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ORIGINAL RESEARCH / 2026
State of AI Search for Home Services 2026
What 847 AI-generated contractor recommendations reveal about Google Business Profiles, structured website content, and visibility across six home-service trades.
Homerankr Contractor AI Visibility Study·847 searches·6 trades·14 U.S. metro markets·ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity
AI search is creating a visibility divide in home services. Some contractors are consistently included when homeowners ask AI tools who to call. Others are absent—even when they have a functioning website and years of local experience.
Homerankr analyzed 847 contractor-intent searches to identify the signals associated with appearing in AI-generated recommendations. The strongest patterns were clear local answers on websites, accurate and active Google Business Profiles, and credible evidence that a business serves the work and market it claims.
Study period: May–August 2026 · Surfaces: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity
The short version
In Homerankr\u2019s Contractor AI Visibility Study, contractor visibility in AI-generated answers varied sharply by trade and by the quality of a business\u2019s local information.
4.2x
Structured answers were associated with more citations
Contractors using direct-answer blocks, FAQPage schema, and named service areas were cited 4.2 times more often than contractors using conventional service-page copy.
The study found this pattern across relevant AI-generated answers.
67% vs. <11%
Complete GBP signals correlated with AI Overview inclusion
Businesses with 40+ reviews, an accurate primary category, and recent photo activity appeared in Google AI Overviews in 67% of relevant analyzed cases. Businesses missing two or more signals appeared in fewer than 11%.
Associated — not proven causative.
39 points
Trade gap between strongest and weakest visibility
HVAC contractors appeared in 61% of relevant AI-generated answers, compared with 22% for electrical contractors.
39 percentage-point gap observed in the study.
!
AI visibility is not a separate marketing channel. It is the result of whether search systems can verify what a contractor does, where it works, and why it is credible.
How the study worked
An observational analysis of 847 contractor-intent searches
From May through August 2026, Homerankr evaluated 847 contractor-intent searches across six home-service trades and 14 U.S. metro markets. The study observed results from ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.
Queries were designed around service-plus-city questions, \u201cwho does\u201d questions, urgent service needs, and recommendation-oriented searches. Each result was assessed for contractor inclusion, source characteristics, and visible business-information signals.
Service + cityWho doesUrgent / emergencyRecommendation
Search sample
847 searches
Markets
14 U.S. metros
Trades
HVAC · Plumbing · Roofing · Remodeling · Pool building · Electrical
Surfaces
ChatGPT · Google AI Overviews · Perplexity
Period
May–August 2026
Analysis
Inclusion patterns, citation characteristics, GBP and website signals
LIMITATIONS
This is an observational study, not a controlled experiment. It identifies patterns associated with visibility and does not prove that any single action causes inclusion in an AI answer. AI responses can vary by query, market, time, and platform.
AI visibility differs sharply by trade
AI response appearance rate by trade
The analysis observed how often contractors in each trade appeared in relevant AI-generated answers. HVAC had the highest appearance rate; electrical the lowest.
HVAC
61%
61%
Plumbing
54%
54%
Roofing
49%
49%
Remodeling
31%
31%
Pool building
24%
24%
Electrical
22%
22%
AI response appearance rate by trade
Trade
Appearance rate
HVAC
61%
Plumbing
54%
Roofing
49%
Remodeling
31%
Pool building
24%
Electrical
22%
39-POINT GAP · HVAC 61% vs. Electrical 22%The study found a 39 percentage-point gap between HVAC and electrical.
What this means
The difference should not be read as a measure of contractor quality. It indicates that some trades have stronger digital evidence ecosystems than others: clearer service-page structures, more established review profiles, more third-party references, and more readily verifiable local information.
Opportunity
The lower-visibility trades—electrical, pool building, and remodeling—represent a substantial opportunity.
Contractors in these categories can stand out by publishing more useful local service content and strengthening third-party credibility before the category becomes more competitive.
Structured answers were associated with more citations
Pages that answered the question early and clearly were cited more often
Conventional service pages often describe a company. Pages that appeared more often in AI-generated recommendations were more likely to answer the user\u2019s actual question early and clearly.
Observed pattern
4.2×
more often cited
The study found contractors using a combination of direct-answer blocks, FAQPage schema, and named service areas were cited 4.2 times more often than contractors using conventional service-page copy.
Direct-answer blocksFAQPage schemaNamed service areas
Also observed
78% of contractors cited at least once included a direct answer to a \u201cwho does [service] in [city]\u201d question within the first 200 words of a relevant page.
