AI search test · October 2026
WHO DOES AI RECOMMEND
FOR CONTRACTOR WEBSITES? WE ASKED 38 TIMES.
We asked ChatGPT, Google's AI Mode and Brave the questions contractors ask before hiring a web designer. Here is who got named, what the answers were built from, and what that means if you want AI to recommend your own business.
Run October 29, 2026. AI answers change over time and from one question to the next, so treat this as a snapshot, not a ranking.
THE SHORT VERSION
Four things stood out across the answers.
The same few agencies come up again and again
Hook Agency and Blue Corona / RYNO came up in 6 of the 38 answers each, Contractor Gorilla and Thrive in 4. Big national names with years of pages, lists and reviews behind them.
Names that say the trade get picked
Ask about a plumbing website and ChatGPT reaches for companies called things like Plumbing Webmasters. Ask about concrete and it finds Concrete Internet Marketing.
Whoever wrote the guide gets quoted
Most of Google's answers were assembled from “how to choose” articles written by agencies. The agency that wrote the clearest guide was the source, and often got named.
City questions go to whoever looks local
Ask about Denver or Dallas and the answers switch to companies with an address, a Google Business Profile or a page built for that city.
HOW WE TESTED
Plain questions, asked the way a contractor would ask them, with no account history to steer the answers.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Assistants | ChatGPT with search, Google AI Mode set to US results, and Brave's AI answers. All signed out. |
| Trade questions | “Who should build a website for my [trade] company?” for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, general contracting, painting and concrete. |
| City questions | “[Trade] website design company in [city]” for roofing, HVAC and plumbing in Phoenix, Dallas, Atlanta and Denver. |
| Other questions | The best website design companies for contractors, what a contractor website costs, and whether to use Wix or Squarespace. |
| What we recorded | Every company named, and the sources each answer was built from. |
38 answers in total: 17 from Google, 17 from ChatGPT and 4 from Brave. Google paused us with a robot check partway through, so not every question was asked everywhere. Each question was asked once. Ask again tomorrow and some names will change.
WHAT WE FOUND
Six patterns, and what each one tells a contractor about how these tools choose.
Most answers follow the same script
Most of Google’s “who should build my website” answers offered three paths: a specialist agency, a local freelancer, or doing it yourself. Then it dropped in a few company names.
The big national agencies dominate
The most-named companies were the ones with the most published pages about contractor marketing, and their own “best web designers” lists. Size of footprint, not a test of their work.
Matching words matter more than you'd think
ChatGPT repeatedly chose companies whose name or website address repeats the question: plumbing, HVAC, roofing, concrete, painting. For city questions, several picks had the city in the domain itself.
Guides are the raw material
Google's AI Mode built answers from agencies' how-to articles (on budgets, options and what a good site needs) and from Reddit threads such as r/Roofing. Clear, specific explanations got used.
Local answers lean on listings
For city questions, Google's answers pulled in Google Business Profile cards with ratings and addresses, plus Thumbtack and Yelp. The companies named were mostly ones with a listing in that city.
DIY is often the recommendation for small crews
Several answers told small or new contractors to start with Wix, Squarespace or the website built into their job software, like Jobber, and to hire a specialist once they grow. We wrote about that choice in Wix or Squarespace vs a custom site.
WHO GOT NAMED MOST
Counted across all 38 answers: how many times each company was named as a pick. A count of mentions, not a judgment of anyone's work.
| Company | Answers it came up in | Where it came up |
|---|---|---|
| Hook Agency | 6 of 38 | Roofing, HVAC, general contracting and “best companies” questions, on ChatGPT and Google |
| Blue Corona / RYNO | 6 of 38 | HVAC, plumbing, electrical and “best companies” |
| Contractor Gorilla | 4 of 38 | General contracting, concrete and “best companies” |
| Thrive | 4 of 38 | Roofing, Dallas and “best companies” |
| Footbridge Media | 3 of 38 | Plumbing, electrical and painting |
| Sun City Marketing | 3 of 38 | City questions for Phoenix and Atlanta |
Everyone else was named once or twice, usually a smaller shop for one trade or one city.
HOW TO GET YOUR BUSINESS RECOMMENDED
The same patterns likely apply when a homeowner asks AI for a roofer, a plumber or an electrician. Nobody can promise a recommendation, but these are the things the answers we saw were built from.
- Give every main service its own page, named the way customers ask: “Roof repair in Mesa”, not one page called “Services”.
- Set up and fill in your Google Business Profile, and keep your name, phone and service area the same on every listing you have.
- Get listed where your trade gets found, such as Thumbtack, Yelp or Houzz, where it fits.
- Answer the questions customers actually ask, on your own site, in plain words: prices, timelines, what's included, what to do in an emergency.
- Earn recent, real reviews. In local answers, ratings and review counts sat right next to the names that got picked.
- Make sure AI tools can read your site: fast, plain pages, nothing important hidden behind images or logins, and AI crawlers not blocked.
Curious what AI says about your business right now? Ask it the way your customers would: “Who's a good [your trade] in [your town]?”. Or send us your site and we'll include it in a free website audit.
WHERE TO START
Pick the line that sounds like your business.
If you have no Google Business Profile
Start there. Google’s city answers pulled in local listings, and a profile is free. Our Google Business Profile setup page covers what to fill in.
If you have a profile but a thin website
Give each service its own page that names the trade, the towns you work in and what the job involves. An assistant can only describe what it can read.
If your site is solid but nobody names you
Write the guide your customers keep asking for: what a job costs, how long it takes, what to watch out for. In our test, whoever wrote the clearest guide got quoted.
If you don’t know what AI says about you
Ask ChatGPT and Google the question your customer would ask, with your trade and town. Or request a free audit with your trade and town, and we can check for you.
WANT THIS TEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
Request a free website audit and include your trade and town. We can ask the same AI tools about your business, show you what they say, and tell you what we would fix first so your business is easier for them to understand and recommend.
COMMON QUESTIONS
What contractors ask about AI search and their business.
Can anyone guarantee ChatGPT will recommend me?
No. The answers change from one question to the next and over time. Anyone promising a spot in AI answers is guessing. What you can control is how clearly your business is described and where it shows up.
Does this replace Google?
Not yet. Google’s own AI answers sit inside its search results. Most people still check Google and your reviews before they call.
Should I block AI tools from reading my site?
If you want them to recommend you, no. An assistant can only describe your business from what it can read. Check that your website isn't set to block them.
Do I need a new website for this?
Not always. Many sites need clearer service pages, a filled-in Google profile and a few honest answers more than a rebuild. A free audit is a good place to start.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS?
Ask it here and we'll answer by email. Good questions get added to this guide, without your name.
WHAT DOES AI SAY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
Send us your site and we'll tell you what we find, in writing. No call needed.
- How we think about AI search: AI-ready contractor websites
- Comparing prices? Contractor website cost guide
- Deciding on a builder? Wix or Squarespace vs a custom site