A major shift is happening on the internet right now—perhaps the biggest since websites were invented—and it directly affects how local customers find your business.
Google Is Changing from a “Search” Engine to an “Answer” Engine
For years, when someone searched for a service, Google gave them a list of links to choose from. Now, Google is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to give users a direct answer right at the top of the page.
Instead of making customers click around to find what they need, Google is simply telling them the answer.
Why This Matters for Your Business
In the past, many “middle-man” companies dominated Google search results just to capture customer information and sell those leads to you. With this new change, those lead-generation sites are losing their power. The old way of simply “buying leads” is going to get harder and more expensive.
However, this creates a massive opportunity for local businesses that are willing to adapt.
The Solution: Turn Your Website into a Resource, Not Just a Brochure
To get recommended by Google’s new AI, your website needs to do more than just list your phone number and hours. It needs to prove you are the expert.
Google is looking for trustworthy, detailed information to build its answers. If your website provides that information, Google will “cite” you—meaning it will recommend your business directly to local customers.
What You Need to Do
You need to expand your website content to explain exactly what you do in detail.
- Go Beyond the Basics: Don’t just have a single page that says “Services.”
- Create Specific Pages: If you are an HVAC company, you shouldn’t just list “Heating Repair.” You need a dedicated page for “Gas Furnaces,” another for “Boilers,” and another for “Heat Pumps.”
- Show Your Expertise: On your “Furnace” page, explain common problems, how the repair process works, and the brands you service.
The Bottom Line
If you treat your website like a helpful library of information rather than just a digital business card, Google’s AI will see you as the local authority. When a neighbor asks Google, “Who can fix my specific type of furnace?” your business is much more likely to be the answer provided.
Do these search engine changes change the way you think about your business’s website? Talk to us about how MPH Digital can help your website show your expertise. Start talking to us here