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.

GEO That Rings the Phone: How to Know If Your Generative Strategy Is Actually Working

TL;DR Stop chasing AI vanity and measure demand that becomes booked jobs. Track share of search, buyer-intent traffic, visibility on generative prompts tied to “I need help now” moments, and how well those queries convert. Build content and PR that wins trust and makes it easy to call today.

GEO vs. SEO: Different Game, Same Goal—Calls

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) isn’t classic SEO. It’s brand marketing for AI-driven answers (AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.). I don’t care if you “appear” in a fancy AI box. I care if your brand is the one named when homeowners ask for help—and if that appearance turns into a call. GEO is about shaping demand and being the obvious pick in generative interfaces.

The One Metric That Predicts Calls: Share of Search

If you want one north-star metric, it’s share of search. When more people search your brand name versus competitors, market share follows. Use Google Trends, My Telescope, or Semrush to compare branded demand over time. If brand demand is rising and you answer the phone, your booked jobs follow.

Diagnose Demand and Intent (Not Just Clicks)

• Brand demand: Track your branded search vs. competitors monthly. Look for compounding growth, not spikes.
• Buyer-intent traffic: Measure non-branded queries with commercial intent: “ac repair near me,” “water heater install cost,” “same-day electrician.” These are the queries that become revenue.
• Compare to your market: If buyer-intent is flat while a competitor’s rises, they’re stealing your demand at the moment of need.

Category Entry Points: Map Real Buyer Moments to Prompts

Category Entry Points (CEPs) are the triggers that put a homeowner in-market: no heat at 10pm, AC blowing warm, flooded basement, lights flickering, landlord pressure, tax rebate timing. Turn each CEP into a family of prompts a homeowner might ask a generative engine.

• “Best HVAC company for emergency no-heat near me”
• “Who fixes slab leaks same-day?”
• “Which electrician offers weekend service and financing?”
• “What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house?”

Your job: show up by name in those answers and make it easy to book immediately.

Measure Generative Visibility Without Fooling Yourself

Use Google Search Console to track conversational, buyer-led queries that indicate generative-style searches. Set up regex filters that catch natural-language questions plus service keywords and urgency cues.

Example GSC query filter (simplified):
^(who|which|what|where|how|best|top|near me).*(hvac|air conditioning|ac repair|furnace|plumber|plumbing|drain|water heater|electrician|panel|rewire).*(near me|open now|same day|cost|price|financing)?

Don’t obsess over every AI box impression. Track impressions and clicks for buyer-intent phrased queries and watch conversion to calls or form submits. If impressions rise but calls don’t, fix the on-site experience and offer.

Content That Wins Buyer-Intent

• Shift from informational to transactional: Service pages for emergency, same-day, and financing; neighborhood pages with proof; “Call now” and online booking.
• Align with CEPs: Create pages and FAQs that exactly match the prompt families you mapped.
• Distinctive brand assets: Trucks, uniforms, jingle, guarantees, response times—use them. Generative models pick up what’s repeated and cited.
• Third-party credibility: PR hits, local news mentions, trade certifications, and high-quality reviews. These are fuel for generative answers.

The GEO Scoreboard for Contractors

Run this simple four-metric scoreboard monthly:

1. Share of Search: Your branded demand vs. competitors.
2. Share of Buyer-Intent Traffic: Portion of non-branded, commercial-intent clicks you capture in your market.
3. Prompt Visibility Index: Across your CEP prompt families, how often are you named or linked in generative answers?
4. Conversational Query Conversion: Calls and booked jobs from conversational-style searches tracked in GSC.

When these four move in sync—more brand demand, more buyer-intent clicks, higher generative visibility, and better conversion—you’ve got GEO that drives revenue. If they’re misaligned (e.g., visibility up but conversions flat), you’ve got a leakage problem, not a visibility problem.

Quick Plays to Move the Needle

• PR for proof: Pitch local media on seasonal tips (“How to prep your furnace for winter”), community sponsorships, or rebate explainers. Link back to a strong service page.
• Make the offer obvious: “Same-day service,” “Upfront pricing,” “0% APR financing,” “Technician tracking.” Put it above the fold. Click-to-call. Instant online booking.
• Case studies with receipts: Before/after photos, time to arrival, total cost, warranty—customer-centered, not chest-thumping.

How to know if your GEO is working