Market Movers
Search in 2026 does not look like search two years ago. People ask AI who to hire, and they ask in more places than Google. I pulled together the numbers I keep coming back to: how people search now, which AI tools they use, and what the laws say. Sources are at the bottom.
How People Ask Has Changed
People used to type "plumber near me" or "HVAC repair Stamford". Now many of them type a full question, the way they would ask a friend.
"HVAC repair Stamford"
3-5 keywords typed into Google
"My AC is blowing warm air and making a clicking noise. What could be wrong and who should I call in Stamford?"
20-30 word conversational prompts in AI assistants
So your pages need to answer full questions, not just repeat keywords. And more apps are answering those questions.
How Big the AI Search Tools Are
Google is not the only one anymore. These are the sizes:
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
weekly active users
Google AI Overviews
monthly users globally: AI answers now appear at the top of traditional search
Perplexity
monthly queries
Grok (xAI)
daily active users, integrated into the X platform with real-time search capabilities
Apple Siri × Google Gemini
Apple has partnered with Google in a deal worth approximately $1 billion per year to power Siri with Google Gemini AI. So when an iPhone owner asks Siri who to call, the answer leans on Google's data. Your Google presence counts for voice search too.
The Impact on Traditional Search Results
AI answers also take clicks away from regular search results:
Featured Snippets
Featured snippets dropped 64% in the first half of 2025 as AI Overviews replaced them at the top of results
Local AI Results
domain volatility in local AI results: the businesses shown in AI answers change frequently and unpredictably
In plain words: the company the AI names today may not be the one it names tomorrow. That is why I check the answers every month instead of once.
Using AI Is Not the Same as Being Found by It
of small businesses now use AI tools in some way, for scheduling, customer service or writing.
Using ChatGPT to write an email is one thing. Making sure ChatGPT names your company when a homeowner asks is another. The second is the work I mean by AI search. Since the names in local AI answers change so often, a smaller company is not locked out by the big ones.
AI Disclosure Laws: Where They Stand
The rules are real, and narrower than the headlines. Here is where the main state laws stand as of October 2026. The common thread: if a customer could think they are talking to a person, the AI has to say it is AI.
AI Policy Act (SB 149, amended by SB 226)
In force since May 2024. If a customer asks, a business must say clearly that they are talking to AI. Licensed professions must say it up front in high-risk conversations. Runs through July 1, 2027.
Chatbot Disclosure Act (LD 1727)
In force since September 16, 2025. Any business chatbot that could make a reasonable customer think it is a person must say clearly that it is not. A violation counts as an unfair trade practice.
In force since July 2019. A bot used to sell to or persuade people in California must say it is a bot.
Responsible AI Governance Act (HB 149)
In force since January 1, 2026. Disclosure duties cover government agencies and health care providers. It also bans certain deceptive and harmful uses of AI for everyone.
General Business Law, Article 47
In force since November 5, 2025. AI companion apps must tell users they are talking to AI and follow safety rules. A further law signed October 28, 2026 adds protections for minors from January 1, 2027.
Signed May 27, 2026. Rules start in stages: most on October 1, 2026, companion chatbot disclosure on January 1, 2027, and notices for AI used in hiring by October 1, 2027.
The 2024 Colorado AI Act never took effect. It was replaced in May 2026 by a narrower law on automated decisions that starts January 1, 2027.
For a contractor, the safe habit is simple: any website chat, text assistant or AI-drafted reply says it is AI, every time. That is how I build every system, whatever the state requires. This is a plain summary, not legal advice; ask your attorney about your own business.
Traditional SEO vs GEO
Traditional SEO gets you ranked. GEO, short for Generative Engine Optimization, gets you recommended.
| Traditional SEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank on search results pages | Get recommended in AI answers |
| How You Win | Backlinks, keywords, technical SEO | Structured data, authority, entity signals |
| Competition | 10 blue links per page | 1 to 3 AI recommendation slots |
| Time to Results | 3 to 6 months | Varies. No set date. |
| Content Strategy | Keyword targeted pages | Question answering, cite worthy content |
| Local Signals | GBP, citations, map pack | Schema, reviews, entity consistency |
| Cost | Ongoing content + link building | Technical setup + authoritative content |
Where I Would Start
Audit Your AI Visibility
Search for your services on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Write down who gets named.
Optimize Your Content for Conversational Queries
Replace keyword-stuffed pages with pages that answer real questions.
Claim and Optimize Every Platform Profile
Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, Angi, and industry-specific directories. AI platforms pull from all of them.
Implement Structured Data Across Your Site
Schema markup (LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, Review) helps AI understand your business and increases citation likelihood.
Start Building Content Authority Now
Service pages, useful articles and finished-job write-ups all feed what the AI knows about you.
Make Your AI Say It Is AI
If you use a chatbot or AI tools with customers, have them say so up front. Several states already require it, and customers trust it more.
Sources
- OpenAI: ChatGPT 800M weekly active users (TechCrunch, October 2025)
- Google: AI Overviews 2B+ monthly users (Google CEO blog, Q2 2025 earnings)
- Perplexity: Company growth metrics and public disclosures
- xAI: Grok platform statistics (2025)
- TechCrunch: Apple-Google Gemini partnership ($1B/yr deal, November 2025)
- BrightLocal: Local AI Search Volatility Research (2025)
- Utah Legislature: SB 226 (2025), amending the AI Policy Act, SB 149 (2024)
- Maine Legislature: LD 1727, effective September 16, 2025
- California Legislature: SB 1001, BOT Act, effective July 1, 2019
- Texas Legislature: HB 149, effective January 1, 2026
- New York General Business Law, Article 47, effective November 5, 2025
- Connecticut General Assembly: Public Act 26-15, signed May 27, 2026
- Colorado Legislature: SB 26-189, signed May 14, 2026, effective January 1, 2027
This is the work I do for contractors: how Google and AI answers find you, and contractor websites built for it.