SEO vs. AEO — The Big Shift Home Service Businesses Can’t Ignore

If you run a home service business, you’ve probably heard of SEO. It’s been the golden ticket for years: rank high on Google when someone types “plumber near me” or “best roofing company in [city],” and your phone rings.

But something big is happening right now. Search itself is changing. And the playbook that got you discovered for the last 10 years isn’t going to look the same for the next 10.

The shift? From SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).

Let’s break this down.

What’s the difference between SEO and AEO?

SEO is about ranking your website higher in search engines. You optimize your site with keywords, build backlinks, and stack reviews so you show up in those Google results.

AEO is about making sure your business is the one recommended when someone asks an AI-powered tool for an answer. Instead of scrolling through a page of links, a customer just gets a response. If you’re not in that answer, you’re not in the game.

Think about how a homeowner used to search:

They’d type “best electrician Denver” into Google, skim through 10–15 links, click a few, and maybe call two or three companies.

Now picture the new version:

They open ChatGPT and ask: “Who’s the best electrician in Denver who can come this week?”

And that’s it. They’ll likely go with the recommendation right in front of them.

That’s a massive change in how discovery works.

The traffic shift is real

Google has dominated for decades, but customers are changing behavior fast. More and more search traffic is flowing toward AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and even Google’s own AI Overviews.

Why? Because people don’t want to dig through websites anymore. They don’t want ads, spammy results, or to click five links before finding a straight answer. They just want to ask and get what they need.

This is especially true for home services. Nobody wants to waste time scrolling when their sink is leaking or their AC just went out. They want quick, trusted answers — and AI is delivering that.

Why this matters for home service businesses

Your business lives and dies on local discovery. If people can’t find you when they need you, they’re not calling. For years, SEO was the main way to get visibility. But if customer attention is moving to AI, you can’t just play the old SEO game and expect the same results.

Here’s the blunt truth: if you don’t show up in these new “answer engines,” you’re invisible. And the customers who would’ve called you will call your competitor instead.

What you should be thinking about now

So, what does this mean in practice? How can you prepare your business for the shift to AEO?

Get your data right.

AI engines pull from public, structured data. Make sure your business name, hours, phone number, and services are consistent everywhere — Google Business Profile, Yelp, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, you name it. If your info is outdated, you’re lowering your chances of showing up.

Build your reputation.

Reviews have always mattered for SEO, but they’re even more critical for AEO. AI engines lean heavily on reputation signals to decide who to recommend. The more reviews you have — and the more positive they are — the more likely you are to show up as a “trusted provider.”

Answer real customer questions.

Content isn’t dead — it just needs to evolve. Instead of cranking out generic blog posts, focus on content that directly answers customer questions: FAQs, troubleshooting guides, “what to do if” scenarios. These are the types of clear, useful answers AI tools pull from when generating responses.

Think visibility, not just rankings.

With SEO, the goal was to get someone to your website. With AEO, the customer might never land there. They’ll just see what the AI says about you. That means your brand reputation, reviews, and public footprint matter as much — if not more — than your website.

The bottom line

SEO isn’t going away tomorrow. People will still use Google, and rankings will still matter. But the world is tilting toward AEO, and fast.

For home service businesses, this is one of those shifts that separates the leaders from the laggards. The businesses who adapt early will win more jobs, while the ones who wait will be scratching their heads wondering why website traffic is falling off a cliff.

My advice? Don’t wait. Start thinking beyond SEO. Make sure your online footprint is clean, your reputation is strong, and your answers are out there where AI engines can find them.

The future of discovery is already here — and the question is whether your business will be the one showing up when a customer asks for help.