Online search is transforming. These small updates will keep your website competitive

Have you searched for something on Google lately? You might have noticed some changes in the results. To capitalize on the rise of artificial intelligence, Google has introduced its own AI system, Gemini, designed to provide the best possible results to its users, dominating the top of every page from now on. 

This shift presents a golden opportunity to attract new business, but ignoring this evolution — as many builders tend to do—could lead to dwindling website traffic, reduced lead volume, and ultimately, lost revenue.

Luckily, all you need are a few tweaks to comply and stay competitive.

Why AI Matters to Builders Like You

I know what you’re thinking, Not another article about AI... You and your team have essential skills that only humans can do, and robots aren’t going to be taking your job anytime soon. That may be true, but you should be more concerned about how these kinds of robots may be passing you up in favor of your competitors who are learning how to play nice with them.

For the last decade or so, websites with the most keywords (both organic and paid) have dominated search engine results. This has led to a cluttered search experience, where low-quality sites who game the system land priority ranking. While profitable for search engines, this approach often frustrates users.

Looking to rebalance the experience, Google and other search engines have changed the rules on how your website is going to be discovered. They are now focused on leveraging AI to generate their own high-quality content in real-time in response to search queries. 

The output is a little clunky right now, but AI is in its infancy and will continue to evolve. As the intelligence matures it will be rewarding the websites who contribute the highest quality and most relevant content by increasing their rankings on the results lists.

Adapting Your Website for the AI Era

It's exciting that this new era in technology will force a new renaissance of pure information, prioritizing writing genuine and authentic content again. Hopefully this means phasing out keyword bidding and black-hat SEO practices.

To stay competitive, your website must become a rich source of relevant and interesting information that AI-driven search engines of the future will prioritize. Keywords are being replaced by signals that convince AI that your site is a trustworthy, authoritative resource.

So what can you do to evolve your building company’s website to stay up with the trend? Here are a few suggestions:

Speak to your prospects’ needs

Take a look at your current website (or any other marketing materials for that matter). Does your content—headlines and body copy—address your prospective customers’ needs? Or are you bombarding them like a carnival barker, presenting self-serving drivel, or, worst of all, offering nothing of value?

Create a rough outline of all the top questions you hear from your clients throughout your process. Write down the answers you usually provide during your one-on-ones, especially those that highlight your unique, valuable insights gained from your niche expertise and years of experience.

Think Like an AI Search Bot

AI bots now scour websites to find valuable insights for their users. In the very near future they will start shunning key-word stuffed sites in favor of those with unique and helpful information. 

For example, start phasing out content that sounds like this:

Fishbine Construction provides asphalt and concrete and other paving services in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and every other city in the State of Washington because our asphalt, concrete and other paving solutions are the best around in Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane.

And instead, provide more direct answers to your potential clients’ needs:

The rainy Seattle climate presents unique paving challenges. Fishbine Construction offers concrete and asphalt solutions that ensure proper drainage for your surface project, providing a safe and reliable experience for your customers.

If the information is helpful and well-written, not only will your visiting audiences appreciate it, it will score points with the AI-bots and prompt them to keep your site on the top of their list.

Give a strong reason to explore further

The most crucial words on your website are in your homepage headline. They determine whether a bot (or visitors for that matter) will explore further or move on. A strong headline should capture attention both emotionally and technically.

For example, if you make high-end custom cabinets, a typical headline might be:

Crafting High-End Custom Cabinets Since 2006

This is clear and shows experience. However, a headline that resonates with both search bots and prospects could be:

Quality Cabinets Built to Spec and Delivered On Time, Guaranteed

This headline addresses key needs—quality and timely delivery—building trust and encouraging further exploration.

Every page plays a role

In the new AI landscape, pages that don’t present valuable information will be invisible. All your pages should follow a comprehensive content strategy of building upon each other and delivering a resource-rich experience throughout your site.

Your services page is typically where you lay out your capabilities, equipment and process. This section is a ripe opportunity to educate your audience based on your niche expertise and how they can learn to solve their problems drawing from your deep experience.

Your projects, or case studies section is usually where you typically present a few dated photographs and generic accompanying data. This is a capital opportunity to write about your process, from addressing your clients’ needs to delivering the final product and what you learned from the experience.

But the most important section of your website is also the one you dread the most. The blog, or sometimes called your news, articles or resources section should be respected as a prime target for AI-bots in search for valid information about your field. 

Ultimately, just posting anything on a consistent basis is beneficial to be respected by search engines. But in the days to come, writing regular quality articles about trends, observances and expert commentary about your industry will be significantly more important to being discovered online.

Don’t be afraid to emulate

Emulation is always a better tactic than always reinventing the wheel. Do your research on the top national companies in your industry and build a catalog of articles that inspire you. Ask yourself, how can I apply my own knowledge to write something better from my point of view?

Also, don’t forget to provide a link to their original article, even if they are a competitor. They may discover your shout-out and link back to yours. Linking from website to website is mutually beneficial, especially since AI bots will recognize and reward the two companies working together to inform their audiences.

Chat GPT to the Rescue?

Although you may have played around with ChatGPT and it sounds enticing, relying on it to generate all the content throughout your entire website is not a good idea. Think about this… the information it uses to respond to your prompts is sourced from other existing websites, and there is a very real possibility your competitors might be using the exact same software and getting identical results. Although it may be well-written, the lack of originality could possibly penalize both companies.

My suggestion is to allow the program to generate content to get the ball rolling, and rewrite each paragraph in your own words, according to your unique point of view. Hopefully after a while you will find you are writing quality stuff without having to use it as a crutch. No one, not even artificial intelligence machines (for the moment), know your business and can provide subject matter expertise as well as you do. 

Don’t Ignore The Signs!

Even if your website seems fine and you’d rather focus on other priorities, it’s crucial to keep it updated. Your website is a key business development tool, and neglecting it could mean missing out on potential projects.

If you have any questions or comments, we would love to help you build a plan to ensure your website remains relevant and competitive in the evolving search landscape. 

Written by Rusty George, ironically with zero help from Artificial Intelligence.

Rusty George leads a branding, website design and marketing agency serving Seattle and Tacoma area construction companies, subcontractors, engineering and architecture firms, material fabricators and suppliers. His goal is to help the building industry become more attractive to the skilled workforce of the future.

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