Want More ChatGPT & AI Search Leads for Your Restoration Business?

Rising customer acquisition costs are a common theme for restoration contractors in 2024. With lead costs on the rise, many companies are exploring ways to diversify and attract new customers on alternative platforms.

One of the fastest-growing AI search platforms is ChatGPT, and with their upcoming launch of the Search GPT product as well as a deeper integration into iPhones over the next twelve months, it's a perfect opportunity to explore ways to optimize your restoration company website for better performance on ChatGPT and related products.

How To Show Up More Often For Water Damage Restoration Searches on ChatGPT

Over the last ninety days, HLM has conducted hundreds of single-variable tests to identify how often results are changing for search terms that consistently drive high conversion for property owners searching for emergency services.

• Restoration Company + Geographic Area
• Water Damage Restoration + Geographic Area

Through our tests, we wanted to identify what websites ChatGPT may be visiting and leveraging as a source in order to determine what companies they recommend when potential customers are searching online.

Our goal was to identify reputable websites and directories that were consistently referenced by ChatGPT as a source that they were attributing to their top three recommendations.

For example, we asked ChatGPT for “Restoration Companies Dallas Texas.” The top 3 companies ChatGPT suggested were:

• Specialty Restoration of Texas
• Dalworth Restoration
• Texas Disaster Restoration

We then prompted ChatGPT to provide the source “websites” they utilized in helping to determine their recommendations and they returned the following:

• Yelp
• Home Advisor
• Angie's List

We took two approaches to help organize and analyze our data. The first thing we did was explore the exact search query across the top fifty U.S. markets and we documented the data. We wanted to see if there was a pattern of sources we could identify that would help us feel confident that ChatGPT was consistently referencing these websites. 

The second thing we did was to repeat the above research queries across multiple dates and document all of the data. Through hundreds of single-variable search queries, our goal was to identify and document the patterns.

Which Website Sources Can Help You Rank Better on ChatGPT?

After studying hundreds of data points, we began to see consistent patterns emerge for the websites that ChatGPT was regularly citing as top sources for their recommendations. 

Yelp was the most cited source for landing in the top three spots for searches that included “Restoration Company Geographic City” they were cited as a source 94% of the time across multiple dates when we prompted ChatGPT.  

Popular websites such as the BBB, Angies List and Home Advisor also were regularly mentioned as leading sources that contributed to the recommendation from ChatGPT. These websites are all highly authoritative and have been around for a long time, which likely is one of the key reasons why ChatGPT leveraged them as a source.

What about Niche Directories and Citations for Better ChatGPT Performance?

Beyond the popular directories, we uncovered some sources that ChatGPT referenced that might be flying under the radar for many restoration companies.

In the Sacramento market, ChatGPT referenced Qualified Remodel Magazine, and in the Atlanta market, Trust Dale Certification during some of our data sample runs.

These outliers provide opportunity to explore deeper integration into websites that ChatGPT is visiting and leveraging to help build awareness for restoration companies hoping to improve their performance. 

ChatGPT is rapidly emerging as a popular search platform due to its ability to provide personalized, conversational responses that go beyond traditional search engines.

One of the main reasons why ChatGPT is growing quickly is that it can understand and respond to complex queries in a human-like manner, offering more relevant and contextually appropriate answers.

This capability makes it a powerful tool for users looking for specific information or solutions, as it can interpret nuanced requests and deliver precise results quickly.

Increase Your ChatGPT Visibility Today

If you’re hoping to improve your restoration company's visibility for water damage, fire damage, and restoration-related emergency services on ChatGPT and other AI search engines, contact HLM for a marketing consultation today. HLM has been helping restoration companies grow their brand and attract more customers for over a dozen years.