🏁 ROT #20: Get Seen in Google’s AI Summaries

TL;DR: Google’s new AI Overviews now show answers before normal search results — and only cite businesses it already trusts. If your website, listings, and reviews aren’t consistent and credible, you’re invisible in AI search.

To earn visibility:

• Keep your Google Business Profile complete and active.

• Write clear, local pages that answer real customer questions.

• Get mentioned on community sites, directories, and local news.

• Keep ads running while your organic authority grows.

• Follow up on every lead fast — visibility means nothing if you don’t convert it.

Google’s AI isn’t replacing search — it’s reshaping it.You win by becoming one of the trusted sources it pulls from. 🏁

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Justin here 👋

Have you noticed how Google looks different lately? 

When you search something, there’s often a big AI summary at the top of the page. That box gives people answers before they even see normal search results.

The catch is that those summaries don’t mention everyone. They only pull from websites and sources that Google already trusts. If your business isn’t one of those sources, you’re invisible.

What Changed

• Google’s new AI Overviews show short summaries at the top of search results.

• Those summaries are built from information taken from websites Google sees as reliable.

• The websites it trusts get cited under the summary.

• If you’re never cited, you don’t show up.

A citation is like a digital referral. No referrals, no visibility.

What Google Trusts Most

• A complete Google Business Profile with photos, hours, and real reviews.

• Listings on local directories and chambers that show your correct name, address, and phone (NAP).

• Pages on your website that clearly answer local service questions.

• Mentions from local news, community blogs, or industry sites.

These are the signals that prove you’re real and trustworthy.

How to Earn Visibility in Google’s AI Summaries

1. Lock in Your Local Info

• Fill out your Google Business Profile completely.

• Make sure your info matches everywhere — website, Yelp, Nextdoor, Facebook, directories.

• Keep getting reviews every week.

Google rewards clean data and steady reviews.

2. Write Pages That Answer Real Questions

Create short, clear pages on your website for what people actually search:

• “How much does junk removal cost in [City]?”

• “Dumpster sizes and what fits inside.”

• “What we haul and what we don’t.”

• “Same-day junk removal in [Neighborhood].”

Use your city name. Keep it simple. Answer the question completely. AI summaries pull from clear, helpful pages — not generic keyword stuffed ones.

3. Get Mentioned Around the Web

• Join your local chamber of commerce.

• Share a short “Dumpster Rules in [City]” guide with contractors or HOAs.

• Offer to write a short post for a community blog or real-estate newsletter.

These mentions are citations — they tell Google and AI you’re real and active in the community.

4. Keep Your Ads Running

While your organic visibility builds, keep your Google Ads on. Run local search campaigns that point directly to the right page on your site. Add negative keywords to block junk clicks and save money. AI visibility takes time, and ads keep the phone ringing — they work even better when you run them together.

5. Make Every Click Count

• Put your phone number at the top of every page or better yet, in the header.

• Use a short form (name, phone, ZIP) to make it easy.

• Show reviews and photos near the form (proof & authority).

• Call leads back fast — same day if possible — and follow up 5+ times.

Visibility only matters if it turns into real jobs.

What NOT to Do

• Don’t post vague “blog filler.” AI won’t use it.

• Don’t have different addresses or names floating around online.

• Don’t rely only on social posts — AI looks for website pages and real citations.

• Don’t pause ads while waiting for organic results. And when organic results do start to come in, keep ads running in some capacity.

Weekly Routine (Keep It Simple)

• Ask for 3 new reviews each week. Focus on your review velocity.

• Publish or update on your website 1 helpful local page weekly.

• Add your business to 1 new local listing or site each week.

• Review your ads weekly and make positive changes (contact me if you need help).

• Call back every missed lead and follow up over time until you get a yes or a no.

Small, steady moves build trust and visibility.

Wrap Up

Google’s AI now shows answers before the results. Those answers come from trusted sources. To be trusted, your business needs clean info, clear pages, and steady mentions around the web. Keep your ads on. Keep improving your visibility. 

That’s how you stay found — even when search keeps changing.

Justin ✌️

P.S. If you’re wondering about Google’s “AI Mode,”: it’s not replacing search — it’s reorganizing it. AI Mode in Google is still experimental, but here’s what’s clear so far:

It leans heavily on authority and confirmation — meaning it checks multiple trusted pages before showing anything in a summary. 

So the goal isn’t to “game” the algorithm; it’s to have your business mentioned, linked, or confirmed by those trusted sources. 

That’s the quiet part of AI visibility no one’s talking about yet. 🏁