region pages listing neighborhoods and zip codes you truly serve. No fluff; keep them useful.
  • Availability signals: Emergency/after-hours pages, same-day windows, and clear phone CTAs. AI models like unambiguous availability.
  • Structured data: Use LocalBusiness and Service schema, plus FAQ where appropriate. Make it easy for machines to extract facts.
  • GBP hygiene: Primary/secondary categories, services filled out, booking/call links, photos, Posts, Q&A you’ve answered, and accurate hours.
  • Listings consistency: Name, address, phone (NAP) identical across major directories. Inconsistent data erodes trust — and citations.

30-Day Action Plan

  1. Fix the foundation on your site
    • Build or upgrade your top 6–10 service pages with plain-language headlines, process, pricing signals, and FAQs.
    • Add city pages for your highest-value service areas with unique content and local proof (projects, testimonials).
    • Implement schema: LocalBusiness, Service, and FAQ where it fits.
  2. Overhaul your Google Business Profile
    • Set correct primary category and fill secondary ones that match services.
    • Add services with descriptions; confirm hours and emergency availability.
    • Upload current photos, post weekly updates, and seed/answer 5–10 Q&A items customers actually ask.
  3. Normalize your listings
    • Audit top directories and maps. Fix NAP inconsistencies and outdated pages.
    • Add service descriptions and links to your strongest pages.
  4. Reviews

    Not specified

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