Owned and Operated - A Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Business Growth Podcast

#231 How AI Will Change Home Service Marketing Forever

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Aug 7, 2025

Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, reveals how AI is fundamentally transforming local search for home service businesses. He discusses the urgent need for HVAC, plumbing, and service operators to adapt their marketing strategies or risk becoming obsolete. Preston emphasizes the significance of SEO, Google Business Profiles, and quality reviews in the AI-driven landscape. Listeners learn about AI tools like ChatGPT and their impact on marketing effectiveness, customer engagement, and operational efficiencies that can set businesses apart in a competitive market.

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INSIGHT

SEO Powers AI Search Visibility

AI-driven local search prioritizes SEO and review quality more than ever before.
Ranking well in LLMs depends heavily on backlinks, citation quantity, and robust FAQ content.

ADVICE

Google Business Profile Matters

Prioritize your Google Business Profile alongside website SEO for local AI search success.
Maintain an updated and accurate GMB as it contributes significantly to maps and AI search results.

ANECDOTE

AI Search Favors Recent Reviews

AI search surfaces small businesses with fewer reviews, not just the biggest review holders.
Recent review activity heavily influences AI search rankings, not just total review count.

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AI isn’t coming — it’s here. And the way people find your business is already changing.

In this episode of Owned and Operated, John sits down with Sam Preston, CEO of Service Scalers, for a deep-dive on how AI is reshaping local search and why HVAC, plumbing, and home service operators need to evolve fast — or risk being left behind.

They explore what it means to “rank” in a world of LLMs, how showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overview actually works, and why your SEO and Google Business Profile (GMB) are more valuable than ever. From review mining to AI-mode discovery to early signs of AI agents booking jobs, this episode lays out a real-world, contractor-first roadmap to dominate in the AI-driven search era.

You’ll also hear how Wilson’s early investment in SEO and programmatic content is now paying off — and why operators of every size should focus on backlinks, FAQs, and review quality today to future-proof their lead flow.

Whether you’re doing $1M or $50M, if you want to stay visible and competitive as AI search becomes the new front door to your business, this one’s essential.

💼 Extra Special Thanks to Service Scalers!

We’ve been partnering with Service Scalers to maximize our Local Service Ads (LSAs) and optimize our Google My Business profiles, and the results have been incredible. With hundreds of thousands in sales and 900+ calls in a single week, GMBs are now our top-performing organic lead channel.

Want to learn how Service Scalers can do the same for you?

🔗Check Them Out Here

💼 Shoutout to Quick Staffers LLC

Need trained HVAC & plumbing CSRs at a fraction of the cost? Quick Staffers LLC specializes in placing top-tier global talent with the best SOPs and scripts.

🔥 Get $1,000 off your first placement here

💸Sponsored by CFO Made Easy

Built a strong trades business? Let’s take it to $10M and beyond. CFO Made Easy offers part-time CFO services for home and trade service businesses—helping you boost cash flow, maximize profit per tech, and make clear growth decisions.

📈 Free Offer: Book a 45-min Financial Insight Session to uncover growth blockers.

🎙️ Hosts:
John Wilson → [https://x.com/wilsoncompanies]
Sam Preston → [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampreston/]

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John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Companies
Jack Carr, CEO of Rapid HVAC

📌 Disclaimer: Some links may include UTM parameters or affiliate relationships, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. Episodes may feature sponsors, but all opinions expressed are our own.