The era of artificial intelligence (AI) is here. Like we saw with the mobile-first era and Google Local Services Ads (GLSA), pest control companies that adapt early stand to gain the most. Your website can begin to thrive in AI-powered searches with just a few updates and not much cost.
Here’s our “nifty,” budget-friendly five-pronged strategy to help pest management professionals (PMPs) roll out the red carpet for AI and stay in the game.
Key Takeaways:
- Audit Your Brand: Start with a free step: ask an AI chatbot what it knows about your company to get a baseline.
- Be Crawlable: Ensure your website’s robots.txt file or web host isn’t actively blocking AI bots.
- Speak AI’s Language: AI favors sites that are clearly structured. Add an FAQ section, use schema markup and post transcripts of your videos.
- Build Off-Site Authority: Your digital footprint matters. Be active in local directories, forums and community groups.
1. Ask AI about your brand.
Kick things off by asking an AI chatbot, “What do you know about [your company name]?” The answers might surprise you. AI pulls from your website, directories, news mentions, reviews and forum chatter. This is easy and free to do and it gives you a valuable snapshot of what AI sees (or doesn’t see) about your brand.
2. Ensure AI can read your website.
Before AI can understand who you are and what you do, it needs to be able to read your site. You might be surprised to find out your robots.txt file or web host is actually blocking AI bots from seeing your site. We recommend heading over to the “AI Crawlability Checker” on LLMrefs.com and doing a free scan of your site. This tool simulates how ChatGPT sees your pages and will provide a fairly detailed analysis of your website, as well as some recommended fixes.
3. Provide the content AI looks for.
AI favors sites that spell out what the business does, where it operates and what makes it special. This means including your years in business, service areas, specialties, awards and customer ratings clearly on your site.
There are several key ways to make your content “AI-friendly”:
- Use Schema Markup: This is code that helps bots understand your site structure and information (like your address and phone number).
- Add an FAQ Section: Create a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section in a clear question-and-answer format. AI often pulls these directly into search results.
- Post Transcripts: Bots need words to crawl. Post full transcripts of your videos and podcasts to create more keyword-rich content.
- Keep Your Blog Updated: Regularly updating your blog, especially with seasonal topics, signals to AI that your content is fresh and relevant.
4. Strengthen your off-site presence.
AI doesn’t just check your site; it scans your whole digital footprint. Make sure you’re listed in local directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Angi and the Better Business Bureau. Publish at least one press release to get a news mention (there are many reputable, inexpensive distribution services that can help with this). Stay active in community groups, pest control forums (especially Reddit and Quora) and local Facebook pages. All of this builds your authority.
5. Track your progress.
Search engine optimization (SEO) tools like Semrush and Ahrefs now track AI-related visibility, but we know not everyone has the budget. Just reach out to your local SEO agency and chances are good they will be more than happy to provide free AI visibility snapshots using their paid plans with one of these tools.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need a massive budget to start optimizing for AI search. By taking these five practical steps, you can significantly improve how AI platforms see your brand ensuring your company remains visible and competitive in this new technological era.
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