As of earlier this year, 48% of Google searches triggered an AI answer instead of a traditional results list, and overall search volume has declined roughly 29% as more of that activity shifts into AI chat tools. Google’s May 2026 rollout has been called the biggest search redesign in 25 years, and AI Mode alone now has more than 1 billion monthly users, with query volume doubling every quarter.
The part that should get every business owner’s attention? Google AI overviews caused a 58% lower click-through rate for top pages, according to Ahrefs, and according to Pew Research, only 8% of users clicked on a link when presented with an AI summary. The old goal was earning a click on your page — now it’s being quietly replaced by a new one: earning the citation. If an AI answer engine doesn’t mention or recommend your business by name, the weight of how well your business is ranking on a results page changes, because people aren’t as inclined to scroll anymore.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) shares a similar foundation to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), but it’s a different playbook. Ranking position matters less now, and AI citations are becoming increasingly important. Recommendations, where an AI tool suggests your business by name, are becoming more valuable than the ten blue links that come with a search.
Consumers are already choosing AI over Google for certain kinds of questions, including several that map directly onto how people shop for HVAC services. Recent research found that 32% of people have replaced a Google search with AI for how-to guides and tutorials, 25% for product and shopping research, and meaningful shares for customer service questions and financial decisions.
The businesses that show up in those AI answers won’t necessarily be the ones spending the most on ads. They will be the ones providing the clearest, most directly useful answers on pricing guidance, FAQ content, comparison information, and proof that they have solved these exact problems before.
1. Make sure AI can read your site
Check that your site is clean and fast, and keep an eye on emerging standards like llms.txt and schema aggregation.
2. Lead with the answer
Put direct answers first, use question-based headings (“How much does a new HVAC system cost?”), build out FAQ content, cite data and sources, and use comparison tables where they make sense.
3. Build authority signals
AI tools weigh content with E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Brand mentions, social presence and earned media outweigh backlinks as a signal in AI overviews.
4. Don’t neglect the basics
Keep your Google Business Profile complete and current, maintain consistent business name, address and phone (NAP) information everywhere it’s listed, and actively generate and respond to reviews.
AI is changing how people search, but it isn’t changing what they are searching for. Homeowners still want a trustworthy HVAC company that can solve their problem quickly. People are not visiting websites to find answers because an AI agent may easily compare and decide the answer before your business is ever even involved.
The businesses that adapt their content strategy now, before AEO becomes standard practice across the industry, will have a head start on being the answer and not just an option in a list.
How prepared is your business for this new environment of search? If you’re not sure, that’s exactly the conversation we are having with clients right now.
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