The way homeowners find and choose contractors online is changing. Increasingly, Google is giving searchers the answers they need directly on the results page.
Instead of pushing searchers to click through to your website, Google continues to encourage users to stay and engage with elements it controls. As a result, both where and how you show up within Google's ecosystem have become more and more important.
If you're a high performance contractor in HVAC, home performance, or solar, here are five things you need to know to stay competitive in 2025.
1. Zero-Click Search Is Growing (And It’s Often AI-Driven)
Searchers today often find what they need without ever clicking through to your website. Thanks to AI Overviews and AI Mode, 80% of users now rely on zero-click results at least 40% of the time.
For high performance contractors, this means your ability to show up and stand out on a Google search engine result page (SERP) is more important than ever. This visibility is no longer just about showing up in organic search results or Google Ads, both of which send the searcher to your website when you click on them.
Google is prioritizing SERP features designed to keep users on its results page, including:
- AI Overviews & AI Mode
- Google Business Profile
- Local Services Ads
2. Google Business Profile Is Your Second “Home Page”
If a homeowner finds your business during a Google search but never visits your website, odds are that they learned about your company and the services you offer through your Google Business Profile (GBP).
That makes your GBP one of your most important marketing assets. To stand out:
- Keep categories and service areas accurate
- Post regularly with updates, photos, and videos
- Respond to every review (not just the bad ones)
Most importantly: Make sure your reviews highlight the quality of your work, not just that your team was “friendly and on time.” Google’s ranking signals are increasingly driven by the content of your reviews.
3. AI Is Reshaping the Top of Your Sales Funnel
For homeowners exploring complex topics like heat pumps, weatherization, or home electrification, the search journey is long. Google features like AI Overviews are being shown most frequently by homeowners at the top of your sales funnel.
That’s where content-rich answers are needed most. It’s critical for your business to own that educational territory, so AI tools pull your expertise (and maybe cite you directly) in their responses.
If you want to show up in these results, focus on:
- Creating helpful, question-driven content
- Displaying your credentials and certifications
- Publishing case studies and thought leadership that reflect your unique expertise
4. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Evolving from SEO
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is all about optimizing your content so that it surfaces in AI-generated responses, not just traditional organic results. While there's still overlap with SEO, the way AI tools index and select content is evolving fast.
High performance contractors need to start thinking beyond standard SEO and prepare for how search engines and user behavior are shifting.
That means:
- Focus on E-E-A-T: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trust
- Create content that clearly answers common questions
- Publish stories, credentials, and real-world results that establish trust
Your website still matters. But its role is shifting from always being the final destination to being a source that AI tools can pull from.
5. LSAs Work (But Are Very Competitive)
Google has been making Local Services Ads more and more prominent on their search result pages, which makes them attractive for contractors. But high competition in many markets means that showing up consistently isn’t easy.
Visibility in LSAs hinges on two critical factors:
- Responsiveness: Google tracks how quickly you reply to leads.
- Perceived Quality of Work: Positive reviews are important, but reviews that mention work quality carry more weight.
Worth noting: the “Google Guaranteed” badge is being phased out and replaced by Google Verified, but without any guarantee backing. That makes reviews and trust signals even more important.
Also, frustratingly for insulation contractors, LSAs for insulation services are currently only available in Florida, Texas, and California.
Keep Your Company Visible Everywhere Online
As Google shifts to keep users on its own platform, contractors can’t afford to rely solely on website traffic to drive leads. Visibility now depends on a holistic approach across AI tools, ads, and business listings.
At Energy Circle, our marketing services help high performance contractors stay ahead of these changes while building the online visibility and trust with local homeowners that translates into real-world results for your business.