The way your clients find your business is changing. And fast!

Google has become a verb.

Google was the way. And it was pretty simple.

Pay money
Rank high
Get clicks
Get calls.

Have you noticed that you aren’t using Google near as much as you used to?
And even when you do, there is a AI summary at the top of the page?

GPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude… They aren’t sending people to your website.

They are summarizing… YOU. They are answering the question before the homeowner ever clicks a link!!

If that sounds like a problem… you would be correct.

Google is losing millions in ad spend.

We have clients who are increasing their budgets to feed the algorithm in hopes to find some favor by the coding gods… to no avail.

There is thousands of dollars in ad spend sitting… unused.

If you are a Restopruener™️, this could be the biggest opportunity in a LONG long time.

Whats actually happening

For decades, contractors have depended on 3 digital paths to new business.

1. SEO (search engine optimization)

1. Paid leads

1. Organic traffic originating from some outside source (social media for example)

SEO and paid leads are both losing steam. FAST.

Organic listings (the blue links we’ve obsessed over since about 2008) are being buried under AI summaries, maps, and paid results. You are at a minimum 3-5 scrolls before you hit anything organic.

At the same time, lead-gen services like 33 Mile Radius, Angi, and others are charging astronomical rates for calls that don’t convert.
In some markets, restorers are paying as much as $1400 for a SINGLE LEAD. That they may not convert! WILD.

This just isn’t sustainable.

Especially when the click costs haven’t even gone up. Its the compentiton for attention that has exploded.

So if the old model isn’t working, what replaces it?

The Rise of AI Search

AI powered tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are changing how people ask for help.

They aren’t typing in “water damage near me” anymore.
They are saying things like: “find a local restoration company with 5 star reviews that shows before and after photos”.

Thats not a keyword search anymore. That is a conversation.

And AI decides which businesses are credible, trustworthy, and well-documented enough to recommend. In some cases tailored to the user submitting the inquiry based on their chat history.

This means that the figyt for visibility is not just about Google rankings anymore.

Its about being readable, trustyworthy and human enough for AI to recognize your authority.

Why That Matters for Restoration Businesses

If you are a Restopruener™️, heck, if you are a plumber, HVAC company, or roofer who depends on inbound leads, this all might sound scary.

But lets turn lemons into lemonade.

AI can’t replace the one thing that has ALWAYS built a great local business.

Relationships.

Sure, you should make sure your Google My Business profile and your digital presence is up to date. And that it has clear and consistent messaging. You should put effort into your content so that AI understands it.

But you don’t win by chasing algorithms.

You win by building trust.

And it starts offline. In your community.

Your online presence supports your offline reputation.

And this is where business owners are missing the plot.

While the marketing world is obsessed with “AI optimization”, the smartest local companies are doubling down on old-school business development.

They’re visiting networking groups.

Chamber events.

Local schools.

Fire departments.

Police stations.

Plumbers.

Other trades companies.

They are building and fostering relationships.

In the digital world that we live in, the human connection is scarce.
The bar is so low.

It takes so little to stand out and build trust these days.

In other words, the old saying “beating the streets” is what is going to keep the phone ringing consistently while we stand at the digital bridge with the other side obscured with a cloud of uncertainty.

Marketing Trends Change. Human Behavior Doesn’t.

AI Search might reshape discovery, but trust still drives decisions.

Homeowners don’t hire based on who ranks first.

They hire the person a freind recommends. The company that shows up at every Chamber breakfast, or the owner who checked in after last years flood.

So while everyone else is trying to game the system, you can win by stepping out of it.

Thats why I built Dartboard Marketing. A system for relationship driven growth.

Its the opposite of chasing algorithms.
Its about building a network that feeds your business, and your life.

This is the exact system i used to build, scale and sell my business. All within 5 years.

The Dartboard Philosophy

Think of your network (everyone you know, like, and trust) like a dartboard.

Your inner circle is your referral partners, loyal customers, freinds, in the industry. The bullseye.
The further you go out, the colder the relationships get. Yet, ironically, the numbers on the dartboard? Thats your money.

Most businesses spend their time throwing darts (digital marketing) at the edge of the board. Buying leads, boosting posts, chasing strangers.

Dartboard Marketing Flips that.

You focus on your bullseye first.

Deepen the trust
Stay in touch
Build systems that keep you top of mind.

Then you expand outward. Strategically. Relationally.
Not desperately.

Thats how you build a referral engine that no algorithm can touch.

How to future proof your business

If you want to thrive in this new era of AI search. Don’t abandon digital marketing. But you do need to refine it.

1. Update your Google Business Profile weekly. It’s becoming the new website inside Google’s AI. Add photos, updates, reviews, and real project examples.

1. Write like a human. Create FAQ-style content that answers questions directly. AI understands clarity, not buzzwords.

1. Be present where AI listens. Participate in discussions on Reddit, LinkedIn, and community groups. Those conversations train the models that shape tomorrow’s search.

1. Publish your expertise. Share local data, real stories, and transparent insights. AI tools quote credible sources. Be one.

1. Invest in relationships. The more people know, like, and trust you—the less you’ll ever depend on search engines for survival.

The Real Takeaway

While AI might change the path people take to find you, it can’t change what makes them trust you.

The companies that win the next decade won’t be the ones who chase every new platform.

They will be the ones who play the long game.
They will be the ones who deliver consistent value.
They will be the ones who build and nurture real relationships.
And they will be the name that people remember when disaster strikes.

So while everyone is learning how to optimize for AI, you can focus on whats never gone out of style:

• helping people

• following up

• staying visible in your community

This is how you stop worrying about the algorithm. About search optimization. And start being the business that everyone asks for.

If you are ready to build your referral engine and grow through connection instead of clicks, You’ll love the Dartboard Marketing Quickstart Guide.
Its a once a day email course for 5 days.
It walks you through step by step how to build your referral network to generate leads consistently for years to come.
Register for it here. 

It’s a simple, proven system for small business owners who are done playing the algorithm game and ready to build something real.

Because AI might write the answers,
but your relationships still write the checks.

After all….

CONNECTIONS > CLICKS

Check out this video from our good friend Jon Grubb and the folks at Stellar E-Marketing.