The McNeil Brief

The Signal

Homeowners are no longer starting their search on Google. They're asking ChatGPT, Gemini, and Siri who to call. These AI tools build a shortlist of contractors before the homeowner ever sees a search results page. Apple is rolling out AI-powered Siri recommendations this spring — pulling from reviews, directories, and web content to recommend specific businesses by name. More than 1.2 billion iPhones are in play. The filter just got a lot harder to pass through.

Why It Matters

Your clients compete in a world where the homeowner has already made a shortlist before picking up the phone. If an AI tool can't find enough trustworthy signals about a business, that business doesn't make the cut. Google still matters — but AI filters before Google validates. Being invisible at the shortlist stage means competing for fewer calls at the validation stage. The businesses showing up in AI results aren't spending more on ads. They have more reviews, more specific content, and more consistent information across the web.

The Move

This week: audit one client's Google Business Profile for completeness, recency, and review volume. Reviews need to be fresh and specific — AI tools read the actual text of reviews to understand what a contractor does. A review that says "Great work on our James Hardie siding install" is worth ten that say "Good job, highly recommend." Build a review request template that prompts customers to describe the actual work. Send it within 24 hours of job completion.

Homeowner Mindset

Homeowners in 2026 are doing more research before they call — and doing it in fewer steps. They're asking AI tools specific questions: "Who installs Hardie siding in my area and what does it cost?" They expect an answer, not a list of links. The businesses that get recommended are the ones whose websites and reviews actually answer those questions. Generic service pages with stock photos and a phone number don't get surfaced.

In Your World

The Number