Conventional service-page copy
\u201cWe are a trusted [trade] company committed to excellent service and customer satisfaction.\u201d
Describes the company, but does not answer the homeowner\u2019s local question.
Citation-ready local answer
\u201c[Company] provides [specific service] across [city, neighborhood, and nearby market]. Homeowners call us for [relevant problem], and our team offers [verifiable proof point, license, credential, or project evidence].\u201d
Answers the question first, with verifiable service, location, and proof.
The goal is not keyword repetition. It is making the service, location, eligibility, and proof easy for a search system—and a homeowner—to verify.
Google Business Profile signals still matter
Complete and active profiles were strongly associated with Google AI Overview inclusion
Google Business Profile activity was strongly associated with Google AI Overview inclusion in the study. Businesses with complete and active local profiles were far more likely to appear than businesses with missing or stale signals.
ALL 3 SIGNALS PRESENT
67%
appeared in relevant analyzed AI Overview cases
40+ reviewsAccurate primary categoryPhoto in last 90 days
MISSING 2+ SIGNALS
<11%
appeared in relevant analyzed AI Overview cases
Same study window. Same case criteria. Different GBP signal completeness.
01
40 or more reviews
Genuine, policy-compliant review volume appropriate for business maturity.
02
Accurate primary category
The category that truthfully matches the contractor’s core service.
03
Photo activity in previous 90 days
Recent project, team, or business imagery that corroborates activity.
This does not mean a review count alone creates AI visibility. It means AI-facing local results are more likely to favor businesses whose identity and activity are easier to corroborate across Google\u2019s local ecosystem.
Field evidence from active campaigns
What stronger signals looked like in practice
Campaign-specific results. Results vary by query, market, competition, and operating response.
SA
Summit Air & Heating
Austin, Texas · HVAC
14 → 47
Google Business Profile calls per month in 60 days
Following a primary-category correction, Summit Air & Heating increased Google Business Profile calls from 14 to 47 per month within 60 days.
Campaign-specific result. Results vary.
AQ
Aquacade Pools
Long Island, New York · Pool Building
#1ChatGPT citation in Nassau County
After review profile expansion
After expanding its verified review profile from 40 to 120 reviews, Aquacade Pools reached the number-one ChatGPT citation in Nassau County.
Campaign-specific result. Results vary by query, market, competition, and operating response.
What contractors should do next
The same six levers the study measured — applied together
01
Map Pack Engineering
Maintain accurate categories, service areas, reviews, photos, and business information in Google Business Profile.
02
Service & City Architecture
Build useful pages for real services and markets. Avoid thin, interchangeable city templates.
03
AI Overview Optimization
Place direct answers near the top of relevant pages. Use headings, concise lists, and FAQs that reflect real homeowner questions.
04
LLM Citation Building
Earn credible references through trade associations, suppliers, manufacturers, chambers, licensing sources, project features, and reputable local coverage.
05
Review Velocity Engine
Request and respond to genuine reviews consistently after completed work. Do not buy, filter, or incentivize reviews.
06
Lead Capture Automation
Make AI-driven discovery useful by responding quickly, tracking calls, and preventing missed leads from becoming lost jobs.
AI visibility self-audit
Check your business in under five minutes
Client-side only. Nothing is collected or submitted.
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Frequently asked questions
What contractors ask about AI visibility
AI visibility is the likelihood that a contractor appears in AI-generated search answers, recommendations, or cited sources when homeowners ask service and location-specific questions.
There is no special schema type that guarantees inclusion in Google AI Overviews. Contractors need helpful crawlable content, accurate business information, and structured data that matches visible page content.
Google Business Profiles help Google verify a contractor’s category, activity, reviews, photos, location information, and business identity. In this study, complete and active profiles were associated with much higher AI Overview inclusion.
HVAC had the highest appearance rate in the study at 61%, followed by plumbing at 54% and roofing at 49%. Remodeling, pool building, and electrical appeared less often.
Start with accurate Google Business Profile information, direct answers on priority service pages, real service-area content, review consistency, and credible references from sources customers and search systems can verify.
SEE WHERE YOU ARE INVISIBLE
Find out whether AI search is recommending your competitors.
Book a free 15-minute AI Visibility Audit. Homerankr will show where your business appears—or fails to appear—in Google Maps, Google AI Overviews, and relevant answer-engine discovery.