Published September 17, 2026 · Last updated September 29, 2026

Get found when customers ask AI who to call

More of your customers are asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot to recommend a contractor instead of Googling one. These twenty guides explain — in plain contractor language — why AI names some businesses and skips others, and what you can actually do about it.

Start with the big question, then follow whatever hurts most in your business.

Start here
Why doesn't my business show up when customers ask AI who to call?
The master diagnosis: the six reasons an AI skips your business — and a 10-minute self-check to find which one is yours.
Are AI bots accidentally blocked from my contractor website?
The two-minute robots.txt check that rules out the dumbest reason first.
Do customers actually find contractors through ChatGPT?
The numbers, dated and refreshed quarterly — why this is worth your attention.
Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitor instead of me?
A repeatable 10-minute audit that shows exactly where they're beating you.
Does my Google Business Profile show up in AI answers?
Which GBP fields the AI engines actually read — and the checklist to fix yours.
Are AI Overviews stealing my contractor leads?
How to tell it's happening to you, and what content still earns the click.
How does each AI choose which contractor to recommend?
ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity play by different rulebooks. Here's each one in plain English.
Should my contracting business pay for ChatGPT ads?
A skeptical take on the beta ads product — re-checked monthly while it's in beta.
How do I check if my business shows up in AI search?
The monthly self-audit: exact prompts, a tracking table, and how to read the results.
Is SEO dead for contractors? Do I still need my website?
Short answer: your website is your #1 AI citation source. Here's what dies and what compounds.
ChatGPT Recommended My Business Last Week — Why Am I Gone This Week?
Named last week, gone this week: the stickiness numbers and the weekly churn-log protocol.
Google Quotes My Website but ChatGPT Never Names Me — Do They Even Read the Same Websites?
Quoted by one engine, invisible in another — why AI visibility is four separate scorecards.
My ChatGPT Plus shows no ads — but my free-plan customers might be seeing my competitor's ad
Your Plus account hides the ads your free-plan customers see. The two-minute inventory check.
When ChatGPT names my business, is it remembering me or reading the web right now?
Memory or live search? The two-minute search-off test that shows which layer is broken.
What Does ChatGPT Actually Understand About Your Business?
The four-point pre-audit: what the AI can actually access, understand, and quote about you.
Do I Need to Be on Reddit for ChatGPT to Recommend Me?
Reddit was cited 136 times to google.com's 0. Why answer-shaped pages get quoted — and the three rungs.
When Someone Taps "Request a Quote" in ChatGPT, Who Gets the Lead?
The button is Yelp's feature. Who gets the lead, who bills, and what to do before the next tap.
"Why Did You Recommend Them?" — The 5-Minute Interrogation
Ask the engine why it named your competitor. Free competitive intelligence, tonight.
Which AI Should I Actually Care About — ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or Perplexity?
No engine is proven to send better leads. Feed the three wells and let your ledger decide.
"I Show Up When They Ask One Way, but Not When They Ask Another"
Visibility varies 4.5x by phrasing. The six-phrasing matrix and one page per job.