AI Overviews and Home Service SEO: What to Know

Google’s AI Overviews changed search results in ways that matter for home service contractors. Instead of showing ten blue links, Google now generates AI-written summaries at the top of many search results pages.

AI Overviews appear on roughly 47% of search results in certain categories. That number varies by query type. Informational searches like “how to fix a running toilet” trigger AI Overviews frequently. Local service searches like “plumber near me” trigger them less often, but the line between categories keeps shifting.

For contractors who rely on organic search traffic, this isn’t something to ignore. The rules of SEO visibility are changing mid-game.

What AI Overviews actually are

When a user searches for something informational, Google generates a written summary using AI. This summary appears above all organic results, above the ads, above the Local Pack. It’s the first thing users see.

The AI pulls information from multiple websites and synthesizes an answer. Sometimes it cites sources with small links below the summary. Sometimes it doesn’t. Users can expand the overview or scroll past it to see traditional results, but many get their answer from the summary and never scroll.

The AI doesn’t create new information. It aggregates and summarizes existing content from the web. If your website has content that matches what the AI is looking for, you might get cited. If you don’t, you’re invisible for that query.

How this affects home service search

Local service queries behave differently than informational queries. A search for “emergency plumber Phoenix” still shows the Local Pack prominently. The AI doesn’t try to replace service providers with a summary. Nobody wants to read about plumbing when their bathroom is flooding.

But searches with informational intent trigger AI Overviews even in home service contexts. “How much does it cost to replace a water heater” gets an AI summary with price ranges, factors that affect cost, and sometimes citations to contractor websites or home improvement publications.

“Signs your AC compressor is failing” gets an AI-generated list of symptoms. “How long does roof replacement take” gets a summarized timeline.

These informational queries often precede service queries. Someone researching water heater costs today may be searching for “water heater installer near me” tomorrow. If your content gets cited in the research phase, you’ve established credibility before they start calling contractors.

The traffic impact is real

Studies show websites in AI Overview results experience a 34% average decrease in click-through rates. Users get their answer from the summary and don’t click through to the source.

This isn’t universally catastrophic. Some content types suffer more than others. Simple factual queries that can be answered in a sentence lose almost all their traffic. Complex topics where users need more detail retain click-throughs better.

For contractors, the traffic that matters most is commercial intent. Someone searching “best plumber in Denver” or “HVAC installation quotes” isn’t looking for an AI summary. They want to find a specific business and contact them. These searches remain less affected.

The content strategy implication is clear. Writing surface-level informational content that AI can summarize completely may not drive traffic like it used to. Writing detailed, specific content that requires deeper engagement still works.

Getting cited in AI Overviews

When AI Overviews do cite sources, certain content patterns appear more frequently. Understanding these patterns helps you create content that gets visibility.

Structured content with clear headers wins. AI parses H2 and H3 headers to understand content organization. A page with logical heading structure covering multiple aspects of a topic is easier for AI to pull information from.

Direct answers to specific questions get cited. Content that asks a question in a header and immediately provides a clear, concise answer in the following paragraph matches what AI is looking for. This overlaps heavily with featured snippet optimization.

Authoritative sources get preference. Sites with strong domain authority, clear E-E-A-T signals, and established topical authority get cited more frequently. A contractor website with hundreds of pages of relevant content, author bios, methodology explanations, and citation-worthy resources has an advantage over a thin 5-page brochure site.

Data and specifics stand out. AI Overviews often include specific numbers, percentages, and concrete details. Content with original research, industry benchmarks, or specific pricing information provides material the AI can use.

The local SEO buffer

Home service contractors have a structural advantage that many industries don’t. Local intent queries are harder for AI to summarize because the answer depends on location, availability, and personal factors that AI can’t know.

“Find me a good electrician” requires knowing the user’s location, the specific electrical work needed, the user’s budget, and their preferences. AI can provide general advice about finding electricians, but it can’t actually find one.

The Local Pack remains prominent for service queries. Google still shows the map with three businesses, and users still click through to business profiles and websites. This traffic source is more resilient than purely organic informational traffic.

Your Google Business Profile becomes even more important in an AI Overview world. It’s the one place where you’re represented in local results regardless of whether AI summaries dominate the informational space.

Content strategy adjustments

Generic informational content is a weaker investment now. A 500-word blog post answering “how much does HVAC installation cost” won’t rank above an AI-generated answer that synthesizes data from 20 sources.

Go deeper or go more specific. “How much does HVAC installation cost in Phoenix for a 2,500 square foot home built before 1980” is specific enough that AI can’t answer it comprehensively. You can become the definitive source for narrow, detailed queries.

Create content that requires human expertise. Case studies, before-and-after documentation, specific project breakdowns, and local market analysis provide value that AI aggregation can’t replicate.

Interactive tools beat static content. A cost calculator, a service area checker, a maintenance scheduling tool. These provide functionality that users need to engage with directly. AI can’t summarize an interactive experience.

Focus on content that converts. Traffic for traffic’s sake was always questionable. Now it’s more questionable. A page that gets 1,000 visits and zero leads was already a problem. Better to have a page that gets 100 visits and 10 leads, even if total traffic drops.

The expertise advantage

Google’s AI Overviews pull from sources that demonstrate expertise. The helpful content update already prioritized first-hand experience. AI Overviews extend this by favoring content that adds genuine value over regurgitated advice.

Contractors have expertise that content farms don’t. You know what problems actually look like in the field. You know what questions customers really ask. You know what a water heater installation actually costs in your specific market.

Surface that expertise explicitly. Write about specific jobs you’ve done (anonymized if necessary). Explain the trade-offs you consider when diagnosing problems. Share the local factors that affect your pricing. This content demonstrates experience that AI can’t fake.

Author pages matter more. Linking content to named authors with verifiable credentials signals expertise. Your about page and author bios should establish why readers should trust your advice.

Schema and structured data

AI systems parse structured data more effectively than unstructured text. Schema markup that identifies your content type, your business information, and your content structure helps AI understand what you’re offering.

LocalBusiness schema remains essential. FAQPage schema helps for question-based content. HowTo schema works for procedural content. Service schema describes your offerings.

This isn’t a silver bullet. Schema doesn’t guarantee AI Overview citations. But it removes friction for AI systems trying to understand your content.

The measurement challenge

Traditional SEO metrics become harder to interpret. Impressions might stay stable while clicks drop. Rankings might look good while traffic declines. You might rank position 1 for a query and still get zero clicks because the AI Overview answers the question completely.

Track conversions, not just traffic. A page that ranks for an informational query but generates zero leads was already underperforming. AI Overviews just make the underperformance more visible.

Watch for branded search trends. If your informational content builds awareness even without clicks, you should see increases in branded searches over time. People who read about you in an AI citation might search for your business name directly later.

The bottom line for contractors

AI Overviews are one of many changes that favor businesses with genuine expertise over thin content. If your SEO strategy was built on publishing mediocre blog posts stuffed with keywords, that strategy was already dying. AI Overviews accelerate its death.

If your SEO strategy is built on being genuinely useful to potential customers, creating content that demonstrates real expertise, and optimizing the local search presence that drives actual calls, you’re positioned well.

Local search remains robust. Commercial intent queries remain click-driven. The 96% of visitors who leave your site without converting are still leaving. Fixing the conversion problem matters more than chasing every algorithm change.

Keep your Google Business Profile optimized. Keep generating reviews. Keep your website fast and mobile-friendly. Create content that’s worth citing. The basics that worked before AI Overviews still work after them.

The contractors who panic about AI Overviews are usually the ones who were already doing SEO wrong. The contractors who focus on being genuinely useful to their market will adapt and thrive.